'People’s faces light up': Baker brings joy with Sweet Boozy Cakes in Railroad Square

For Artesa Anderson, baking has always been about spreading joy. What began as a tradition of giving rum cakes to family at Christmas has blossomed into a thriving bakery specializing in alcohol-infused treats.

Sweet Boozy Cakes Bakery & Cafe opened its first brick and mortar location last fall at 653 Railroad Square, in the former home of Crum Box Gastgarden.

“I’ve been baking in one form or another for my entire life,” Anderson said as she sat by a cozy window table in her cheerful cafe.

Her lifelong passion was sparked by a favorite aunt who taught her to bake as a young child.

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Tasty presents

Years later, when faced with the challenge of finding Christmas gifts for a large extended family, rum cakes presented a delicious solution. Anderson’s Christmas rum cakes quickly became a beloved tradition for lucky recipients.

It was Anderson’s nephew who inspired her to turn her passion into a business.

“I had never considered this to be something that could be profitable,” she said. “I love making cakes, and my family seemed to love them when I made them, so for me, that was enough.”

With her nephew’s encouragement, Anderson decided to give it a shot.

“When I did my first product testing … everyone went nuts,” she said. “That’s when I thought, OK yeah, maybe I can do this.”

In January 2021, Anderson took the leap and incorporated Sweet Boozy Cakes Bakery & Cafe.  At first, she ran the business mostly out of her home, but her boozy bites quickly gained a loyal following that outgrew her kitchen.

On Oct. 6, 2023, Sweet Boozy Cakes celebrated its grand opening in the business’ new permanent location in Railroad Square.

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Dragon Fire a hot choice

Sweet Boozy Cakes is known for its signature “boozy bites.” These alcohol-infused mini bundt cakes come in a range of creative flavors including Key Lime Rum, Peanut Butter Whiskey, and Chocolate Bourbon.

Dragon Fire, flavored with tequila and blood orange liqueur, is another popular option, and if you see Cookie Butter Rum, it’s your lucky day.

“I can’t keep it in stock because it’s so popular,” Anderson noted.

Since its opening in Railroad Square, the cafe has expanded its menu offerings. Decadent puddings in unique flavors like Almond Joy, Key Lime Pie (with actual pie chunks), Bananas Foster and gluten-free Salted Caramel Turtle are among the new scoopable treats.

Lunch options, too

Lunch selections — including chicken tenders, fried pork chops, black bean burgers and salads — as well as classic bakery goodies, such as cobbler and cookies, ensure there’s something to satisfy every craving.

While the “boozy” in the bakery’s name might raise an eyebrow, Anderson assures customers that the alcohol content is minimal.

“It’s a half cup of alcohol per batch, which makes 24 boozy bites. The glaze is half a cup of alcohol to a cup of butter and sugar, and each boozy bite gets half an ounce of that. It’s really not much.”

Anderson said she is happy to oblige customers over 21 who ask for a bit more alcohol flavor, but her regular boozy bites are safe to share with kids, she said. An ID is not necessary for purchase.

For those who want to skip any spirits, puddings, cookies, and cobblers are never made with alcohol.

It’s hard to choose from all these delicious options, so I asked Anderson about her favorite menu items.

Her Reese’s Cup-inspired Peanut Butter Whiskey boozy bite, which is loaded with chocolate and peanut butter chips and has peanut butter whiskey soaked into the cake, got an honorable mention. But cookie butter is her all-time favorite.

Cookie butter drizzle

“I love making it, and people love it,” she said. “I try to incorporate a cookie butter drizzle in almost all the puddings because it’s such a fun flavor. It’s just wonderful.”

At this moment, a mother-daughter pair came into the shop and sampled the cookie butter pudding. It was an obvious hit.

“Notice how people’s faces light up when they taste it for the first time?” Anderson said. “That’s probably the most rewarding thing for me, when I see people smile.”

Getting community support

Sweet Boozy Cakes has been thriving in the supportive Railroad Square community, she said.

“Railroad Square afforded me the opportunity to be a full-fledged business,” Anderson said. “They really try to support small businesses in getting started.”

She especially appreciates the unique clientele.

“I have students from both sides (FAMU and FSU), older individuals who stumble across my store, and a growing artsy crowd.”

Anderson is an IT director by day and a baker by night. It’s easy to see how running a business while maintaining a full-time job has its difficulties. One of the biggest initial challenges was determining pricing.

“When you’re starting out and you’re doing it because you love it, it’s hard to put a price on something like that,” Anderson said. “I had to come up with what I believe is a fair price based on labor, materials, packaging, and things like that, and then I had to stick with it. That was the hardest part.”

As Sweet Boozy Cakes transitioned from a home-based operation to a physical storefront, Artesa encountered additional challenges.

“There were a lot of surprises, including all the fees, start-up costs, labor, and hiring people, that was completely overwhelming. At one point it almost made me say ‘I couldn’t do this because I still work my full-time job.’ ”

‘My Happy Place’

However, the rewards far outweigh the challenges, she said.

“I do it because this is my happy place. So even though it’s work, it doesn’t feel like work.”

Witnessing the joy on customers’ faces, particularly first-time tasters, keeps Anderson motivated.

“Every time it happens it’s a surprise to me … to hear a perfect stranger come in for the first time and go ‘Wow.’ It’s so rewarding.”

Looking ahead, Anderson envisions expanding the Sweet Boozy Cakes catering operations, moving more into retail, and forging partnerships with local stores and restaurants.

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Free samples

“I would like to encourage people who have never heard of Sweet Boozy Cakes to come by and give us a try,” Anderson  said. “We offer free samples of everything, and there’s no limit.” (I can confirm this — with so many delicious options, multiple samples are necessary.)

And if you have a custom cake request, Anderson is always eager to create something special for her customers.

With a vibrant decor, a welcoming atmosphere  and unique desserts to delight every palate, Sweet Boozy Cakes is truly a happy place. Stop by for a visit and bring a slice of joy (and a drizzle of cookie butter) into your day.

Moriah House, a senior at Florida State University, is a contributing writer for Tallahassee Table

If you go

What: Sweet Boozy Cakes, 653 Railroad Square; 850-692-3038; website sweetboozycakes.com

Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Find your favorite flavor at Tallahassee's Sweet Boozy Cakes