Michelle Duncan, baker
My name is Michelle and I. Love. Cake. A friend recently helped me come up with the tag line, Cake is my love language, but it really does ring true. Giving someone a made-from-scratch cake is more than just a gift, it’s an experience. It’s about blowing out the candles after you make a wish, sneaking in a bite of cake before dinner, or simply enjoying one of the worlds most delicious gifts. I am the friend who always brings dessert to the potluck and believes everyone should have cake on their birthday. One of my greatest joys is baking a cake and sharing it with others.
I currently live in Bend, Oregon and I grew up in a suburb near Portland, Oregon. Many of my favorite memories growing up include baking sweet breads and cakes with my mom. My very favorite recipe was my grandmothers spiced banana bread.
While I’ve always had a love for baking, I went off to college to pursue a degree in Physical Therapy but while I studied, I spent a lot of my spare time in the kitchen baking cookies, brownies, and cupcakes for everyone who came over. A few years later, I moved Boston, MA to eventually become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. At that time, I really needed a way to distract myself from the rigorous program I was in – and baking was the perfect outlet. That is when I officially created my More Chocolate Blog which I updated frequently, posting recipes and photos on Pintrest (I couldn’t believe one of my recipes had been shared over 100k times!). During winter break one year, I flew back home and attended a simple cake decorating class at JoAnn Fabric with my mom.
Flash forward several years to April 2014 when I was asked to bake for my friends wedding. For this special event, my mom and I baked over 250 cupcakes and a small cutting cake! Since then, I have baked for birthday parties, bridal showers, weddings, fundraising events, and more! In early 2019, I discovered that I had been living with a gluten and dairy sensitivity and since then, I’ve spent numerous hours researching and experimenting with gluten-free and dairy-free options. When I’m not baking, you will find me working at the local hospital as a physical therapist or going on adventures with my husband and two dogs.