Young Baker Raises Funds to Fight Cancer

12-year-old Dagny Jerles creates sweet treats for a cause close to her heart.

She is only 12 years old, but Dagny Jerles has already founded DagnysCakePlace, an Instagram-based baking venture that donates all of its proceeds to help Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, fight cancer.

“I’ve always loved baking,” Dagny said. “It became a passion for me when the pandemic hit because I was stuck in the house.”

DagnysCakePlace began last year as her sixth-grade project at Miami Country Day School. Although the school project ended, Dagny has continued to run the charity as her own passion project.

“My school assigned a Genius Project, which is basically a passion project that helps people,” Dagny said. “Since I like to bake, I decided to start a bakery and donate the proceeds to Sylvester because my aunt was treated there.”

Dagny’s aunt, Stephanie Dean-Kluger, lost a battle with neuroendocrine cancer in April 2020.

Holiday Orders

DagnysCakePlace is run through an Instagram page that accepts orders for specific holiday events. Dagny then bakes the orders, and her parents deliver the baked goods.

“I’ve been so proud and impressed with how she has run with this,” said Lisa Jerles, Dagny’s mom and delivery driver. “We deliver the cakes, but every other part of this project is fully run by her.”

In its first year, DagnysCakePlace made $350 in sales, and this year, Dagny’s baking has led to more than $3,000 being donated to Sylvester. She has also set up a UCare page so the proceeds from the orders can go directly to the cancer center.

“My family is always volunteering, and it inspired me to help,” Dagny said. “My grandparents, Amy Dean and Alan Kluger, and my uncle Jesse all love my cake business and even help me sell cakes to their friends.”

“I’m extremely proud of Dagny for taking on a project like this and sticking with it,” said Alan Kluger, founding partner at Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen and Levine, P.L., co-founder of the Dean-Kluger Charitable Foundation and a member of the Sylvester Board of Overseers. “My wife and I have always tried to model the importance of philanthropy and generosity to our children and grandchildren. It is wonderful to see Dagny giving back at such a young age.”

Inspiration on Instagram

Dagny gets her inspiration by following cake channels on Instagram, but she also makes up her own creative recipes that speak to her heritage and personality.

“I will look at base ingredients then think of what I should add based on the holiday I’m baking for,” Dagny said. “For example, for Passover, I made a flourless chocolate cake, and, for Rosh Hashanah, I made a honey cake with apples. The feedback has been very positive. It’s hard to find a person who doesn’t like cake and baked goods.”

With her little brother as a taste tester and her mom and dad as the drivers, it is truly a family affair.

“There is no sign of stopping and maybe one day it will become my job,” Dagny said. “My favorite part is that I get to make food, give the food to people, and people are always happy, and I get to donate money. So its four wins in one.”

You can follow DagnysCakePlace on Instagram @DagnysCakePlace or visit her UCARE page to make a donation.

Tags: DagnysCakePlace, Instagram, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center