Please note that as of September 2022, we are not currently accepting any new orders.
We greatly appreciate your business for the last 13 years. 

Nicole “Coley” DeRosa, owner and executive cake artist of Cakes by Coley LLC, was born and raised in Staten Island NY, the youngest of three girls.

After being introduced to the world of custom cakes in 2006, Nicole enrolled herself in the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC, to learn techniques in Pastry & Baking, determined to try her hand at this newfound art form.

In 2008, she started her hands-on training with an internship at a local custom cake shop, and immersed herself in as many cake decorating classes as she could, all while working full-time in the medical field.

Always determined to prove herself, Nicole started Cakes by Coley only one year later in 2009 as a hobby from home at the age of 23 years old.

“Coley is a nickname that was given to me by my sister when I was a baby, and it’s a name that I go by most of the time. I chose the name Cakes by Coley simply because I liked the sound of it”, she says.  

By summer 2010, Coley had built an in-home cake studio and was able to leave her day job. She had now become a full-time cake artist.

With her home business beginning to blossom, and things going so well, no one could foresee the difficult days that lay ahead. The following year, in 2011, Coley’s in-home cake studio was completely wiped out due to severe flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. Although hurt and discouraged, Nicole rebuilt her studio in 6 months’ time and got back to work.

Over the next 12 months, Coley continued to successfully develop, increasing her talents and list of clientele. Totally committed, it wasn’t uncommon for her to be baking and decorating cakes into the wee hours of the morning.

Unfortunately, in late 2012, Cakes by Coley experienced another devastating loss when Hurricane Sandy destroyed everything along the coastal line of Staten Island- and this time she not only lost her business, but her family lost their entire home as well.

Pretty shaken by the devastation (as was everyone) and with no place to work from, it seemed that Cakes by Coley may not survive the hurricane. Heartbroken but grateful, Coley returned to her medical day job and focused on stabilizing her life post-Sandy.

After spending the next few months apologizing to dedicated clients as their orders kept coming in, she received such an outpouring of support and well wishes for the future that Coley decided once again to rebuild. 

In March 2013, Nicole formed a partnership with the famous Zagat-rated Brooklyn bakery Aunt Butchie's Desserts, renowned for their signature desserts and delicious baked goods. This new partnership was a recipe for success and lasted until November of 2021, when Aunt Butchies Desserts closed their Dyker Heights location. 

As of December 2021, Cakes by Coley is now back in their hometown of Staten Island, operating out of a state-of-the-art kitchen and still servicing the entire tri-state area. Through steady hard work and dedication, Cakes by Coley has once again been able to weather the storm.

Today, the Cakes by Coley brand is more popular than ever, and growing every day, with clients such as the E! Network, the Oxygen Network, IBM, and many more!

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Coley continues to conquer any adversity in order to deliver happiness to all of her clients. With unwavering dedication to excellence and a true passion for the work she does, Coley has proven she is here to stay, happy to make all of your special occasions that much sweeter!