Gemma Ballesteros welcomed her first child, Marley, in 2010. Soon thereafter, while enjoying life as a stay at home mom, Gemma decided to take up baking as a hobby. She soon fell in love with the act, spending all her free time tweaking recipes to make them her own. Eventually, she became so invested in baking she went pro. Marley’s Treats started as a tiny shop in Oakland, CA before converting into a full-fledged food truck and catering company. Now, you can catch Gemma rolling through the greater San Francisco area serving up her bounty of pristine sweet treats.

Gemma serves both the traditional and the innovative in terms of flavors. You can, for example, try a good old-fashioned pistachio or chocolate macaron. However, you can also sample something like fruity pebbles or dulce de leche. Cupcake fans can sink their teeth into the veritable classic that is a vanilla cupcake smothered in buttercream frosting. Or, try a more decadent concoction like a s’mores cupcake with a graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache filling, and toasted marshmallow frosting. Many of these sweet treats don’t just taste good. They look amazing as well. Gemma is happy to provide custom cakes with any design your heart could desire, from a Dr. Seuss-themed cake for a kid’s party to a cake endowed with frosted flowers for a wedding. So, don’t hesitate to book Marley’s Treats for your next event. Gemma will work with you to create a dessert table guests will rush to Instagram.

MUST TRY

Horchata Churro Cupcake — A horchata cupcake topped off with a dollop of velvety buttercream frosting sprinkled with cinnamon-rich churro seasoning. Yum.