SWEET TREATS GALORE! Kelly Lee and Gene Anderson opened Wicked Sweet Bake Shop on Aug. 22 to incredible community turnout and support, and this is just the beginning.

Spanning back into the 1960s, Cadott has almost always had a bakery. Over the years it’s had several owners and iterations; locals are likely to remember Dan Schmitt as the former longtime owner. Now, new owners have revamped the building and opened the Wicked Sweet Bake Shop, bringing back old favorites and introducing new treats.

Kelly Lee grew up in Chippewa Falls watching her mom bake out of a small in-home bakery, crafting pies for an area orchard, cookie platters for the holiday season, a variety of cakes, and more. Lee grew to love baking and dreamt of running her own bakery one day.

Last year, that dream became a tangible idea thanks to the old bakery location in Cadott. “It kind of just landed in my lap, this location in Cadott. It was always something I wanted to do, and it was a perfect opportunity,” Lee said.

Dan Schmitt (left) and Kelly Lee kneading away. (Photo via Facebook)

Since it opened Aug. 22, Wicked Sweet Bake Shop has sold out of just about every single item, every day. Most folks coming in are on the hunt for a horseshoe donut, a longtime Cadott favorite going back to Schmitt’s time. In fact, Schmitt has been helping Lee with the biz and nailing down recipes.

“(Dan) has been out of the business for about 15 years now, but he’s still part of the community and has offered his help to the last couple of owners before me,” Lee said. “He has helped us a lot and been so great. He’ll show up and be like, ‘All right, what do you want to do? Let’s do it.’ ”

While the horseshoe donuts fly out of the bakery case every day, other popular treats have been the raspberry-filled Bismarck and Rosette donuts, the latter covered in white buttercream and topped with things like sprinkles, peanuts, and raw coconut flakes. Of course, more baked treats are up for grabs too, including slices of cheesecake, cookies, brownies, caramel apples, banana bread, coffee cake, and more.

While Lee herself is partial to cheesecake – “They’ve gone over really well so far, and we’re just selling by-the-slice for now,” she said – her favorite item changes every day, and she’s excited to expand the shop’s offerings once settled in.

Lee and her boyfriend, Gene Anderson, are running the shop together, though they’ve had heaps of support from family members and Schmitt. Talking about the first days of being open made Lee emotional, overwhelmed with the community support and reactions so far, a longtime dream coming to fruition.

“We knew that this community was ready for us and wanted a bakery,” Lee said. “But everybody that has come in has been so happy that we’re here. Even if we’re sold out or just have a couple of things, they’re like ‘Oh my God, that’s so great!’ and ‘Congratulations!’ It’s been great.”

Besides the constant desire for horseshoe donuts, folks have also asked if Wicked Sweet Bake Shop will offer bread. Lee said they hope to begin selling bread and rolls soon, perhaps within the coming month.

Visit Wicked Sweet Bake Shop from Monday-Friday, 6am-2pm, at 334 N. Main St., Cadott. Keep up with the shop on Facebook or visit its website.