Co-owners Megan and Antonio Kennedy
One needs enterprise to engender an existence as an entrepreneur, especially when his or her products concern pleasing palates. Six years into her life as a proprietor, Megan Kennedy has proven a courageous creator and has captured the curiosity and consistent companionship of locals’ taste buds through The Sweet Life Bakery, 740 South St.
“There’s a great environment down here and so much momentum that we feel blessed to have this location,” the 32-year-old said of the fortune that she and husband/co-owner Antonio have shared since their March 2, 2015 opening, with their brainchild’s first incarnation occurring at 22nd and Latona streets. “It’s exciting rather than intimidating, and because it’s South Street, we don’t need to drive much traffic.”
The Strawberry Mansion resident and her beau are certainly going to benefit from the address of their business come Saturday, as they will participate in the South Street Spring Festival. Set to have a tent presence and a storefront identity for the celebration, the couple will look to sample the “fantastic energy and positivity” that characterize the event as one of South Philly’s most revered. For Megan, that will mean continuing a journey that she had not anticipated making, having gone to college to study fashion.
“I baked after having my first daughter and just liked the possibilities, but I had zero intention to make it my life’s work,” the mother of three, who credits her three grandmothers (“Modern families, you know,” she explained) and partner for giving her the knowledge and the nudge to succeed, said. “Now that I’ve been doing this for myself since 2010, it feels great, and I love that there’s room for us in Philly.”
She and Antonio peddle slightly more than two dozen items, with Megan particularly proud of their seven pudding options. She elected to share her site’s recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which festival goers will be able to enjoy.
“We’ll be there for the duration (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) or until we sell out,” Megan said of the involvement, which a new refrigerator will facilitate. “I’d get there early, though, just to be safe.”
Ingredients for Topping:
1/2 stick of butter, melted
3/4 cup of brown sugar
6 slices of pineapple rings
6 maraschino cherry halves
Ingredients for Batter:
1 cup of oil
1/4 cup of juice, orange or pineapple
1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 cups of sugar
2-3/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the butter and brown sugar, and spread into a nine-inch round cake pan. Place the rings on top of the sugar, and arrange one cherry half inside. Combine the oil, sugar, vanilla, and juice in a mixing bowl, and mix well.
Unite the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry one, and mix until just combined. The output will be thick and crumbly. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth. Pour into the pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake will be done when the center can be tapped and not pushed down easily or when a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for five to 10 minutes before turning out onto a plate or platter. ■
The Sweet Life Bakeshop
Owners: Megan and Antonio Kennedy
Opened: March 2, 2015 (in present location)
740 South St. | 215-717-7770
Photos by Tina Garceau
