TODAY AT A GLANCE
Welcome back, Ashley.
One dashboard for the money, the orders and the baking.
Money snapshot
ORDER MANAGER
Orders & customers
Website requests appear here automatically after the live site is configured. Add phone, word-of-mouth and manual orders here too.
Order book
BUSINESS RECEIPT BOOK
Keep every purchase organized.
Track ingredients, packaging, equipment, advertising, fuel and other business purchases. Receipt photos are compressed before saving, and each saved receipt automatically posts to the expense ledger.
Saved receipts
MONEY & ACCOUNTING
Know what the bakery is making.
Record every sale and expense, track deposits and balances, then export clean records for bookkeeping or tax preparation.
Ledger
TAX PREP HELPER
Planning reserve
This is an organization tool, not tax advice. Set a reserve percentage you want to hold back from recorded income.
BAKER’S RECIPE VAULT
Recipes, technique & production notes.
Starter formulas now cover cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cheesecake, breakfast baking, quick breads, muffins, doughnuts, pies, pastry, fillings, frostings, decorated treats and chocolate/confections. Ashley can add her own recipes anytime.
CHOCOLATE LAB
Chocolate, ganache & confections.
A quick production reference for choosing chocolate, melting it correctly and building bakery finishes.
Chocolate types
White chocolateSweet, creamy; good for ganache, drizzle, molds and colored finishes. Keep heat gentle.
Milk chocolateMilder cocoa flavor; works in ganache, cookies, mousse and candy.
Semi-sweetFlexible all-purpose baking chocolate for chips, brownies, cookies and ganache.
Bittersweet / darkHigher cocoa intensity; ideal for rich cakes, brownies, truffles and balancing sweet fillings.
CouvertureHigher cocoa-butter chocolate designed for fluid melting, dipping, molding and professional finishing.
Cocoa powderNatural and Dutch-process behave differently with leaveners; follow the tested recipe’s specified type.
Tempering quick guide
- Keep every bowl and tool completely dry; water can make chocolate seize.
- Chop chocolate evenly. Melt gently over indirect heat or in short microwave intervals.
- A Ghirardelli reference method melts roughly two-thirds to 110–115°F, cools to about 95–100°F, then stirs in the reserved chocolate to seed stable crystals.
- Specific couverture brands can call for different working curves, so use the manufacturer’s chart when precision matters.
- Test a thin swipe: properly tempered chocolate should set shiny and firm rather than soft or streaky.
RECIPE & BUSINESS RESEARCH
Trusted places to keep learning.
External references are for technique and research. Ashley’s own tested formulas and local requirements should control what she sells.
King Arthur BakingLarge tested recipe library, baking education and technique.Recipes & baking research ↗
King Arthur — Vanilla CollectionCakes, cupcakes, buttercream, cookies, cheesecake and more.Open collection ↗
High-Altitude Baking GuideAdjustments for cakes, cookies, yeast breads, pies, quick breads and doughnuts at altitude.High-altitude research ↗
Doughnut Recipe LibraryBaked, fried, cake-style and yeasted doughnut references.Open doughnut recipes ↗
Pie Crust ReferenceDetailed all-butter pie crust technique and measurements.Open pie research ↗
Pound Cake ReferenceProfessional reference recipe for a classic butter pound cake.Open pound cake ↗
Muffin ReferenceTested blueberry muffin formula and baking technique.Open muffin recipe ↗
Apple Pie ReferenceFull fruit-pie formula with crust, filling, assembly and bake guidance.Open apple pie ↗
Ghirardelli Recipe LibraryChocolate cakes, brownies, cookies, fudge, truffles and confections.Chocolate research ↗
Ghirardelli Tempering GuideMelting and tempering techniques for chocolate work.Technique reference ↗
WiltonCake decorating ideas, piping projects, tools and icing techniques.Decorating research ↗
FDA Flour & Batter SafetyFood-safety guidance for raw flour, dough, batter and eggs.Safety reference ↗
Colorado Cottage Foods ActOfficial eligibility, training, labeling, selling and tax-resource guidance for Colorado cottage food producers.CDPHE official guidance ↗
Denver Home-Occupation / Cottage Food ZoningOfficial Denver zoning reference. Requirements can change; verify before expanding operations.Denver research ↗
Kitchen & Colorado sale-safety reminder
FDA guidance treats flour as a raw food and advises against tasting uncooked flour, dough or batter. Colorado’s Cottage Foods guidance generally limits cottage-food sales to foods that do not require refrigeration for safety; items such as cream/custard fillings and many refrigerated frostings may require a different licensed setup. Use the official links above to verify each product before selling it.
REPORTS & BACKUP
Take the records with you.
Export clean files for bookkeeping, taxes, business reviews or a personal backup.
Business record notes
- Export records regularly and keep a second copy outside the website.
- Receipt images are convenience copies. Keep originals as required for your accounting/tax records.
- Separate business and personal expenses whenever possible.
- Ask a qualified tax professional which expenses are deductible and how sales tax applies to the bakery.