Hayley and her cookies will be your next Insta-obsession (Credit: @thehayleycakes)
If you have a major sweet tooth like I do, then you’re probably constantly on the lookout for delicious and unique desserts. Instagram does a good job of helping with my discovery process, especially when I want a local treat. Now I can have my cake and eat it, too, thanks to Austin-based HayleyCakes and Cookies.
Recipe for Success
HayleyCakes and Cookies is a family-owned local bakery known for intricate designs on baked goods. Check out some of these creations and you’ll immediately be drawn in by the punny phrases on cookies and beautiful artwork that makes your eyes widen. Customers can purchase pre-designed treats or work with the experienced decorators on staff to bring their sweet visions to life.
The Austin business currently has one storefront located off of Ranch Road 2222 and another bakery scheduled to open in South Austin soon. If you go out of town and miss the beauty of Hayley’s delightful shop, you don’t need to worry. HayleyCakes and Cookies ships anywhere within the United States.
The Baker Behind the Apron
Owner Hayley Callaway found her calling in middle school, after a family friend gave her a Wilton Cupcake decorating book. She found herself drawn into the pages, handcrafting every single decorating example in the book. Her mother, a home economics teacher at the time, encouraged her daughter to experiment in creative ways and have fun with her decorating.
Valentine’s Day cookies
(Credit: HayleyCakes and Cookies)
In high school, baking was a big part of Callaway’s life. She partnered with her best friend for “Cupcake Fridays,” when the duo would bring cookies or cupcakes to teachers and friends. Eventually, one of Callaway’s teachers began to buy the baked items, becoming the first customer.
The business officially started while Callaway was attending a ministry school in Austin. She began baking out of her apartment in her spare time. “I actually started posting on Craigslist for kids birthday cakes and cookies,” she told me with a laugh. “But it actually worked out, so I guess it’s not that funny.”
Eventually, she found a shared kitchen space to hone her craft. For about six months, Callaway shared the area with a vegan bakery and a pizza shop. She moved into her own space in 2013, when she found an existing bakery for sale and bought it out. The business has only grown since then. Once a lone baker, Callaway has been joined by members of her family, as well as a staff of decorators.
Sweet Charity
These blue bonnet cookies helped raise over $10,000 for Hurricane Harvey victims
(Credit: HayleyCakes and Cookies)
HayleyCakes and Cookies gives smiles to the community through more than just baked goods. The business has teamed up with several organizations and local schools to provide donations. The main partnership is with The Carson Leslie Foundation, which was created after Callaway’s college roommate’s son passed away from cancer. The foundation funds pediatric cancer research and enriches the lives of teens who are in the middle of cancer battles.
The Austin bakery also donated money to students from a school in Houston who lost their homes to Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Callaway and her team designed Texas bluebonnet cookies and sold them for $100 a dozen, with all profits going to students. They sold so many cookies that it took two months to deliver them to customers! With over $10,000 raised, it has been the company’s biggest fundraiser to date.
A local baker with a heart of gold. Now isn’t that sweet?
10601 Ranch Road 2222 – Website
@theAustinot wants to know:
What design or phrase would you like to see on a HayleyCakes cookie?
➡ Keep reading: “8 International Desserts in Austin to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth”
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