Baking Her Dreams Come True

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Leora Flax, Owner of Yummily Ever After

Everything in our culture keeps telling us that we should eat things without sugar, gluten, and discernible taste…Perhaps take up professional leaf eating, buy quinoa in bulk, and get a semi-permanent membership at Planet Fitness.

Lies.

Cardio is good for the heart, but cupcakes and cookies are good for the soul.

In comes Leora Flax. Entrepreneur.Cupcake maker. Sugar savior.

Flax grew up helping her mother in the kitchen, and developed an uncanny sense for making things taste good without following conventional recipes. At the tender age of 16, Flax tested the entrepreneurial waters and took a job on a 1963 London Decker bus to sell cupcakes in Albany, New York.

Fast forward to 2016, and Flax is still baking, but with a velvety twist. A lover of novels, storytelling, and literary figures, she began combining her bookworm tendencies and baking acumen to create one

of the burgh’s best kept secrets, Yummily Ever After. 

London Decker
The London Decker

Flax’s specialty is themed cupcakes and cookies. Anything from books

to animals, she delves deep into her ever-changing creative labyrinth to produce truly one-of-a-kind creations.

“I break each cupcake down by flavor and not by the presentation. So if someone wants an Italian themed cupcake, I wouldn’t stick an Italian flag in it, I would make a Tiramisu flavored batter,” said Flax.

Flax, who is based in East Liberty, caters events within a 10-mile radius of Pittsburgh, and offers delivery. And while she enjoys baking literary confections, she wants to keep her process authentic, and the overall scope of the business small.

“Bakers have no sleep, time, or money, so I prefer to stay small and keep a full-time job,” said Flax.

When Flax isn’t baking Pulitzer pastries, she works at The Center For Women, a non-profit organization which helps women to re-adapt to the workforce, providing financial guidance, internships, and overall transition support.

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Summer Camp: Vanilla cake with peanut butter, vanilla swirl buttercream icing, and chocolate sprinkles.

The organization is the only one that offers a 6-12 month mentoring program for women in Central Pennsylvania, and also boasts an internship program.

“We’re a small, but very important organization for women in this city,” said Flax.

Flax is making a mark in her own right as a female entrepreneur. As someone who sees the devastating circumstances some women face in the workforce, her business speaks volumes, but her desire to help women speaks much more.

“It’s an exciting time for women right now, because people are starting to talk about feminism more openly and honestly,” said Flax.

As Yummily Ever After gains momentum, Flax continues to blaze forward with her intricate baking process, delighting customers at every turn.

“The most powerful I ever feel is when I pass out cupcakes to a roomful of loud people and then it suddenly gets quiet,” Flax said while chuckling.

Well, shut me up. Shut me up right now. Visit Yummily Ever After on Facebook

Food and Profile Photos by Julie Kahlbaugh