At 6’7, Darrick Hanks-Harris looks more like a basketball player than a baker.
At 6’7, Darrick Hanks-Harris looks more like a basketball player than a baker. But when he walked into our office with a basket full of tiny cheesecake-filled jars, you understand why the man chose baking over sports.
“My aunt was a chef, so I just went in the kitchen and looked at her,” said Hanks-Harris while my interns and I gobbled down his handmade, individual, and delivered cheesecake jars.
Mr Baker Oreo Jar
Yes, you read that right – delivery cheesecake, but we’ll get back to that.
Hanks-Harris, AKA Mr. Baker, started out baking when he was in high school and quickly gained the nick name “the cookie man” for the 50+ variety of cookies he used to show up with to class.
“I liked to bake,” he joked as I found myself spooning out the last bits of whipped cream and caramel sauce from the bottom of the first jar.
He used to test out recipes on his friends, getting feedback from classmates. But his first big success was a homecoming event at Huguenot High school where he made cupcakes with green sprinkles. Those, much like his cookies, sold like… well, cupcakes.
Mr. Baker’s Signature Red Velvet Cheesecake
He never spent a day in culinary school, but his aunt had a bakery that she closed to shift to more personal baking work. Between her and his grandma, he learned a lot and before long he started his own private baking enterprise.
In 2009 he made some of his first cheesecakes for Thanksgiving. They went over deliciously, and before long Hanks-Harris expanded his baked goods library to include “26 signature products.”
There’s traditional cakes, cookies, wedding cakes, cupcakes and, most interestingly, one item he calls an “apple.”
Mr Baker Signature Apple Blue Velvet Garnish with Edible Gold
“I can’t tell you how I do it,” he said before showing me pictures of an apple on stick, like a candied apple, but instead of caramel, he manages to a fix cake batter and toppings around the apple and bake it.
“It’s not a cake pop,” he said. “It’s life.”
I was told there’s a lot of peanut butter involved, but beyond that his recipe is top secret.
Baking isn’t a full time gig for him yet, he keeps the bills paid with overnight shifts at Walmart for now. But he said he’s getting close to leaving.
The gym is ALSO a large part of his life at the moment. Baking cakes for a living could make some serious impacts on the body but he actually recently lost 30 lbs. His weight loss is a secret too, but he said he makes low carb cheesecakes (something I’m a huge fan of but haven’t tried his yet.)
Traditional holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines day – are his most profitable days. He takes orders in advance, with an early bird discount. But he also allows for last minute orders the week of, and he even bakes a few extra for those who hit him up the day of.
Last Thanksgiving he had 30 pre-orders, then another 65 the week of, and finally the day of he got 15 more, all of which he made himself.
105 cakes made solo in a week.
“My mom, I don’t know how she manages to live with me,” he joked. “When she comes into the kitchen I get up and walk out.”
I first found out about Derek from an instragram post featuring pictures of cake in a jar and a phone number with the offer to deliver them to those in need.
As a fan of both cake and home delivery, I’ve been fascinated ever since.
Hanks-Harris said the first cake jar was ‘birthday cake’ flavored. Her birthday (the cake has a gender) was Oct. 10th. 2014.
Mr Baker Birthday Cake jar
He said he was hungry as hell and he threw some things lying around the kitchen: leftover cake, whipped cream, strawberries, wafers (like a trifle). He made it and put it on instagram.
Someone asked him if he made them normally and he said “naw, I was hungry,” but sure enough he realized he stumbled upon something people wanted.
“I’m like, ‘well ok, damn’” he said. “I started with banana pudding, then I put cheesecakes in it.” And the rest is history. Sugary, perfectly baked and frosted history.
Mr. Baker larger jars
Hanks-Harris’ success has spawned a lot of product turn over, enough that he works with a produce distributor; folks at Whole Foods and Loving’s Produce. “I don’t f*ck with grocery stores, they ask too much,” he said. He managed to work out a deal and now he said he gets first dibs on things like strawberries.
And his popularity has exploded the most in the last year.
“I can go in the DMV right now and not have to pay a ticket,” he joked. I wasn’t sure how that was a measure of success, but he said he’s been offered custom plates in exchange for cake jars before.
“It’s all Jesus, the talent’s defiantly his,” he stressed.
He does a lot more than just jars and apples though. He does traditional cakes even though he admits he doesn’t like making them. But he realized he wasn’t making any money with cookies, so he put the time and effort in and the final product has been a flavorful and economic success.
His cakes weren’t always pretty, it took time and lots of feedback. “That Facebook picture you see, that’s one of 25,” he jokes.
But he’s made things a lot easier by making the cakes like normal and then putting sections of them into jars.
Mr Baker Famous Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Don’t think that makes the baking any easier though. It’s still a long process, with about 12 hours required per cake.
“You’re gonna taste all the flavors with time,” he said.
He delivers the jars 5 days a week, usually starting at 3 PM and going late into the night.
Ideally people order in the AM and he’ll stop by that afternoon with your jar. But if you hit him up, he’s got emergency jars with him as well.
And he’s got his eyes set at one of RVA’s favorite delivery dessert spots – Red Eye Cookie Co.
His goal is to open a physical bakery and be open 24 hours on the weekend. He plans to bring back cookies as well, including gluten free items.
“I’ll shut Red Eye out,” he said with a sly grin.
He also pointed out Red Eye only delivers in the Fan and the West End.
“At the end of the day, money is green,” he said. “You can’t have a good product and not sell it to everyone. I don’t discriminate on any forms of money.”
He said he’ll deliver to the projects around town (though he locks the door) “People can’t get out where they are,” he said. “But they gotta eat cakes.”
Among the many places he delivers, strip clubs are some of his best customers he said.
“I do the chocolate covered strawberries for the strippers, excuse me, exotic dancers,” he said. “And I deliver them at 1:30, 2 AM.”
“The Chocolate Box” – Brownie Fudge, Nutty Buddy, Chocolate Fudge
The biggest thing hold him back right now, sadly, is time.
“My time is very precious,” he said. “If you order a cake and I waited for you, I can’t get that time back.”
While Walmart, home baking and deliveries take up most of his weekdays, he spends his weekends in Lynchburg. “I sell out every Sunday, making $500 selling cakes after church,” he said.
At a Church convention a few years back the head pastor blessed his cakes and his entire flock bought out his stock. Now he spends 6 hours baking ahead of his Sunday shipment.
Want to try Mr. Baker’s cheesecake jars for yourself? Head on over to his Instagram (yes it’s private, he said he’s got a surprising number of haters and people stealing his ideas) and see what he has to offer, then give him a call – 804-339-9748 – or Email – thacookieman@me.com – and place your order.
Derek Hanks-Harris, AKA Mr. Baker, holding some of his cake jars
Mini jars are $4, Mediums are $8 and Larges are $12 – a Mini was great for our sample, but i’d suggest a medium if you’re alone… and a large if you want to love/hate yourself.
He’s got a website in the works, and a physical store lined up for early 2016.
Until then, watch out Red Eye, they say the best kind of competition is served chilled for 12 hours and delivered to your door.
