Hometown business made from scratch
Baker began For Goodness Cakes to be with her daughter
Wendy Solomon used to be afraid of wedding cakes.
Not in general, you understand. She used to be afraid of baking them.
"When I first started, it was simply going to be birthdays, etc.," Solomon said. "I refused to do wedding cakes. They made me nervous just the pressure. It's got to be perfect, you've got to get it from Point A to Point B without disasters and you really need to make those brides happy."
Today, of course, wedding cakes are a primary part of Solomon's business. For 10 years, Solomon has owned and operated For Goodness Cakes out of her home in Moses Lake.
"I had an interest, and I needed to stay home with my daughter that was really important to me," Solomon said.
Solomon said she has lived in Moses Lake for 42 years. She was able to be licensed to work out of her home, and be with her daughter.
"Now she's 11, and she really needs me," she said with a laugh. "She's not able to help just because she doesn't have a health card, but she loves to lick the bowls."
Solomon is the only worker at For Goodness Cakes.
"I think it's still the hometown kind of business," she said of what makes For Goodness Cakes unique. "The brides are able to come in and we can sit and talk about what they might want for their wedding."
Solomon said she is self-taught. She overcame her nervousness regarding wedding cakes by doing research.
"There's just nothing I can't make from scratch that isn't as good as Betty Crocker," she said with a laugh. "But I always add a few extra ingredients and I drop the temperature of my stove just a little bit. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's working."
Solomon said she is willing to try any kind of cake once, although she tries to discourage what she called "the unmentionable ones; the not-nice ones." She will also try a recipe if someone brings it to her, although she says that on average, she has about eight flavors to offer. And Solomon offers all sizes and shapes.
"I think the ugliest cake I've ever done was the armadillo for somebody," she said, laughing. "I have to say, it just looked like a giant rat, but they were pleased, so "
Other requests Solomon has filled include the "traditional" black frosting for 50th birthdays, and even shark-shaped cakes, she said.
Her cakes are custom-made and have to be ordered. Solomon said that if she had the room she could expand, but that would defeat her purpose of staying home. Maybe in the future, she considered.
Solomon feels her business offers a choice for her customers, many of whom have become friends throughout the years.
"I guess the best story for me was one of my customers who became pregnant, and she was just craving one of my cakes," she said. "I guess that was an honor."
Solomon said the job keeps her much busier than she dreamed was possible in the beginning.
"This is more than a full-time job," she said, noting that she typically has 20 regular orders and four weddings per weekend. Her busiest times are February through October.
"This is really a seven day a week job," Solomon said. "If I'm not baking, I'm ordering or bookkeeping or shopping, so it's never ending. But it's worth it."
Four days a week, Solomon said her oven is going non-stop from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays are when she is the busiest.
For Goodness Cakes can be reached at 509-765-2977.002,