Quarantine, leveled up: This bakery will deliver cheesecake to your door in Charlotte
Charlottean Deneka Sampson has been a gifted baker with a sweet tooth for as long as she can remember, and — lucky for those around her — she loves to share the fruits of her gift.
Although she’s experimented with pies, cakes and other sweet treats, cheesecake has always been her calling — and as her favorite dessert, it’s no surprise.
“It’s so different from cake — it has that nice creamy aspect, but it doesn’t fall apart. You can dress cheesecake up like it’s cake, but there’s still a creamy texture. There’s something about it being in the middle,” Sampson said, explaining that cheesecake is magical to her.
It’s her first pick on any dessert menu at a restaurant, but eventually she began wondering if she could recreate it at home and make it taste just as good.
“I’ve always baked. And people in my family, or friends, or if I brought things to work, were always saying, ‘You should sell this stuff,” Sampson said.
The idea of creating multiple streams of income was also alluring for Sampson, who works for a corporate company in Charlotte.
Not just cheesecake — but Apple Pie Cheesecake, Banana Pudding Cheesecake
She began monetizing her talent in June 2018 at a Father’s Day vendor event called Love Desserts CLT. She took a leap of faith and served her most popular creation, the Apple Pie Cheesecake, along with her Banana Pudding Cheesecake. Both were a hit.
“That really shaped me and got me to realize people will really buy this. It helped me to keep going, knowing that I had a product people would buy,” Sampson said.
From that point on, cheesecake became her muse, and The Cheesecake Studio & More was born. She set aside a goal to make unique cheesecakes and has been committed to that purpose ever since.
“My goal is to master cheesecake and put out something that other cheesecake businesses don’t offer to bring a different inspiration,” Sampson said.
Two years later, her website is a catalog of cheesecake goodness. She currently offers traditional flavors like apple, strawberry, cherry, peach, blueberry, berry medley and Oreo. Specialty flavors kick things up a notch with options like Cookie dough, Apple Pie, Funfetti, Fruiti Pebble, Red Velvet, Cinnamon roll, peach cobbler, banana pudding, pumpkin, sweet potato and more – including the choice of a custom creation. Customers who can’t make up their mind can elect to order a “half & half” where you can pick two flavors.
According to Sampson, the most popular of the bunch, and the first in flight, is the Apple Pie cheesecake. To see it is to experience the fusing of a lattice apple pie atop the sturdy base of a creamy cheesecake.
When she started toying around with a cinnamon roll flavor, she reached a next level in creativity. Immediately, she knew something special was on the horizon.
“There’s a jazz to it,” Sampson said of the creation. “I could eat it all day, every day.”
For smaller appetites, mini cheesecakes are available. And for the daredevils, the infused cheesecakes are the way to go. Each includes strawberries that have been infused with champagne or a Hennessy Maple Glaze. Those are available in mini cheesecakes and cupcakes, too.
Popular during COVID quarantine
Due to the pandemic, orders have been at their highest for the business owner, who makes deliveries in the Charlotte and surrounding areas.
“I’ve delivered as far as Monroe and have had orders in Fort Mill,” Sampson said. She’s willing to go the extra mile to see customers happy, even agreeing to meet customers for drop-offs if that’s what’s needed.
The recent upswing in business has also meant that she’s grown more of a following, so development and innovation have been at the forefront of her focus.
“I’m working on more [social media] content and developing new cheesecakes,” Sampson said about how she’s growing her business.
Eventually, she’d like to open a storefront where she can showcase her cheesecakes in a gallery-inspired layout. She also envisions it being a hub where she can showcase local artistry.
Until then, she’s committed to discovering new cheesecakes and cementing her individuality in the dessert business.
“I just want to focus on how I can be different in the industry,” Sampson said. “There are so many dessert places – I want us all to win.”
The Cheesecake Studio CLT
Delivery/pickup only
Place your cheesecakes order using a form on the website, email or text (980) 292-5755.
Instagram: @thecheesecakestudioclt
This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 10:08 AM.
