When Katie Moldenhauer was 6 years old, she received her first set of baking pans. Baking and cake decorating have always been part of her life. She dreamt of making beautiful cakes and soon began taking classes, even traveling to Los Angeles to work with topnotch cake decorators.
Recently, Moldenhauer opened her first bakery, Katie Cakes, at 24 S. Broadway Suite 4, in Red Lodge — and customers are lining up to have her create that special centerpiece for their events.
“I started making cakes for family members and would post them on social media. Apparently it caught other attention. I started getting asked to do kid’s birthday cakes and whatnot. In 2018, I licensed my home kitchen in Belfry and I outgrew my little kitchen so fast that I thought it was time to seek a commercial space,” said Moldenhauer.
Undeniably, the cake is the celebratory piece that ties a party together, it somehow encapsulates the identity of the individual(s), the party theme and the dessert factor, all in one.
“The cake is always the highlight of any party," said Moldenhauer. "I know my favorite part of a wedding is eating delicious cake. I also think the cake at a child's birthday party is the ‘icing on the cake.’ I love to hear the ideas of these little ones who know exactly what they want their cake to look like — and I get to make their dreams come true.”
Currently, Katie Cakes is booked out for orders by at least two months, but the bakery does serve espresso and cupcakes to go.
Moldenhauer works tirelessly to create beautiful, imaginative and delectable cakes and cupcakes for her clients.
For Moldenhauer, it's more than just a dessert course, it is artist expression.
“I believe each cake decorator has their own inspiration to create their business. If you look at any cake decorator in Billings, they all have their own style. Inspiration comes from the soul. Not sure how it can be explained. It’s just there,” she said.
Katie Cakes is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (406) 475-0612 or visit katiecakesmt.com or her Facebook page.
