I have met so many awesome LA-based moms through my @highchairLA account on Instagram who share my passion for family-friendly food. From time to time, I’ll be interviewing them here so you too can get to know this incredible community of moms.

Angelina Shlecter runs a toddler-friendly, baked goods company called Cubcakes, which is currently offering delivery to LA county. These tasty treats are made with good-for-you ingredients, like whole grains, organic fruits and vegetables, and little to no refined sugar.

I took some time to get to know Angelina on a more personal level and here’s what I discovered:

Where are you from originally and what brought you to LA?

I was born on the east coast, in a small town in New York. Back then, I could only dream of the LA palms I would see on post cards. As I grew up, my father's job led our family across the United States, from the New England region, to the Colorado Rockies, and down south to the Oklahoma plains. Traveling across America throughout my childhood, I experienced this amazing cross-section of food and culture that inspires my baking to this day. After I graduated college, I took my first job in Los Angeles. Ten years, 1 husband, and 2 kids later, LA has become my home.

How did you get into baking? Did anyone specifically inspire you or did you get into it on your own?

I can't remember a time in my life that I didn't bake. By the time I could hold a wooden spoon, I remember baking alongside my mother and my sister (and, of course, fighting over licking the coveted whipped cream and chocolate glaze eggbeaters). Freshly-baked cookies always made up for a bad day at school. Taking a pause from studying (ahem cramming) for mid terms to whip up some banana bread was always the right choice. When I got older and had to pull some all-nighters at work, knowing there was one last slice of homemade apple upside down cake waiting for me at home (and a gallon of coffee) would get me through the day. Baking has and continues to be my comfort, a way for me to release stress, and a natural part of my every day.

What are some of your most memorable childhood bites?

Oh my! I have too many mention. My mother was a fearless baker, never hesitating to riff off of traditional recipes and throw her own twist on things. Throughout it all, she always focused on using wholesome and natural ingredients. I remember watching her in wonder as she whipped some tofu and melted chocolate in a blender to make this magical chocolate frosting. Cubcakes, in a way, is a continuation of this baking philosophy from mother.

Have you ever tried to recreate it for your kids and if so, how did that go over?

I used the very same tofu chocolate frosting for my son's birthday cake recently! It went over well. All over their faces, their hair, their clothes...

What industry were you in before you decided to make the full-time jump over to baking?

I worked in finance for over 15 years as an investment banker. I loved it. I got to work with executives from all different industries, helping them find solutions to help them grow, whether it be raising money or finding the right business partners. I got to travel the world, meet so many interesting people and learned about their passions.

Was there an “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to pursue baking instead?

Once I had my two sons, I started to have conflicting feelings. With a full-time job, I often had to rely on store-bought snacks for my kids. I spent most of my time at the grocery time store checking out all the “kid” products, attempting to decipher all those nutrition labels and figuring out how much added sugar was in a serving. The lack of prepared truly kid-friendly options was frustrating. I decided it was time to take the reins myself and started creating muffins with whole grains, organic fruits and vegetables, and little to no sugar. I started bringing them to playdates and soon enough, I was being asked to cater birthdays and daycare potlucks and suddenly this love of baking bloomed into a business.

When it comes to recipe creating, can you tell me a bit about your process?

It all starts with what I loved eating as child. I picked my favorite muffin recipes and tweaked and tested and retested them until I found the perfect balance. I wanted muffins that tasted moist and delicious, but just happen to be chock-full of organic fruits and vegetables.

My first kid-friendly recipe was my beet red velvet muffin. I LOVE red velvet. I even had a red velvet cake at my wedding. But now that I have kids, I started to think about red food dye. And the copious amounts of sugar. And while I had read about beet juice as an alternative to red food coloring, I thought why not just use the entire beet? Luckily, I have a lot of willing taste testers at home. Once I successfully adjusted my red velvet recipe, I was emboldened to adjust my other favorite muffin recipes and ultimately ended up with the six on my menu – Spinach, Pumpkin Flaxseed, Carrot, Chocolate Zucchini, Lentil Banana Chocolate Chip and Beet Red Velvet.

What would you say has been the biggest challenge in creating this business?

Doing everything on my own. Working at a corporation, you’re part of a team that handles every step of a process. Now, I’m the baker, marketer, editor and web designer. Oh, and a mom to two adorably energetic toddlers.

What are your kids favorite Cubcake creation?

My eldest loves the lentil chocolate chip muffin and my youngest loves the spinach muffin. They request them daily!

Are your kids tough critics on the Cubcakes?

Oh yes. Kids have no filters. I love them for it! If they don’t like something, it immediately comes right back out and onto the table.

Does the City of LA inspire your baking at all?

Living in LA has definitely inspired me. To make ends meet, most of my friends are busy working parents trying to juggle raising kids and doing full time jobs. I wanted to create a snack that could also be a quick breakfast on the go or a late afternoon snack on the way home from daycare without sacrificing nutrition.

It’s also important to me to know where my food is coming from and to shop local as much as possible, and I think that is very accessible in LA versus other cities. We’re lucky to have so much amazing fresh produce year round here. Pre-pandemic, I shopped at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market every Wednesday to pick up fresh fruits and veggies for Cubcakes and for my family, and now I’m able to continue to get the same from the local farmers via produce boxes.

When it comes to working within dietary restrictions, does that come with any frustrations or does it come easy for you?

I actually never feel like I’m baking with restrictions. I first and foremost want to make baked goods that are delicious and nutritious. So based on my recipe tweaking, some naturally were best gluten-free, nut-free, dairy- free and/or vegan. For example, I recently added peanut butter brownies to my menu. They are gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free but most importantly, they are fudgey, decadent and taste like a brownie.

Are there any flavors you’re currently experimenting with?

I’m currently developing a muffin with quinoa—something that’s filled with protein but also delicious. I’m close but it’s not perfect yet. And I would love to somehow make a healthier version of an apple cider donut muffin. That one may take me awhile.

What are your long-term goals for Cubcakes?

I would love to find Cubcakes in the bakery aisles of grocery stores. I’m often disappointed that the bakery sections are filled with delicious but sugar-laden pastries and cakes. I’d love to contribute a healthier but equally delicious alternative to parents.

You can follow Cubcakes here @cupcakes.shop