Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Arington
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
This is the story of how Fatbensbakery came to life. I, Ben “Fat Ben” Arington, previously a pastry chef in Manhattan, I worked under some of the best in the business, learning everything from macarons to cakes and cookies. Tired of working for others, I took a leap of faith and started making donuts, which I posted on social media and tagged Urbana Cafe. This led to a message from Daniel, who owned a local shop, asking about the donuts. After meeting him and dropping off the treats, we began a wholesale partnership.
Soon after, the donuts were selling out regularly, Daniel asked if I had ever made pop tarts (pastry pockets). I started making unique varieties like Blackberry Thyme, Raspberry PBJ, S’more, and Blueberry Crumble. These treats quickly gained popularity. A few weeks later, Fatbensbakery was featured in Cincinnati Magazine, with a photoshoot of the Pastry Pockets. I was overwhelmed with emotion, realizing the success of my independent venture—a dream come true after years of hard work.
After the Cincinnati magazine feature, I quickly learned that success brought challenges. Without a brick-and-mortar store, staying relevant meant working even harder to stay creative. I started traveling and tasting new things to bring back to Cincinnati, always looking for ways to innovate. The business remained steady—until COVID hit, which surprisingly turned out to be a game-changer.
During lockdown, I created themed COVID boxes, which became a massive hit. Boxes like the “Friends” box, “Taylor Swift vs Kim K”, “Beyoncé”, and “Boy Band” box (a personal favorite) sold out almost instantly. One of the most memorable creations was a Lady Gaga brownie shaped like sunglasses, complete with candy cigarettes on top—an example of the quirky designs people loved. These themed boxes sold out in mere seconds, often with 30+ orders coming in within a minute.
The real turning point, however, came when I made a hyper-realistic steak dinner cake for my sister’s birthday. The cake—featuring steak, potatoes, corn, and asparagus—went viral on social media, and people went crazy over it. This led to me kind of realizing maybe I had a knack for creating hyper-realistic cakes, and then I shifted my focus to making cakes that looked like everything from raw chicken to buffalo wings to chicken noodle soup.
Though the excitement around hyperreal cakes died down a bit, Fatbensbakery caught another big break when I posted a hyperreal Binax COVID test cake at Christmas. The cake, with the message “Merry Christmas, would you mind taking this before you come in?”, got picked up by the news. It even led to a news crew filming an interview at my house while I made hyper-realistic asparagus. This unexpected moment further catapulted the business into the spotlight.
Before long, my business became so popular that it was booked months in advance, with a schedule packed with 3-8 cakes a week—everything from small, fun themes to elaborate five-tier wedding cakes. This success also caught the attention of major networks like Food Network and other reality competition shows, including Is It Cake?, Halloween Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, and even a Blumhouse-produced show.
However, with the overwhelming demand for custom cakes, I couldn’t find the time to participate in these shows, as my schedule was packed with orders. Despite this, I still gets calls from these shows occasionally and remains hopeful that one day, with a little more breathing room in my calendar, I’ll get the chance to showcase my skills on TV. In the meantime I’ll just playback the voicemails they leave me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I previously mentioned, it has been a very roller-coaster baking lifestyle. The business would be doing really well and then find a standstill. I would have to reinvent myself again. That is the trouble with not having a brick and mortar store. The constance of having to reinvent myself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Fatbensbakery specializes in a few key areas, with hyper-real cakes and smaller treats like cookies and pastry pockets being the main staples. One of the things that sets me apart is my obsession with detail—so much so that I’ve had to get glasses to avoid straining my eyes! My hyper-realistic cakes, which transform everyday objects into edible masterpieces, are a standout feature in the Cincinnati area, where not many bakers offer that kind of artistry.
Though the hyper-real cakes get a lot of attention, wedding cakes are also a major part of the business. The most common requests are for semi-naked cakes, but the real creative fun comes with the dessert bars. I often provide mini pastry pockets, cookies, and other bite-sized items to complete the experience.
The pride in my work shines through, and I try to be as affordable as possible in a tough economy, offering options for everything from small cakes to elaborate five-tier wedding cakes. I really pour my heart and soul into every order, no matter the size, and strive to accommodate clients’ budgets without compromising on quality.
What truly sets me apart, though, is my personality. Fatbensbakery has become an extension of my identity, and it’s clear that clients don’t just come for the cakes—they come for the my goofy, relatable vibe. Whether it’s my unique take on baked goods or my fun presence on social media, people are drawn to the authenticity I try so hard to provide. I’ve built a reputation for thinking outside the box and offering creations you won’t find anywhere else in Cincinnati.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I think my father would say I was “chaotic” growing up while my mother would say I was “curious”. Which is so funny because those are two things I absolutely bring to my work.
My love for baking really stemmed from my mother though. I was always an active kid and my mom needed to keep my hands busy so she would bake with me. I really fell in love with it. I loved the fact that something made with just eggs, sugar, milk, and flour could create something that could bring happiness to everybody. That’s what I wanted to do. It’s what I still want to do. Bring joy and happiness through baking.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fatbensbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatbensbakery/?hl=en
