For every gathering of friends or family, especially those during the holiday season, Heather Sutton is tasked with bringing a cake.
“My love is cakes. There will always be cakes,” she says.
It’s no surprise, really, as Sutton is the owner of Bestow Baked Goods in Holly Springs, a bakery that specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes, and sweet treats.
Creating one-of-a-kind desserts for weddings, birthdays, and baby showers is a fun privilege for Sutton.
“You are a part of the family celebration, and that’s what we want — we want to be a part of all the special moments for folks,” she says.
Heather Sutton, owner
- Oatmeal Cream Pie
- Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Sweet Potato Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sweet Potato Donut
Before the bakery opened, Sutton honed her talents as a home baker.
“I love sweets. I wanted to learn to make them at home,” she says.
And bake she did — using flour in 50-pound bags and sending abundant treats to colleagues and neighbors.
Bestow Baked Goods launched in Fuquay-Varina’s Cultivate Coffee in 2019, then moved to its Holly Springs home between Triangle Wine Company and Eggs Up Grill on Sunset Lake Road.
The oh-so-tempting bakery case contains Bestow’s well-known (and well-loved) staples — cupcakes, of course, oatmeal cream pies, chocolate chip cookies, and sweet potato donuts — as well as seasonal whoopie pies, stuffed cookies, and some vegan options.
“Our chocolate chip cookie is really fantastic. It’s just a classic chocolate chip, but it’s perfect. A little crunchy around the edge, and soft and chewy in the middle — just like my favorite way to eat a cookie,” says Sutton.
“The sweet potato cupcake is near and dear to my heart. It’s probably the best cupcake we ever make. Everything is good, but it’s my favorite,” she says. The spiced cake comes topped with cream cheese frosting, and is the bakery’s most popular wedding cake flavor.
“My grandmother and great-grandmother were bakers. My grandmother made sweet potato pie,” says Sutton. “She was a Southern baker, so she didn’t have a recipe, just added ‘a little nutmeg’ or ‘a dash of cinnamon.’”
Sutton used the same method when creating her sweet potato cake, and, with a little tinkering, landed on “my little miracle recipe.”
Another of the bakery’s superstar sweets is the Nutella-stuffed chocolate chip cookie.
“You can put Nutella on boot leather and it would be delicious, so it’s hard to beat that one,” says Sutton, who has fun creating combinations she thinks customers will love using caramel, Biscoff butter, and cheesecake as fillings.
Spiced seasonal flavors make their way onto the bakery’s menu for the holidays, including ginger molasses cookies, apple pie, chocolate pumpkin layer cake, and cranberry orange cake.
“Cranberry orange is a little surprising for people, but it’s really, really good.”
Now, back to those parties and gatherings, holiday or otherwise — Sutton recommends offering a variety of flavors to make sure every guest finds something to enjoy.
“You’ve got to have vanilla — it’s a crowd pleaser — something chocolate, and something spice,” she suggests.
Each year, Sutton and her husband, Kyle, host Christmas dinner for about 50 guests, including both of their families, “bonus” family members, and friends.
“My husband cooks the way I bake,” says Heather. “We do every bit of the meal.”
Kyle handles the savory spread, typically preparing two or three proteins, as well as starch and vegetable side dishes. Heather, of course, supplies the desserts.
“It gets bigger every year,” she says.
“As a Southerner, my memories of holidays revolved around going to my grandmother’s house. That’s where my ideas about hospitality took root,” says Kyle. “I remember a full home and full table with an overabundance of food.”
The Suttons’ Christmas spread might include Kyle’s herb-rubbed strip loin or a bone-in rib roast, and a ham that Kyle cures himself. These entrees are typically accompanied by a potato side dish, such as hasselback or au gratin potatoes, and a vegetable. Kyle makes his signature bourbon punch and offers wine pairings recommended by Triangle Wine Company (Bestow’s next-door neighbor).
Try two family recipes from Bestow’s Sandra Baker
Despite these delicious offerings, the table isn’t complete without one recipe in particular.
“My family will riot if they don’t have mac and cheese,” Kyle says.
“Food is at the center of our gatherings. It brings people together — especially good food; you want to share good food with people,” Heather says.
Sharing has always been a central component of Heather’s love for baking.
“The thing I enjoy most about baking is being able to give it as a gift. We choose the name Bestow, which means to convey as a gift. It’s a way to connect with people, and that is important to us.”
BESTOW BAKED GOODS
4208 Lassiter Road, Holly Springs
(919) 473-9225
bestowbakedgoods.com
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