Daily Inspiration: Meet Felisha Croker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Felisha Croker.

Hi Felisha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I have been baking all my life. My mother and father introduced me to the wonderful world of baking =] One of my first significant memories was making my 6th birthday cake. I remember it being a sheet cake with pink frosting and those candy letters and a princess crown you can get from a local grocery store. I remember my father randomly making homemade chocolate chip cookies and me making cakes for my parents’ birthdays. I loved watching baking shows and loved making cakes and cupcakes for my friends and family for fun. It wasn’t until I got to USF during undergrad and a friend said to me, “Why don’t you sell these?” and the idea sparked. When I first started out, I had a little Facebook page and word of mouth. I made cupcakes for organizations at USF and their events. After graduating in 2013 and moving back to Miami with my parents, I took a break. I doubted myself and my talents for a while. I still baked for people from time to time but not as often as I used to.

Fast forward to fall 2016 and moving back up to Tampa, I gained more confidence and decided to start Fe’s Cupcakes back up again. I was working two jobs at the time and was making orders almost weekly. It was extremely tiring, but so much fun. I started just doing cupcakes, and now I make tiered cakes and other treats. I am still learning and experiencing so much, and I’m so proud of myself that I never stopped improving on my talents. I’m still a work in progress.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road for me and Fe’s Cupcakes. There have been times when I doubted myself and my skills. There have been times when I felt like I would not go anywhere with my business. But I am fortunate to have people in my corner who really support me and motivated me to keep going.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a baker that specializes in cakes and cupcakes. I also do work with other treats such as brownies, cake pops, chocolate-covered strawberries and Oreos, and cheesecakes. I would say I’m known for my “Henny cakes/cupcakes,” which are cupcakes infused with Hennessy topped with a Hennessy mini bottle. It is a big hit for people celebrating birthdays. I’m also known for rosette piping, which I do mostly for my cupcakes orders unless the customer prefers a different type of piping. I am most proud of my cakes and tiered cakes. I never thought I would make decorated cakes or fondant cakes for that matter. I did limit myself a lot in the beginning, but it wasn’t until a friend of mine challenged me to work with fondant. What I believe sets me apart from others is my professionalism and my friendliness. A really sucky myth that small black businesses have is that they are unprofessional and unfriendly. I try my hardest to fight that stigma. I feel I’m an open book to my customers, and I am my regular smiley, bubbly self when I interact with them.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
There is a phrase that goes, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” I believe in risk-taking and I think it’s a scary BUT wonderful thing. One big risk I say I have taken was participating in Dessert Wars in Tampa, FL that took place earlier this year. I had to make hundreds of samples which is something I never did at once. It took a lot of planning and preparation. My mother was my assistant that weekend, which was great and appreciated so much. I had the amazing opportunity to network and connect with other amazing bakers and get my name and company out there.

Contact Info:

• Email: fescupcakes@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fescupcakes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FesCupcakes/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fes_CupCakes