Ken Duncan hears it all the time, “Are you the cake lady?” Customers kiddingly ask when they walk into the bake shop at 1100 S. Main St.
“yes, I am,” the bearded 64-year-old responds gruffly, “and I’m gonna sue that damn surgeon!”
It’s a common quip. That’s because Ken frequently waits on patrons while his wife, Peg Duncan, the proprietress of The Cake Lady, is in the back doing what she does best — making and decorating cakes, cupcakes and cookies.
this year, The Cake Lady is celebrating 30 years of satisfying sweet tooths, (er, teeth?) across the county and beyond. She also is observing another monumental milestone, one even more meaningful.
DREAM COME TRUE
Peg Duncan, now 65, got her start in the early 1970s as her two sons entered grade school.
“I was hunting for something to do,” Duncan said. “I tried upholstery, arranging flowers. then my sister-in-law said, ‘you cook and bake all the time, why don’t you do that?’”
Duncan decided to take a cake-decorating class.
“My teacher taught us how to decorate the old-fashioned way,” she said. Duncan honed her skills, and landed a job at JCPenney demonstrating Wilton Ware cake supplies and teaching decorating techniques. eight years later, she left JCPenney to pursue her dream of opening her own shop.
“we bought a big old rambling duplex on 19th Street NW,” Duncan said. “The bottom was the business and we lived in the top.” In those days, Duncan personally delivered cakes to customers.
“I’d drive up to the customer’s house and give the boys a $1 to take the cake to the door,” she said.
Duncan built her reputation on rich, moist cakes topped with ultra-light, fluffy icing that tastes like a cross between whipped cream and buttercream. Nothing was ever made ahead and frozen. Everything was made fresh, from scratch.
She also was known for her beautiful theme cakes, done by hand.
“I lay everything out with a toothpick, do an outline and fill it in,” Duncan said. “That’s what I love. That’s the fun. I’m a frustrated artist who found out I could do art with my cakes.”
Ken said his wife would never think of using transfers or plastic appliqués. “this is decorating,“ Ken said. “all the icing is piped.”
People often comment about her cake’s striking colors and details, Duncan said.
Ken Duncan hears it all the time, “Are you the cake lady?” Customers kiddingly ask when they walk into the bake shop at 1100 S. Main St. “yes, I am,” the bearded 64-year-old responds gruffly, “and I’m gonna sue that damn surgeon!” It’s a common quip. That’s because Ken frequently waits on patrons while his wife, Peg Duncan, the proprietress of The Cake Lady, is in the back doing what she does best — making and decorating cakes, cupcakes and cookies. this year, The Cake Lady is celebrating 30 years of satisfying sweet tooths, (er, teeth?) across the county and beyond. She also is observing another monumental milestone, one even more meaningful. DREAM COME TRUE Peg Duncan, now 65, got her start in the early 1970s as her two sons entered grade school. “I was hunting for something to do,” Duncan said. “I tried upholstery, arranging flowers. then my sister-in-law said, ‘you cook and bake all the time, why don’t you do that?’” Duncan decided to take a cake-decorating class. “My teacher taught us how to decorate the old-fashioned way,” she said. Duncan honed her skills, and landed a job at JCPenney demonstrating Wilton Ware cake supplies and teaching decorating techniques. eight years later, she left JCPenney to pursue her dream of opening her own shop. “we bought a big old rambling duplex on 19th Street NW,” Duncan said. “The bottom was the business and we lived in the top.” In those days, Duncan personally delivered cakes to customers. “I’d drive up to the customer’s house and give the boys a $1 to take the cake to the door,” she said. Duncan built her reputation on rich, moist cakes topped with ultra-light, fluffy icing that tastes like a cross between whipped cream and buttercream. Nothing was ever made ahead and frozen. Everything was made fresh, from scratch. She also was known for her beautiful theme cakes, done by hand. “I lay everything out with a toothpick, do an outline and fill it in,” Duncan said. “That’s what I love. That’s the fun. I’m a frustrated artist who found out I could do art with my cakes.” Ken said his wife would never think of using transfers or plastic appliqués. “this is decorating,“ Ken said. “all the icing is piped.” People often comment about her cake’s striking colors and details, Duncan said. “never have I been