At Melissa Flaherty Cakes, you are not only receiving delicious sweet treats, you are also receiving custom works of art.

I have always had a passion for designing, creating, and making. Growing up, my creative education started with graphite drawings and acrylic painting throughout middle and high school. The education I received in these years, and the fabulous teachers that helped me hone my craft were the catalyst that sparked my love of creating. In college,where I minored in art, I experimented with several different mediums; including ceramics, oil paints, color pencil, pastels, and charcoal. I am a firm believer in constant learning and expanding my arsenal of skills and techniques that can be used through several aspects of life.

It wasn’t until early 2015, when I decided to take my first class to learn how to use buttercream to decorate cakes. I wasn’t expecting to find my life’s passion with that first class. It was the gateway into the medium I was truly meant to create with, sugar. Soon, following taking my first buttercream decorating class, I was learning about royal icing, fondant, gumpaste, isomalt, and modeling chocolate. I was using baked cakes, cupcakes, and cookies as my blank canvases and using sugar to bring the vision and images alive.

After graduating with my Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, I knew I would be destined to be the owner/operator of a business. With discovering my life’s passion to decorate cakes, cookies, and other desserts; I discovered the business I was meant to operate: a bakery. I am always striving to learn new decorating techniques and trends to create the most authentic and professional products for you.

I have obtained my special permit from the town of Southbridge, MA to operate a home-based bakery, as well as my license from the Health Department to operate a Residential Public Kitchen. I am certified under ServSafe and the Massachusetts Allergen Training. I have graduated from the Wilton School of Cake Decorating and Confectionery Arts in Darien, IL from the Master Series which comprises comprehensive training in baking, piping, gumpaste, fondant, and isomalt sugar art. I am also a member of the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES).