Clean ingredients. Handcrafted pastries. Bread that people can actually digest. CakeJam is a Minneapolis cottage bakery making small-batch sourdough breads and pastries using organic ingredients and locally milled heritage grains - and we can’t get enough!

What started as Michelle’s quarantine baking experiments (including homemade sprinkles, naturally) has grown into a community-loved micro-bakery known for soulful, simple, delicious baked goods made with Minnesota pride.

The Founder’s Story

CakeJam really started long before it had a name—back in Michelle’s childhood kitchen, baking cookies with her mom and pumpkin pies with her grandfather. She’s always been the kind of person who will try anything from scratch at least once, a trait that came out in full force during lockdown.

When Michelle lost her job in 2020, she finally listened to the friends and family who’d been insisting for years that her baking was something special. It felt like the right moment to take the leap and turn a lifelong passion into a cottage bakery.

The name “CakeJam” came from her daughter, who coined it during a school project, and it stuck instantly. Sweet, fun, and memorable, it perfectly captures Michelle’s warm, homemade style.

Today, CakeJam operates out of Michelle’s Minneapolis home kitchen, guided by the same values she’s always had: care, creativity, clean ingredients, and community.

The Always-On Menu

Michelle is always experimenting with seasonal flavors. You can expect apple-ginger bakes in the fall and bright, buttery pastries in spring. But no matter when you stop by, there are a few staples that never leave the menu and have become customer favorites for a reason:

**Sourdough bread** - long-fermented, crusty, and deeply flavorful

**Sourdough breakfast bread** - soft, gently sweet, and endlessly snackable

**Kouign-amann** - caramelized, buttery, and beautifully laminated

**Cinnamon rolls** - gooey, tender, and generously frosted

These four bakes are the heart of CakeJam: simple, comforting, and made with care in every batch.

This menu is just a small sampling of what Michelle brings to markets. If you can’t find something you’ve had before, she encourages you to reach out - she’s always happy to help!

What Makes This Small Business Special

Locally milled heritage grains

Michelle uses flour from Sunrise Flour Mill in North Branch, MN, which is known for their organic, heritage grains. Many customers who struggle with modern wheat find Sunrise’s flour easier to digest, making CakeJam’s sourdough and pastries especially meaningful.

Clean, organic ingredients

Organic ingredients are used whenever possible, and Michelle loves adding hyper-local touches like maple syrup tapped from her dad’s trees. It’s simple, honest baking with nothing unnecessary added.

Every loaf and pastry supports small Minnesota growers, millers, producers, and small businesses who believe in clean, sustainable, thoughtfully made food. CakeJam may be a small operation, but its impact feels much bigger!

Baked goods people are excited to eat again

One of Michelle’s favorite parts of the business is hearing customers tell her they’re enjoying bread again for the first time in years.

**Heritage grains + slow fermentation = flavor and comfort without compromise.**

Ask the Founder

We sat down with Michelle to talk creativity, memorable moments, and what’s next for CakeJam.

What inspired you to start your own business and when did you know it was something you wanted to do?

“I’ve always been a baker and always found myself in the kitchen from a young age - making cookies with my mom or baking pumpkin pie from scratch with my grandfather. Once I lost my job during lockdown, I decided that was the time to listen to friends and family and make the dive into selling my baked goods!”

What would you say is different about your bakery compared to other bakeries?

“I use locally sourced flour from Sunrise Flour Mill in North Branch, MN. I try to use organic products whenever possible and as locally sourced as possible. Sunrise Flour is a great organic, heritage grain that many people who are gluten sensitive find easier to digest.”

What advice do you have for people looking to start their own local business?

“Just do it! But seriously, just take the plunge and try it. As with most things in life, don’t wait for it to be perfect or the right time. Something will always stand in the way.”

What is your vision for the future of CakeJam?

“Such a great question - I’m still trying to figure that out! In all honesty, I’m not sure, but I’m hoping within the next year to make the jump to wholesale.”

Are there any memorable customer moments so far that have stuck with you?

“Hearing people excited they can eat bread and pastries again after trying Sunrise Flour!”

What is your personal favorite item to bake and why?

“I feel like this changes all the time, but right now I’m loving baking fall treats. I love all the fall flavors - apple, caramel, pumpkin, ginger. This is my favorite time of year.”

What are some of your personal favorite local businesses in your area and why?

“Edina Coffee Roasters - it’s so nice to have a local coffee shop so close. Serge + Jane is another great place; they host so many fun events for the community and I always find a great gift there!”

Talking with Michelle makes it clear that CakeJam rises from a place of genuine gratitude. She lights up when she talks about the people who’ve supported her, shared her bakes, or encouraged her from day one.

What’s Next for CakeJam?

CakeJam is still growing and taking shape, and Michelle is the first to admit she’s figuring it out as she goes. One thing she does know? She hopes to take the leap into wholesale within the next year - a move that would bring her breads and pastries to more people across Minnesota.

For now, she’s focused on steady, thoughtful growth and staying connected to the community that’s supported her from day one.

Plan Your Visit!

Because CakeJam is a cottage bakery, the best way to snag Michelle’s bakes is by following her weekly menus and pre-order announcements.

Follow CakeJam on Instagram, or check out their website here!

Whether you’re craving Minnesota-milled sourdough, a buttery kouign-amann, or a cinnamon roll that tastes like a warm hug, CakeJam brings clean, thoughtful baking to the Minneapolis community and we think it’s one of the city’s sweetest gems.

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Meet CakeJam: Minneapolis’ Heritage-Grain Cottage Bakery