foolish enough to think,” Duncan said, “that this is not a God-given talent.” Seventeen years and thousands of cakes later, The Cake Lady outgrew the house and moved to its current location on Main Street. The diminutive shop is far from fancy; there aren’t even any decorations on the beige walls. The sales floor consists of an old-fashioned glass case filled with cakes-to-go and an oak rack, which is lined with containers of vibrantly colored cutout cookies in shapes, such as butterflies, sea creatures and monkeys. Duncan isn’t fussy about her shop, or even her attire. “if I’m not a mess, I haven’t worked hard enough,” she says of her flour-dusted shirt and slacks. Despite reaching retirement age, Duncan hasn’t slowed down. She gets to the shop between 1 and 2 a.m. and puts in 60 to 70 hours a week. Days are longer during graduation season and holidays. “My record is 72 hours straight,” she said. “The most cakes I’ve ever done in one day was one Easter when we did some 50 cakes in a day, and that was just the orders.” CUSTOMER LOYALTY In all her years in business, Duncan has never advertised. Her loyal customers spread the word for her. often, she’s told, a customer will try a Cake Lady cake and they are hooked for life. That’s what happened to Patty House of Plain Township, who tasted one of Duncan’s cakes at an office party 25 years ago. “since then, I’ve used her for birthdays, graduation parties, for my wedding,” said House, 46. “and I’ve always gotten my mom’s cake for her birthday there, I get one that looks like a basket of flowers.” Just last week House ordered a cake for her son’s 11th birthday. She requested it to look like a Monster Energy drink. “Her decorations are just awesome, I don’t know how anybody could duplicate it,” House said. “Any cake I’ve ever bought over the years, the cake is really moist and everything is just excellent. I like the icing the most. It’s not too sweet, which I don’t like real sugary stuff, and it’s real light.” High praise also comes from Tammy of Canton, who asked to remain partially anonymous since she works at another area bakery. Tammy stopped in last week to get a two-pack of Watchamacallits, softball-shaped confections covered in white icing ($2.99). “They are so good, I think about them at night,” Tammy said with a laugh. “I said, ‘I gotta stop.’ They make me feel good.” It’s not just humans who go nuts for the icing. “when we had the bakery in the house, we would put the trash out at the street,” explained Ken. “We’d look out and see paper icing bags hanging from the trees. Here the squirrels would get into the trash and haul them up there to eat the icing.” Customers come from across the county and beyond. “I come for her cakes for every birthday, I drove from Clinton, about 35 minutes,” said Heather Mong, 27, who was in the shop last week to order a hot pink doll cake for her daughter. “It’s super cute with the neon colors.“ “I’ve had people come in to get a cake and tell me they are hauling it down to Kentucky,” Duncan said. “I should be so lucky to travel like my cakes do.” once, she was shocked to receive a call from China. “a Timken executive on a business trip called to pre-order a cake to make sure it was ready for his wife’s birthday,” Duncan said. BLESSED NEW YEAR Decorating is fulfilling, but the best part of her job is her relationship with customers. “their stories stay with me,” Duncan said. “I remember so many, like the little girl years ago who was having a birthday party at Sippo Lake. She was so cute in her party dress and little white socks and patent leather shoes. She wanted a cake with a ruby slipper like Dorothy from the ‘Wizard of Oz.’ She took one look at that big glittery slipper on that cake and she just wrapped her arms around my knees and said, ‘Oh thank you, thank you, it is soooo beautiful!’” Duncan said her customers have never meant more to her than this past year. last March, Duncan had surgery for uterine cancer. Despite a painful recovery, Duncan only missed four weeks of work. She even worked through chemotherapy and radiation this summer. She credits her husband and their three employees for keeping the business going, and customers for uplifting her spirits. “I have wonderful customers,” Duncan said, her eyes brimming with tears. “when they found out this happened, they sent cards, businesses sent things, people offered their prayers, and I appreciate each and every one of them. I am blessed to be starting a New Year. things went better than I could have ever dreamed.”
