After starting her job as a baker at Costco Wholesale in 2014, Chef Amanda Schonberg never imagined that three years later she’d be a private chef, instructor and owner of a home-based dessert bakery.
Schonberg, the local baker behind Chef Schonberg’s Sweets, was inspired to start her home-based bakery after a customer’s inquiry about a type of cake Costco didn’t make.
After jokingly offering to make the cake herself, Schonberg began baking treats from home. She left Costo in 2015, and by 2017 she was awarded for best desserts and sweets in the Baton Rouge wedding industry by Southern Celebrations magazine.
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Since leaving her Costco position, Schonberg’s typical work day begin around 3 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. She starts her mornings early to bake fresh orders for clients and begins delivering them at 9 a.m.
When she’s not in the kitchen or delivering, Schonberg offers baking classes, one-on-one consultations and mentorship to up-and-coming chefs and bakers.
From fluffy pound cakes with cream cheese glaze to decorative, chocolate-covered Oreos and even to booze-infused confections, Schonberg fills her Instagram feed with bright, textured and mouthwatering photos of her creations daily.
We sat down with her to talk desserts, celebrities and how she uses Instagram to promote her treats:
How would you describe your baking style?
Grandma meets alcohol. Very regional [and] rich in Louisiana history. Very traditional.
What’s your favorite thing to bake?
Pound cake. It’s just an old-fashioned cake, and that’s what we are: Southern desserts with a sweet, new flair. It’s just one of those classics that reminds you of being in the kitchen with your mom.
Which of your desserts is a customer favorite?
Red velvet praline cake. That is our signature thing. It’s a three-tier cake. Red velvet, cream cheese and then rather than put the traditional pecans on, we actually put a praline glaze that comes down the cake, so that’s pretty cool.
What’s one cooking ingredient you couldn’t live without?
Vanilla bean paste. I’m a huge vanilla bean person. I just love the smell of it. I put vanilla bean in probably everything.
You’ve catered to a handful of celebrities. Can you name a few?
Brian McKnight, Marvin Sapp, Gina Neeley and Juvenile. I actually like the private events, it’s a blessing when people come to the state and know that you’re able to prepare stuff for them.
With so many dessert bakers in the area, how do you set your business apart?
I just try to stay ahead of trends. We all have a gift; everybody has something that sets them apart. I think people should do what makes them happy, which is why I generally stick with pound cakes, cupcakes [and] chocolates. If we all do what we love, we’ll all have something to offer. It’s kind of a community-over-competition thing.
What role does Instagram play for your business?
I didn’t even wanna be on Instagram, but people are picture-people. I love to take pictures all day … of food. People eat with their eyes, and you have to really make a person want something. I won’t even use a photo if it’s not taken with natural light.
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