LIFT UP LOCAL 012
Written by Marcus McKissic
Princess Learned, Owner of Classique Gifts & Bakes
📷 courtesy of Jena McShane Photography
We have all had an encounter with an unbelievably delicious red velvet cake, a warm dutch apple pie, or a fresh pan of brownies. No matter what type of treat it may be, there is something deeply comforting about baked goods - from breads, to cookies, to pastries. Classique Gifts and Bakes is a Metro Detroit company that can bring out that feeling of inner comfort from anyone that tries their products. From muffins to cheesecakes, wedding cakes to tropical cookies, Classique does it all and they do it with an unmatched, deep passion for baking.
Princess Learned, owner and visionary behind Classique, grew up in Ghana. Her family had a small bakery in their home that filled every room with mouth watering aromas. Princess vividly remembers where her drive to create such beautiful creations came from.
“One day, I decided that I was going to try to bake a cake. And I just started throwing things together that I believed would go good together - it came out hard as a brick!””
📷 courtesy of Jena McShane Photography
Princess recalls with a laugh, “I was about 12 years old and all my five siblings would help my mother with baking, but not me. My favorite was simple bread with butter. They would help with the baking, and I would come downstairs only to get bread and butter. One day, I decided that I was going to try to bake a cake. And I just started throwing things together that I believed would go good together - and it came out hard as a brick! All of my siblings teased me.”
It was this error that drove Princess to try to figure out what she had done wrong. Before long, she dove head first into discovering new recipes of mixing and baking and trying new recipes. She was hooked on the science and chemistry of it all. While baking remained a passion of hers, it wasn't until she was in the United States that Princess decided, through prayer and encouragement from friends, to create Classique. From a baking disaster to redemption, Princess made her vision a reality through optimism, hard work, perseverance, and an innovative mindset. Being an entrepreneur in a new country isn’t easy, but she built a company that is dedicated to using all-natural ingredients with no preservatives. This is what sets Classique apart.
📷 courtesy of Jena McShane Photography
The baked goods that you know and love at Classique are as clean and natural as possible. In addition to traditional recipes, they offer keto, vegan, gluten free, allergen-free (gluten- and nut-free) products, so that people of all different types of diets can enjoy their treats. Coming up with these recipes involves a lot of trial and error. Trying over and over and having to go back to the drawing board. Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart.
““Women are naturally created with exceptional qualities to be the pillars of the home, community, society and the world. If they can tap into those qualities, it can be transformative.””
📷 courtesy of Jena McShane Photography
When asked what advice she had for aspiring female entrepreneurs, Princess noted, “Women are naturally created with exceptional qualities to be the pillars of the home, community, society and the world. If they can tap into those qualities, it can be transformative. It is ok to fail, but you have to get back up and redeem yourself as a human, and especially as a woman. Tapping into those qualities allows you to have victory.”
As you walk down the aisles of the Capital City Market, you can find a variety of products from Classique Gifts & Bakes - including the dark chocolate, raspberry and almond scones. And I can tell you from personal experience that Classique’s baked goods absolutely taste like they are are made with passion. And victory.