Putting heart and soul into dessert recipes means starting from scratch, said an employee at Paula Vega Cakes.

“Nothing comes from a mix; nothing comes in frozen from somewhere. Everything that we have, we put our heart into,” said Alicia Lewis, production manager of Paula Vega Cakes. “I think that differentiates us from other bakeries, knowing that when you come in here, you are getting a handmade, homemade product from the start.”

Paula Vega has a high reputation for the desserts being not only beautiful but being incredibly tasty, Lewis said.

The store has grown over the years with the recipes and the pastries that the shop has to offer.

“Paula Vega has a bigger selection from other bakeries in town,” said Megan McGraw, a junior advertising major at Marshall University. “You can order a wide variety of things, such as cakes for any occasion, cupcakes, macaroons, cannolis and now they even have a coffee shop located in the store.”

Paula Vega is different from other pastry shops around town because everything the employees make is from scratch, according to Lewis.

“We do everything from scratch,” Lewis said. “Every single thing we have in here is from scratch, and we put a lot of heart and soul into everything that we do. We are here early in the morning. Our other pastry chef is here at night making French macarons, cannolis, and we have a really high standard for everything that we make. Being able to stay consistent and abreast of new food trends keeps people coming through our door.”

Paula Vega has a big clientele from all over, Lewis said, and people enjoy going into the shop and seeing how the employees have dressed up the desserts for the holidays.

Paula VegaCakes has a variety of cupcakes flavors as well as desserts. The employee’s goal is anytime someone comes in and wants a certain dessert, they have it, Lewis said.

“It is definitely somewhere that I would bring someone from out of town,” McGraw said. “I feel like it is such a great addition to Huntington, and I would want to introduce someone else to everything they have to offer.”

French macarons are a pastry that Paula Vega is very proud to make, Lewis said.

“Our French macarons are from scratch, and our pastry chef has his own recipe that is a secret that we make every single day, and when we sell out, he always makes more. We have tons of flavors of them, and they are the best macarons.”

Paula Vega Cakes is located at 308 Ninth St. Huntington.

Anna Marsh can be contacted at [email protected].