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AN ALARM WENT OFF AT 6 P.M. SHARP when I was speaking with April Anderson. “Oh, it’s
a reminder to turn off the soup,” she laughed. Even when she’s pausing to reflect on her
work, she’s working. The owner of Good Cakes and Bakes (goodcakesandbakes.com), an
organic bakery in Detroit, Anderson recently celebrated her fifth anniversary as a bakery
owner. Anderson has baked her signature desserts like Gooey Butter Cake and the Vegan Red
Velvet Cupcakes for all sorts of well-known people, from Oprah Winfrey to the late Aretha
Franklin, but her focus remains on her neighbors. It’s no wonder that the James Beard
Foundation recently chose her to be part of their Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, a
way for civic-minded chefs to deepen their leadership skills. Anderson doesn’t just bake for
her community—she creates community with her baking. INTERVIEW BY JULIA TURSHEN,
FOUNDER OF EQUITY AT THE TABLE EATT AND AUTHOR OF NOW & AGAINStaying Power Detroit baker April Anderson
on fostering and sustaining creativity
JT: How did you learn to bake in
the first place?
AA: From watching and helping
my mother. I eventually went to
school to officially learn the sci-
ence behind baking.JT: Have you always liked making
things with your own hands?
AA: I have always loved doing
things with my hands. I think
that’s why I love working with
doughs like yeast rolls, cinna-
mon rolls, and biscuits. I am a
hands-on learner.makers, growers, and farmers.
My grandmother always had a
small garden where she grew
tomatoes. My neighbors had gar-
dens growing up, too. My father
was born and raised in Missis-
sippi but came to Detroit after he
left the Army to work at Chrysler.
My father talked about how his
friends and family members
were moving up North for a bet-
ter living. They were able to get
jobs at Chrysler, Ford, or General
Motors, able to buy a home, to
start a family, and have a better
life than they had in the South.
But being in the city, they still
had that urge to make and grow
things. It’s just wonderful that
Detroit is so large and grassy that
it makes it easy to carry on the
tradition of farming in the city.JT: What’s the biggest challenge
you face as a business owner?
AA: Staying creative. Because of
all the things that go into run-
ning a business, it can be hard to
stay in that space of being cre-
ative. I have learned that I need
to bring others into the business
to help so I can concentrate on
being creative and bringing fresh
ideas to the kitchen.JT: Speaking of others, what
does your support system look
like?
AA: I have my wonderful wife,
my parents, my staff (especially
my bakers), my circle of business
owners, and the wonderful orga-
nizations I’m a part of. I know
the success of the bakery is only
possible because of them.This interview has been edited and
condensed for clarity.JT: You are a born-and-raised
Detroiter, the land of so many
makers past and present, from
the automobile industry to the
rise of urban farmers. What do
you think it is about Detroit that
inspires so many to make things?
AA: I think it has to do with
Detroit being a blue-collar,
industrial city. Also, I believe
it has to do with the migration
from the South.JT: How so?
AA: Southerners were and areTHE INTERVIEWApril Anderson
at her Detroit
bakery, Good
Cakes and
BakesPHOTOGRAPHY:^GEORGEC
LARENCE