— celebrating with cake for 4 decades—

Trained by presidential pastry chef, Adolph 'Steve' Volk, to bake and decorate wedding cakes, Janice Wilson was the premier wedding cake decorator in Santa Cruz county for over four decades. Under the business name, Jan's Cakes, Janice provided celebration desserts for multiple generations of local families.  Near retirement, Jan began to pass her recipes and techniques to daughter Carren and granddaughter Hannah who were excited to build upon Jan's experiences and knowledge. Hannah encouraged Janice to redefine some of her recipes to accommodate dietary restrictions including vegan and gluten free desserts. A three generation endeavor, Farm House Frosting was initially created to be a wholesale frosting business, but instead evolved organically into a bakery with a storefront. In 2011, Buttercup Cakes and Farm House Frosting was born in a tiny shop on Santa Cruz' Locust Street. The variety of delicious flavor combinations as well as the cultivation of winning gluten free and vegan recipes and the use of organic ingredients propelled Buttercup Cakes into the focus of discerning celebration planners both locally and in the central coast area. Soon, the little Buttercup Cakes refrigerator truck was traveling as far south as Big Sur and as far north as Napa, to provide cakes, cupcakes, and dessert selections to a variety of celebrations.

The Buttercup Cakes team began to grow with the shop's opening and soon included exceptional bakers and decorators who trained with Jan to work her unique recipes. In 2015, the shop had outgrown its small store front. Carren and the team made the decision to expand the space and move into the 1411 Pacific Avenue location around the corner from the small Locust Street shop. The new building was spacious enough to allow seating and libations and within a year the business expanded its offerings from just cakes to several exceptional pastries and savory items. In addition to providing desserts for a vast number of weddings every season, the shop also offered high tea on Saturdays and Sundays and lunch specials during the week.

Janice is now retired and at 83 is happy to watch the evolution and growth of the creative seeds she has sown. One of her last projects was an anniversary cake replicating the one she had made for the couple's wedding 50 years before.

Janice's granddaughter, Hannah, truly inspired the transfer of her vast knowledge and skills. After graduating from American University in Washington DC, she rejoined the team as a decorator, frosting maker coordinator of online ordering and logistics.

Carren ran the bakery with an incredibly dedicated team until the middle of March, 2020. When the bakery was forced to close due to Covid 19, and over 200 weddings scheduled for this highly popular year were cancelled, the business was unable to afford the the almost $9,000/ month rent for the Pacific Avenue space. Buttercup Cakes was in the process of relocating to the original commercial kitchen in Davenport to provide delivery orders only. Breaking the lease on Pacific Avenue and moving equipment was in process when the CZU Lightening Complex Fire destroyed that Davenport kitchen and all the homes on the property including Jan’s, Carren’s and Hannah’s. Team member, Annie who lived on the property also found herself without a home.

Presently, Buttercup Cakes has found a working space at the Loma Mar Store near Pescadero. This lovely kitchen is where all wedding orders are being produced for the 2021 and 2022 season. Cupcakes can also be purchased in the store. Although is is a bit of a drive, if you are craving a triple orange or chocolate hibiscus, this is where you can currently find us.

We look forward to helping you celebrate with cake in the present, and into the future.