Meet BluffCakes Baker & Owner, Chloe Sexton
Get to know the woman behind BluffCakes, a social media sensation turned brick-and-mortar bake shop in Germantown.
If you have a sweet tooth, you’ve probably had your eye on BluffCakes for a while. What began as a social media account to showcase the confections of a home baker is now an Internet sensation with a brick-and-mortar location in Germantown. Get to know the baker behind BluffCakes, Chloe Sexton!
Tell us about the journey of opening BluffCakes.
Throughout my college years, I studied broadcast journalism and political science while working at my college radio station, hosting a morning show and commentating on sports. When I moved to Memphis [in 2015], I began working as a production assistant for WREG, slowly training and working my way up to becoming a full-time news producer. My hours were usually midnight to 8 a.m., crime reporting — and it began to take a toll on my mental health.
I found my childhood love for baking again and used all of my free time at home experimenting with recipes that I would bring for the TV crew to enjoy when I got to work. Eventually, those experiments turned into custom baking opportunities, and I began my Instagram page, @bluffcakes, to showcase my work.
What drew you to your location in Germantown?
Germantown is the perfect place for owning a small business and raising children. The level of community and support in Germantown makes you feel like you’ve found a small town inside a big city. We fell in love with it here — so much so that we actually bought our home in Grove Park while building the bakery and moved the same week we opened!
Your giant cookies originally took off on TikTok. What current baking trends are you most excited about? Any social media trends you love or loathe?
Love: Cinnamon rolls are making a big comeback in all kinds of creative forms, and our kitchen is excited to have put out our own braided pastry version!
Loathe: I absolutely LOATHE black frosting. Sure, it may fit your aesthetic for a celebration, but the room full of guests you’ll have with stained mouths is NOT worth it.
What’s your personal favorite treat available at the shop?
My personal favorite treat is definitely our tiny cakes. I love giving our kitchen creative freedom to make colorful, retro designs, and they always fly off the case.
Do you offer rotating seasonal flavors or specials? If so, what’s on deck for summer?
Our flavors change monthly, with some must-haves that never leave the menu. For summer, we’re launching giant cookie ice cream sandwiches. We’ll have a selection of our crowd favorites (like the maple bourbon pecan salted caramel cookie) turned into a cold summer treat.
What has been the greatest challenge you’ve encountered as an entrepreneur?
Creative demand. Having a large audience on TikTok (the fastest-growing social media platform in history) means not being able to skip a single day of posting relevant, captivating content. That kind of pressure to create content can be overwhelming, but I try to stay true to what I really want to put out there and make time to share something just for fun.
What are your current favorite sources of inspiration?
I love keeping up with Christina Tosi, Martha Stewart, and the official King Arthur baking accounts. Even watching old episodes of Martha Stewart really gets me in the mood to create.
What are your favorite places to eat, drink, and shop in Memphis?
Coastal will always be my favorite spot for a cocktail and date night with a view. When Christina is behind the bar, Friday lunches at Moondance are my favorite weekly tradition.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“There is no single recipe for success. But there is one essential ingredient: passion.” – Martha Stewart
And, our final lightning round of questions!
Last delicious meal: The chopped BLT salad with blackened salmon and a dirty martini (Ketel) at Moondance.
Last book you loved: Dearly by Margaret Atwood
Go-to birthday gift (to give) and where to get it: A set of iridescent champagne glasses from Anthropologie and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot
Favorite vacation destination: White House, Jamaica
Three things you can’t live without: Sound canceling headphones, Google calendar, and four shots of espresso daily
Thanks, Chloe!
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For more delicious places to eat around Memphis, keep an eye on our New Memphis Restaurants series, updated monthly!
Alissa Harb
Alissa Harb is StyleBlueprint's Managing Editor, based in Nashville. A lifelong Tennessee native, Alissa has over 13 years of experience in digital media and loves writing about food, travel, and entertaining. She is a lover of dogs, true crime, and ordering for the table.