UHart Women's Business Center Spotlights Perfect Poundcakes
The University of Hartford's Women's Business Center, based on Pitkin Street in East Hartford, recently profiled East Hartford's Perfect Poundcakes in their weekly newsletter:
Perfect Poundcakes in East Hartford is a family affair. Owner Tamika Mitchell has a passion for creative baking, and she knew the family recipe for poundcake, passed down from her husband’s grandmother, was a winner. She and her husband had tweaked the recipe and tried some imaginative variations over the years—and while they were confident that there would be a demand for this delicious product, it never seemed to be the right time to take the leap and go into business. Tamika started selling the cakes in 2016, mostly for restaurants and farmers’ markets, but she had to use a commercial kitchen in New Haven because there wasn’t one available near her. Finally, in 2018, she was ready to build her own commercial kitchen and open her East Hartford storefront.
Tamika was familiar with the University of Hartford’s Entrepreneurial Center & Women’s Business Center, so she started taking classes to help enhance her business knowledge. “They paired me up with a mentor, whom I absolutely adored,” she said. “She gave me so much knowledge in areas where I was lacking, like social media. They also paired me with someone to help me go over my books and make sure everything is in order. With the business growing so fast, it’s good to have someone to reassure me that I’m doing things right.”
Perfect Poundcakes sells both full-size cakes and “poundcups,” which are poundcake-batter cupcakes in a wide variety of flavors and styles. “Everything is made with fresh ingredients and is moist and flavorful,” Tamika said. “Our slogan is ‘The proof is in the batter; we don’t hide behind the frosting.’” Her store is carryout only, so she was able to quickly pivot to curbside pickup during the pandemic. Because of that, she says her business did not suffer a downturn over the past few months.
Tamika is grateful to everyone who has assisted her along the way. “I’m so blessed to have my family to help me in so many different ways,” she said. “My son helps with marketing materials, and my mom and mother-in-law help with customer service. And my daughter is my sidekick in the bakery!” Additionally, it was her goal to help others the way the people at the commercial kitchen in New Haven had helped her—and when she built her own commercial kitchen, she was able to realize that goal. “In New Haven, they showed me the ropes and gave me all kinds of information even though I was just renting the space. When I opened my kitchen, I was able to do the same thing for a few other people. I wanted to help them realize their dream the way someone helped me realize mine.”