Caroline's Cakes - About Us

I am constantly asked how I started my business and how a seven-layer Caramel Cake became such a major ingredient in my life. My background was in interior design, but food had always been a major player in my life. Growing up in Lake City, South Carolina, life revolved around entertaining. My mother, a fabulous cook and a gracious entertainer, constantly entertained my father's customers with recipes that had been in our family for generations. There always seemed to be weekly cookouts on our terrace or delicious dinners with friends. Whether it was a planned cocktail party or a last minute barbeque, I quickly learned the enjoyment food brought into everyone's lives.

I always looked forward to "Family Night Dinners" at my church when everyone contributed their best dishes.  You always knew who brought the best deviled eggs, the best fried chicken and the best cakes of course.  Food brought us all together in happy times and in sad.  It was the core of our lives - the hospitality and the grace we learned to share.

As many of you already know, I first served my seven-layer Caramel Cake at my youngest son's Christening in 1982.  The power of word-of-mouth spread this incredible tasty treat across the country.  Before I knew it I had customers as far as Alaska and Hawaii wondering how soon they could get a Caramel Cake.  WOW!!

Initially I had a baker in South Carolina who made the cakes and I would pick them up and ship or deliver them to customers.  Unfortunately she became ill and I had to decide whether or not I could continue the business.   The answer was quite simple, thanks to my wonderful customers who kept asking for more cakes! This labor of love was a rough start because Caramel is so difficult to perfect.  I can remember days it would take me an hour and a half to get the icing to stay up on the cake.  I was determined to make it work and through great perseverance I finally conquered and owned the process.  Now we are making the cakes daily in our Annapolis bakery and ship them nationwide.  Some of my customers have even taken them to Europe as gifts.

We have all shared so much through these last 23 years and the friendships have brought so much richness to my life.  I have been told of Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Aunts and family cooks who have made Caramel Cakes similar to ours, and all those memories have flooded back.  My customers continue to share their wonderful stories with me.  That's what keeps me going.  Through this delicious Caramel Cake, I have shared in birthdays, family gatherings, weddings and family reunions.  I have even been told on several occasions it was the only thing a loved one would eat the last days they were living.  How privileged I feel to have shared so much with so many.

My goal is to continue to 'make the world a smaller place' with the Caramel Cake and my other Southern specialties.   I am so grateful to all of my customers for their generous and ongoing support.