Dezney’s Delights: Behind Every Recipe is a Story and a Memory

Photo by Darrin Phegley

The aroma of freshly baked homemade cupcakes fills the home of the Carmon family as Dezney Carmon is turning her passion for baking into a full-time business. “I firmly believe that the energy, time, and love you put into a recipe is just as important as the ingredients you use. At Dezney’s Delights, behind every recipe is a story and memory that is truly something special!”

Growing up, Dezney had the opportunity to learn the love of baking from a generation of women in her family. Surrounded by bakers on both sides of her family, a foundation was built with a skill set of knowledge and the joy of being in her kitchen making delicious delights for others. 

Dezney’s Grandma and great-grandmother, on her father’s side, owned a local bakery in Henderson – “Mother & Daughter’s Bakery.” The bakery was on the corner of Mill Street and Helm Street and then they moved next door to Eastgate Restaurant. Her Grandma taught her techniques with cake piping when she would go over to her house and visit as a child. Dezney’s grandmother, on her mom’s side, showed her how to make meals and baked goods from scratch. “I can remember times me and my cousin, Riley, would have cooking competitions and have our Granny judge it because she was so about perfection in her cooking. But doing it in her kitchen just felt something special.”

Growing up next door to her, Dezney stated, “My grandmother, ‘Granny’ as us grandchildren call her, would patiently guide me through the magic of transforming simple ingredients into culinary delights. She always made time to stop and teach me simple tricks and tips when it came to working in the kitchen. Her passion for cooking and baking, making everything from scratch, eventually became my inspiration. As I got older, I found interest in experimenting with new flavors and techniques, taking the base knowledge that I have learned from women in my family, and finding my own unique voice in the kitchen. And the rest is history!” 

The baking enthusiast had a window of opportunity open in March 2023 to begin her small business on the side – as she has been a third grade teacher at Spottsville Elementary School for the past five years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree and dual certification in special education K-12 and elementary education K-5. Dezney completed her student teaching and practicum at Spottsville and fell in love with the school. Originally, she had planned to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner, but after doing clinical work in the emergency room she decided to switch gears. She wanted to figure out what she could do to still work with people and give care that she likes to give to her community and that’s when she decided to pursue teaching. 

In August 2023, Dezney and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their rainbow babies. “They are our world. We would have never guessed we would have had twins but now we can’t imagine it any other way.” 

Over the last couple years, Dezney found it difficult working full time as a teacher and having twin boys who have faced a variety of sicknesses. One of the twins had a kidney condition, and then they faced prolonged sickness where one would get sick and then the other. 

In between working as a teacher and raising her two boys, Tucker Ray and Cooper Klay, Dezney found delight in baking on the side. Her dad and family members had encouraged her to try to start something small. “I had pondered on that for many years, so that’s when I decided to do it as a side business.” 

She learned about obtaining her home processing cottage license in which she can only use certain ingredients baking within her home. This is a certificate within the State of Kentucky. Word was spread on social media, and her business took off with orders. Once her clientele began to grow, her husband suggested she step away from her full-time career as a teacher and bake full time while being a stay-at-home mom to their twins. Dezney’s love for being a teacher is something she holds dear. “I just know at the time being I feel like God has given me signs that this is what I need to do.”

The signs continue to confirm her decision to move from a side business to baking full time as the opportunity to expand continues to grow! Dezney and her husband recently purchased a trailer that will be converted into “Dezney’s Delights: On-The-Go Bakery.” The excited baker said, “This dreamy little trailer is getting a sweet makeover!”

Dezney is thrilled to offer an on-the-go option perfect for events of all kinds. From birthdays and weddings to retirement and business parties, this on-the-go bakery will be offering a fresh and charming dessert experience. 

“Dezney’s Delights” is known for gourmet cupcakes. “I try to be unique in my flavors. When you have a business, I think it’s important to make something about your business different from others. I don’t offer a standard size cupcake. My cupcakes are in tulip cupcake liners so they are a little taller version and come in pretty wrappers. That’s one thing I do about specialty business. I am all about a good presentation,” expressed the excited owner.  

She offers a variety of unique flavors such as cookie dough, strawberry crunch, and confetti cake batter icing. Outside of her gourmet cupcakes, her bakery offers cookies, cheesecake bites and protein bites. Dezney is always brainstorming new ideas and trying various flavors while experimenting with new methods. The inventive baker noted how customers always say her cupcakes are some of the moistest cupcakes they have ever had. Her cupcake recipe holds a special secret that guarantees moist cupcakes every time! “I take customized orders, and I usually tell people to book two weeks out.”

When preparing orders, Dezney will make extras and post those on social media for customers to claim. Now that she is doing this full time, she is going to offer delivery options since Corydon can be a bit of distance for customers. Although she has never had anyone complain about driving to pick up orders, she is happy to be able to make the accommodation.

There are so many reasons Dezney loves baking. She stated, “The blend of being able to be creative and the precision that it requires. I love that I can take simple ingredients and through skill and timing turn them into something that brings people joy and happiness. There is something that is deeply rewarding about seeing someone smile or giving me positive reviews when they’ve tasted something I’ve created because there is a lot of work that goes into that so the positive feedback that I get makes me very happy. That’s one of the most rewarding things. I love seeing people appreciate my work.”

The process of building the perfect recipe from start to finish is one of the most challenging areas for Dezney – especially trying to be a mom and having twins at home with her while she is in the kitchen. Time management is key when balancing being a work-from-home entrepreneur and mom of two. “I am starting to learn a routine to bake a night when they have laid down to bed or early mornings.” 

Giving customers an exceptional experience from the moment they place an order to the moment they take their first bite from “Dezney’s Delights” is so incredibly important to the dreamer behind the kitchen island. “I am a very harsh critic of myself. If something doesn’t satisfy me and I barely mess up, I am going to redo the entire thing because that’s just how I am. People pay money and I am a perfectionist.” 

Taking a leap of faith and going after a passion she has always had is something she prays inspires her sons. Dezney noted, “I hope my boys learn that even though you have a desire to do something it does take time and it does take energy, but when you pour love into something you get good results. I also want them to learn and see that it does take trial and error and making mistakes to be successful. They are going to see along the way because they will be in here with me and see that mistakes are going to be made, but you have to learn from those things to better yourself or better your product.” 

The memories Dezney has in the kitchen with her Granny are memories she will never forget, and Dezney can’t wait for her boys to work alongside her, too. Her Granny has shown her all the support in the world on this new venture. The culinarian giggled explaining how her Granny is her taste tester because she has the knowledge behind baking and will be an honest critic. It’s neat to see how the roles have reversed in a way as the young girl who once stood in the kitchen beside her Granny – observing and listening – gets to now take so many of those simple tricks and techniques she was taught and incorporate them into her own. 

Although Mrs. Carmon has officially stepped away from teaching, there are so many skills she will be taking and using within her bakery business that were once used in her teaching career such as time management, organizational skills and math. She expressed how organization was key within the classroom and always a strong suit of hers. When you are in charge of twenty-two kids it’s an essential skill – as it is within any workforce setting. While working in the school system, Dezney worked with both students and parents. At the end of the day, there were so many kids and families being impacted in the community as a whole, and Dezney now gets to transition that into her baking business.

“For me, the kitchen is more than just a room; it’s a space of memories, where stories and some of life’s most valuable lessons are told. It’s a place I hope to carry the same traditions down to my kids, just as my Granny did for us grandchildren. To my Granny, cooking is an act of love. It’s not about perfection but passion for her family. And trust me, food tastes better when made with love. Behind every sweet treat is a story, of some kind. Whether it’s a secret ingredient or a fond memory, food is a narrative. You don’t need to wait for someone to pass down that story, you can start creating your own. And that’s just what I did to have what is now my small business, Dezney’s Delights! 

Ready to indulge in a delightful experience? Follow “Dezney’s Delights” on Facebook for the menu, extra offerings to claim, on-the-go trailer locations, and more! You may also reach “Dezney’s Delights” at 270-748-2524 or via email at [email protected].