Passed down through four generations of owners, Pennington’s Cakes’ secret to keeping the bakery in business is having a delicious product, great customer service and good relationships with the community, according to owner Stephen Horn. “[Dorothy] Pennington started her business because she was into cake decorating, and she became the go-to lady for people who wanted cake,” Horn said. “We have continued in that vein, and we’ve been about the only good option in this area for [cakes] for many, many years.” Although Pennington’s Cakes originally opened in 1962, Horn, a pastry chef, took over the San Marcos business in 2008 and said he is proud to lead Pennington’s through another decade of success. “[We] are not afraid of anything and excited to try most things. There are a bunch of home bakers that see television shows and they start making cakes, but nine times out of 10 we will have someone tell us, ‘Well, we went to a party, and it wasn’t a Pennington’s cake,’ or we end up repairing cakes that were done poorly. There is always a risk of going outside an established bakery like this,” Horn said. All of Pennington’s Cakes are custom-made. Horn recommended customers contact the bakery at least a week before a cake order is needed, especially during busy times such as graduation or wedding season. Horn said Pennington’s offers a variety of flavors, fillings and icings for customers to choose from and will also recreate home recipes or flavors not on the menu, but its staple is Pennington’s trademark cake. “Our most popular flavor is white cake—which is legendary—with the pineapple filling. That’s the cake that everyone remembers—Mrs. Pennington’s white cake with pineapple filling. It’s delicious and crosses all palettes,” Horn said. Horn said whether Pennington’s is a new find or family tradition, the business is ready to continue making memorable cakes for special occasions. “We’ll keep going until for some reason people are 3-D making their own cakes in their own house,” Horn said. Pennington’s Cakes 1662 I-35, San Marcos 512-396-4059 • www.penningtons cakes.com Hours: Tue.-Wed. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thu.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.,  Sat. 9 a.m.-noon, closed Sun.-Mon.