ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT // Coco Love Homemade's Sweet Satisfaction

Being a buyer for the homes department at Urban Outfitters may sound like a dream job to some. But to Philly-based baker extraordinaire, Lindsey Love, running a whoopie pie baking business topped it. About a year ago, Love left her globe-trotting, coffee-mug buying career at Urban to found Coco Love Homemade, a web-based bakery, and she hasn't looked back since.

“I’ve always loved to bake,” she says. “It was always something I just did.” She never thought of it as a career path until, burnt out on Urban, a friend's casual suggestion. Next thing she knew, Love was using the kitchen at bar during its off-hours to whip up her sweet incarnations.

Miraculously, the stars aligned to make whoopie pies a hot treat: the state of Maine recently sparked a war with Pennsylvania Dutch Country by appointing the whoopie pie Maine’s state dessert. Pennsylvania moved to block the resolution, because--according to them--the Pennsylvania Amish invented the little cakes. Drama and great profit for bakers ensued.

Love says she the reason she chose whoopie pies was to offer up something a little more unique. “The market is just flooded with cupcakes, and whoopie pies are much better designed.” Love’s in particular; the perfect three-bite treat individually wrapped in cellophane, are a pleasure to behold. But with flavors like cinnamon coconut and chocolate chip, they’re even better to eat. (“I can’t bring myself to use shortening. My frosting is all butter,” she says. Cue the Homer Simpson-esque “Mmmmm butter” from our interviewer.)

The icing on the cake, so to speak, is that Love sources as many ingredients as possible from a farm co-op in nearby Lancaster County--her butter, eggs and flour are all local. She’s also gradually formulating her recipes to be healthy. Her chocolate chip cookies are made with flax-seed, and she’s working other healthy ingredients into her other recipes, but she won’t sacrifice taste.

If you’re in Philly, pick up her treats at Brew and Shot Tower. Not a Philly resident? She'll ship these heavenly concoctions straight to your doorstep.

-- Layla Schlack