In October 2018, I was planning my wedding.

Having just moved to Blackfoot and being unfamiliar with local options for a wedding cake, I happened to notice a sign for a bakery nearby.

This was to be the place that would make the most delicious and attractive cake I’ve ever had.

Lanae Workman, a Blackfoot native and owner of Paisley Cakes, is a master baker who gave me a book filled with samples of her work, ranging from traditional wedding cakes to unique and whimsical designs.

Lanae grew up baking, learning from the best teachers—her family.

Baking was a way of life; she never tasted a “store-bought” cookie, cake, bread or pastry—all were made from scratch.

When Lanae was young, she would make treats and hand out flyers to promote her bake sale, which she did for many years. This grew into an annual event for her, and it expanded along with her skills.

She recruited friends and family to help promote her yearly event.

Workman’s dream of owning her own bakery someday started when she was 12, after taking a cake decorating class at a youth activity, and she made her first wedding cake at age 15.

She then attended BYU-Idaho, earning her degree in business management with a minor in culinary arts. Her skills continued to grow, as did the demand for her cakes.

While working from home at the time, baking and decorating became a part-time job. She was also working in marketing for an assisted living facility and Potandon Produce, focusing on national marketing campaigns.

Outgrowing her home-based decorating business and eager to follow her passion for the craft, she quit her “day job," as she called it, and together with her husband Mike, opened Paisley Cakes in 2013.

Located at the end of the Oak Ridge Gas Station on Airport Road, they operated there for nine years before moving to their new store on South Broadway Street.

Always eager to learn new skills and expand her clientele, Workman entered her cake designs in many competitions, both local and regional. She has had her work recognized at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. In 2018, she attended the RootsTech competition in Salt Lake City, where she met Buddy Valastro from the Cake Boss, a series on the TLC channel.

She has been recognized recently as Vendor of the Year by Idaho Bride Magazine and as the best Cake Shop in Idaho.

Tailoring a cake to her clients' wishes is her main goal. Her greatest accomplishment is seeing the smiles on their faces when they receive the cake made just for them.

As for my wedding cake, Lanae crafted a two-part cake that looked like Birch trees for my husband and me. He loved Birch trees, and the cake — chocolate cake with raspberry filling — what’s not to love!

Paisley Cakes now provides a wide selection of baked goods, sandwiches and a soda bar.

Located at 747 S. Broadway St., they are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7p.m. and are closed on Sundays and Mondays. You can reach them at 208-681-4137 or email them at cakes.paisley@gmail.com.