Hi I'm Kate and I like to Bake!

I’m Kate Psenka, a 21-year-old baker, student, and lifelong believer that food can be both joyful and deeply meaningful. My love for baking started when I was around 9, with one very specific tradition: making my Ami’s chocolate espresso birthday cake every August. In the beginning, it was far from perfect. The kitchen was a disaster, the cakes were often flat, and the final product did not always match the picture in my head. But year after year, I kept making it, learning a little more each time. Eventually, that once-chaotic birthday cake became one of the things my family looked forward to most — the kind of cake people ask for, remember, and swear is the best one ever.

Over time, baking became more than a hobby. It became my favorite way to celebrate people, care for them, and bring them together. Friends began requesting birthday Chantilly cakes, family members trusted me with special desserts, and eventually I found myself baking for weddings and other meaningful moments. I have always loved that dessert has a way of making people pause. It turns an ordinary day into something softer, warmer, and more memorable. There is something about sharing a sweet treat that feels deeply human to me — it is celebration, comfort, nostalgia, and connection all at once.

My relationship with food was shaped by my family in different ways. My dad is Slovakian, so meringues were always part of the house and part of how I understood tradition. My mom, on the other hand, never loved cooking or baking, but she taught me something that became just as important: food is fuel, and nutrition starts at the plate. I grew up in what people now jokingly call an “ingredient household” aka the kind where snacks were less about brightly colored packages and more about whatever whole ingredients were in the fridge or pantry. As a kid, I did not always appreciate it. But looking back, that foundation became the beginning of how I understood food, health, and the body.

I also learned early that food is personal. My dad and brother have been gluten-free for as long as I can remember, so baking around dietary needs was never a niche challenge to me, it was just part of making food for the people I loved. When my mom had cancer, a “health cookie” became more than just a cookie. It was a way to make something comforting, nourishing, and thoughtful during a time when food had to carry more meaning. Those experiences taught me that ingredients matter, but so does joy. Food should support the body, but it should also support the person.

Academically, that same curiosity led me toward medicine, neuroscience, and public health. I earned my bachelor’s degree studying the brain and body, and I am now pursuing a master’s in public health focused on food, nutrition, and population health. The more I learn, the more I see baking as both an art and a science. A dessert is not just sugar, flour, and butter. It is chemistry, metabolism, memory, culture, and care. It is also an opportunity to ask better questions: How can we make foods that people actually love, while also thinking more intentionally about energy, glucose, ingredients, and long-term health?

To me, sweet treats are one of the best ways we connect with each other and I will always believe there is room for dessert. But I also believe dessert does not have to mean feeling weighed down, crashing an hour later, or choosing between enjoyment and health. My goal is to create baked goods that feel nostalgic, beautiful, and indulgent, while being made with more thoughtful ingredients and a better understanding of how food works in the body. I want the treats I make to feel like the ones people grew up loving, but a little smarter, a little steadier, and a little more supportive of the lives we are trying to live.everyone. Our products are sourced from the finest local and international producers, and we are constantly adding new items to our inventory. Browse our website and experience the world of gourmet food like never before. Thank you for choosing Balanced Body Bakery!