09/09/2026
🍪 The Story Behind Cake It or Leave It LLC
CIOLI started after I was having a hard time finding a job. I applied for a job at a bakery, went through the training and everything, and then the week before I was supposed to start, they basically said, “Nahhh.” 🤣
Y’all, I was a little disappointed. Then one day, I decided I wasn’t going to let that training go to waste. So ya girl went ahead and built a whole business with nothing. 🤗💕
I created a Facebook account, an Instagram page, and made a post saying I was selling chocolate dipped cheesecakes. One of my friends saw the post and said she wanted to order a dozen.
Mind y’all, I had no money, no equipment, and had never baked anything in my life. The only thing I had ever made was a boxed cake in the microwave.
Anyway, I told my friend the dozen would be $50, which was waaaaaaaaay too low because the cheesecake alone cost nearly that much. I honestly don’t remember where I got the rest of the money to buy everything. It was probably my parents.
That’s how my business started. At the time, it was called Darling’s Desserts, and I officially started it on March 8, 2022. I only received two orders before moving to Florida.
Just two months after starting the business, I reconnected with James. We got married a year later and eventually moved to Florida. At that point, I thought, “Well, whoops! I guess that’s it for my little bakery business.” 😩
Then, just a few days after moving, one of James’s cousins found my business page, asked about it, and ordered a dozen chocolate covered cheesecakes.
After that, James and I started discussing whether we should give the business another try. We decided to go for it, and that’s how Cake It or Leave It LLC was born.
I wanted a name similar to James’s business, Tech It or Leave It LLC, so we went with Cake It or Leave It LLC. James registered the business and bought me my very first stand mixer, which has been very loyal to me to this day. 😌❤️
I created a new page, and our first official CIOLI order came from one of James’s friends. He ordered one dozen cheesecake stuffed cookies, which turned into two dozen just a few days later.
My parents gave us $3k to buy supplies, and I went crazy buying a whole bunch of things I have never used to this day. Like yes, Darling, just spend ALL the money. 🤣
I bought everything for cheesecakes because that was supposed to be our thing. We were going to be the cheesecake people! We had an entire menu planned around cheesecake.
Then came the sad part.
While researching home bakeries, we learned about Florida’s Cottage Food Law. We could operate a bakery from our home without inspections or a license, but we couldn’t sell anything containing cheesecake.
Y’all, I was DISAPPOINTED. Cheesecake was supposed to be our whole thing! We had an entire menu planned and everything. 😂
So we moved on to Plan B: stuffed cookies.
And just like that, we went from becoming the cheesecake people to becoming the cookie people. 🍪🤣
A few months later, James and I took a trip to New York. On our way home, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post about a market. I showed it to James and asked if he wanted to give it a try.
We decided to go for it and signed up. We barely had anything and didn’t even know what we would need, but we showed up and figured it out.
That’s the story behind Cake It or Leave It LLC and how it started with $0. A small town girl with her prayers, & a whole lotta faith.
I also have to give James a lot of credit. His support has kept me going every step of the way. From markets and business decisions to being my biggest hype man, CIOLI wouldn’t be what it is today without him. He’s also the man behind almost all of our crazy dessert names and flavor ideas. 💕
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:33
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:13
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
