San Marcos mother and business owner Alexis Solis said some of her favorite childhood memories are being in the kitchen with her mother and Yiayia (Greek for “grandmother”). Whether playing grocery store or learning to create delicious dishes — the kitchen was the glistening room that brought dreams to life.
Today, Solis is creating new dreams as a mother of two boys and the owner of Boy Mom Bakery, a business launched just a year ago. A former elementary school teacher, Solis said she decided to turn her love for baking into a business when her son, Jameson, turned 6.
“The first two birthday cakes of Jameson’s — I remember purchasing and they were really expensive, and I just wasn’t completely happy with them,” Solis said. “Either the decor wasn’t what I had hoped or it didn’t taste very good. So I decided to give it a try and see if I could do it myself.”
In honor of her son’s birthday, Solis whipped up a Jurassic Park-themed chocolate-tiered cake with white chocolate buttercream and milk chocolate. From there, her business took off — creating dozens of cakes ranging from classic cheesecakes to children’s cakes, including sports-themed cakes, Spiderman cakes and an assortment of Frozen-themed cakes. Her cakes aren’t just aesthetically Instagram-worthy — they are also tasty. She takes pride in ensuring that each cake is something she wants to eat.
“My recipes are a mix of things I have created from scratch, old family recipes that have been handed down, and recipes that I have cultivated and tweaked from some of my favorite famous cookbook authors,” Solis said. “I love tweaking already created recipes to make them match my style and tastes.”
The best part of the creation process includes bringing her children into the kitchen, Solis said. She said her boys have been active in the kitchen since they were babies — holding measuring cups and pouring ingredients into bowls.
“We have had more than a few big messes,” Solis said. “If there is anything that teaching young children has taught me is that when a mess is made — it’s no big deal. All we have to do is clean it up. This was something I tried to instill in my students, as well as my children, because if you’re scared of making mistakes or messes you’re not going to try to learn new things. If we’re scared to try new things, then we will never grow.”
Growth is key to Solis’s business plan. Although she isn’t sure where her bakery business will take her — she intends to keep challenging herself to try new recipes. She’ll also enjoy the moments her clients see their cakes for the first time.
“It gives me great satisfaction to know that I have created something that people have enjoyed,” Solis said. “I really like seeing happy faces. My favorite moments are when kids, in particular, see their cakes for the first time — the way they light up is unmatched.”
Follow Boy Mom Bakery on Instagram at @boymombakerysd.
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San Diego Moms is published on Saturdays. Have a story idea? Email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoawritessd.