Sisters’ Modesto store has been go-to spot for home bakers for 49 years. Here’s why
Modesto Bee business profiles
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Working in a family business may be challenging for some, but for sisters April Brown, 44, and Emily Damante, 46, things seem pretty sweet.
They’re the current co-owners and operators of Edwards Cake and Candy Supplies in Modesto, which over 49 years has become the go-to place for home bakers and confectioners.
“It is the only way to go, and for us it just works,” Damante said. “We bounce a lot off of each other and our minds line up on how things should go. I honestly would not do it without her,” she said.
Their path to running the family business started long before the sisters were born. Their grandmother, Nina Edwards, started the store in 1977 when, as an avid baker, she had to drive out of town to obtain the supplies she needed to make her cakes.
“She just decided, ‘Well, I’ll open up my own business,’ and opened the original shop on Oakdale Road,” Brown said. Customers appreciated Edwards’ helpful approach, her passion for her craft, and her deep knowledge of baking techniques and products, her granddaughter said.
In 2000, Edwards stepped down from running the shop day to day, and her daughter, Carol Hawn, took over. When Edwards died in 2002, customers worried the store would close, but Hawn was committed to continuing the family endeavor.
In 2003, Hawn moved the shop to its current location on Bangs Avenue. The larger space allowed the business to add a small cafe and a room to host baking and decorating classes. The cafe no longer exists, but the classroom is thriving with modern upgrades and new classes.
Brown and Damante recall early memories of being in the store often.
“I loved coming into the shop and sitting on the counter and getting to push the register buttons,” Damante said. “When we got a little bit older, Grandma would have us line up the little bridesmaids figurines and organize little things like that. We thought we were playing, but really, she was putting us to work.”
In their teens, the sisters worked in the shop but did not yet have aspirations of running it. They both moved away, pursued other interests and education, and started their own families.
Hawn operated the business until 2022, when illness caused her to step back, and her daughters stepped in. They took full ownership, along with their father, Lindsay Hawn, after their mother died in 2024.
The shop remains largely the same as it always has been, offering baking supplies for hobbyists and professional bakers and candymakers, but the sisters have brought modern additions to the store.
Brown said their boxes for selling and transporting confections are among the most popular items they sell, along with their wide selection of sprinkles.
“We have sprinkles in every color you can think of. We have all sorts of different shapes, too, like video game controller sprinkles and cowboy boots and all kinds of crazy stuff,” she said.
Brown has a background in graphic design, and she built a new website and logo and has grown their social media presence. The business has grown to offer unique services like making custom cookie cutters and printing edible images to use on cakes and cookies.
Edwards even has a “cookie photo booth” available to rent for parties and events. Users can take photos against a decorative backdrop, and the photo prints directly on a sugar cookie. Brown said the item has been popular and people are delighted by the result.
The sisters also are bakers. Brown said her current obsession is making and decorating sugar cookies, while Damante considers herself the cupcake and candy girl. Their vast knowledge allows them to assist customers with tips and recommendations and carry on their legacy of excellent customer service.
Brown and Damante both work in the store and teach classes along with other instructors, many of whom are longtime customers. There are single classes, like cookie and cupcake decorating, and longer workshops that span weeks to build on baking skills and techniques.
The store has thrived for almost 50 years, and the sisters hope to continue the legacy, but know that their children may not have the same interest.
“I think someday, we would love the idea of this staying as a family business,” said Brown. “I think we kind of look to one of my daughters, because it’s been a woman-led business since 1977, I would love to keep it going.”
Edwards Cake and Candy Supplies is at 501 Bangs Ave, Suite H. It’s open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For a full list of classes and services, visit www.edwardscake.com.
Do you have a favorite locally owned store or specialty shop in Stanislaus County? Let me know at mfigueroa@modbee.com.
This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM.
