Ace of Trades: Kitt Silva finds peace in baking while others find joy in her cheesecakes
COSHOCTON – She found what makes her happy and others too.
“I was a true wild child of the '80s,” recalled Kitt Silva. “I grew up on North 12th Street, so my days were spent running the Red Sea and the Cat Rocks, buying ice cream and snow cones. I was hard to handle, I think. Very headstrong. But my gosh, it was so much fun. So many great memories. I wanted to be a veterinarian, but was not encouraged to see it through. Being a student was certainly not my strong suit.”
But baking was – and is. Today, Silva is the owner, baker and jokingly calls herself Employee of the Month at Silva Linings Cheesecakery.
“I started making cheesecake years ago for family and get-togethers,” she said. “I’ve always loved baking. It’s just something I was really good at.”
“My husband, Christopher,” she added, “said several times I could sell them, but I didn't give it much thought until we moved to Mississippi. By this time, I had created my own recipe that I was happier with than my original.
“When folks started telling me how wonderful they were,” she continued, “in 2018 I bought four 4-inch spring form pans that I could make samples on, and I just started handing them out to friends, family, church and local first responders. I would make four for each location, a plain, a turtle, a fresh strawberry and a banana pudding cheesecake. After sharing several, it became very clear this could be a business venture. The feedback was phenomenal. Within a month I was servicing restaurants and had several new customers. I spent the next several months baking like crazy until I opened my shop, Silva Linings Cheesecakery. I loved every second of it.”
Then in 2021 the Silvas and their two children moved back to Coshocton and Kitt has continued baking while she looks for the right location for her shop.
“My wife makes cheesecakes that you have to taste to appreciate,” assessed Christopher.
“They are beyond exceptional. And as her husband, I’m more than proud of her devotion to make every one a work of art and complete delight. She puts her heart and soul into making sure that her customers are more than satisfied.”
Cousin Randy Mahon agreed.
“Her cheesecakes are artistic as well as delicious,” said Mahon. “If everyone enjoys her cheesecakes as much me and those I’ve shared them with, she’ll be very successful.”
“I do it because it brings people joy,” Kitt responded. “Food is something that brings us together. It’s there for us when we’re happy or sad. Food is comfort.
“Baking for others brings me peace,” she concluded. “It’s my joy. This is absolutely a labor of love.”
For more information about Silva Linings Cheesecakery, look on Facebook.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at ctnews@coshoctontribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Kitt Silva uses her own recipe at Silva Linings Cheesecakery
