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3 Women and an Oven Create Artistry with Eggs, Sugar and Love

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Jayne Torline, one of the talented women behind 3 Women and an Oven, pops a lemon thumbprint cookie in her mouth, closes her eyes and sighs contentedly. It is a sound of happiness. “Want one?” she asked me.

Of course I did, and as I bit into it, we smiled at each other. Her smile was expectant and curious as she waited to see if I would love her cookie as much as she did. She is as beautiful and charming as the pastries behind the glass, instantly likeable and clearly in love with confections. Her eyes twinkle and her smile is warm. She is a treat, just like the treats she has built a successful business around.

Her business partner and “work wife,” Stacey Webb, is the baker of the pair. She is a trained chef and is known around town as the gold standard in baking. We have her to thank for the exceptional quality and flavors of the desserts created by 3 Women and an Oven. Baking is her passion, and she ensures that every single cookie, cake, pie and cupcake tastes as fantastic as it looks. The carrot cake launched the business back in 2002 and it remains a customer favorite to this day.

Jayne and Stacey have assembled an enormously talented team of bakers, decorators, artists and designers, all of whom they consider to be the “third woman” of 3 Women and an Oven. The creative, collaborative environment in which they work is enviable, and many of their employees have been with them for years. Jayne and Stacey clearly adore their bakery family and the feeling is mutual.

So it’s no surprise that through all of this amazing synergy with artistry and flavor, 3 Women and an Oven has become Kansas City’s premier scratch bakery. There are no shortcuts in this kitchen. “We crack our own eggs, as they say,” Jayne laughed. And from those eggs, with a little flour, sugar and a lot of love, they create beautiful and delicious treats for any occasion.

With a plate of colorful French macarons in all-new fall flavors between us, Jayne sipped her 3WO Blend of Roasterie coffee, brewed fresh and hot all day long in their shop, and talked to me about her grandmother. “I have this lovely memory of being about four years old, in the kitchen with my grandma while she was baking. She would give me the extra dough from the pie crust to spread with butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. We would bake it and then eat it warm,” she smiled. “Baking is happiness.”

Many of those same recipes, and others from Stacey’s great-grandmother, are the foundation upon which 3 Women and an Oven is built. They offer custom special occasion cakes, sheet cakes, baby cakes, cupcakes, assorted cookies and brownies and, for a limited time around the holidays, they make pies in a variety of flavors: blueberry, caramel apple, cherry almond and pecan. Each one is made entirely from scratch by Stacey herself.

Because I couldn’t possibly sample everything, I asked Jayne to tell me her favorites. Immediately, she mentioned the White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan cookies and the Cowboy cookies. She beamed about the lemon cake, and after listening to her description, that will definitely be in my next order. The Chocolate Kahlua cake is a fan favorite, but the Pink Champagne is the easy winner for Most Popular Cake. All of the cakes are also available as baby cakes and there are additional flavors for cupcakes. Cakes can be customized to suit your vision, occasion and theme. Find them on social media to see gorgeous photos of their amazing creations. It’s best to allow at least two weeks for custom orders.

Have you ever been stuck at home for one reason or another and craving something sweet, but there’s not a thing in the house? Guess what? 3 Women and an Oven deliver! For a small delivery charge, you no longer have to suffer from sugar withdrawals. There is no minimum order required so whether you need one baby cake or a dozen cheesecake cupcakes, they will bring them to your door with 24 hours’ notice.

Because customer satisfaction is top priority, there are gluten-free and nut-free options available. Jayne and Stacey don’t want anyone to miss out on the happiness that comes from indulging in a sweet treat. They also offer some exceptional in-store specials during the week. Cupcake Tuesday is my new favorite thing: get a sixer of cupcakes, any flavor, for only $12. On Thursdays, buy 12-pack of baby cakes for only $15.

Jayne and Stacey’s commitment to spreading joy through desserts is not limited to their loyal customers. They are involved with numerous charity organizations in the metro, typically focusing on women, children and education. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, they partnered with Heartland Soccer Association and sold sugar drop cookies at the SCHEELS soccer complex, donating 100 percent of the proceeds to breast cancer research. They also recently donated a dream wedding cake to the winners of the Most Deserving Couple contest through SOLVE KC.

It is such a pleasure to shop at a business owned by women who are as committed to their community as they are to their craft. Visit their fresh new website for more information about their philanthropy and the new online ordering feature coming soon! And don’t forget to place your pie order soon; it will add a little something special to your holiday season. ■

Visit 3 Women and an Oven at 14852 Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, Kansas, call 913-681-7672 and check out the new website, 3womendesserts.com.