Velvet Sky Bakery in Jenkintown, PA

Jordan Harvey, Owner, Chief Designer

Origins

I went to art school and I wanted to be an artist; studio art, sculpture, that kind of thing. After that, I traveled the world, but an art degree doesn’t really do much for anybody. So, after travelling, I wanted to go back to school either for furniture design or pastry arts. I knew I could teach myself to bake, but not to build furniture, so I went to furniture design school and after a year and a half, I realized I didn’t see myself in the furniture-design world. Then I got a job at a local wedding-cake bakery in Savannah, Georgia, where I was living, and I learned everything on the job.

I was living in Savannah and I got a call from my dad to say there was a bakery for sale in Jenkintown [Pennsylvania], basically the town I grew up in. So, I bought a running business and opened Velvet Sky 14 years ago.

Company Mission

I think the most important thing we do is detail. We’re not part of the planning process, itself, so we pay really close attention to what people tell us they are planning for their events. We try to get as much information as possible, so we’re matching colors and design expectations. Most people aren’t artists and they’re drawing pictures of what they want, so our communication and our attention to detail are our strongest features.

Signature Products

We pride ourselves in being 3D sculptors. We’ve made a few cakes of replica guitars that you wouldn’t know were cakes, unless you picked them up. I’ve made animals, buildings and replicas of other items. Clients have asked us to make cakes for ads. That’s something I specialize in and really enjoy doing.

When I started my business, I had never taken an order, planned it, baked it, finished it. Three months into opening my business, a client wanted a realistic zebra cake. So, sure, why not? Once I made that, I realized I could pretty much make anything. We also made a replica of an Avengers Tower. We’ve made dogs, family pets. I made a labubu [doll]. The guitars aren’t really hard, but they’re really intense. The size of the cakes can vary. A lot of times, I use a one-to-one ratio, unless it’s a car, of course. I usually ask clients how many servings they’ll need to help me pick the size. I like figuring things out. I like the puzzles.

We’ve kind of narrowed it down to cakes and cupcakes. Everything else we make is custom-ordered. We make pies for Thanksgiving. We do cookies, scones, muffins, brownies, stuff like that. It’s all to order, at least 95 percent. We have a very small retail space for a few cupcakes we bake for the day. The customer tells us what cupcakes they want and what kind of frosting. We frost to order, so the customer can dictate the flavor they want for the day.

Production Tip

If you have employees [Velvet Sky has three], the most important thing is that they need to have everything they need in order to do their jobs. I will sacrifice my time and energy to make sure they have what they need, so they’re not standing around waiting for me. That little extra time you put at the beginning of the process ultimately saves time in the long run.

Equipment ‘Must-Haves’

I’m very particular about my tools. If I had to pick a favorite, it’s this teeny-tiny four-inch spatula that’s really flexible and really thin. I used to have two, but I only have one left. I use it for everything. I’ve found ones that are similar, but nothing exactly the same.

Secrets of Success

You need persistence and a no-quit attitude. People are relying on you, so you need to get the job done to the best of your ability. No excuses. Gotta find a way. Gotta do it.

I used to work 16 hours a day. I don’t do that anymore. This time of year [wedding season], I put in 12 or 14-hour days. That’s typical. When we’re not crazy, I would probably do eight or 10 on a Tuesday or Wednesday and 12 to 14 on Thursday and Friday. Saturday is ten or so. I have three employees, so it’s a small staff.

Future Plans

I’d love to transition into doing more of the custom work. I’ve had a few calls recently for really large – not necessarily scale large, but big, detailed — projects, like buildings. I’d like to focus on the super custom, rather than doing the small work – maybe on a massive cake a week or every two weeks.

Photos Courtesy of Velvet Sky Bakery

For more info, visit www.velvetskybakery.com

(This article appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)