Piece of Cake
Booze-e Bundts Bakery Business is Operated by Local Mother-Daughter Duo
Writer / Renee Larr
Photography Provided
Designing a business around a hobby is the epitome of doing what you love. Cathi Nazarowff took her love of baking and cocktails to create Booze-e Bundts in 2019. Her daughter Bri Reinhold joined her in the business in 2020.
It all started with rum cakes, Reinhold says. My mom has been a baker my whole life. Everyone always signed my mom up for dessert duty because she is known for making great desserts. People always requested her rum cake, but then she thought shed like to start experimenting with different flavors and liqueurs.
All that experimenting led to the creation of 18 flavors of booze-infused bundt cakes. The cakes go through a two-step process of booze infusion while being baked.
We use alcohol in the batter, Reinhold says. After the cakes are baked, they then go through a soaking process where they are soaked in the flavored alcohol. This makes the cakes very moist, which customers seem to love.
Flavors include butter pecan, cherry chip, coffee cake, fireball pineapple upside down, and many more. The alcohol also acts as a preservative, allowing the cakes to last longer.
They can stay out on the counter for about a week, Reinhold says. You can put them in the fridge and they will last for a month or two. You put them in the freezer for three months.
The pair decided against a brick-and-mortar location, instead focusing on e-commerce.
We decided against having a storefront to help keep our costs down, Reinhold says. We didnt want to use the money to open a store when so many restaurants and businesses were struggling during COVID.
Instead, the mother and daughter bake the cakes out of a certified kitchen in Cicero and then ship them all over the U.S.
This allows us to focus more on our product, Reinhold says.
Reinhold knows an e-commerce bakery may be hard for people to grasp at first.
I know the idea of an online-only bakery is a learning curve for some people, Reinhold says. Once customers have learned to trust the process, theyve been great with it.
The cakes are topped with different confections rather than sugary frosting.
We top a lot of cakes with actual toppings instead of frosting, Reinhold says. Our Reeses Peanut Butter Cup bundt cake is topped with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Our white chocolate raspberry cake is topped with raspberry syrup. Guests seem to like this rather than a thick frosting. There are a few cakes with frosting, but it isnt overwhelming.
In addition to cakes, there are booze-infused cake pops for a more portable option.
Our cake pops come in three flavors – GODIVA white chocolate raspberry, margarita and red velvet, Reinhold says.
Recently, the duo renovated a horse trailer to travel to different locations in Indianapolis.
Ive been a horseback rider my whole life, so thats where we got the idea, Reinhold says. Its a forged horse trailer. My boyfriend built it for us. We completely stripped it from where it started, and only kept the roof and sidewalls. It took about six months to renovate.
Customers can rent the truck for parties or events.
We are the preferred vendor for Gateway Classic Car events, Reinhold says. Weve done racing events and Corvette club events. People reached out for weddings, bachelorette parties, gender reveals and things of that nature. We can do pretty much anything.
Reinhold has a background in sales and came on board to assist in the marketing side of the business.
When I started, I came in and revamped everything, Reinhold says. I got her a new website that was more e-commerce focused. We created a new Facebook page to attract more traffic. I was able to apply my skills in sales to help the business grow.
With that growth, they hope to make the company a full-time gig rather than a side hustle.
We have a lot of fun together, Reinhold says. Its so nice to be able to spend time together at these events we do. The whole reason I wanted to get involved was that I want this to be my moms full-time job, so she doesnt have to work at her job anymore. She loves baking, and I want to see her living her dream.
The cakes come in two sizes – short and tall. Customers can also customize their own variety pack.
The variety packs are great for two reasons, Reinhold says. First, customers can try several flavors at once. Secondly, the cakes freeze well, so if they dont finish them, they can stick them in the freezer.
For more information, call 317-721-4477 or visit boozeebundts.com.
