From first bite, Lady Goo Goo’s cinnamon bun cake (above) promised great goodness – soft hints of cinnamon and sugar on the lips, the slight crack and the melt of vanilla glaze on the tongue, the beauty of the rich cake shoulder, the crumble of crust and then, the awesome gooey-ness we St. Louisans love. This is no ordinary gooey butter cake, but divine goodness baked by a dedicated, un-diva-like woman who wants to bring her favorite St. Louis cake to the wider world. Cinnamon bun is just one of the myriad of flavors she’s developed in the 20 years she’s been baking this iconic St. Louis dessert.
Meet Erin Christ (right), age 32, baker and businesswoman, former public relations specialist and teacher. She’s wife to husband Brad and stay-at-home mom to two daughters, Vivian, 2 1/2 and Hazel, 14 months.
Christ came of age with a spatula in her hand under the tutelage of her mother. “We started with box mixes, but over time, I developed my own recipes. My husband and my dad are my top tasters. They don’t hesitate to give something either the go or ‘not yet.’
“I’d always made the cakes for friends and for parties, but I didn’t think anyone would buy my gooey butter cakes,” she says.
Things changed in the spring of 2015, shortly after the birth of her daughter Hazel, when she made a cake for her husband to take to a party thrown by his rugby teammates.
“Hazel was a month old and I wasn’t able to go, so I sent him off with a gooey butter cake. One of his teammates who worked at Cafe Brevé in Clayton asked me to bake one for his boss. Today, Cafe Brevé is a regular customer. They gave me the confidence I needed to put myself out there,” Christ says.
In January of 2016, she decided to take things to the next level and organized her business. “Gooey isn’t an easy word to work in a business title, so when Brad came up with Lady Goo Goo Gooey Butter Cakes, I knew he was right,” she says. “People now call me Lady Goo Goo. I don’t mind if they don’t use my name, I just want them to try my cakes,” she says.
“I bake out of a commercial kitchen and sell my cakes through my own sales calls and on my website. This summer I will be at the Olde Town Farmers Market in Fenton on Saturdays. I’ll be selling at pop-up venues as well and soon my cakes will be available at Naturally Inspired Gifts on Kennerly Road.”
Although Christ is most comfortable baking, she hasn’t let her feet get stuck in the gooey batter. She’s out there. She is a member of BWC, Business Women Connecting, an organization that builds business-to-business connections for women business owners. BWC also works with corporate community outreach representatives to bring entrepreneurial woman to the attention of the broader St. Louis business community.
“I met the woman who designed my packaging at BWC. The meetings are a catalyst for forging relationships, building confidence and offering each other needed support,” she says. “I am so much more thoughtful now about buying from small businesses because I see the impact in my own life and in other people’s lives.”
For Christ, the transition from mom to Lady Goo Goo has been rewarding. “I want people to know baking is such a huge passion for me. It brings me peace of mind.”
Making the cakes is her strong suit. “I believe in the product. I use the freshest, highest quality ingredients including organic fruits because great ingredients taste better,” she says. “I’ve learned to ask for help when I need it, like with the website, and with my business plan.”
Her husband Brad, is on the cake-walk with her, designing the website and acting as an in-house sounding board on the business strategies.
Blueberry flavor, with a generous dose of berries
“My end goal is to be in more locations regionally and nationally. The market for gooey butter cake is largely untapped. Right now I’m working to expand to Chicago and to Dallas. I’ve also met with several brides who are interested in gooey butter cakes for their weddings,” she says. “I think there could be a cookbook in my future about cooking with kids.”
Christ exudes a boundless energy. She’s grateful for each person who has helped her on her way. “I appreciate every single person who has bought a cake from me,” says the unpretentious Lady of Goo Goo Land. Christ doesn’t know where her business will take her. Although she’s firmly grounded in values of home and family, she knows her dive into the batter bowl holds significance for her daughters’ futures.
“I will never do anything harder than being a mom. It’s intimidating for a stay-at-home mom to start a business. Lady Goo Goo is my way of contributing not just financial support to my family, but to also teach my daughters; to show them I am passionate about my work,” she says.
Christ has a host of flavors to offer, but she’s open to customer suggestions as well. “One gentleman wanted a key lime gooey butter. That sounded good to me. It took a few tries, but we got there. Now it’s on my list of regular offerings.”
Check out the Lady’s cakes on her website.
Lady Goo Goo Gooey Butter Cakes
314-704-1983
Pop-up shops coming this summer. Locations TBA
