Houma Navigation Canal bridge to close
January 12, 2010
Hilda Guidry Curole
January 14, 2010
When Judy Trahan took cake-decorating classes with her daughter Stacy in 2001, she never expected to turn making cakes and treats into a full-time job.
“At that time, I wanted to do something different than what I was doing,” Trahan said. “I was about to study to become a surgical tech, but then, my daughter began to show me some of the cakes she was making in class. I fell in love with cake decorating after that.”
Trahan and her family opted to construct a small building for her Sweet Creations shop behind her home. Then, her occasional baking turned into a full-time gig.
Trahan worked out of her small Duet Street shop until her customer base exceeded the allotted space.
In 2009, she moved Sweet Creations to West Main Street, opting for a more upscale establishment in a high-traffic area.
Renovations are still ongoing at the location. Trahan hopes to ultimately achieve a New Orleans-style look. “We are still adding to the building because our customer base is changing and we want to change with it,” she said. “We want a balcony for the customers to use as well as table settings outside in the summer months.”
Trahan loves baking. Whether the cake comes with a kit or is based on her vision, she wants her creations to stand out.
“I don’t like doing the same thing other people do,” she said. “I like taking my cakes over the top. If it comes with a kit, I always add something to it. We decorate our cakes differently. The taste of our cakes is different. We like to put a little of ourselves in every creation.”
Sweet Creations has a variety of designs including the traditional sheet cake modes, tiered wedding cakes and more extravagant goods, like cakes sculpted into the shape of the New Orleans Superdome, dump trucks and airplanes, to name a few.
“The best part is when a customer comes and you see they appreciate the hard work that was put into making their cake,” she said. “We pay close attention to detail and we try our best to please our customers.”
Sweet Creations has tapped into the Mardi Gras festivities with traditional and gourmet King Cakes. Baker Lucy Babin helped Trahan introduce her style of King Cake to the Sweet Creation crowd.
Trahan said Babin is a superb King Cake maker who made her mark on the baking industry at Your Just Desserts in Houma, which has since closed.
“We make our cakes similar to the way they made them at Your Just Desserts, but we add our own flare to it with the homemade apple, pecan and caramel sauces on top,” she said.
And the scope of choices at the café-style bakery shop has something for virtually every sweet tooth.
In the dining area, customers can sit and enjoy a gourmet cup of coffee and treats that include jellyrolls, pies, cookies, brownies, beignets, sweet rolls and cinnamon rolls.
For those watching their diet, Trahan is trying to develop sugar-free options for her customers.
“The Tri-parish area has a lot of diabetics and a lot of people wanting to lose weight,” she said. “And all the sugary items are not good for them, so I want to develop sugar-free treats that they can enjoy.”
At the end of the day, the success of Sweet Creations is evident. Trahan is vying for Houma’s Small Business of the Year award presented by the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce.
This is her first nomination since the business opened eight years ago. She said, “Winning that award would just make my year.”
The award winner will be announced at the chamber banquet on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Just in time for Carnival season, Sweet Creations owner Judy Trahan holds one of her gourmet King Cakes that’s made with strawberry and chocolate and topped with a homemade caramel glaze. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN
