“As someone who has a big sweet tooth and loves to bake everything, I love getting to make delicious things and share them with people,” says Betsy Thorleifson, owner and founder of Hudson’s Nine Cakes Bakery, creator of decadent desserts, whimsical wedding cakes, and beautiful baked goods.

Thorleifson started baking and building specialized all-occasion and wedding cakes 15 years ago in Brooklyn. Just before the pandemic, she opened a second location in Hudson, on the buzzing main drag of Warren Street. “When I first thought about opening in Hudson, it was originally to make more wedding cakes,” says Thorleifson, whose star-studded CV includes cakes for A-list celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow.

But after seeing the space, she had a new idea: to create a customer-facing bakery in addition to expanding her cake catering. “After 10 years of a very streamlined focus on cake and only cake, it felt so exciting to have a retail space that could have daily baked goods offered,” Thorleifson says. Today, she and a team of eight offer a vast menu of pastries, specialized cakes, and local ice cream to customers in Hudson (and beyond!).

The expansion has done well; Thorleifson has created a warm and inviting bakery space, which itself looks like a confection with pastel pink tin ceiling tiles, bright white walls, and penny tiles. Customers keep coming back for the new tangy lemon bars, with a shortbread crust, slightly chewy texture, topped with toasted meringue kisses. “They’ve been a huge hit,” says Thorleifson. “We can’t make them fast enough!” The tartlets, another new menu item, allow Thorleifson the space to get creative with the flavors, making them her favorite to construct. “I love mixing different components together — filling the tart shell with our lavender anglaise mix or the s’mores-inspired center makes a beautiful treat.”



If you’re looking for a more traditional bakery item, Nine Cakes has you covered with soft, fluffy scones ($4.75); buttery choux au craquelins ($7); and chewy French macarons ($3). Old-school cake lovers will be thrilled with a slice of the lemon cake, with layers of lemon curd and mascarpone buttercream ($7); the Nine Cake’s classic vanilla cake with layers of chocolate buttercream ($55); or the tempting decadence of the chocolate cake with triple layers of chocolate buttercream, ganache, and pearls. Vegan and gluten-free cake options are available, both containing a ripe raspberry puree and vanilla bean frosting.

Nine Cakes also creates seasonal cake flavors, using fresh, locally sourced fruits during the warmer months. Throughout the summer, there are lighter flavors like the current apricot-peach cake with layered vanilla cake base, housemade apricot-peach filling, and vanilla bean buttercream. Raspberry cardamom cake will leave you reaching for more, with a scrumptious raspberry buttercream and fresh raspberries, atop a vanilla cardamom cake. Their refreshing strawberry lemonade cake boxes up the taste of summer, layering lemon cake, lemon curd, strawberry buttercream, and fresh strawberries.

In addition to the retail operation, Nine Cakes continues to specialize in wedding and special occasion cakes. These cakes are made to order, typically in Thorleifson’s distinctive personal style. “I like to make cakes that have clean lines, beautiful colors, and flowers with a bit of whimsy and drama.” Traditional cake styles felt too “stuffy” to Thorleifson when she was starting out, prompting her to create her own designs. “Without formal training, I think it was easier to think outside the box to create my style,” she says. Her elegant pieces favor a simple minimalism, using elements of nature, including flowers, greenery, herbs, and fresh fruit, unadorned colors, and watercolor elements upon request.

For weddings, Thorliefson provides couples with handcrafted, unforgettable centerpieces to their celebration. The collaborative design process begins with a tasting, which can be in-person for couples in the region or shipped across the country, and incorporates the couple’s inspiration and mood boards, wedding decor, venue, floral design, and invitations to create a cohesive visual thread. Custom cakes are delivered up and down the East Coast from Maine to South Carolina.

No matter what the occasion, Thorleifson is excited to share her baked goods with the community. “After 15 years, I get to work with a team of talented bakers and a community of people in Hudson I love to offer special cakes and treats to,” says Thorliefson. “It’s an amazing dream come true, having a little shop in Hudson.”

The shop's hours change seasonally, but for the summer they are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Nine Cakes
748 Warren Street, Hudson
(518) 660-1106

Courtesy Nine Cakes Bakery

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Written by
Nola Storms