New Cottage Bakery in Bloom

by | Mar 2023

Cupcakes decorated with frosting flowers.

Photos: Aani Bedi

Aani’s Home Bakery sets the course for The Blake School entrepreneur.

Most juniors in high school are steeped in their studies and thinking about what life will be like once they graduate. That’s the case—and then some—for The Blake School junior Aani Bedi. Along with everything else that comes with being a high schooler, Aani runs her own business—a business involving buttercream flowers, cupcakes and cakes.

“My mom and I realized baking was something we both loved to do together,” Aani says. “But I don’t do normal cupcakes or cakes. I do flowers on flowers.”

Aani started Aani’s Home Bakery in her home in late 2021. Her buttercream creations come in the form of a plethora of flowers, however, her favorite flower design is a sunflower, which she learned how to make by watching YouTube.

Along with using social media to gain new skills, Aani uses it to run and promote her business. Her use of social media plays well with small business trends, according to John Stavig, tech startup entrepreneur and director of the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

“Social media is a great promotional opportunity for someone looking to develop their network or become an influencer,” Stavig says. “There are all sorts of ways to commercialize products. It just takes a little time to learn the tools.”

Stavig helps organize the Minnesota Cup, one of the largest business startup competitions in the country. “It’s fun to see what kids are doing in high school without much need for capital,” Stavig says, referring to the young entrepreneurs competition of the Minnesota Cup. “They’re learning to anticipate challenges, while building business acumen at the same time.”

Cupcakes Cones Frosting Flowers

The bakery has inspired Aani to set her sights on starting her own restaurant and pursuing business school once she graduates. She is using her business to help pay for college and grow her knowledge of charting her own career. Aani says, “There are cottage food laws to learn and management work. I’m also attending online business courses.”

Although the holidays are the busiest time of year for Aani’s Home Bakery, Aani receives requests from customers year-round. This spring, she expects to see the usual increase in pastel floral color requests. She is offering a new lemon marmalade filling option for cakes and cupcakes.

“We have carrot cake available for larger orders, and we also have white chocolate frosting, raspberry jam and strawberry jam for filling options,” she says.

You can see more of Aani’s creations on her Instagram, @aanis.home.bakery. For inquiries, DM Aani through her Instagram account, call 612.735.0422 or email aanibedi@gmail.com.

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