Dunn From Scratch

Just a friendly reminder about my location in Luckett’s, VA. Lucketts is, in fact, a part of Leesburg. It’s a small town that a lot of people are not familiar with unless they are local. The amount of times people have shown up at my home and argued with me about my location, is endless. I can assure you I’m not trying to “trick” or “con” people by saying I’m located in Leesburg. I AM. It’s a lot bigger of an area than just the mall and Costco area. I even had to pull out some mail one time to show somebody my address. It’s not my responsibility to look up how far you are from me (and yes it’s how far YOU are from me, not me from you). Please don’t show up for your order pickup and complain to me about the distance. I can promise it’s definitely worth the trip, but whether or not you want to take it is up to you, not me. Thank you ❤️

This 40th birthday cake has all the Friends vibes and I’m here for it!

My pistachio, coconut and lime cupcakes have the most incredible texture and flavor! Topped with a delightful coconut buttercream and decorated with toasted pistachios, this flavor combination is sure to be your favorite!

There’s a debate out there on whether or not brownies should be considered cake or cookie. What do you think?

Sharp ripple lines and florals take classic elegance to another level! This three tier, 8”+10”+12” cake serves about 118 people and pairs excellent with a light dessert bar for a larger wedding.

Add my adult oatmeal cream pies to your list of must haves! Chewy molasses oatmeal cookies with the creamiest bourbon buttercream filling. These cookie bomb is my best seller!

I was so excited to be able to deliver to the amazing this past weekend. The tiers consisted of vanilla cake with ganache filling, hazelnut cake with espresso buttercream and red velvet cake with cream cheese filling. In these hot summer days, extra support rods and cake boards go a long way to keep cake structure intact!

The customer wanted a cake to celebrate her 30th birthday and I think this is the perfect way to kick it off! An ombre effect of pink ruffles and rosettes, edible gold leaf and a white chocolate ganache drip!

Here is another one of my favorite small cutting cake examples!

If you’re looking for a small cake for cutting, but not to serve to guests, I recommend a 6” cake like the one shown. This size cake is great for photographs, while also giving you enough cake to feed your bridal party or take home after your event!

Summer has arrived and we are BUSY! Get those requests in as soon as possible, as available dates are limited.

This mini cake was the perfect little celebration treat for a special family birthday! Two layers of my specialty blackberry lavender cake, blackberry filling and a lemon buttercream. Edible gold foil and some hand piped florals turned this little cake into a big hit.

A three tier classic beauty! Two tiers of lemon cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream, with a bottom tier of blackberry lavender with lemon buttercream.

PRIDE month is around the corner and that means my annual GAYKE auction will be happening soon! As usual, all proceeds will go to , but this year I will also be including a free order of brownies for the winner of the auction! I’m also considering doing the auction a little bit differently this year and holding it on Instagram live. How do we feel about this idea?
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Just because it’s a 4” mini cake, doesn’t mean it has to be boring! Ask for some buttercream florals and some edible gold leaf to dress up that tiny cake!

Make that first birthday a sweet one to remember with this 4” donut birthday cake!

Dunnfetti scones are the perfect treat for any age. Grab one over at and rest assured that you’ll find yourself with a happy tummy and mind.

A new cheesecake flavor has arrived! This biscoff cheesecake has a buttery biscoff cookie crust, with a biscoff flavored cheesecake filling, topped with homemade whipped cream and, of course, biscoff cookies! A half size is $30 and a full size is $50. Visit my website to place an order for pickup.

The thing about a signature cake, is that you hold so much confidence in the design, taste and appeal that you’re willing to let it represent you as a baker! If there was one cake that might do that the best for Dunn From Scratch, it would be this one. My Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake has three layers of moist, vanilla cake with edible cookie dough filling in between, covered in vanilla buttercream, ganache drip and fresh chocolate chip cookies. It’s seriously what cake dreams are made of.

UPDATE: The giveaway has ended and a winner has been announced.

It’s GIVEAWAY time!! Want to win a free Caramel Bourbon Pecan Cheesecake? Every action item below gives you an entry!

