There’s a recipe box in Teresa’s kitchen that’s older than she is. Handwritten cards in faded ink, butter-stained edges, measurements in “a handful” and “until it looks right.” These aren’t just recipes—they’re memories, traditions, and the kind of love that only gets passed down through generations.
But there was always a problem: those recipes fed 12 to 16 people. And Teresa’s table had shrunk to two.
That’s how CakeHalf was born.
THE FOUNDER’S STORY
From Recipe Box to Modern Kitchen
Teresa Flagler grew up in a North Carolina kitchen where cakes marked time—birthdays, Sundays, celebrations, and ordinary Tuesdays that deserved something sweet.
Her grandmother never measured anything. She’d add flour “until it feels right” and butter “about the size of a walnut.” But those cakes? Perfect. Every single time. Moist pound cakes with crackled sugar crusts. Simple yellow cakes with chocolate frosting that tasted like childhood. Syrup-soaked classics that turned afternoons into occasions.
When Teresa started her own family, she pulled out that recipe box, determined to keep the tradition alive. But the math didn’t work anymore. Those generous 9×13 pans and triple-layer celebrations left her small household drowning in leftovers. Freezing cake felt wrong. Wasting it felt worse.
So she did what bakers do: she adapted. She halved. She quartered. She tested 6-inch rounds, 8-inch squares, and half-sheet pans until she cracked the code of small-batch vintage baking.
What started as pencil marks in recipe margins became CakeHalf—a place where timeless cakes meet modern life. Where you can bake your grandmother’s pound cake on a Tuesday without eating it all week. Where “just enough” is the perfect amount.
OUR MISSION
Preserving the Old Way, Sized for Today
We believe:
🍰 Cake should be fresh – Not three days old and stale in the fridge
🍰 Vintage recipes deserve to live – Even if your household is smaller now
🍰 Baking should feel joyful – Not wasteful or overwhelming
🍰 Tradition matters – The flavors that never go out of style
🍰 Simple is beautiful – No fancy equipment, no complicated techniques
Every recipe on CakeHalf is:
Rooted in tradition – Timeless flavors, vintage techniques, grandmother-approved
Triple-tested in real home kitchens
Scaled for 2-8 servings (6-inch rounds, half-sheets, small batches)
Written for clarity – Gram measurements, specific temperatures, troubleshooting tips
MEET THE TEAM
The Bakers Behind Your Small-Batch Success
PART OF THE GLOBAL HEARTH COLLECTIVE
A Larger Kitchen Family
CakeHalf is proud to be part of The Global Hearth Collective—a network of 20 specialized culinary websites, each led by expert bakers dedicated to their specific craft.
Why Specialize?
Instead of one blog trying to cover everything, we operate dedicated sites for each niche. CakeHalf focuses exclusively on small-batch vintage cakes, while our sister sites explore modern layers, Mediterranean sweets, and quick celebrations.
The Cake Guild (Our Family):
- CakeHalf – Vintage small-batch cakes (Teresa Flagler)
- CakePeak – Southern celebration cakes (Jesse Wiley)
- MeltCake – Mediterranean syrup-soaked cakes (Mehmet Ugur)
- CakeSavor – Quick easy cakes (Meagan Nashman)
Explore the Full Collective:
Discover our Cookie Guild, Candy Guild, Pie Guild, and Chocolate Guild at TheGlobalHearth.com
WHY SMALL-BATCH?
The Philosophy Behind “Just Enough”
Freshness Wins: A 6-inch cake baked today beats a week-old 9×13 every time.
Less Waste: Bake what you’ll actually eat. No guilt, no freezer full of forgotten cake.
More Often: When cakes are small, you can bake more frequently. Tuesday cake? Why not!
Better Ingredient Choices: Smaller batches mean you can splurge on good vanilla, real butter, and quality chocolate without breaking the bank.
Portion Control (Sort Of): A slice from a 6-inch cake feels special. A fourth slice from a massive cake feels… different.
Grandma-Sized: Most vintage recipes were written for large families. We’re bringing them back to human scale.
OUR VALUES
What Guides Every Recipe
✨ Authenticity – Real recipes, real testing, real results
✨ Clarity – No confusing instructions or missing steps
✨ Accessibility – Standard equipment, grocery store ingredients
✨ Heritage – Preserving recipes before they’re lost
✨ Community – We’re all in this kitchen together
JOIN OUR KITCHEN
Bake With Us
📧 Subscribe to Teresa’s Recipe Box: Join Here
📌 Follow on Pinterest: @cakehalf
📸 Follow on Instagram: @cakehalf
💌 Contact Us: Get in Touch
Questions? Want to share your small-batch success?
We’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
