Sweet Dreams Series: Noelle Blizzard of New June Bakery

Baking at home became my pandemic passion project. For months, I baked constantly - before work and after putting my kids to bed. I found it incredibly therapeutic to work through a recipe, whether it ended in success or failure. At first, I was baking what many of us turned to early in the pandemic: banana bread, cinnamon buns, bread and comfort cookies galore. One day, suddenly, “it stuck,” and I knew I wanted to pursue baking as an education - to learn and grow in the skill as much as I could.

For flavor, I draw a ton of inspiration from non-cake desserts, cocktails, and even some savory dishes. Our blueberry shortcake was inspired by my favorite summer dessert: a blueberry cobbler served warm with fresh cream drizzled all over. Another favorite, the brown butter fennel cake with strawberry & rhubarb, was encouraged by a favorite cookie recipe by Heidi Swanson of 100 Cookbooks. Our PB&J cake -well obviously it's inspired by a PB&J sandwich - but also by strawberry shortcake, and we nailed it! 

When it comes to design, I find a lot of motivation from art, fashion, and the natural world - flowers, in particular, have always been inspiring to me. A visit to the Barnes and Philadelphia Museum of Art does wonders for my creative soul. I walk out with a camera roll packed with future cake color palates and patterns.

I started decorating cakes with flowers, which was fabulous and a very approachable style for an amateur baker and designer. However, as my skills and interests evolved, I loved that I’d discovered a cake style that I could fully “control” and express. I was no longer limited to what was available to me at the market or grocery store when shopping for flowers each week. There are infinite possibilities for cake colors, piping patterns, textures, embellishments, themes, and entire stories that can be conveyed through vintage or Lambeth style cakes - all just waiting at our design tables right now. All we have to do is grab a cake and get to work.

I fell into this business somewhat accidentally, always with a few "limitations.” I had very young children and was not professionally trained. I was also attempting to open a new business while still being employed elsewhere. These constraints forced me to be very creative and, most importantly, strategic about where I spent my time and what I decided to pursue. I think it brought a focus to a new business that might otherwise have been all over the place exploring possibilities. So my biggest advice for women and bakers starting new projects is to follow your gut. This applies to everything: cultivating a brand, a product, a style, where to invest your time, and how to take care of your team. New June became New June because it was designed with everything I liked, no, LOVED. From the cobalt blue and millennial pink branding, the floral inspiration everywhere, the menu of super unique cake flavors developed by a girl who actually hates cake, and so on. From day one, I asked myself: What can I offer that does not exist in my market yet? Why should someone buy their cake from me? I made it my goal to constantly evolve with that mindset, and I feel like I carved my own lane to grow and excel.

Our cakes for The New York Times are at the top of this list!! I’ll never ever ever forget the experience, from pitching them, to designing and then the all-day shoot in New York that brought the T Magazine spread to life. 

Do your research and know your limitations. Bakeries work best with clients who are naturally in sync with them, both creatively and flavor-wise. Planning also goes much more smoothly if you approach a vendor with your budget, guest count, and design aspirations from the start. 

I think couples should think authentically about what the cake and the “cake-cutting” moment truly means to them and how they want that experience to look and feel. Doing research on cake trends is very helpful, but I’d also encourage couples to ask designers: “What is a cake design you haven’t done that you want to do”. It’s a way to engage bakeries creatively in an amazing way and guarantee you have a truly unique end product. 

Enjoy this article? Here’s more we suggest!

1. Sweet Dreams Series: A Q&A With Jane Win
2. Sincerely, Amy: Happy Mother’s Day
3. Behind the Prints: Butterfly Grove & Sweet Bee 
4. Behind the Print: Tea Party
5. Sweet Dreams with Makeup Artist Dawn Episcopo