Introducing Floured By Block

I’ve been excited to share this post for quite some time because it features the amazing work of one of my closest friends, Kayla Block. She’s been one of my besties since high school and is also the founder of the growing Floured By Block, a home baking business that creates incredible cookies, cakes, and every other sweet treat that you can possibly imagine. I may dabble in the occasional baking adventure, but let me tell you Kayla is the real deal. I have personally tasted her royally iced sugar cookies and “oh my god” they are utterly perfect.

Floured By Block creates delicious desserts for almost every kind of event you can think of:

bridal showers
baby showers
birthdays
first days of school
bachelorette parties
sporting events
engagement parties
weddings

On top of running her own side business Kayla is a full time social worker and new mom. She’s pretty incredible and below you can find out a little more about her in her own words:

Why did you start Floured by Block

I started my true baking adventure as a way to help me feel centered. A couple years ago, I began my journey with infertility. I was desperate to have something help me manage my anxiety and baking was it. Baking for others partially eased the stress I felt and my all consuming preoccupation with IVF treatments. I would fall asleep reading recipes and binge watching The Great British Baking Show. I would wake up in the morning and think what can I create today?

Floured by Block came about as coworkers and friends began asking me to make desserts, in particular, royally iced sugar cookies, for birthdays and events. Making delectable treats turned from a personal pursuit to something that I could share.

How did you learn to bake?

When I was little, my weekends were spent racing to grandma’s house as she pulled a loaf of bread out of the oven. My grandpa used to tell me I had to eat the crust if I wanted to be pretty. I rolled my eyes and ate the fluffy middle instead. At a young age, I wanted to cook and bake like grandma. Each family member in turn has tried to get her to write down her recipes. When I got her bread recipe, she instructed me in step 2 with “if it needs more flour, add flour, if it needs more water, add water.” Needless to say, the best way to learn was to watch and help.

I learned the way bread dough feels when it has been kneaded enough. How an apple smells when it’s perfect for pie. And how to smell when the cookies were finished baking despite the timer still counting down. Being raised on homemade bread, hand stuffed sausages, freshly rolled pasta, and warm apple pies, became somewhat of a love language of mine.

Do you have a favorite recipe?

One of my favorite things to make are layer cakes inspired by Momofuku’s Milk Bar. These are amped up little dream cakes and typically have 4 layers: a sponge, a curd or sauce, a crunchy layer, and an icing. These leave the door wide open for texture, flavor, and magic.

Every time I put one together, I’m mad I didn’t make an extra one for myself. These little cakes have made an appearance at several family events including my mother’s wedding.

What do you love about running your own business?

What’s not to love about a sweet treat?! It’s a privilege to bring a little sweetness and joy to others, especially when they are celebrating. Plus licking the beaters and eating the cookies I muck up isn’t so bad either.

What’s one of the challenges of running your own business?

It can be a challenge to balance my orders with a fulltime job and a growing family. Often times when I’m icing cookies, I will lose track of time and it will all of a sudden be 2am. Working as a school therapist with the luxury of summer vacation, I can manage this easily enough, but on a school night, this makes my patience a bit thin the following day and leaves me desperate for a caffeine fix.

What sorts of baked goods do you provide?

My most requested bake are my iced sugar cookies. These are so much fun because the possibilities are endless. I love creating the designs.

In addition, I get asked for a lot of the classic birthday party favorites: cakes, cupcakes, and iced cookies. But I enjoy baking pies, bread, quiche, scones and so much more.

Typically the cast offs get donated to my husband’s coworkers who are happy to taste test and aren’t picky.