Bekkwith's Bakery in Ankeny Creates New Twists and Tastes for Mouthwatering Treats

Bekkwith’s Bakery in Ankeny has given cake a whole new meaning.

Cakes baked in large square pans are transformed into rich, sweet, delicious cake balls — a treat the bakery has become known for in its short four months as a full-time business.

Recently, a line of nearly 30 people stood outside the bakery waiting for the doors to open at noon so customers could buy some of the sweet treats that come in such flavors as pink champagne, German chocolate, coconut, marble, carrot cake and more. A variety of butter cream frostings are offered, along with a variety of fillings from cherry to cream cheese.

“We started doing cake balls for friends about a year ago,” said Shawn Sherman. He and wife, Nicole, own and operate the business. The bakery moniker is derived from a pet name their daughter’s great-grandfather gave Rebekkah when he first saw her — Beckkwith.

It’s no wonder the demand has already outstripped their daily business. Customers just keep spreading the word. Al Stromley of Bondurant drives 20 miles into Ankeny nearly every Saturday to buy a dozen cake balls for him and his wife. Sometimes he comes back on Sunday for more. “We had them first a while back at the farmers market,” he said. “My wife’s favorite flavor is German chocolate. I like the chocolate, and the tangerine is really good.”

He suggests new customers call on Friday and find out what the bakery will have in flavors over the weekend, then order a variety box. “That way you can try a number of different flavors and figure out what you like. Even if you don’t like one of the flavors, I’ll bet somebody in your family will,” Stromley said.

Shawn and Nicole opened Bekkwith’s in a little house at 106 E. First St. after several years of Nicole making cakes for weddings and special occasions. They introduced the cake balls more than a year ago at the Ankeny Farmers Market and discovered people particularly liked the product.

Shawn and Nicole have been pleasantly surprised at the demand and quick growth of their business. They are already looking at expanding, and the need to hire more employees.

“I always figured we would do well, but there was no telling it would go this fast,” Shawn said.

The tantalizing smell of baking cake, and occasional chatter from Rebekkah, 5, filled the building as the couple talked about the bakery. Nicole and two part-time employees do all the day-to-day work, while Shawn does the accounting and helps when he’s not at his day-job with Protocol-Driven Health Care in Des Moines.

Often, the 20 to 30 dozen cake balls made for the day are gone before the shop closes. They advise anyone who wants to ensure they have the cake balls they want to give an advance call so they can put some cake balls aside.

Besides baking cake balls to sell at the business site, Bekkwith’s takes special orders for weddings and other occasions. “We’ve provided cake and cake balls for six weddings in the last two weeks, from very small ones with a few people to large ones with more than 300 people,” Shawn said.

Because of the demand and the need for more oven space, the couple is looking at moving the baking off-site, but not too far off-site because of the product. “We bake everything fresh every day. We never freeze the cakes,” Nicole said. They start baking the night before because the cakes have to cool before working them into cake balls.

Ingredients in the cake balls include the usual cake-from-scratch ingredients like flour and real butter, but also with butter cream frostings and various flavorings mixed in. The most requested cake ball is champagne-flavored. That involves baking a white cake flavored with red champagne.

As they talk, several customers came in to pick up orders, while others were told they would have to come back the next day, which was Saturday. “We have been selling out by the end of the day for the last three weeks,” Shawn said.

The cake balls sell from $1 to $1.25 each, or $8-$10 per dozen, depending on the level of decoration.

Shawn and Nicole are hoping the news about their tasteful treats continue to spread by word of mouth and activities like attending the World Food Festival in the East Village so their business continues to expand.  

Bekkwith’s Bakery

Location: 106 E. First St., Ankeny

Specialty: Cake balls, specialty orders and cakes

Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays the bakery is closed.

Contact: (515) 257-6419 or e-mail at orders@bekkwiths.com