Hi! I’m Paula Bock, a culinary professional of 30 years, and owner/baker at Windflower Cakes.

I grew up outside of Chicago, helping my French mother in the kitchen and my dad in his vegetable garden. Although I dreamed of being a field ecologist someday, cooking and growing real food inevitably became my lifelong passion and work. Not long after graduating college, beginning in 1994 and non-stop through 2006, I threw myself into restaurant work: learning the sweet and savory culinary arts starting in Chicago and ultimately at several outstanding farm-to-table restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area including Greens, La Toque, Terra, and Chez Panisse. When I realized I wanted to start a family and settle down, my husband and I discovered the Columbia River Gorge and made Hood River our home in 2007. While juggling our new home DIY remodel, raising a child, and building an enormous vegetable garden, I simultaneously worked for the highly acclaimed local establishments including Polly's Cakes, Celilo Restaurant and Cultivate Catering. By 2013, eager to start my own venture, I launched Windflower Cakes with the aim to make wedding cakes as delicious and fresh as possible by using only the highest quality ingredients; and with simple, elegant design suitable for outdoor and rustic weddings characteristic of our majestic mountainous, forested and rural setting. With years of professional expertise in cooking and baking as well as personal relationships with local farmers, I offer a knowledgeable palate for delicious foods and a true understanding of quality ingredients.

I couldn’t be happier living in the Gorge and am so enthusiastic to welcome couples and their guests to this scenic region. When I'm not baking, running the business, cooking for my family or keeping up with the garden, I can be found rock climbing, telemark skiing, or trail running with my husband, 16 year old daughter, and our 6 year old Mini Aussie.