Victoria Hess, baker and founder of “Sweet Temptations by Victoria,” is geared up for a busy holiday season. Although she has baked since she was a little girl, she recently took the leap to share her creations with others.
“My grandmother baked from scratch, my mother baked from scratch. It’s been a part of our family and I picked up and baked since I was three,” Hess said.
Hess, who has made unique desserts for her family and coworkers through the years, often received encouragement to push herself and offer it to everyone.
“I was working at Deaconess when Covid hit. I needed balance and to feel like things were normal, so I baked even more. Co-workers and family encouraged me; they were trying everything and telling me I needed to sell it to people,” Hess said.
After taking a leap of faith, she is now booked to the New Year. She is proud of her ingredients and the quality she offers.
“I use no boxed mixes; I make everything myself. I work very hard to find the best ingredients that I can, ordering in bulk to keep the prices down—many recipes have been in my family for generations,” Hess said.
Her fifteen years of experience with art classes have also helped her to incorporate custom designs for clients. She says she enjoys making gourmet desserts with the best ingredients in it.
“I have one called The S’mores Cupcake, with a graham cracker base from scratch, chocolate ganache, a chocolatey cupcake, marshmallow fluff. I use a kitchen torch to torch the top like a campfire taste,” Hess said.
After being with the public a few months, Hess said she is ready to meet new clients.
Hess, a certified nursing assistant with ten years of medical experience and ten years of restaurant experience, worked two jobs for a long time. Her dream is to take “Sweet Temptations by Victoria” to its own location one day.
“Right now my entire dining room is dedicated to the business. Everything is up to code and stored safely. It’s not glamorous but it’s functional; it looks like a restaurant,” Hess said.
After the new year, Hess says she’d love to find the perfect location where she can have a kitchen.
As far as what fuels her passion, the baker enjoys watching the client’s reaction when they receive their custom orders. Even when she’s in the kitchen 12-16 hours a day, the long hours are worth the reaction.
“I do a lot of orders for children. I love seeing how excited the client and children are. I want them to be happy with what they got and to definitely keep coming back. Seeing the happiness and joy the order brought them is like handing them an X-box,” Hess said.
Sweet Temptations by Victoria can be found on Facebook, Instagram and by visiting sweettemptationsbyvictoria.com.
“The clients I have met in person are amazing. It is going to definitely grow. All the small businesses around here have been so encouraging and I am very appreciative of everyone that is so supportive in this community,” Hess said.
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