Life is sweet for Susan Stone.  Literally.  The life-long Meriden resident has been whipping up specialty cakes and gourmet cookies and fine chocolates since the 1970s. 

“It started as a hobby,” says Susan.  “At first I was decorating birthday cakes for my four children, a few years later I was a professional cake decorator.”

For 10 years Susan and her family owned and operated “Stone House” on Hanover Road, which specialized in fine cakes and pastries. 

“We had a great crew, and I loved working there,” reflects Susan.  “But it was also a lot of work.  One week alone I clocked in 99 hours.”

In 2007 Susan sold the business (now Albert’s Bakery) and now runs Susan Stone & Co. out of her Meriden home on North 1^st Street.

Along with creating thousands of wedding cakes for couples, Susan has also made cakes for Senator Joe Lieberman, I-Conn, former state Republican party Chair Dick Foley, and opera singer Roberta Peters.  Her cakes have also gotten national attention, she's created cakes for “The David Letterman Show” and a Hebrew National TV commercial. 

Susan has also helped celebrate milestones in Meriden and surrounding areas.  She made a cake to celebrate the Meriden Public Library’s 90^th anniversary and also created a cake (that fed 400 people!) for the anniversary of the Amistad ruling in New Haven.

Between birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations, Susan keeps busy year round.  But come summer, a.k.a. wedding season, her workload can double with brides calling from all over New England looking for the perfect cake. 

"I enjoy meeting the brides, grooms, and families that come in for a tasting," says Susan. "I have never met a full-fledged diva, some nervous brides, but it's my job to put them at ease and have some fun designing their cake." 

Some of those designs include multi-tiered cakes decorated in flowers, ribbon, shells, castles, stars, and moons.  And get this – all of the decorations are 100 percent edible. 

Susan's most popular cake flavors are velvet almond fudge with chocolate mousse filling, raspberry chambord with double fudge filling, and spice cake with granny apple mousse filling.  When Meriden Patch stopped in for a visit, Susan was making two chocolate double fudge birthday cakes.

When Susan isn’t busy baking, or spending time with her 13 grandkids, she says she enjoys watching TLC’s “Cake Boss” and is always looking for tips of the trade.

She concludes that she might just have the sweetest job around town.

“I have a great job," she said. "How many grumpy people do I see picking out a cake—not too many!”

For more information about Susan Stone & Co. visit:

www.cakelady.com