When tradition becomes a career

By Sean Smith
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

When older generations pass heirlooms down to the next generation, they typically include physical items like photo albums, hand-crafted furniture or pearl necklaces.

For La Cakerie founder and owner Jason Hisley, his grandmother gifted him with the knowledge of baking.

Hisley and his grandmother, who came to the United States from Czechoslovakia, spent many days during his childhood in Bel Air baking and experimenting in the family kitchen.

It was there that he discovered that cooking and creating sweet treats for the world to enjoy would be his life’s passion.

“It’s something I’ve always had fun with,” Hisley said. “I just love it.”

It’s this knowledge that helped Hisley become a national name by appearing on several shows on Food Network. He has competed in Cupcake Wars and a seasonal special show Halloween Baking Championship.

After graduating from high school, Hisley moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where he attended undergraduate school at Johnson & Wales.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and then spent several years travelling across Europe perfecting his art and learning new baking perspectives. He earned a pastry certification from a school in Switzerland.

The 27-year old got his start by opening his first restaurant, La Cakerie, in the heart of Towson on Alleghany Avenue. The shop is located directly across from Strapazza, not far from the downtown traffic circle.

the store is a display of model cakes with varying designs.  To the right of the door sits an open dining area with several tables, couches and a fireplace directly in the middle.

In the back of the restaurant customers can view several display windows that contain various types of food items from donuts to quiches to Hisley’s staple product: the cupcake.

The cupcakes come in a variety of flavors, including classic choices like chocolate and vanilla to more uncommon ones like margarita and unicorn poop.

“Unicorn poop is a combination of every sort of bright color thing you could imagine,” Hisley said. “It’s really just a lot of shiny things and rainbows all combined into one. The flavor isn’t really anything crazy, though. It’s pretty much just vanilla.”

Unicorn poop is consistently one of their top sellers, Hisley said.

His experiments continue into all other parts of the menu as well. Hisley said he and his staff are always trying to find new ways to create something fresh for their clientele.

One of the craziest ingredients used so far has been sriracha. While it may appear to the naked eye that Hisley and his team are just throwing ingredients together and seeing what sticks, there is a real science behind what he does.

Unlike traditional bakeries, La Cakerie also houses a small deli section where customers can order several types of sandwiches from breakfast to typical deli sandwiches. Despite having a large menu, Hisley and his staff keep things simple when creating a new product.

“We really stick to five base recipes,” Hisley said. “We know what goes with what to combine into a good tasting product. Sometimes it doesn’t work right away but generally when we try something we have an idea of what to pair it with. Sometimes all we need are to get the proportions down right.”

With the new level of fame attached to his name Hisley has begun the process of growing his business.

La Cakerie has two locations: One in Towson and one in downtown Baltimore on Charles Street.

Hisley has plans to open a third restaurant in Hampden and then a fourth in his home town of Bel Air. He also has a food truck that he plans to station at various locations around the city and county to reach new clientele.