NATCHEZ — For Sharon Mulvihill and Jackie Phillips, cakes aren’t just sweets. They’re a family affair.

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the sisters — along with three of Phillips’ children — work together at their newly-opened bakery, which takes its name from their familial relationship.

Sisters Cake Creations opened April 1, shortly after Mulvihill purchased the former Edna’s Cake Creations location from its owner, Edna Welch.

The sisters had planned to open a food-based business together one day — maybe a café, maybe a catering service — but the bakery seemingly presented itself as the fulfillment of those aspirations earlier this year.

Mulvihill had gone to the shop, drawn in by a sign advertising cake supplies at half price.

But at the door, a second sign caught her attention. It said the space was for rent.

After finding out Welch’s plans to downsize and operate out of her house, Mulvihill knew what she had to do — that bakery was the business.

“Before that day, I would have never thought I would own and run a bakery,” she said. “After I left, I called Jackie and told her about it, and said we could open a café next door when you graduate.”

Both of the sisters had been enrolled in the culinary arts program at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus. Their dreams of opening a food-based business had started with their enrollment in the program.

“We both loved to cook and I wanted to go learn skills, learn different things from different cultures, so I signed up for school,” said Phillips, who prior to her enrollment in the program was a housewife for 20 years.

“My sister was a nurse, and she said, ‘If you don’t mind, I will go with you.”

Now, the bakery’s plans are not far from what Mulvihill suggested following her initial inspiration. They’ll continue to operate the cake shop, and once Phillips graduates and can work full-time, they’ll open a café next to it.

In the short-term, they also have plans to start hosting cupcake decorating parties.

But for now, their business is cakes — in Mulvihill’s words, “any kind of cake.”

And while they make lots of made-to-order cakes, the bakery has a walk-in counter where customers can choose from — among other things — colorful cupcakes, petit fours, cookies and cake balls.

“We have one lady who comes in and gets a pineapple cream cupcake every day,” Phillips said.

When it comes to decorating cakes, it’s a team effort. Phillips will work on layering icing, while Mulvihill will follow behind her and do the detail work.

The sisters kept many of the offerings that Welch had, but have also expanded the selection.

One thing they’re trying out is the cupcake of the week, in which a member of the staff — either of the sisters, Phillips’ daughters Sherry Foster and Tonye Daniel or her son, Travis Wallace — will pick a cupcake recipe to be featured. Last week’s offering was cotton candy.

And though they hope to only hear good things, the sisters say they want feedback.

“Let us know what you like, and critique it if you don’t,” Phillips said. “We want to learn what our customers like.”

In addition to the food, the business adds one more dimension to the family affair. The sisters’ mother, Roberta McMillan, sews quilts, and the result of her handiwork is on display for sale on a rack near the front door.

Sisters Cake Creations is located at 483 John R. Junkin Drive, and can be reached by phone at 601-443-9000.