Crafting sweet success in Santa Clara: The rise of Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes

Written by Jessi Bang
July 16, 2024

SANTA CLARA — This “sugar mama” is whipping up cheesecakes that are as sweet as they are sought-after.

Jenny Mickelson is the owner of Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes, where she offers individualized cheesecakes made from scratch, Santa Clara, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Jenny Mickelson is the owner of Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes, where she offers individualized cheesecakes made from scratch, Santa Clara, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“My husband talks about me being his ‘full-time sugar mama,’ and going big,” Jenny Mickelson said, laughing. “But then I wouldn’t be able to be home as much. So as of right now, this schedule fits perfectly.”

Mickelson is the creative force behind Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes, which specializes in an assortment of individually crafted flavors. These include lemon blueberry, key lime mango, white chocolate raspberry and ‘Churro-doodle’ — a fusion of churro and snickerdoodle.

Savor classics like Biscoff, Oreo, Peanut Butter, Red Velvet and Carrot Cake. For a cheesecake spin on a childhood favorite, try her ‘Party Animal,’ featuring circus cookies atop a sprinkle-filled cheesecake with a hint of strawberry mousse. Holiday flavors include white chocolate peppermint, pumpkin, caramel apple pie, toffee and more.

Sitting at a picnic table at Frei’s Fresh Fruit Market in Santa Clara, a location that showcases her homemade cheesecakes, Mickelson shared with St. George News the story of how her cheesecake business came to life.
Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes offers a variety of homemade cheesecakes tailored for individual indulgence, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Jenny Mickelson, St. George News
Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes offers a variety of homemade cheesecakes tailored for individual indulgence, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Jenny Mickelson, St. George News

It all began four years ago when she crafted her inaugural cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Though she enjoyed it, she felt compelled to refine her recipe, which led her on a journey of experimentation to perfect her flavors and techniques.

“My cheesecakes are different from others because they’re custom from top to bottom,” she said. “So it’s not just your graham cracker crust and plain cheesecake with toppings. It is flavor after flavor from the bottom up.”

Her cheesecakes feature a variety of crusts, from graham crackers to Oreo cookies and even brownies or cakes. Each cheesecake is uniquely flavored, and some feature up to four layers in the toppings alone. Her peanut butter cheesecake, for example, is topped with chocolate ganache, peanut butter frosting, homemade whipped cream and sprinkles. 

“I think that’s what makes them so good – the flavor is just infused from the top to the bottom,” she said.

Encouraged by the rave reviews from friends and family, she had an idea: Why not start selling them? With limited space and time to make full-sized cheesecakes, she experimented with individual cups, offering customers the freedom to order their preferred flavors. She created a variety of flavors and invited her friends and family to taste them. The consensus? Each one was a hit, she said.

She was shocked at the initial response after posting her cheesecakes on Facebook Marketplace for the first time. That first post resulted in 300 cheesecake orders and the business continued to grow. Now, she caters for weddings, graduations and other parties, expanding her menu to include bundt cakes and other desserts.

Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes are for sale at Frei's Fruit Market in Santa Clara, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes are for sale at Frei’s Fruit Market in Santa Clara, Utah, June 26, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

The best part? Running a home business lets her stay close to her three children, a 9-month-old, a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. Mickelson said she and her husband faced significant challenges in bringing their children into the world, enduring 10 miscarriages along the way. She said she considers their presence nothing short of miraculous.

“For us to get our kids here took a long time, so that’s my main priority is that I want to be home with my kids,” she said. “It’s been awesome that I can prioritize my kids and still be there but also supplement our income and bring in extra money to make memories with them.”

However, she did say that managing cheesecake production at home while caring for three kids can be quite hectic. Large orders can take three or four consecutive 12-hour days to fulfill them. But she said she wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

Ready to try Sugar Mamas Cheesecakes for yourself? Shop in person at Frei’s Fresh Fruit Market in Santa Clara. Order online via their website or text 435-231-2233 to contact Mickelson directly. Follow along with the latest creations on Instagram and Facebook.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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