“Give me two seconds to put these in the oven.”
Sierra Stollenwerk is slipping a pan of flourless brownies into the oven at Reignbow Baking Company, her nearly-open French and Latin bakery located in the Eastgate Town Center food court.
The brownies are one of several gluten-free treats Stollenwerk will be selling after she opens her dream business Wednesday, Feb. 1.
“We don’t want to leave anyone out,” says Stollenwerk, a 31-year-old San Diego native who moved to Chattanooga after serving time in the U.S. Army.
Stollenwerk will extend her efforts to be inclusive to her clientele, as evidenced by the name of her bakery.
“’Reignbow’ is my subtle way of reaching out to the LGBTQ community,” she says. “I want them to understand they’re welcome here.
“Plus,” Stollenwerk continues with a laugh, “’rainbow’ is my favorite color.”
The playful spelling of “Reignbow” also indicates the kind of treatment Stollenwerk says her customers can expect, including those who order one of her cakes in advance for a wedding, birthday celebration or baby shower.
“We’re going to focus on treating our customers like royalty.”
Stollenwerk’s storefront will offer a variety of buy-and-eat selections, including a Latin version of creme brulee called crema catalana, French macarons, cream puffs, eclairs, cake by the slice and more.
Reignbow Baking Company will be open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Customers who stop by in the morning and early afternoon will be able to purchase a number of savory selections, such as an onion and arugula focaccia or a smoked Gouda scone, and make a noontime meal out of their purchase, Stollenwerk says.
Stollenwerk has been baking since her grandmother taught her to make oatmeal cookies as a child.
After joining the Army, she started a business aimed at her military siblings she called Commando Cakes.
“I’m a very ‘punny’ lady,” Stollenwerk says with another laugh.
After moving to Chattanooga and learning the business side of operating a bakery while working for Chattanooga Cupcake, Stollenwerk launched Sierra’s Cakewerks in 2018 and began making wedding cakes.
She rebranded as Reignbow Baking Company in 2022 to expand her offerings to include eclairs, cream puffs, macarons and other Latin and French bakery items.
As Stollenwerk pulls the pan of freshly baked flourless brownies out of her oven, she offers a preview of a treat she’s looking forward to making for Valentine’s Day – a meringue-based dessert called pavlova.
“Pavlova is crisp on the outside, marshmallow-soft on the inside and piled high with whipped cream and fruit,” she says, sounding like she’d turn her brownies into pavlova if it was within her power. “They’re pure pillowy deliciousness.”
In addition to baking cakes for events, Stollenwerk has been sharing her skills with the public through learning nonprofit The Chattery since 2019. Her monthly cake decorating and hands-on baking classes regularly sell out.
Next up, however, is the Feb. 1 launch of Reignbow Baking Company, which she’s thrilled will take place at Eastgate Town Center, an office and retail complex that sports a downtown streetscape look and feel following an extensive remodel.
“We’re helping to bring this place back,” she says of the former mall. “And we’re excited about serving everyone.”
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