How local baker Nannette Mayhall became a cake boss

Nannette Mayhall just might be the Capital Region’s OG cottage baker. She’s been in business for 43 years, quietly turning out signature layer cakes, king cakes, wedding cakes and dessert pickups for a devoted fan base.

Growing up in Baton Rouge, Mayhall learned to bake with her mother. The two sought out bakeries while traveling, a pastime she now shares with her own daughter.

Years of rising before sunup to fill orders hasn’t dimmed her enthusiasm. “I still love baking,” she says. “I just enjoy making people happy with what I make.”

She’s best known for her white chocolate raspberry, a white layer cake with white chocolate buttercream, white chocolate shavings and fresh raspberries. She also makes red velvet, carrot, chocolate toffee, chocolate, and black and white with both white and chocolate layers.

Wedding cakes are a big part of her business, with brides favoring white chocolate almond. Her approach is classic. “I don’t do the big frou-frou with the rolled fondant,” she says. “I just try to make pretty, yummy-tasting cakes.”

She also sees steady orders for her king cakes, known for their pillowy texture and hand-dyed sugar. “You can’t make a living in Baton Rouge this time of year if you’re not doing king cakes,” she says.

Mayhall’s handiwork is also on the dessert menus at The Colonel’s Club, DiGuilio Bros. Italian Café and Heather V’s.

To order, don’t look for a website or social media page. Customers call and leave a message on a landline machine (225-343-4530); she returns calls to find out more about what a customer wants. “I want to be able to talk to people,” she says. “I know how much I can take on.”

This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.