Buttermilk Babes has a cake for every slice of your day
There’s one dessert that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee and a quiet morning. This same treat can also be packed in a lunchbox for an afternoon delight. And if you’re feeling like something sweet after dinner, this dessert also does the trick!
Can’t figure out what dessert is perfect for every slice of your day? Well, it’s a good ol’ pound cake! In my childhood, a pound cake was always on the dessert table at every family function. And I would beg my grandmother to bake one just for me that I could enjoy throughout the week. But it’s been ages since I’ve tasted a pound cake that made me relax my shoulders, close my eyes, and give a slow moan—that is, until I had a Buttermilk Babes Memphis pound cake.
Camile Melton Brown founded Buttermilk Babes in October 2015, just two years after moving to Memphis from Boston. This humble origin story begins with a decadent red velvet cake.
“All of my family can cook, and I mean seriously throw down in the kitchen,” says Camile.
“Every Easter while I lived in Boston, my great-aunt Classie would bring a red velvet cake.” This dish became everyone’s favorite and something they looked forward to each Easter. But one year, Classie wasn’t able to travel from Atlanta to Boston with her beloved red velvet cake. So Camile called her great-aunt and asked for the recipe. She followed the recipe, and the magic happened—everyone loved the red velvet cake!
When she moved to Memphis, Camile began baking cakes for work and friends. “I remember when one older woman told me, ‘Baby Girl, you got something special!’” says Camile. “And I thought, ‘If even Memphians love my cakes, maybe I do have something special!’”
One person after another urged Camile to start a business. And so she did. Buttermilk Babes began selling red velvet, carrot, blackout, coconut, and pound cakes; brownies; and chocolate chip cookies. Buttermilk Babes made appearances at Cynthia Daniels events, Collage Dance Collective’s National Day of Dance, and the Craft Food & Wine Festival.
Those events were great for business, and people craved even more. So now Camile and her Buttermilk Babes desserts can regularly be found at Memphis Chess Club, and she sets up at the Agricenter Farmers Market most Saturdays. She offers full-size cakes, mini cakes, and other baked sweets.
Camile has treats for every season. During the spring, Camile showcases her hummingbird cake and lemon blueberry cake. A few of my favorites are only available during the fall and winter: pumpkin spice cake, apple spice cake, and brown sugar pound cake. The winter gets even better with the much-anticipated German chocolate cake and chai spice latte cake. (It’s about to be me and these cakes this cuffing season.)
The carrot cake, offered year-round, is Camile’s favorite cake. “I just love the smell of it!” she says.
Buttermilk Babes also showcases caramel cakes, but not too often. “Caramel cakes take a lot of work because I have to stand and stir the caramel for two hours,” explains Camile.
Camile is also the director of teaching and learning at Man Up Teacher Fellowship. “I’ve been an educator for 23 years, and at Man Up we’re focused on getting more men of color into education,” explains Camile.
Balancing being an education administrator with the other demands of life can be hard.
Early on in her life as a baker, Camile found that baking has healing properties of its own.
“Baking was an immediate gratification that made me feel special. I love when someone has my treats and says, ‘Baby, you did that!’” says Camile. In addition to being a baker and educator, Camile is also a wife and mom of two kids, Preston and Layla.
How can she possibly do all of this?
“I get up super early, around 2 a.m., and bake while the house is quiet,” she says. “It’s just me, my oven, and my KitchenAid.”
When she’s baking, she loves listening to music—everything from gospel to reggae, rhythm and blues, millennial vibes, and even ’80s punk rock.
“I try to get myself in the zone when I bake to make sure I’m giving people some feel-good food,” she says.
After baking, the to-do list is long: gym time, back home to shower, take the kids to school, make deliveries, work, shop for more supplies, back home, more baking, cleaning, kids and hubby arrive home, kid activities and family time, and finally bedtime. (Whew!)
So how does she keep her family away from the fresh baked desserts?
“There’s a particular dish that we have. When they see sweets on that dish, and only that dish, they know that they can have some,” she says. Brilliant!
Whenever Camile catches some downtime, she loves to read. “I can read just about anything—mystery, suspense, romance,” she says.
She also thoroughly enjoys talking about the science of baking. “I love the effects that heat and precise measurements have on baking. I have a cousin in Georgia who bakes, and we share lots of tips and tricks.”
Camile has shared her knowledge with the community, too, teaching a cake decorating class at the Cossitt Library last Valentine’s Day.
If you’re a budding baker, Camile has a few words of encouragement for you. “Be patient with yourself,” she says. “You don’t know what you don’t know. Information and knowledge come with time. Be patient with the process and have fun!”
Catching Up on Cottage Food Laws
Have you heard of cottage food laws? These are the laws that regulate home bakers. Because of a relatively new addition to Tennessee cottage food laws, home bakers like Camile Melton Brown have more freedom to grow their businesses. The Tennessee Food Freedom Act—which was effective July 1, 2022—allows business owners to prepare certain foods in their own homes and sell directly to consumers. Some foods covered in the act include canned fruits and vegetables, candy, roasted coffee, and—of course—shelf-stable baked goods. Business owners often sell these goods through farmers markets, grocery stores, events, and online.
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. Her days are filled with laughter with her four kids and charming husband. By day, she’s an assistant principal and a writer, but by night—she’s asleep. @memphisismyboyfriend
Kim Thomas is a lifestyle blogger and photographer based in Memphis. Launched in September 2010, her blog, KP Fusion, provides of-the-moment fashion, style, and beauty tips and trends with a little Memphis flavor thrown in. @kpfusion