Sweet things are her forte

Signature Sweets by Amanda offers a variety of confections from cake pops to wedding cakes

By Gabriela Tobar, Contributing Writer

Inspired by her late grandmother, Amanda Keeney began Signature Sweets By Amanda in 2012.

Since then she has immersed herself in a career as a pastry chef. Keeney’s grandmother passed down her books, recipes and pans. From those, Keeney’s desire to honor her grandmother’s legacy and recreate those kitchen memories has taken her on a journey from earning her culinary and pastry degree at Stratford University to now owning her own business.

Amanda Keeney is the owner and chef at Signature Sweets By Amanda.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST HEART PHOTOGRAPHY

She started by baking cakes for friends and quickly discovered that more and more people liked what she did. She’s grown her business from cakes to donuts, macarons, cupcakes, cake pops and other small confections.

Signature Sweets By Amanda began six years ago and has become a popular cake business in Northern Virginia.

“This is my life. I work 24/7 on cakes and I very rarely get the night off on a Saturday depending on what I have going on Sunday,” said Keeney. “My business is from sunup to sundown for me.”

The name Signature Sweets By Amanda was created from a decision Keeney made back in high school with help from her mother. Keeney wanted to make more than just cakes—she wanted to make sure people knew who made them.

Keeney’s work, at just 25, was recently featured in The Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot Magazine: Best of 2018 Weddings. But Keeney does much more than only wedding cakes. She makes confections for a variety of events that include indulging flavors and fillings. Signature Sweets has fast become a recommended cake vendor throughout Northern Virginia. Keeney has garnered awards for her decorating techniques and baking skill.

All of Keeney’s fillings are made from scratch with her creativity. Some of Keeney’s cake flavors include traditional chocolate, vanilla, lemon and red velvet flavors – but some of her more extravagant flavors are champagne, bourbon, spiced banana walnut and her grandmother’s special carrot cake. Keeney works around allergies and gluten-free options for her clients to provide accommodations.

Keeney is part of a nonprofit charity organization for children called Icing Smiles. This program provides cakes and treats from participating local vendors to families affected by a child’s illness.

“It is one of the most rewarding feelings to see a smile as the end result of making a cake for someone,” said Keeney. “Getting to see faces light up positively is what I do it for.”

Signature Sweets By Amanda is located in Old Town Warrenton and is operated out of her home. Keeney bought the home with two kitchens to make sure she had the separate space for everything. Within her first months of living there she outgrew her pastry kitchen, leading her to transform an extra bedroom to a production space.

Keeney has managed to get six to eight wedding orders done in one weekend alone.

“I’ve stayed up until eight in the morning to finish up a cake,” said Keeney. “It’s what I do from when

I wake up to when I go to bed.” On average, for more undemanding weddings, a cake can take up to five hours from bake-time to decorating time – others can take as long as 16 hours.

Though juggling time can always be an issue with peak wedding seasons, Keeney suggests clients book their orders at least two weeks in advance.

“Some of the most challenging parts of the process is trying to be in two places at once,” said Keeney. “Driving the cakes around and delivering is another.” She has delivered orders from Charlottesville to Leesburg and has even traveled to West Virginia to deliver a cake. She offers free deliveries to her wedding orders located in Fauquier County.

“I have definitely learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work, what people like and what they don’t,” said Keeney, in regard to baking and decorating her cakes. “It’s a huge thing for me to be working on something that I don’t know what the end result is going to look like, but when it comes together, and it comes to life, you just think: ‘Wow.’”

Whether it is through word of mouth or Instagram, supporting and connecting with other bakers and vendors in the industry has helped Keeney to grow to the pastry chef she is today.

For further information or inquires, you can visit her website: www.signaturesweetsbyamanda.com or phone 703-895-0083.

Chef Keeney will present couples with several cake and frosting tastings to create their special wedding cake.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST HEART PHOTOGRAPHY

Let the creativity begin! Small confections like cupcakes or donuts can be given lots of personality in the right hands.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST HEART PHOTOGRAPHY