Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Bell.
Hi Dani, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I actually never planned on becoming a cake artist!
I actually have a degree in elementary education and spent years thinking I’d be a teacher forever (just like my mom and sister). But after having my first son, I made the decision to stay home with him. A year later, when his first birthday was coming up, I decided I wanted to make his cake myself… Even though I’d never decorated a cake before in my life.
I watched a ton of YouTube and Instagram videos, made plenty of mistakes, and somehow completely fell in love with the process! Being a stay at home mom left me yearning for my own “thing” outside of just taking care of my family, and cake decorating was a perfect fit. What started as “I’ll just make a birthday cake” quickly turned into making cakes for family, then friends, and after four years of giving away cakes for free, “practice,” I finally opened my home bakery for business!
As my cake sandwich business grew, and my social media accounts continued to gain follows from other bakers, something unexpected happened… People weren’t just asking me to make cakes anymore, they wanted me to teach them how I was making my cake sandwiches!
So I created my cake guide and realized that my favorite part wasn’t just decorating cakes; it was helping someone else discover that they could do it too! I think that’s the teacher in me that never really went away. Whether I’m teaching an in person class, creating a cake guide, filming tutorials, or answering questions online, I still get the same joy I imagined I’d have as a classroom teacher, helping people learn something new!
Social media became a huge part of that journey as well. I started sharing my cake decorating videos online just for fun, and one day a video took off. Then another. Before I knew it, hundreds of thousands of people were following along. Today I’ve built an incredible community of cake decorators from all over the world who I lovingly call my “Cake Besties.” What I’m most proud of isn’t the follower count or the videos, it’s the community we’ve built! I have an online community of over 1,000 bakers who’ve been able to use my recipes to help grow their own cake sandwich businesses in their own towns!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this journey, it’s that you don’t always have to have the perfect plan! Sometimes the thing you’re meant to do starts with simply saying yes to trying something new. I never expected a birthday cake to completely change the direction of my life, but I’m so grateful it did!!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges along the way was figuring out how to build a successful business while also being the kind of mom I wanted to be. I tried just about every business model you can think of! I offered curbside pickups, sold at farmers markets and pop-up markets, and even rented shelf space inside a local store.
Each one taught me something. Curbside pickups sounded great in theory, but my kids would inevitably run outside to say hi to customers every time someone picked up a cake. Farmers markets were incredibly profitable, but Arizona summers weren’t exactly cake friendly, and the long hours away from my family just weren’t sustainable.
It took a lot of trial and error to realize that there isn’t one “right” way to run a baking business. For a season, renting shelf space in a local shop was the perfect fit because it allowed me to continue making sales while being more present at home. Today, I’ve shifted again and primarily focus on teaching cake decorating, both online and in person, because that’s what works best for my family right now.
I think that’s one of my favorite things about being a home baker, you have the freedom to adapt. Your business can grow and change as your life changes, and I’ve learned that success doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it means finding the version of your business that best supports both your customers and your family.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Today, I specialize in creating colorful printed “cake sandwiches”, a style of cake that has become my signature. I love designing cakes that are bright, nostalgic, and full of personality. Whether it’s a beloved cartoon character or a fun pop culture moment, my goal is to create cakes that make people smile!
I’m probably best known for creating viral cake sandwich videos on social media, where millions of people have watched the decorating process. What started as a fun way to share my creativity has grown into an amazing community of cake lovers and home bakers.
I think what sets me apart is that I don’t just want people to admire my cakes, I want them to believe THEY can make them too!! Everything I create is designed to make cake decorating feel approachable, fun, and like something anyone can learn!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t think most people look at cake decorating and think, “Now that’s a risky business.” But as a small business owner, I’ve learned that risk often looks different than people expect!
For me, the biggest risks have almost always been financial investments in equipment. Every purchase feels like a gamble…you hope it will save you time, improve your products, or help your business grow, but there’s never a guarantee. I’ve invested in new mixers to increase production, purchased multiple portable ovens to make teaching cake classes easier (only to have them stop working within months), and even bought a very expensive commercial refrigerator that I had custom painted by a local artist to match my brand. I was so excited about it… and then, months later, it completely broke down and couldn’t be repaired. After investing thousands of dollars into it, it was a heartbreaking setback.
Experiences like those have taught me to be thoughtful about risk. I’ve learned that not every investment pays off the way you hope, and sometimes even your best decisions don’t work out. But I’ve also learned that those setbacks teach you how to make the next decision a little wiser!
I think for home bakers like me, we need to be willing to keep moving forward, even after something doesn’t go according to plan. Every challenge has made me more resourceful, more adaptable, and more appreciative of the wins when they do come. I don’t think success comes from avoiding risk altogether, it comes from being willing to learn, adjust, and keep believing in what you’re building when your “risk” doesn’t pay off the way you wanted!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danicakesaz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danicakesarizona/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Danicakesaz
- Other: https://stan.store/Danicakesaz
