Our Daily Show LIVE FROM THE EXPO! Lady J's Gooey Butter Cakes!
ALTON - Jocelyn Harris is a local baker with a national following.
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Harris, who goes by Lady J, specializes in gooey butter cakes. She has sold thousands of cakes across the U.S., but her favorite place to vend is in her hometown of Alton. Whether you find her at the Alton Farmers Market every weekend or run into her at special events like the Alton Expo, you can expect a great dessert courtesy of Lady J’s Gooey Butter.
“I’ve had a pretty good year,” Harris said. “I continue to sell at the farmers market here and other local markets around the Metro area, and that goes well. I sell online on my website and on Etsy.”
Harris explained that she learned how to bake gooey butter cake from her mother, who made “the best of the best.” Over the years, Harris has figured out the ideal recipe to make her cakes stand out.
“I just kept trying it until I perfected it,” she said. “I got the recipe from my mother. She gave me the recipe and I looked it up, and sometimes you’ve just got to make it a little bit of your own and make sure that the ingredients are prestige, and it turned out right.”
Through her website and Etsy page, Harris sells gooey butter cake in traditional yellow, strawberry, chocolate, lemon, red velvet and German chocolate cake flavors. Customers can choose from three sizes.
She also makes gooey butter cakes for special occasions. She has baked cupcakes for wedding receptions and sheet cakes for launch parties. Whatever the event, she is happy to adjust her recipe, sizing and pricing as needed.
Whether you order online or meet Harris at the farmers market or another event where she has her booth set up, you can choose from a variety of payment options, including cash, card, Venmo, CashApp, PayPal and more.
She has a following in Alton, but Lady J’s Gooey Butter is also receiving national attention. Harris said she has shipped cakes to almost every state, including Hawaii and Alaska.
“I ship all over the United States,” she shared. “I haven’t gone outside of the country yet because I’m just a little nervous, just want to make sure, but we are domestic. We are in the States.”
Lady J’s Gooey Butter has been in operation for seven years now. Harris loves knowing that her cakes are helping families and friends make memories. While she has been pleasantly surprised by her shop’s success, she knows she is in the right business.
“I never expected even to do this,” she said. “It's a blessing for someone to reach out to you and say, ‘I want your product. I want your cake. Can you make this for me for the holidays?’ It’s been pretty good.”
For more information about Harris and Lady J’s Gooey Butter, including how to order, visit the official website at LadyJsGooeyButter.com or her Etsy store.
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