1) Tag a friend in the comment section!
2) Share this post and tag
3) Comment with your favorite cheesecake flavor!

Winner will be announced at 5 PM today and must be able to pick up their cheesecake in Leesburg by tomorrow evening.

Dessert bars reign supreme! The couple opted for a cupcake heavy bar with a handful of other options for those who don’t prefer cake. With a small cutting cake, to keep up with tradition, this beautiful display paired perfectly with their stunning rural setting. What would be your top 3 dessert bar items for your celebration?

Happy Mother’s Day! I’m so lucky to be a Mom to this amazing, funny, beautiful, kind and considerate human being ❤️ She is my favorite person in the whole world and I wouldn’t know what true love was without her.

My Baklava Cheesecake is my favorite nod to my Greek heritage! Honey cheesecake, with a crispy phyllo crust on the bottom and top, sprinkled with cinnamon, brown sugar and walnuts! Would you try this?

A fabulous vineyard wedding weekend can never be interrupted by a little rain. This two tier beauty has a “tall” top tier that doubles the servings by having four cake layers instead of three. A cardboard base is used in the middle to divide the cake for almost an “invisible” third tier. This option is much more affordable than making the cake larger through additional tiers or a bigger base, and adds a lovely dimension to a two tier wedding cake.

Not sure what kind of design you want for your cake? No problem! I love working with customers to create something new based on their likes and interests.

I knew this new trend would find its way to me! This heart shaped, vintage style 16th birthday cake was well worth the extra detailing. Strawberry cake, ganache filling and a vanilla buttercream lay underneath this beauty that took me around 4 hours to decorate. What do you think of this vintage heart cake trend?

Hi friends! Reintroducing myself since it’s been awhile! My name is Helen Dunn and I am the owner of Dunn From Scratch Bakery! Here are some random facts about me:

1) When I first started this journey, I did not intend to decorate cakes. In fact, I hated it! As I got more practice, though, and started focusing more on the types of cakes that brought me more joy, I realized it was a direction I wanted to try.

2) I have a six year old daughter named Emerson! She is so silly, and sweet and loves baking with me!

3) I was super athletic growing up! I played soccer for about 15 years and volleyball for over 20. If you ever want to make me super happy, ask me to pepper or play wall ball with you!

4) I have a sweet tooth, but I don’t eat cake! It’s just not my favorite (which is probably a good thing). Cannolis are my favorite dessert.

5) I am an introvert posing as an extrovert. I can be super quiet, but if you get me chatting, I’ll probably get you to regret it! I’m super honest, almost to a fault, and if you have told me when your birthday is, it’s probably on my calendar for a birthday treat. My love language is always baked goods!

6) I’m obsessed with Pure Barre. It’s honestly my escape from reality and such a great way to work your full body and mind.

Thanks for following and your support!

When you’re getting confirmed, but you like pie more than cake!
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This 6” Carrot Cake with bourbon buttercream and a caramel drip made a perfect birthday cake!

Here are the top five things your wedding cake maker needs to know before giving you a quote:

1) What’s your date? We need to check our calendar to make sure we’re available so we don’t waste each other’s time with a discussion.

2) Where’s the venue? We need to make sure it’s in our delivery area. Also, most venues require certificates of insurance and it’s helpful to know if we have not worked with the venue before and might need to get one.

3) What’s your guest count and/or how many servings of cake are you looking for? This one seems obvious, but many people aren’t aware just how big some cakes can be. I personally recommend providing a quote for under your guest count total. Not only does it bring your reservation deposit down, but you have time to adjust and it’s always easier to go bigger!

4) What kind of design are you looking for? Personally, I don’t work with fondant or gum paste. Your design may not be in my wheelhouse, but I have names of other trusted cake designers to give you! We’re a great community and love sharing business with each other.

5) Do you have a florist and will you be wanting fresh florals on your cake? If so, I always recommend showing your florist your cake inspiration as well and letting them know you have asked your cake maker to design it for you. Don’t forget to ask them to separate those florals and have them available to either the coordinator or at the cake table so I can add them to the cake when I deliver.