Junior Adan Chaudhry pipes pastel buttercream on a fresh batch of cupcakes after spending hours in the kitchen, then packages them for her next customer. With students already juggling a variety of activities, Chaudhry has one more item on her plate: running a bakery. 

“I started my business in October of 2020 because it was right during Covid, and I started baking during that time,” Chaudhry said. “I gave [treats] to a bunch of my neighbors and they told me I should start selling them.”

Selling mainly cupcakes and cakes, Chaudhry has a customizable menu, ranging from a classic vanilla buttercream cake to more complex flavors such as pumpkin spice, berry mascarpone and coconut, which can be ordered through her Instagram @adansbakery. Some popular flavors include the chocolate mousse desserts and the raspberry buttercream cupcakes. 

“My favorite part about Adan’s bakery items is that they always taste very fresh,” junior Hasset Solomon said. “She will cater to you, so if you want them less sweet, she can do that.”

Chaudhry first discovered her passion for baking when her mother taught her to bake. She then took a cupcake decorating class where she learned how to pipe frosting and decorate desserts. After she established her bakery, she formed an LLC, a type of business structure with flexible and freely distributed management. 

“I wanted to get an LLC, which I did last February,” Chaudhry said. “In the future, I would maybe want to open up a physical shop because I sell stuff from my home right now.”

Each cake and a dozen cupcakes cost $30 to 35. The items need to be ordered at least a week before the event, which ensures enough time to prepare them. 

“My friend got me a dozen of Adan’s raspberry and chocolate cupcakes for my birthday,” junior Rithika Potluri said. “I really appreciated them because they tasted so fresh, especially since they are homemade.”

According to Chaudhry, there are many benefits that come from owning a bakery, such as extra cash and pursuing the passion. However, finding time to bake orders as well as balancing academics and other extracurriculars can be a challenge.

“When I’m running my bakery, it is difficult managing my time because of school,” Chaudhry said. “But I started writing out my whole day, so I can take it step by step and figure out how to make time. Overall, I think the good outweighs the bad.”