Howard University student Kyla Warman took up baking amid the coronavirus pandemic, a hobby that she would have otherwise never thought to explore. With extra time on her hands during quarantine, Kyla began working at her local Sam’s Club in Kansas City, Missouri, with the simple hope to earn extra cash. 

When an understaffed co-worker in the bakery department begged Kyla to assist with a cupcake order, she professionally learned the science of baking. Kyla decorated about 200 cupcakes that day, with the simple instruction to “just do your best,” guiding her through the journey. Thereafter, “Kyla’s Crowned Cakes” was born. 

Kyla Warman, 21, is a junior philosophy major, on track to attend law school as early as this fall. When she’s not studying the ancient teachings of Socrates or Aristotle, you can find Kyla in her cozy kitchen, mixing love into each of her edible delicacies.

“The idea behind it is to crown your event,” Kyla explained when asked about the inspiration behind her business’s name.“I feel like cakes are the cherry on top of events,” Kyla added. Her lavish masterpieces perform as just that– from three-tiered vanilla cakes to chocolate-covered strawberries, Kyla’s baked goods are deliciously charming. During Valentine’s Day week alone, Warman had about 20 cake orders, including the heart-shaped one seen above.

Captured by Jamaica Kalika

After successfully producing a six-inch, mesmerizing cake with teal and gold decals for her best friend’s birthday, Kyla garnered mass praise from the Howard University community. The young baker officially set up shop in her dorm at Howard Plaza Towers and created a company logo inspired by the cake. 

“My friends are over here every day like, do you have some extra cake?’” Warman revealed. 

In true Howard spirit, Kyla provides her inner circle with sweets and treats, in exchange for finance and business advice from her School Business friends. 

For her birthday last year, Kyla’s friends pitched in to buy her a luxury “stand” mixer, making her baking process more efficient. Kyla’s support system in D.C. has encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone, and now, Kyla finishes multiple cake orders a day and makes “the perfect” buttercream icing, her personal favorite.

Baking has always been a communal endeavor for Kyla. When she returns home to Kansas City, her vocation becomes a family-operated business. 

“My dad goes to the store for me, my mom critiques my cakes, and my brother assists with content,” Kyla identified.  Kyla’s little sister has even taken up baking on her own, inspired by her big sister of course. 

Baking has been an instrumental component of Kyla’s overall being, impacting her life both inside and outside of the kitchen.

“I was not detail oriented at all,” Kyla recalled about her work ethic before launching the successful cake business.

For Kyla, baking is a chemical experiment that must be pursued meticulously and always with positive intentions. While working in the kitchen, Kyla enjoys listening to spiritual sermons or videos from her favorite motivational YouTubers, slowing life down amid the commotion erupting right in her kitchen. Baking has forced Kyla to possess a “can-do” attitude,  patience, attentiveness, and above all else– love.

“Cakes are love,” exclaimed the cake maker, who feels as though baking is the ultimate love language and display of affection. Kyla has found value within her craft, confidently producing high-quality cakes, and finding her own worth throughout the process.  

For more information about Kyla’s Crowned Cakes, visit her Instagram @kyla.crownedcakes, or her website kylascrownedcakes.com.