A Facebook post led me to Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery, run by 16-year-old Indigenous entrepreneur Delilah Savage.

Baby Cakes cupcakes go on sale every two to three weeks, so when I saw the post in late March, I jumped at it — placing my online order for a six-pack of wild rice cupcakes and opting to pay the $20 ahead of time via PayPay vs. in cash at pickup. And I communicated which site I wanted for pickup.

The cupcakes were lovely in red cups, the maple syrup frosting in a floral design with sweet, tan speckles on top. It was rich, fluffy, distinctly different compared to store-bought frosting.

It was my first go at wild rice cupcakes, and it was the perfect amount of treat — thick, substantial and colored in a lovely, light sepia.

“It takes a year to make this cupcake,” said Delilah’s mother and partner, Leah Savage, who described the family’s process of harvesting and milling the wild rice into flour from August through October; and sugar bush season for harvesting maple syrup March through the beginning of May.

Delilah Savage also uses eggs, real butter and some secret ingredients — all from the Savages’ Fond du Lac land. She’s been selling her baked goods for about four years, cooking since she was 8. Along with cupcakes, she makes cookies, wedding and tiered cakes.

As for the business name, it comes from a term of endearment. “I always called my daughter ‘baby cakes’ or ‘baby doll,’” Leah Savage said.

To order, follow Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery on Facebook for notifications to upcoming sales for which you can preorder. They make stops in Cloquet and Duluth.

Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery

218-343-2487

https://bit.ly/3emgiQ3

Find them on Facebook: Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery/Savage Girls Salads