Meet Dani Dobbs | Owner | Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dani Dobbs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dani, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
CBD happened accidentally. My mom taught me to bake as a kid. All the women on my mom’s side bake, so it’s really like a rites of passage for us.

Fast forward to when I was attending Spelman. My friend group had a potluck that I forgot all about and I didn’t have time to go to the store. As a Hail Mary I whipped up a Red Velvet cake to take with me.

After that, people kept asking me to bake cakes (red velvet cake specifically), and I thought it was so odd. All of my family make these cakes, so when people were raving I thought it was so strange.

One Thanksgiving I decided to take a few orders just to see what would happen (and to have some extra money to buy a MacBook). Well A LOT happened. I was so excited, so I just kept going.
What should our readers know about your business?
Cakes By Dani: Nana’s Decadent Desserts is true southern baking. Dedicated to producing quality, homemade cakes, Cakes By Dani uses the most premium ingredients. Pairing southern baking fundamentals and a genuine love for desserts.

Affectionately known to my customers as “The Sugar Pusha,” I am most proud of the quality and consistency of CBD products. It’s the same dessert, every time. That’s the most important thing to me as an owner.

The journey has not been one for the faint at heart. Losing my mother in late 2019, was a major blow. My love for baking left with her. It wasn’t the same. I couldn’t force myself to do it. I’ll never forget the day one of my customer/friends told me that my healing was in the kitchen, but to take the time I need. That same night I dreamt of my mama bear. In the dream, she was calling me down into the kitchen to help her cook. The very next morning, I baked my first thing in MONTHS My friend was right! Every time I stepped back in the kitchen, I felt a little less broken. It healed my broken heart TRULY.

People always ask me what separates CBD from other bakeries in the area, my response is always the same. “There’s really no comparison. The desserts are just THAT good.”
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in and around Atlanta my entire life. Some of my favorite places to kick it are:

Food & Drink: Creole Orleans, Homegrown, Fogo De Chao, Gocha’s, Cru, Boogalou, The Beverly, Harold’s (College Park), Virgil’s Gullah, Kabobland, and Milk & Honey

Hang: Beltline, The Battery, Ponce City Market (Rooftop), Apache, Blaqhaus, and Highland Cigar, Acere Cigar, Table 25, Fin & Feathers, Cascade Springs Nature Preserve, Sweetwater Park.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Cakes By Dani is a direct reflection of my late mother, Rev. Dr. Lemora B Dobbs. My love for baking is because of all of the talks, lessons, love shared, and mistakes we made in the kitchen together. For me, it was never about the food, although I’m definitely going to eat. It was always deeper than that.

My family is so instrumental as well. Always encouraging and supportive They even risk the extra pounds when I get a new recipe and EVERYONE has to try it to give me feedback.

My friend group who hypes me up at every turn. Always ordering, even when the cakes were UGLY! Lol

Lastly, but most importantly, GOD! I don’t know where I would be if he didn’t give me an outlet like CBD to be authentically ME. I can laugh, cry, grieve, love, and everything in between in the kitchen. Like my mama always said, “To God be the glory!”

Website: www.Cakes-By-Dani.com

Instagram: @cakesbydani

Facebook: @cakesbydani1