Custom cakes, desserts are a family business for West Allis mother-daughter team

Creativity is the thread that winds through Margie Story’s life, and it’s something she shares with her daughter, Siraya.

Both love cooking and baking, and after completing the culinary arts program at Milwaukee Area Technical College they thought trying the baking and pastry program would be fun. Together they even won a contest for creating a gingerbread house.

For years, Margie has made custom cakes out of her West Allis home, from tiered wedding cakes to ones for birthdays to baby showers. Now, the two cake artists are working to build their custom cake and dessert business. While cakes are always custom-ordered, they take their sweet treats to select fairs and events throughout the area year-round.

Margie Story recently spoke about working with her daughter, along with her inspiration for cake design and unique flavors. To find their next event location or to order, go to Facebook and search for Margie Story or Oh For Goodness Cakes (West Allis).

Creativity, classes and cakes

I worked at Michaels. I started out as a floral designer there. A lady came in and she taught cake decorating classes. We became friends. She said, “You should take the classes.” It took about a year before I said, OK, I’ll try it. I took all four courses they offered, the Wilton cake decorating courses. Then I started teaching them. I taught for about 15 years. Then I opened up my own shop that didn’t have anything to do with cakes, it was everything but cakes! I make jewelry and artwork and pretty much anything creative you can imagine. The business wasn’t taking off. ... I am also a DJ, and I was using my DJ money to pay for the shop. That wasn’t working.

What does somebody need? I started making cakes for friends and family. That started taking off better than the shop. I have never made a cake just to sell. It has always been orders.

How mother/daughter time helps build a business

My daughter and I both have a degree in culinary arts (from MATC). We thought it would be fun to take baking classes together, too. We both did the full programs, two years. I never thought I’d be on the baking side. My daughter loves to cook as well. She said she’d never do bakery. Now we’re both more into the baking!

We are working to build our own business. Right now we are working under the cottage law and having cupcake sales, specialty brownies and doing special order cakes. It makes us happy and makes others happy.

What makes her cakes stand out

I’m not traditional. I don’t know that I have a style. I love everything that sparkles. I love to make everything perfect. That is hard for cakes. I won’t give you your cake until it is perfect to me. I put a lot of love into my cakes. I want my cake to be the centerpiece of your party. I want people to talk about it. I want it to be a conversation piece.

Her most memorable cakes

I did one while I was in school, for a contest: four or five tiers, sugar designs, a topper, a heart with gold and iridescent aqua and turquoise, some of it looked like gems and stones, and a glass bowl in the cake with a mermaid wrapped around it. ... My daughter and I also entered a gingerbread house contest. We won first place. That was fun.

This Story has two sides

I did a cake for a wedding. The bride ordered it as a surprise for the groom; he had no idea. One side was traditional, the other side was all his favorite things. The tiers were different flavors, too.

These cake flavors are anything but basic

I’m creative with flavors. I give a list, but I can take it further. One of my most popular cakes is a butter pecan cake with cinnamon buttercream and maple syrup. It tastes like waffles, so yummy. Another favorite is marble with cookies and cream filling.

One of my signatures is a marbled butter pecan cake and strawberry cake. It tastes like Cap’n Crunch Crunch Berries. The butter pecan cuts the sweetness of the strawberry cake. It balances out really nicely. The Starbucks hazelnut strawberry drink, that’s where I got the idea to put the two together for a cake. It has become one of my most popular.

Number one, it has to taste good

When it comes to frosting, I can do anything that people want, but I stick to mostly American buttercream. I want smooth, creamy, frosting. It should not be overly sweet, not grainy, just smooth and fluffy as possible. I’m known for moist cakes. I don’t like dry cake.

You can order a cake and it can look amazing, but if it doesn’t taste good, you are wasting your money. ... Number one is always taste.

How she creates colorful cakes

When you get cake from the grocery store they put so much dye in there to get a deep color. That affects the flavor. ... The dark colors can taste so bad because of the dye. If somebody wants black frosting or a dark color, I will frost all in white first. Then I do a top layer of the dark color.

Tips for traveling with cake

That’s the scariest part. I feel like my child is leaving with a stranger. Before I let my cakes go, I stick them in the freezer, so it starts to get solid and it's easier to travel with. I don’t send them out at room temperature. I’d be a wreck. I have a separate freezer just for the cakes.

Creative challenges encouraged

I can do pretty much anything in cake. I love a challenge. Let me try. The only thing I don’t really like to do is a sheet cake. I can’t compete with a grocery store price.

The three generations behind the business

I started as custom cakes and special order desserts. Now I get to have my daughter help. We’re trying to do what a bakery would do, so cupcakes, brownies, cookies and cakes.

You can find us as Oh For Goodness Cakes, the name which came from my mom. She passed away in 2018. She was my biggest fan. When it came to my cakes she’d light up when she saw them. She’d say in the happiest voice, “Oh, for goodness sakes!” When she passed I wasn’t sure I could keep doing cakes. ... Now that my daughter will be joining us, we want to use the name Storytime Sweets, but that is not official yet.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Custom cakes are a family business for West Allis' Margie and Siraya Story