Junior Sophie Snyder talks about running a baking business while earning her degree in hospitality management

Take a scroll through Sophie_Cheffy’s Instagram and check your sweet tooth.

The local baker behind the goodies is Auburn University College of Human Sciences undergraduate Sophie Snyder. By day, she’s working toward her degree in hospitality management. By night, she’s prepping three-tiered masterpieces for her small business as a wedding cake baker.

Sweet beginnings

An Auburn native, Snyder started her baking business when she was in high school.

“I baked my first wedding cake for a family friend when I was 15,” she said. “For that first one, I watched a YouTube video on how to put a wedding cake together. Over the past few years, it’s really taken off and I’ve built it into an official business.” 

Her wedding cakes are in high demand — she’s booked nearly every weekend this fall and spring. She offers traditional and not so traditional flavors, including vanilla bean cake with raspberry filling, vanilla bean cake with strawberry frosting, orange cake and carrot cake. One of her most popular cakes: a 21-layer, three-tiered chocolate chip cookie cake popular with grooms and anyone with a penchant for cookies and cream.

Snyder learned her baking chops from a neighbor across the street, a family friend she calls “Ms. Samantha.” 

“Ms. Samantha is the mother of a friend of mine who has Down syndrome. He always loved when we baked and especially loved eating what we baked!” Snyder said. “Ms. Samantha was really skilled with icing decorations. She really encouraged me, and my passion for baking started in her kitchen.”

In high school, that passion, and her very own Kitchen Aid stand mixer, turned into a business based out of her family kitchen. She became the go-to baker for custom cookies, birthday cakes and eventually wedding cakes — honing her craft by trying new techniques with decorations, flavors and cake construction.

Balancing business and baking

Snyder chose to attend the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management to help further her culinary and business acumen. 

“This year, I’m taking advanced culinary classes,” she said. “It’s a lot of work researching recipes, and we built a website with a blog that we have to constantly update. It’s useful to get training in web production and social media when you think about how to market a business.”

Next semester, she’s excited to take a baking and pastry course, further honing her prowess and creative cooking craft. All students studying hospitality management at Auburn also graduate with a business minor, something Sophie sees as a strong competitive advantage in moving forward with her career. 

“Accounting, paying taxes, all of it directly applies to my business,” Snyder said. “Being at Auburn has helped me become more responsible and better at managing the money. Nearly all my classes align, and the professors have really encouraged me to help my business take off when I finish school.”

She’s also learned a lesson in time management — a life skill she needs as a small business owner. 

“I’ve figured out how much I can take on in a week. I typically will get my school done in the morning and then I'll bake during the day,” Snyder said. “That usually leaves time to still do fun things with my friends, my sorority and different ministries on campus that are important to me. I’ve learned I can’t do everything, but I make time for my priorities.”

Snyder is producing an average of one wedding cake a week. This means outside of classes, she is also baking, icing and decorating Monday through Friday and delivering on Saturday, with an assist from her mom, who lives in Auburn. 

Though busy, Snyder loves what she does. Her advice for budding entrepreneurs: just start.

“Don’t be afraid to start, even if you're starting very small. And don’t let your busyness burn out your passion for what you’re doing,” she said. “When life gets hectic, it can make you forget why you started what you love in the first place. Find time to rest and really enjoy what you’re doing.”