The 14-year-old baker sharing joy through colourful cake creations

Bella's self-taught skills in the kitchen have seen people from Dubbo and beyond ordering her cakes for all kinds of celebrations from baby showers to christenings, birthdays, engagement parties and even weddings.

"I feel so proud, it's a pretty big achievement to have a part in all of these important celebrations like 18ths and 21sts and weddings and other events," she said.

"Once you drop off the cake and put a sticker on the box it all just comes together. I recently made a cake which went to a wedding in Wollongong - it's pretty crazy for my cake to go all the way there."

And it's not just the local community who have been supporting Bella's work. Her efforts have earned her over 1000 followers on her Instagram page 'Bella Bakes' where she shares her work for the world to see.

"I've had heaps of support from all of my friends and family but there are also followers I have online who have been supporting me from the start who I don't know really well and I'm really grateful for them too," she said.

Despite the support, Bella has also faced some doubt from people because of her age.

Some clients have even ordered back-up cakes just in case Bella's didn't turn out as expected - but she's always been quick to prove them wrong.

"My first two-tier cake was very scary. We had to drive it out of town - it was for one of my friends' from school's mum's 40th birthday," she said.

"Her dad did have some doubts because I was 13 at the time. And then we got out there and he saw the cake and he was amazed, it was really good."

Bella's baking journey started out with packet mixes and she eventually moved on to experimenting with from-scratch recipes she found in her grandmother's recipe book.

"I always baked with mum when I was a kid but I really started getting into it when I was seven because I was getting bullied at school and baking was something relaxing for me to do," she said.

She continued to hone her self-taught skills by watching YouTube videos and looking at baking pages through her mother's Instagram account.

Now, she makes every cake, cookie and cupcake from scratch - even going as far as to raise some chickens so she could have fresh eggs to bake with.

"They're a bit noisy sometimes but they're very good for the eggs," she said.

Mum Jess Kerr said she often gets asked how much she helps Bella with the cakes, but she's quick to reply that she's no whiz in the kitchen. She said she couldn't be more proud of the work Bella has put in to learn baking and get to where she is today.

"A lot of people say to Bella 'how much does your mum help you?', and I say 'I literally can't bake to save myself', that's why I've always bought the cakes for the kids," she said.

"I'm ridiculously proud of her. I'm a big believer in not doing handouts and Bella has literally started this from her own savings. Instead of getting birthday presents she asks for baking supplies.

"She's gone above and beyond my expectations of what she could achieve. She does everything herself except driving."

Ms Kerr said when Bella first came to her and expressed interest in baking she never expected her to come as far as she has.

"When she really started getting a lot of orders was when she made my grandmother's 89th birthday cake. When people saw her abilities there they went 'oh my god', and that's when the cakes really started off," Ms Kerr said.

Even before Bella had orders coming in for her cakes she was sharing her love of baking with the community.

During lockdown, Bella used her free time to make cupcakes which she dropped off to the COVID-19 ward at the Dubbo base hospital and to a number of grocery stores in town to help brighten the day of essential workers.

"Everyone was after something to make them happy and Bella was using really bright rainbow swirls. It's what people needed while being stuck in their houses while locked away," said Ms Kerr.

"It was just amazing, she made 90 cupcakes for the hospital which she just dropped off for the doctors and nurses there."

Bella said she was happy to be able to give back to the hospital as they have helped her out so many times before.

"I'm always at the hospital with injured fingers and stuff like that from sports. It was really nice to give back especially when everyone else has been helping me," she said.

"I'm really grateful for everyone who's supported my baking from the start - first my friends and family but then all of their friends and family who they told too, and it just kept going."

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