Dang Sweets was founded by husband-and-wife duo Angela and Tim Sikora. Angela hails from Moldova, and Tim is from upstate New York. They met while working together in the kitchen at Terra Bistro. After living together for a while, COVID-19 hit the world and Angela found herself, like most people, home with extra time on her hands. She started baking as something she enjoyed doing. As the pandemic continued, she kept baking, eventually mastering macarons (after 29 attempts). What started as her hobby quickly expanded, with Angela and Tim getting a booth at Vail’s Sunday Farmers Market. The once simple, small selection table grew into 12 options and a bit of a following. Dang Sweets started making custom birthday cakes, and then came the first wedding. From that point on, the weddings kept coming, and they now have over 150 weddings under their belts. “Wedding cakes are always fun to be part of a new family’s special occasion,” Tim says. 

During their first year at the Vail Farmers Market, restaurateurs Liz and Luc Meyers donated Dang Sweets’ services to Jack’s Place Hike, Wine and Dine fundraiser. Angela and Tim then stayed up all night making 450 éclairs. Soon after that, their popularity grew and Dang Sweets began gaining traction. As the next summer approached, more wedding inquiries came in and the business continued to grow out of a commissary kitchen. 

It was at this point that they found their current brick-and-mortar at Traer Creek Plaza in Avon. They now have a seasonal storefront that is open five days a week, offering 20 different varieties of pastries, as well as serving the community’s local cake needs. From weddings to gender reveals to birthdays, Dang Sweets continues to bake for the Vail Valley. 

Two of Dang Sweets’ signature staples are their chocolate chip cookies and honey cakes. The recipes for each are below. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 6 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 4 cups chocolate chips (yes, that much)

Preparation

  1. Start by mixing the butter and sugars together with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. 

  2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. 

  3. Add the flour, salt and baking soda. 

  4. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

  5. Portion the dough as desired. 

  6. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. 

  7. Baking tip: Place an oven-safe container filled with water on the bottom rack of your oven to increase humidity. 

Honey Cake

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Cream Ingredients:
  • 3 ⅓ cups sour cream
  • 1 ⅔ cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or to taste)

Preparation

  1. Combine the eggs, butter, sugar, honey and baking soda into a pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture expands and doubles in size (plan accordingly with your pan). 

  2. Pour the mixture over the flour and mix until combined. 

  3. Let the mixture cool. 

  4. Divide into 10 equal parts and roll each into an approximately 8-inch round. 

  5. Poke with a fork and bake for eight minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

  6. Whisk cream ingredients together in a bowl until combined. 

  7. To assemble, build the cake with the sponge layers and cream, then let it set overnight. 

  8. Frost the outside and enjoy.