Cookies, Cakes and Pies … Oh My!

My passion for baking started at a young age. Growing up on the southwest side of South Bend, I can remember walking home from Oliver School and stopping at Lentch's Bakery for a cookie or loaf of fresh baked bread. 

Walking through the door was like entering paradise. The smell of all the bakery goods was so enticing. I was very fortunate to have grown up in a diverse area of South Bend where I was exposed to Polish, German, Hungarian, African American and Mexican cooking and baking.

During my grade school and high school years, I was fortunate to have adult friends and family members who would spend time teaching me to make some of their family favorite desserts, like kolach, kieflies, plum dumplings, cakes, pies, cookies and bread.

When my first child was born, I decided I wanted to expand my baking skills to include cake decorating so I could bake and decorate the children’s birthday cakes. I found decorating cakes to be fun and it brought out my artistic side. 

As the children continued to grow, so did my cake decorating skills. I started making small wedding cakes. My first wedding cake was two rings bound together with flowers.  Within five years, my cakes became much more elaborate. While living in San Diego, my best friend requested that I make her daughter's wedding cake. This would end up being the most elaborate wedding cake I have made to date. Over the past 35 years, I have made approximately 60 birthday cakes, 25 wedding cakes, and six graduation cakes.

Having been introduced to the Great British Baking Show, my passion for baking has been reignited. My daughter and I have purchased a couple of the Great British Baking Show cookbooks that we like to experiment with recreating the recipes. It is such a satisfaction of starting with ingredients and transforming those ingredients into a lovely, tasteful piece of art. 

Helen High

Senior Associate Director

Pipeline and Admissions Operations