Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria.
Hi Maria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
First, I would like to introduce myself, my name is Maria and I’m from Venezuela! I love baking since I was a little girl, and now I turned my passion to what I do for living! This is why I created Dulce Horno Bakery.
Since I was a girl I enjoy baking, I started baking cupcakes and key lime pie (Venezuelan style) for my grandma ( she loved it) when I was 12 I told my dad that I would love to try baking cupcakes, he went to get all the things that I needed to bake and I printed out the first recipe I found online, it didn’t taste good at first but I kept trying, my dad use to eat all I baked even if it was raw or burnt. always telling me to don’t give up and try a different recipe.
I used the receipes that I baked for years and create my own, taking the best of each. And the recipe I created is the one that I still use in my business to bake the tradicional vanilla cake.
I went to the culinary school because I wanted to learn how to cook for myself and have the option to cook something delicious for my family too. I told my mom and stepdad about the idea, and they supported me the whole Journey. I graduated and start my first dessert shop! Selling to my friends in Venezuela, but it was not easy because of the situation in my country, it was almost imposible to find the materials and all get worse, with the time after facing a lot of challenging moments I decided to came to US looking for opportunities, I knew that I can do something cooking but I wasn’t sure how to start.
I start working for my cousin, cooking for her family, as a personal chef, and I discover what I could do if I keep doing what I love, and then I decided to start selling cakes. I sold my first cakes to friends and family. And this is how dulce horno starts, with love, some cake pans and a hand mixer, in my small apartment kitchen. I start selling cakes and some butter cookies and learning more about baking, I took classes and try to specializes in all the things that I would love to include in my menu.
One of the most important things that is also the success of my way as entrepreneur is the support of the people I love! My boyfriend is always by my side, even if he needs to spend late nights because I’m baking or if I need help with my weekly production, or behind the scenes when we go to markets! Always with a smile trying to help! And also my family and friends that became family being my support since I decided to start this crazy but beautiful journey. I don’t know if I could make it without them.
Now after years I have customers that support my bussiness, some of them are my friends now.
Beautiful entrepreneurs that are now my friends and that reminds me the power of community! Working together and supporting each other no matter what.
A couple of years later I start selling my desserts in farmers markets and also through my instagram page.
I also start teaching! I never imagined that I could do that! And I loved it. Now I can share my passion with those who would like to start their own bussiness and teach about my experiences.
One of the most beautiful things about what I do is getting the love and support of a new customer when they try any of my desserts. The reaction of people being happy because the dessert remind them something they use to eat when they were kids in Venezuela. I try to get the flavors that I used to eat when I was a kid, spending my afternoons with my dad going to the pastry shop for a dessert is what I really want to recreate with dulce horno!
A sweetest bite to your heart! Because all I bake is baked with love and passion.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I start, I remember my first months selling desserts just to my friends!
I remember crying because I didn’t have any customers placing orders and dulce horno was almost 1 year old at that moment.
Not having a lot of money or the right equipment to make cakes but it didn’t stop me, I always faced it thinking that all the good things takes time! And if I can be resilient and don’t give up it will work!
I thank to my old me! The one who believed even though it felt like i couldn’t make it.
And of course thanks to my boyfriend, family and friends that believed that it could be possible!
Life always is going to show you challenges but it depends on you how you face this! And also being surrounded by the right people is going to give you strength to do it!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialized in Venezuelan desserts! What it means is just regular desserts like vanilla, chocolate cake and more with a Venezuelan flavor.
Our best seller dessert is called milhojas! That is basically a napoleon but Venezuelan style, with a flavor that makes us be different from others.
I always said that a dessert is something that makes your heart happy! Trying to offer always a fresh product to our customers
We also sell cakes and mini desserts for events, weddings, baby showers and more.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Well I believe that since the first moment I decided to start a business I took my first risk! I didn’t have any idea how things works in this country when you decide to start a business but I took the risk! To start and learn during the process.
Also I believe the kitchen is the best place to take risk! Trying a new recipe or not having idea using a new utensil haha.
Not having money to pay things when I just start was also one of the most challenging moments, but that helps me to be more resilient. and not give up.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Francy Pereira
Marye Planas
