Meet Michele Penman | Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michele Penman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michele, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
The most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make was moving to Fort Worth, Texas and leaving my daughter in California. My daughter means the world to me. I want nothing but the best for her which was part of the reason why I wanted to leave Ca and move to Tx. That was the goal since she was in junior high school. The plan was, after she graduated high school in 2019, we would move in 2020. Well, 2020 happened and plans got changed. When I had the opportunity to move in 2022, my daughter decided to stay in Ca. I was devastated. I was now faced with the decision to either follow my dream and move or stay in Ca where I was not happy, but I would be with my daughter. If she had decided to go to college out of state, she would be in one state, and I would be in another. Once I looked at it like that, the decision became a little easier. Although I miss my daughter TREMONDOUSLY, I am happy that I am in Texas and have become a successful entrepreneur.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel that there are two things that sets me apart from some in my field. First, I TRULY enjoy baking. I have the best time in the kitchen, baking, listening to music and dancing. You can taste the love and joy in every bite. They may not look perfect, but I’ve been told that my desserts taste amazing. Second, I try to use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. I support local business and farms. The eggs are from a farm about 10 miles from where I live, I make my own vanilla extract. I can pretty much tell you exactly where every ingredient from all my recipes come from.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a great question! One of my besties is coming to visit during the State Fair of Texas. We are going to spend a whole day just eating some of the amazing food from some of the vendors that I’ve gotten to know over the past few years. I have two vendors that are a MUST when I go…Stay Cheesy and Fernie’s Funnel Cakes. I love eating Fair Food because it is a majority local business. No trip to the metroplex would be complete without going to The Stockyards. Do some horseback riding, check out the Longhorns, watch a show and grab some bar b que. Did I mention Buc-Ee’s yet? Of course, we have to stop there. Then we would drive around, admire a Texas sunrise, enjoy the landscape and hang out in downtown to check out the Water Garden. After that, we would need a day to stay home and relax. I’ll probably throw some meat in the smoker and bake some cookies.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My daughter is my motivation and inspiration behind everything that I do. I can admit that she did not have the kind of upbringing that I would have liked for her to have. I divorced her dad, and we became homeless for a time. I tried to show her that, no matter what, never give up. keep reaching for your dreams. Don’t let current situations and outside forces define your future. I dedicate all that I am doing in Texas with my business to her. I love her soo much.

Instagram: Michelescupcakes

Facebook: MichelesCupcakes (The Baking Ninja)

Other: michelescupcake@gmail.com