Desfosses Desserts | Shynade Desfosses | Weberville, AB
In 2019, Shynade Desfosses, now 31, turned her baking hobby into a successful home business. Today, Desfosses Desserts is a delicious way for people in the Peace Region to enjoy custom cakes and desserts.
“Baking feels very natural for me,” said Desfosses. “Some of my fondest childhood memories are baking with my mom and grandma.”
Before her business was established, Desfosses would often make cakes for her social circle. As her passion for baking developed, so did her skills.
Orders from family and friends quickly multiplied. Her business ambitions took shape while on maternity leave with her first child.
“While on maternity leave, I decided to make my business more official. I started an Instagram and Facebook page to showcase my work,” said Desfosses. “Being away from my full-time job, I found myself able to invest more time into baking, which I loved.”
Operating mainly from her beautiful home kitchen, Desfosses sometimes accesses the industrial kitchen at the Weberville Community Hall when needed. With an emphasis on custom cakes, Desfosses offers an array of scrumptious goodies for all occasions.
With treat boxes for Valentines Day, pies for Thanksgiving and large custom orders for family reunions, there is always something wonderful being prepared at Desfosses Desserts.
“I also sell my cinnamon buns, brownies, macarons, cookie bars, Danishes, cake pops, pies, sourdough bread and more,” said Desfosses. “I enjoy branching out, but I get the most orders for cakes and cupcakes.”
Following the “every batch baked from scratch” motto, Desfosses adds homemade flares to every dessert she creates.
“I don’t use jam in the middle of my cakes. Instead, I make my own strawberry, lemon curd and raspberry compote, and my salted caramel sauce is always made by hand,” said Desfosses.
The price of a custom cake or dessert can vary greatly depending on the time needed, the decorating style and the cost of ingredients. For custom orders, Desfosses discusses the timeline with her customers to ensure everyone’s expectations are met.
For Desfosses, adapting her skills to trends in the baking industry is key.
“My skills are constantly evolving with the trends. I’m finding vintage hand piped cakes are coming back into style,” said Desfosses.
Aside from her dessert creations, Desfosses occasionally hosts cake decorating classes around the Peace Region for those interested in learning decorating basics. Baking and decorating a cake from scratch is an art form, and Desfosses enjoys sharing the craft with others.
“I was inspired to host classes because it’s a new opportunity for community members. I wanted there to be a place for others to come and learn,” said Desfosses. “I really enjoy the decorating process, and I love sharing my passion with others.”
With Christmas around the corner, Desfosses is already thinking about pre-heating the ovens for all those traditional holiday treats. For those interested, she highly recommends putting your ordering in as soon as possible.
“I’ve been receiving pre-orders for Christmas and New Years since September. I still get cake orders for weddings and birthdays in December as well. It is by far my busiest time of year,” said Desfosses.
Looking to the future, Desfosses is excited to continue being an entrepreneur. As her business rises, Desfosses is focused on keeping a healthy work-life-balance, so she can continue providing quality service to her loyal customers.
“Keeping my business at home provides many benefits. Having flexibility to be with my family is important,” said Desfosses. “Plus, I love being in a rural community. It feels good to be able to provide specialized services to individuals who may not be able to access a bakery in town,” said Desfosses.
fb.com/desfossesdesserts | 780-836-0985
Article by Laura Hanna | Photography by Tyrell Parenteau and submitted