BOUNTIFUL—Stepping through the front door of Sweet Cake Bake Shop on Main Street in Bountiful, it may seem like any other charming bakery: cakes, cookies, and other baked goods on display in a glowing display case, happy employees busily attending to their work, and the smell of freshly baked products wafting in the air. There is something significantly different about Sweet Cake, however: with all their products, you won’t find a single one with gluten.

Ali Regan, owner and founder of Sweet Cake has gone to great lengths to ensure her bakery is completely gluten-free for a variety of very important reasons, all dating back to 2003. Twenty-one years ago, Regan was diagnosed with celiac disease and was told by her doctor to “just go look it up on the internet,” and that “you can’t ever again eat chocolate cake.” She was at a bit of a loss, and with much fewer resources in 2003 than now, she wasn’t quite sure where to turn.

Dealing with both celiac and other comorbidities, Regan knew she couldn’t just wait around for someone to tell her what to do, she knew she needed to act. Using knowledge gained from earning a science degree from Berkley, Regan set about creating her own proprietary flour that was both gluten-free, and actually acted the way regular flour does in breads, cookies, cakes, rolls, and other baked goods.

“Learning the whole gluten-free process was hard,” Regan said as she described her journey for a workable flour. It wasn’t just the process that was difficult either. Regan described how she, and so many others with gluten sensitivities, missed out on taking part in many celebrations, and how making things for herself was cost-prohibitive. Still, she carried on until she came to a mixture that met her high standards for taste, texture, and consistency.

Thus was Sweet Cake born. Using fresh ingredients, “We crack our own eggs,” said Regan, the menu quickly grew to around 400 rotating items. “I started trying everything I could,” she said, explaining how she adapted classic and beloved family recipes to use her new gluten-free flour. It’s not one-size-fits-all either, Regan said, and as she has balanced her flour recipe to accommodate for different recipes, she discovered that what she’s doing is actually, “so much fun!”

Customers won’t get sticker shock at Sweet Cake either. With prices comparable to other local bakeries, “you don’t have to spend $60 on a pan of brownies,” said Regan. This is all the more surprising considering the time, effort, and quality ingredients that go into each product. Her cinnamon rolls, for example, took a full two years to perfect, but her many regular customers would agree that it was worth it.

While Regan continues to improve recipes and teach classes, she’s been busily working on the next step for Sweet Cake – making her flour available for the masses. Regan already has thousands of bags of flour ready and on the shelves for people to be able to make their own gluten-free recipes at home. Just like at the bake shop, Regan has made two mixes available, the “Master Mix” for cookies and bars, and the “Master Mix Lite” for cakes and cupcakes, each figuring in the best formula for taste, and texture. 

Though the bakery is gluten-free and a celiac-safe environment, everyone is welcome and is certain to find something there that they’ll love. The care and attention that goes into each recipe makes Sweet Cake a Bountiful institution. More information on the baked goods and flours available at Sweet Cake can be found at sweetcakebakeshop.com, or by simply visiting the storefront at 96 South Main Street,  in Bountiful.