Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren King.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was blessed to grow up in a home surrounded by incredible food, and my dad is one of the best bakers I know. From a young age, I was always eager to help, learn, and participate in the science of baking. I was taught that to be a successful baker, all you need is the ability to follow a recipe exactly as written.
I was nine years old when I baked my first cake completely on my own. It was a One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe that I still use and love to this day. I will never forget the feeling of watching my family taste and enjoy something I had created. Despite the messes I inevitably made in the kitchen, that chocolate cake quickly became a frequent request for birthdays and celebrations in our house.
Even then, I found myself drawn to the creative yet methodical nature of baking. I loved learning about design, I loved the anticipation of the final product, and most of all, I loved the joy it could bring to people’s faces. I studied Food Network religiously and absorbed everything I could about baking techniques. At the same time, I became obsessed with Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, both of which heavily influenced my appreciation for artistic expression, aesthetics, and design.
As I grew, so did my love for baking. My dad fostered an appreciation for making everything from scratch, never taking shortcuts, and reading pages of recipe reviews until I landed on the perfect, slightly tweaked version. I made birthday cakes for teammates, classmates, family members, and even strangers. I baked cookies for friends and homemade pies for holidays. Baking became my love language.
After moving out on my own, I fell in love with hosting and curating experiences. It was then that my passion for food design truly took shape. It’s wonderful when something tastes beautiful, but when it looks beautiful too, it becomes an experience. This year, more than ever, baking has been my saving grace. When life feels stressful, overwhelming, or chaotic, it gives me an outlet for creativity and expression. I’ve overcome a lot of hardships in my life, and baking has always had a way of making everything else fade away, if only for a few hours.
I launched Gourmand Studio in July after creating a cookie cake for a very special person in my life. As I searched Pinterest for inspiration, I became frustrated by how limited the options felt. Most cookie cakes looked either juvenile or like something you would find in a grocery store bakery. I kept asking myself: Why can’t cookie cakes be as beautiful as traditional layer cakes? Why aren’t we stacking them tall and decorating them with the same intention and artistry?
To me, it made perfect sense. Cookie cakes provide an incredible foundation for structure, texture, and design. So instead of waiting for someone else to create what I was looking for, I became the solution to my own problem. I started designing cookie cakes inspired by my love of editorial fashion, art, and elevated design.
And now, here we are.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am incredibly grateful to say that the road has been very kind to me so far. When I started Gourmand Studio, I had no idea if it would ever become something more than a creative outlet. I certainly never expected the amount of support, encouragement, and enthusiasm I’ve received from friends, family, and complete strangers. Every order still feels a little surreal.
The biggest challenge has been balancing two careers that I genuinely love. Monday through Friday, I work in a profession that I am deeply passionate about, and at the same time, I’m building a business that means so much to me. Learning how to make space for both ambitions, while still being present in the rest of my life, has been a constant balancing act.
My corporate role requires weekly travel Monday through Thursday, so there are definitely moments when I wish I could clone myself and be both a corporate diva and a baking diva at the same time. Since launching Gourmand Studio in July, I haven’t had a single day where I wasn’t working either in my professional career, my baking business, or, quite often, both. It’s exhausting at times, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to spend my days pursuing two things that truly fulfill me.
While there have certainly been long nights, early mornings, and plenty of trial and error, I feel very lucky that the challenges I’ve faced have come from growth. For that, I couldn’t be more grateful.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Absolutely! Gourmand Studio is a microbakery based out of my home in Leavenworth, Kansas, specializing in miniature celebration cookie cakes that are thoughtfully and intentionally designed. While cookie cakes themselves are what initially catch people’s attention, I think what truly sets Gourmand Studio apart is the experience and philosophy behind the ordering process.
Rather than creating cakes from customer-submitted design requests, I release a limited weekly collection of six cookie cakes available for pre-reservation. Each piece is entirely unique and designer’s choice, meaning customers don’t know exactly what their cake will look like until it arrives at their door. I love the anticipation and trust that comes with that process, and it allows every cake to feel like a piece of edible art rather than a product chosen from a catalog.
In addition to the weekly collection, I offer one commission spot each week. Instead of asking clients to send inspiration photos of someone else’s cake, I ask them to share inspiration drawn from color palettes, textures, architecture, ceramics, fashion, perfume, interiors, and other forms of design. I don’t recreate cakes made by other artists. Every cake is imagined, planned, and executed through my own creative lens, making each one completely original.
At its core, Gourmand Studio is deeply influenced by my love of editorial fashion, design, and artistic expression. I’m always asking myself how a dessert can feel elevated, unexpected, and beautiful while still remaining approachable and celebratory. My goal is to create something that feels as much like a design object as it does a dessert.
What I am most proud of, however, has very little to do with the cakes themselves.
After covering the cost of ingredients and materials, all remaining profits are donated to local Kansas City charities and community causes. I already have a career that I love and that provides for me financially. I didn’t start Gourmand Studio because I needed another source of income. I started it because I love to create.
I think we often find ourselves chasing more, more success, more money, more possessions, more accomplishments. Meanwhile, there are countless people in our own communities facing enormous challenges every day. I firmly believe that everyone has the ability to make a difference, regardless of how small their contribution may seem. Gourmand Studio is my way of combining creativity with purpose, and creating something beautiful that can, hopefully, do a little bit of good along the way.
If there is one thing that sets Gourmand Studio apart, it’s that every cake tells two stories: one of artistic expression, and one of giving back. That’s something I am incredibly proud of.
What does success mean to you?
I define success by fulfillment rather than achievement. It’s the feeling of stepping back from a finished piece and knowing that every detail was created with intention and care.
If something I’ve made can bring joy, spark connection, or become part of a meaningful memory for someone else, then I’ve succeeded. To me, there is nothing more rewarding than creating something beautiful and knowing it made someone’s day a little brighter.
Pricing:
- Collection pieces prices vary depending on what materials are used for each weekly collection. Usually ranging from $30-$60 per cake
- Commissions pieces start at $5o
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gourmandstudiokc/
Image Credits
Jill Fehr/Tanner Oberhelman, Eden Shaw, Lauren King, Olivia Neely, Lauren King, Lauren King, Lauren King, @mf_taking_pictures/@dyamikeo
