BALDWINSVILLE — The pandemic has altered the lives of many people, and Jackie Hanifin is no exception. Last year, the mother of four found herself at a crossroads.
“It was kind of a time in my life where I needed to become more independent, but I also wanted to be there more for my kids,” said Hanifin, who lives in Baldwinsville.
Hanifin decided to turn her lifelong passion of baking into a business. Thus, Mama’s Sugar Slate was born. Hanifin has quickly gained a following on Facebook and Instagram for her luscious cakes and cookies festooned with candy, crushed cereal, cookies and enough frosting to fuel a classroom of kindergarteners.
“Pre-COVID, we would always have friends over and there was always some fresh new treats for them to try,” Hanifin said.
As her pandemic stress intensified, Hanifin spent more time in the kitchen. She posted her creations to social media and friends began to encourage her to sell her sweets.
“I’m a big fan of cakes. Sugar cookies are super fun and I’m learning new ways to decorate them. Cakes, I feel I can be super creative with them and I’m trying out new flavor combos,” she said.
While many bakers sculpt elaborate figurines, objects and ribbon out of fondant to adorn their cakes, Hanifin isn’t one of them. Her cakes bloom with buttercream rosettes, dotted with sugar pearls. She drizzles chocolate down the sides of some of her confections. Others feature Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Oreos or crushed graham crackers. A recent customer requested carrot cake with no frosting, so Hanifin decorated the cake with carrot-shaped sugar cookies.
“With my desserts, I focus more on flavor and less on the design. I don’t love the flavor of [fondant, but] you can make a super pretty cake with fondant,” she said. “I just play around in the kitchen a lot. I kind of mix and match. I research a lot of recipes that sound kind of neat and see what I can come up with.”
Hanifin has a panel of budding food critics in her children, ages 4, 6, 7 and 10.
“I have the most honest taste-testers I could find. They will tell me right away if it’s thumbs up or thumbs down,” she said.
As for the name, Hanifin crowdsourced “Mama’s Sugar Slate” from social media, promising a free cake to the person who came up with a suitable name for the business.
“It’s open to interpretation also. It’s not ‘Mama’s Cakes’ — I can expand with it or keep it as is,” Hanifin said.
The Onondaga Small Business Development Center provided invaluable help to Hanifin as she launched her business. The center, located within Onondaga Community College, offers advice on forming an LLC, starting a business bank account, tracking expenses, and renting or purchasing office or retail space.
“They have a world of knowledge right there,” Hanifin said. “I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, so I didn’t know the steps to take.”
Someday, Hanifin would like to open her own bakery instead of running the business from her kitchen. But for now, her focus is “to be a mom, number one, and to satisfy taste buds.”
To see what Hanifin has to offer, like Mama’s Sugar Slate on Facebook or follow @mamas_sugar_slate on Instagram.
