Life is sweet for Cherie Rutter.
The owner of Cherie's Cake Boutique and Tea Room in Millersburg has lived much of her life in the kitchen, experimenting with this or that. In her preteen years she started baking cookies and pies, and she has fond memories of her father baking birthday cakes.
He gave special love and care to birthday cakes for each family member, Rutter said, and gave them flare with candy decorations. Now, she cooks and bakes for her father - a regular at her tea room.
Because she's been surrounded by baking for many years, Rutter said creating cakes, cupcakes, cookies and other sweet treats is a natural aspect of her life in addition to being an aspect of her business.
"It's just been an integral part of my life for so long I don't even think about it," she said.
But a lot of thought has gone into her cake boutique and tea room - 20 years' worth of thought to be exact. That's how long Rutter said she dreamed of owning her own place.
Rutter recalled looking at the renovated Lighthouse Theater and telling her husband it would be a perfect spot for her future tea room.
"I said, "I bet we could really make an attractive place out of that,' and with a lot of work and a lot of remodeling, we did.'"
Cherie's Cake Boutique and Tea Room officially opened in July, and Rutter has enjoyed sharing her passion for food with customers in space she calls her own.
"Now, I love getting up and going to work," she said.
Rutter discovered her knack for baking after baking and decorating for two special events. Her parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Dec. 1981 and wanted a cake for the event, but prices were expensive. Rutter decided to make the cake, and six months later created her own wedding cake. Now, brides-to-be can seek Rutter for their wedding cakes.
She then started baking birthday cakes - like her father - that were for her coworkers' children. She also catered out of her house. Even though baking and catering were side jobs, Rutter always desired for it to be something more.
"I knew I wanted it to be my full-time career for the past 20 years," she said.
With no formal training or schooling, Rutter is like a scientist in her kitchen - fusing foods, ingredients and flavors. She offers a turkey sandwich with havarti cheese and apple butter as well as a ham and gouda sandwich with blackberry jam and caramelized onions.
"It's just fun to experiment and play around with different ideas," Rutter said.
Rutter's creativity continues with cupcakes - her favorite dessert to bake.
"I'm so excited the cupcake trend is sticking around because it's so much fun," she said.
During an event at Serenity Valley Winery, Rutter baked the following cupcakes to pair with wines: pear jam, pumpkin and cranberry with raspberry, caramel apple and peach jam with white chocolate.
She also once baked a maple bacon cupcake using Crown Royal maple whiskey. Rutter said she prefers using flavored alcohol rather than typical flavoring for her cupcakes.
"You get a much wider variety of flavors to pick," she said.
Her cakes are customized to the patron's wishes. For a recent Mizzou-University of Florida game, Rutter decorated a "grill the gators" cake depicting a alligator on a grill.
Rutter also makes more conventional options, and calls her offerings "old-fashioned comfort food."
Her most popular entree is the chicken salad sandwich. During cold weather, Rutter offers hot side dishes like cheesy potato bacon soup and broccoli cheese soup. Other side dishes include macaroni and cheese, pasta, a house salad of baby spinach and springs and a broccoli salad that Rutter said her broccoli-despising father even enjoys. She also currently serves up hot paninis.
In the summer, sides dishes tend to be fresh fruit, Asian coleslaw and caramel apple salad. All of the side dishes are gluten-free, except for pasta.
The tea room seats 55 people in a small, intimate setting where conversation and interaction is encouraged and cell phones are typically tucked away. There are no TVs and wifi is non-existant. These aspects are what Rutter said she's always loved about tea rooms.
"The environment is more laid back and more relaxing than a chain restaurant," she said.
Many of the decorative tea pots were once Rutter's mother's, and Rutter once played with the toys on display.
All items available for purchase - artwork, music, crafts, jewelry - are from local artists. Once a month, the tea room hosts a Saturday night date night for couples with live music. Satu Forte, a popular pianist from Columbia, will perform the night of Valentine's Day.
In addition to being a business owner, baker and caterer/cook, Rutter also holds the title of sugar angel. Rutter joined Icing Smiles, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides specialty cakes for sick children, and baked four cakes this past year.
"Seeing the smile on a sick child's face - that's rewarding," Rutter said. "(I do this) to bring a smile to someone who might not be smiling all the time."
Cherie's Cake Boutique and Tea Room is located at 3078 Lindbergh Drive near Artichoke Annie's in the Millersburg area, although it has a Columbia address. The tea room is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday is by reservation only. For more information, go to cheriescakeboutique.com.