Plenty of college students pick up a hobby to blow off steam. Laura-Kate picked up a piping bag, and it turned into Sweet Stirrings, the custom cake studio now baking on High Street in Zachary.

From LSU class to pastry chef

While she was studying nutrition and dietetics at LSU, Laura-Kate went looking for a creative outlet and signed up for her first cake decorating class. The hobby quickly took over her spare time as she made cakes for friends and family.

After marrying and moving to Austin, Texas, she enrolled at Texas Culinary Academy-Le Cordon Bleu and graduated as a pastry chef with high honors. An internship at Austin's historic Driskill Hotel followed. Then she set her focus on custom wedding and party cakes, and Sweet Stirrings was born.

What's on the menu

Beyond full custom work, a weekly semi-custom menu makes ordering easy. The signature Works Cake ($124) comes loaded with watercolor, drips, macarons and toppers, and there's a kids' version too. Cookie fans should look at the Cookie Stack ($92), seven layers of salted chocolate chip cookie with sweet cream filling that serves about 18. A dozen salted chocolate chip cookies runs $34.

The flavor list reads like a dessert tour: pecan praline, opera cake, raspberry limoncello, pink champagne and, for fall, caramel pumpkin praline.

Decorate your own

On Thursday, Dec. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., the shop hosts Christmas Girls Night ($95, ages 16 and up), where guests decorate a colorful Christmas cake to take home. Kids' birthday parties and private adult decorating classes are also available.

Plan your visit

Sweet Stirrings is at 4342 High St., open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Brides can book a $42 tasting and design consult, with complimentary champagne.

Book early. As the bakery itself notes, the calendar fills up fast.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Stirrings.