NORTHWOOD — Fat Jill’s owner Jill Ehrhardt might just be looking forward to summer more than most.

“Summer is pretty much filled with weddings and Wind Down Wednesdays, which are my favorite three Wednesdays of the year,” Ehrhardt said. “I’ve been there long enough that people come looking for me and I think it’s pretty cool.”

Typically, Ehrhardt recruits a few helpers and makes almost 700 cupcakes in about 15 different flavors for the event — resulting in two days of not sleeping, she said. This year, she’ll probably be taking just as many cupcakes, but paring the number of varieties she takes down to about eight.

She’s also looking forward to graduation season.

“I like busy,” she said.

Working from her home, Ehrhardt is known for her cupcakes, cakes, cookies and muffins, all of which she makes in custom orders. Just don’t ask her to tackle breads anytime soon.

“If it has yeast in it, it is not my friend,” she admitted.

She is determined to learn someday but hasn’t had the opportunity. At one time she didn’t know how to make cupcakes, either, and stumbled upon classes to show her how.

“I’m a recovering alcoholic so I needed something to keep me busy while (her husband) was gone,” she said.

While at a Hobby Lobby store in Mason City, Ehrhardt saw the store was hosting cupcake classes and signed up for her first class and a few others before they were no longer offered. She then made the drive to JoAnn Fabrics in Austin to continue taking more classes. Once she had taken all the classes the store offered, she started teaching herself and perfected her craft for about seven years before opening her bakery in August 2013.

“I love to play with flavors,” she said, noting that she gets requests for new ones, including a Pop Tart flavor for an upcoming graduation.

She said she’ll research a recipe, make it and think of how she can modify it to make it work.

“It’s just a huge science experiment and either it works or it doesn’t,” she said.

That was the same way she stumbled across her signature chocolate cupcake recipe.

“The stars all aligned that day and thank God I wrote that one down so I didn’t forget it.”

Ehrhard now has a signature list of 21 cupcake flavor and frosting variations and about 15 different varieties of cookies she offers her customers.

Those who wish to order from her are encouraged to do so in advance. While she will try to accommodate same day orders, she advises clients to give her a couple days’ notice for smaller orders involving a few dozen cookies or cupcakes. For larger orders she suggests a week’s notice and events should be booked as soon as possible to ensure her availability.

Ehrhardt can be reached at 641-390-0064 or at fatjills@gmail.com. Fat Jill’s can also be found on Facebook.