Alexis Clark, a popular indie San Antonio baker, is making a name for her Galadriel’s brand with mouth-watering desserts and baked goods
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Story by Pamela Price
Alexis Clark’s social media feeds feature the baked goods that, for many of us with Southern roots, represent the epitome of traditional comfort food.
Think flaky biscuits, candied pecans, chewy molasses cookies, and apple cobbler. Oh, and don’t forget the eggnog cheesecake cake, Clark’s decadent pairing of traditional spice cake layers sandwiching a layer of cheesecake and topped with a brown sugar buttercream.
In the words of one of my friends upon encountering the following photograph, “Shut.the.front.door!“
What Clark whips up is the kind of stuff—the good stuff—one learns to master from practice and, more often than not, from watching one’s elders at work in the kitchen.
“Growing up, my grandmother was a natural cook and baker. She lived in a small town, and that was where everyone went to get the good desserts,” said Clark, who hails from New Orleans. “My dad is a great cook, and I guess my food is a fusion of the elegant and the down home. Between him and my grandma, I had no choice but to cook.”
Yet Clark was in no particular rush to make a name for herself in the kitchen, either. She had other priorities first, like serving 15 years in the Air Force. Then, in 2013, she encountered the spark that would recenter her on baking, cooking, and memory making.
“After my husband’s first deployment in 2013, I found myself with three kids at home—my daughter and my husband’s kids. They were all teenagers, and I was still on active duty myself,” said Clark, chuckling at the memory. “On weekends, I went out of my way to make things special for them. I’d make home-cooked meals and special baked goods for movie night. That’s when baking really became part of my life, and it continued even after his deployment was over.”
Clark said she still serves up a proper Sunday supper, with things like smothered pork chops and all the fixings, to her family. But her baking? That work has taken on a life of its own.
“I started out just baking for friends and posting photos on social media. Word of mouth spread and things just kept getting better and better. Then The Knot reached out.”
The popular wedding website is known for connecting brides and grooms with the desserts of their dreams, all made by local bakers.
“At first, I thought it was a joke when they reached out,” Clark said. “I set up a storefront and said,’I’ll give it a year.’ People kept giving me great reviews, and my reputation grew. Suddenly I had quite a network, and then I won an award [on The Knot] for baking.’ I was extremely blessed.”
These days Clark, who separated from the Air Force in 2014, is pondering the next steps for her business. A stint with a local farmers’ market came to an end when the market folded last winter, but she remains optimistic and cautiously ambitious.
“My mom has encouraged me to look for a shop or restaurant and to check out local farmers’ markets,” Clark said. “I’m definitely looking at options.”
In the near run, she’s perfecting her craft and promoting her latest creations on Instagram and Facebook.
“I’m an avid reader, so when I’m working on developing a new recipe, I read several and then develop my own, using what I’ve learned over the years,” Clark said, noting that she is especially keen on making cheesecakes and her renowned german chocolate cake, a secret family recipe. “The integrity of each recipe and the quality of the ingredients really matter to me. I like each item to look elegant and taste just as good as it looks. I won’t compromise on those things, even as I hope to grow and expand.”
And that name that embellishes her business—Galadriel’s? It comes with delicious little backstory all its own, too.
“It comes from Lord of the Rings. It’s the name of the elf queen, of course. But it’s also my middle name. My dad picked it out, and I wanted to keep that name because it is unique.”
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