GOOD GIRL GONE BAD

Founder of Bad Girl Bakery, Jeni Iannetta, believes that a little indulgence makes the world go round – that, and a generous slice of homemade cake

Chapter one: Cake For Breakfast certainly caught my attention, writes Rosie Morton. When Jeni Iannetta’s Bad Girl Bakery book landed on my desk, there was little doubt in my mind that it would speak to the souls of every budding baker across the land. How could it not?

It is, after all, based on the mantra that it is impossible to eat cake and be miserable. And who are we to argue? The Muir of Ord-based bakery and cake shop, run by Jeni and her husband Douglas Hardie, has been spreading sheer sugary glee amongst its customers since its doors opened in 2017.

‘The truth is, I still can’t believe I actually get to make cakes for a living,’ begins Jeni, who is originally from Dundee and previously worked in arts marketing for the Scottish Opera and the BBC. ‘I’d always had that fantasy of having a food business, but that’s really all it was – a fantasy. I was in awe of a friend who opened a café in Dundee and I just thought it was the best thing ever. But it wasn’t a real career choice for me until I started baking at home.’

As with myriad self-taught bakers, Jeni was inspired by one ‘domestic goddess’, known for her generous portion sizes, suggestive glances and midnight raids on the fridge – Nigella. It was only when working her way through the home cook’s Feast book that Jeni began plotting a career shift.

‘I was actually looking on Gumtree for cake stands,’ laughs Jeni. ‘And I came across an advert by someone who wanted help baking in their café in St Andrews. On a whim I applied for the job and miraculously they interviewed me. I took some cake along. It was for Fiona Pratt’s Bibi’s Bakery. She took a huge risk as I had no training. I’m forever grateful for that.’

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I still can’t believe I actually get to make cakes for a living

Since her move to the Highlands ten years ago, Jeni’s Bad Girl Bakery has gone from strength to strength, so much so it is now a veritable Highland institution. Regulars are known to make 100-mile round trips for a taste of her Breakfast Bakes (sign me up), Everyday Treats (good news, Parsnip, Apple & Hazlenut Cake is one of your five-a-day), and Not-So-Everyday Treats (Pink Grapefruit Meringue Shortbread Tart, anyone?). The bakery has even supplied the Caledonian Sleeper and the National Trust for Scotland with delicious home-baked goods.

‘I think because we’re not formally trained, we probably take risks that others wouldn’t,’ says Jeni. ‘Of course, there are some disasters. We once made a cookie that tasted like hot mayonnaise. I still to this day don’t know how that happened!’

Jeni’s sweets, combined with delicious Pulled Pork Pies, Sunday Breakfast Bakes and Sausage Rolls from head chef and savoury guru Darren Campbell, are decadent treats. But let’s be honest, isn’t that what keeps the world spinning?

‘We’re absolutely about indulgence,’ says Jeni with a smile. ‘We’re about treats. It’s all about celebrating that.’