Midnight bakery makes ordering sweets in Baxter ‘a piece of cake’

BAXTER — “(I like it when my mom bakes) cake,” 4-year-old Avery Whaley said. “I like pies (too).”

Avery’s mother, Angie Whaley, grew up baking with her mother and grandmother. In 2015, the Baxter mother of two decided to sell personalized baked goods from her home; with that the Midnight Bakery was born.

You might think, “That’s an unusual name. Why is it called that? Does she bake at 12 a.m.?” The simple answer is yes.

“I like doing it at night because (my kids) are at the age where they can reach the counter and start to mess with things. I like to do it at night where it’s just me, and it’s quiet,” Whaley said. “I actually have three (other) jobs ... there is only so much I can do in a day.”

On top of running the local bakery, Whaley works as a nurse at McFarland Clinic in Ames, washes dishes for Baxter Community School District and cooks at Baxter Early Learning Center.

“Monday and Tuesday I work at McFarland,” she said. “Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I take (my kids) with me to the daycare and cook breakfast, lunch and snack from 7 to 11 a.m. Then from 11 a.m. to to 2 p.m., I do dishes at the school. If I have something to do at the daycare, I go back there until 2, 3, 4 p.m. Then we go home.”

Despite her busy schedule, Whaley said she cherishes her evenings baking sweets because it brings back good memories from her childhood.

“I grew up baking with my mom and my grandma. I have always been in the kitchen, and I like doing it. It’s kind of therapeutic,” Whaley said. “My grandma was always in the kitchen. I would stand there and help her make meals and bake. It seemed kind of normal ... it’s just part of me. When I start to bake, I start to think of my grandma.”

Through the Midnight Bakery, Whaley can also create lifelong memories with her children, Avery and her 2-year-old Mason, who seem to love being her official taste testers.

“Whenever I get the frosting, (my kids) hold out their hands and I put a squirt on each one of their little fingers so they can eat the frosting,” Whaley said. “That way, they can keep their fingers out of my bowl.”

Whaley’s daughter said she also is learning how to bake from her mother. Although she does not help with the customer’s orders, she enjoys helping her mom frost treats for her family.

“I only help her when it’s it my cake, or my birthday, or Mason’s cake, or daddy’s (Mark Whaley) cake, or mommy’s cake,” Avery said. “We made some cookies for Santa.”

Whaley said she is willing to take on any baking request, except wedding cakes and fancy pastries.

“I’m always on Pinterest watching videos. They have some different baking classes online that show you the step-by-step,” she said. “I had a request for a dinosaur birthday cake for a girl, which was kind of strange. I made a volcano and put some dinosaur figurines around it.”

Whaley also bakes treats specialized for holidays, which includes upcoming Valentine’s Day.

“Before Thanksgiving, I’ll put up (flyers) for pies. I’ve done a lot of pumpkin, apple and cherry, which is what I normally do. This year, I had a request for a peach and a pecan,” Whaley said. “(During Valentine’s Day,) some just wanted (the baked good) to say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ or ‘I love you.’ I had five or six that were kind of interesting, like ‘be my sweetie pie’ or kind of quirky things.”

Anyone who would like to order a personalized baked good from the Baxter bakery can call Whaley at 515-291-2962 or find the Midnight Bakery on Facebook.

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at
areyes@newtondailynews.com