Baker Chat: Chelsea of @butterdays_atx

Meet Chelsea, the creative force behind @butterdays_atx, an Austin-based cake business known for its abstract, floral, and maximalist designs. 

What started as a side hustle in 2023 has blossomed into a full-time passion, proving that sometimes the best things in life happen by accident.

Follow along with Chelsea's beautiful work on Instagram @butterdays_atx

An Unexpected Journey to Austin

Chelsea's path to Austin reads like a pandemic-era love story. Originally from New Jersey—"like 10 minutes from South Island, like 30 from Manhattan"—she was attending fashion school in New York when COVID hit. "I was going to fashion school in New York, and everything hit the fan with COVID really quick there," she recalls. Her boyfriend (now husband) had just gotten a job in Austin, and she decided to visit for spring break. "I went with two suitcases, and I never went back. I couldn't."

From Corporate Burnout to Creative Freedom

The leap to full-time baking came after a corporate layoff that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. "I was honestly waiting to get laid off. I never had a corporate job where I was very happy. I got, I had so much anxiety," Chelsea admits. While finances initially held her back, the layoff gave her the push she needed. Now, seven to eight months into running Butter Days full-time, she's transformed: "I am so much happier. My mental health is so much better."

The Story Behind Butter Days

The business name came from a collaborative process with what Chelsea calls her "cake squad"—her husband and four friends who would come over every Sunday to taste-test new flavors and vote on ideas. "I was playing around with like a lot of like play on words. Honey. Funny, punny kind of names, quirky names," she explains. The name is intentional: "It was, yeah. I was playing around with like a lot of like play on words...I was going through, like, a depressive period, an episode in my life, so I feel like that kind of, like, it kind of played into that, of, like, making sure to have a better day."

A Distinct Artistic Vision

Chelsea's fashion background (she studied fashion marketing at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising) informs her cake designs, which she describes as "very floral, abstract, sometimes very maximalist." Her creative process thrives on freedom: "I love when people tell me to just, like, do what I want, and I can just go crazy and just, like, almost, like, throw art at this cake."

Wisdom for Aspiring Bakers

When asked about advice for new bakers, Chelsea emphasizes starting with intention: "Finding something that is your niche...have like some sort of foundation, like what's your pricing? What flavors do you want to do? What is your goal? Why are you actually doing this?"

She cautions against over-investing too soon: "I don't think you need a full-on website. You don't need business cards starting off. Honestly, because what if you do all that and you end up not wanting to do it anymore?"

Events, she stresses, are crucial even when unprofitable: "Typically with events, you're most likely going to spend more than you'll receive...but I also have met so many people. I've made so many friends. I grew my following. I think events are really, really important."

Perhaps most importantly, she advocates for embracing feedback: "Learning how to take criticism and feedback and also not taking it to heart...you need that criticism starting off because it's going to eventually shape your business."

The Secret: Brown Butter

When asked about her obsession ingredient, Chelsea doesn't hesitate: "Brown butter. I think it's such a game changer." Her attention to quality extends beyond technique—she's particular about sourcing, driven by her passion for animal welfare. "I am very, very specific on the butter I use. And if it's not like pasture-raised, if they don't treat the animals right, I won't use it."

Her favorite creation? The carrot cake "with a pecan pie filling with a brown butter cream cheese frosting. It is literally, I just, I just made it for an order tomorrow. It's a game changer."

Beyond the Bakery

Outside of Butter Days, Chelsea is "a huge nature girl" who has worked with disabled farm animals for three years and even has a pet raccoon named Ronnie. A true creative spirit, she's currently learning to sew on an 1800s sewing machine she recently acquired, with plans to make her own curtains.

For Chelsea, Butter Days represents more than just a business—it's the freedom to create, connect with community, and live authentically. As she puts it simply: "I am so much happier."

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