Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa “Nelly” Slay.
Hi Vanessa “Nelly,” please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up spending most weekends and summers with my grandparents in the small city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I have fond memories of baking cookies with my grandmother and visiting my grandfather, who has always called me Nelly Bell, at the Fire Department where he worked. My mother would go on to challenge me at home to learn how to cook, and by sophomore year I’d grown to view cooking and baking as something I had a talent for, thinking one day I’d own my bakery, calling it Sweet Nelly’s. Through some struggles and doubts, I honed my talent for dessert making and started selling my treats on my website. Through my passion, I hope to one day have my brick-and-mortar bakery; until then, I have attended the University of Tennessee as an Advertising and Mandarin major/minor.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
It’s not been a smooth road. Attending school full-time means I put in a long day of classes and come home to late nights of baking. I do everything from pricing, social media, communication, making the product, and decorating. It never stops. There’s also been a massive rise in the cost of ingredients, making it hard to balance price and cost. I’m a perfectionist and continually work to ensure we are both satisfied with the result. I have anxiety about if I’m making the right moves. This is my dream. I never want to give it up; I can’t and won’t by any means.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I like to call myself a cake artist and baker. I started wanting to make decorated cookies, but I have grown into a full-fledged cake maker. I also make cookies, cupcakes, especially specialty-filled cupcakes, and the occasion cinnamon roll bundt. People most love my German Chocolate Cake of all my creations. I use a Guinness and Chocolate Cake, sandwiching layers of whiskey chocolate ganache, the traditional German chocolate caramel coconut pecan filling, and finish it with chocolate and Irish cream buttercream. People are also big fans of my Sweet Potato Pound Cake, which gets heavy caramel and pecans. I also have a Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Cupcake that features a vanilla cupcake with a center of caramel, fresh bananas, and vanilla pudding topped with signature vanilla wafers. During Baseball season for the local high school my cousin plays for, I donate scratch-made Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies, like the Little Debbie ones we all know but packed with flavor and not so overwhelmingly sweet. Freshly baked, they’re a massive hit with everyone who has tried them. That’s what makes me proud to do what I do. The look of enjoyment as someone tries something I’ve made. I don’t want the credit. I want to know that it’s something that makes your heart warm. One of my biggest compliments is that it’s not too sweet. That sets me apart. So often, we bite into a dessert, and it’s sickly sweet. I don’t want that for my customers. I want it to be balanced, and even though you want to stop, you go in for that second piece.
We love surprises, fun facts, and incredible stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
People assume I have a team of people helping me, but I have my family’s tremendous support. My mom, grandmother, and grandfather all keep me going, give up the kitchen for me to work, taste testing, and emotional support, and let me steal their mixers. However, I do it all myself, and as a full-time student, I’m working hard and down to the wire. But I’m glad if it puts a smile on their face.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sweetnellys.com
- Instagram: Sweet_nellys_cakes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetnellyscakes
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC1yWz78ynOXQevU3_WkSX_Q
