Creatively Satisfying Brevard County’s Sweet Tooth

When you visit Something Sweet Cake Studio in Port St. John, you will most likely find Shawn Messler running the counter and front of the house and Johnnie Sue Messler baking in the kitchen. Take a moment to chat with Johnnie Sue, the genius behind the business, and you will find an energetic, passionate, delightful, and creative asset to the community.
Johnnie Sue Messler was exposed to baking from an early age. “My mom could bake like nobody’s business.” She describes holiday dinner tables set for five people, while including ten different desserts. “Pretty much all my baking knowledge I learned from my mom.”

With no formal professional training beyond her mother’s kitchen lessons, Messler taught herself the artistry of cake decorating. Her passion for cake design was fueled as she created her son’s birthday cakes.

Ten years ago, on March 1, 2003, she opened the original Something Sweet Cake Studio in Titusville. From the beginning the business has been a family affair. During the store’s inauguration, Messler’s then nine month-old daughter served as unofficial hostess, welcoming patrons, many of whom are still devoted customers today. Two and half years ago, Messler’s husband, Shawn, left a long-held lucrative position to assist Johnnie Sue with her continuously growing business. In doing so, according to Johnnie Sue, Shawn discovered his own natural cake decorating ability. She proudly explains, “He’s a natural. He’s a much better cake decorator than I am.” The dynamic team showcased their talent for baking and decorating, as well as for entertainment, by appearing on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars in March 2012. The Messlers’ team also took home the title of winners for the episode.

Although Cupcake Wars brought a temporary heightened influx of new customers, the success of Something Sweet, and its recent additional boom in business, cannot be attributed to the television appearance. The studio was relocated to Port St. John in January 2012, which expanded the “fan base” of this honest-to-goodness family business. It is that community-based “mom and pop” feeling that brings a strong following, according to Messler. The Messlers run the studio themselves, bringing in extra help only at certain times, and they treat their customers like family.

Johnnie Sue’s creations include delectable fillings and flavored frostings, such as cream of coconut, chocolate toffee ganache, Reese’s peanut butter, and key lime mousse, to name a few. Everything except the fondant is made from scratch in the studio. Customers can order specialty cakes for any occasion, including breathtaking sculpted 3-D cakes in any theme, and personal consultations guarantee that Johnnie Sue can bring a perfect vision into a delicious reality. The high demand and quality artistry of these creations require orders being placed up to six months in advance.

In addition to the fancier confections, Messler also offers dessert cakes, pies, cookies, and pastries. There are daily offerings at the Something Sweet counter, featuring a selection of tempting cupcakes. Messler posts the daily choices on Facebook, and it is typical for the display to be sold out by the afternoon, with customers literally begging for more of the affordable edible art. The finished products are as colorful as the studio itself, which showcases pink walls and zebra-striped furniture. If you have not had the pleasure of visiting Something Sweet Cake Studio, you must do so at least once. However, as any of the shop’s loyal patrons will attest, once will not be enough.

Something Sweet Cake Studio is located at 3740 Curtis Blvd., Port St John. For more information visit SomethingSweetCakeStudio.webs.com or call (321) 631-0021.