It’s A Piece of Cake by Maggi

Affordable, Custom Creations

Written and Photos By: Valerie McCutcheon

“Bigger, Better, Fresher,” is the motto at the specialty cake shop in downtown Auburndale run by husband and wife Maggi and Jr. Guzman. Specializing in wedding and special occasion cakes, cupcakes and cookies, It’s a Piece of Cake by Maggi opened in 1999 and provides quality treats at reasonable prices. “We believe every special occasion deserves a special cake. We want the average person to know that you can get a unique birthday cake here for only $30 or $40,” says Maggi.

Originally from Orlando, Maggi and Jr. met while working at Disney. With a combined 43 years experience at Disney and 15 years owning their own catering business, they decided to open up what they thought would be just a part-time cake shop in Auburndale. “We found a niche,” explains Jr. “No one was doing what we were doing.” As business boomed, this is now their full-time venture, and the shop has grown from a 500 square foot location to their current space of 3,000 square feet right off Main Street, with a second location that recently opened on Highway 92. “We love Auburndale,” they both agree. “It’s a great community and we love our locations. We have a four-minute commute to both shops!”

Maggi got into the cake-making business by accident; someone called in sick at Disney and she was asked to step in to decorate a wedding cake. Luckily, she discovered she had a knack for it. When she and Jr. started their catering business, she honed her craft by doing all of the wedding cakes. She now employs four decorators who help with the special occasion cakes and other treats, but for the most part, Maggi still decorates most of the wedding cakes. She is inspired mostly by customers’ requests. “They come in and ask ‘Have you ever…’ or ‘Do you have…’ and we create.”

When asked about the best part of their jobs, many people might answer “the weekend,” but when the Guzmans say they look forward to Saturdays, they mean it in an entirely different way. Saturdays can pack the store with 200 people, from consultations to bake sale browsers to people picking up their cakes, and the Guzmans love seeing customers’ reactions.

They hold bake sales at the downtown Auburndale location every Saturday, and it’s a great chance to grab a small treat and sample new flavors. If you can’t wait for the Saturday bake sale, just stop by the new Cakes By Maggi Bakery and Bistro, a walk-in bakery serving pastries, desserts and sandwiches. Their hot pressed Cuban sandwich, made with fresh-baked bread and slow-roasted pork, is already becoming a local sensation. Don’t forget to add a generously sized and deliciously moist cupcake to your order!

The Guzmans are already looking ahead to their next projects. They’d like to eventually open Bistro locations in Lakeland and Winter Haven, and are working on a Cupcake To Go truck as well as looking into selling iced cookies and other easy to ship products on the Internet.

If you’d like to order a custom creation from Maggi, visit the main shop in downtown Auburndale for a consultation. Special occasion cakes need at least a week’s notice, longer for weddings, and appointments are recommended for these consultations. A cake by Maggi will help make your special occasion one everyone will remember!