ABOUT

Hello! I'm Jen!​ 

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself! I own Sugar on Top Bake Shop in Genoa, Illinois; the same town where I live with my husband and kids.

 I started decorating cakes in the summer of 2000; right out of high school. I took a class at a local craft store, and by the end of the four week class, the instructor was asking me to help her teach the class. I started my career right away in grocery store bakeries, and worked my way into family-owned bakeries in the suburbs of Chicago. Meanwhile, I attended pastry school and business management classes at Elgin Community College. All of this while I was raising the oldest two of my daughters. One day, my oldest asked me why I was going to school and I answered "So I can open a bakery for us all to work in someday."

Life got a bit hectic, and I had to work "normal" business hours for a few years, so I worked as a legal assistant and law office manager. I also started and managed a haunted attraction for eight Octobers. During those few years, I missed making cakes full time and I continued to dream about that bakery.

Finally, in 2014, I decided to take that risk and start a business. Initially, Sugar on Top was run out of our home kitchen. Soon after, we moved into a commercial kitchen in Kirkland. And finally in 2019, we turned a store front in downtown Genoa into our little bakery.

Since the start of the business, we have received several awards and have been recognized as "One of the Best" bakeries in DeKalb County multiple times.

Our work has been featured on multiple blogs and publications; such as Wedding Chicks, ChiTheeWed, Lakeshore in Love, & Wedding Day Magazine.

I have had the honor to make cakes for some of our favorite musicians;

including Korn, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Alice Cooper,

alongside our good friend, Liz, at Halo Cupcake. I've made countless friends with other local bakers and I strongly believe in the "community over competition" mindset. I believe when we all work together, we can accomplish great things.​