BLOG 38: Kneading Happiness: Baking Pastries as My Pandemic Hobby

Baking has served as a soothing refuge from the difficulties of recent years. I felt driven to go to the kitchen and explore with different mixtures of flour, butter, and sugar as the world paused and daily routines changed. It began as a means to occupy time swiftly evolved into a rewarding creative expression. Every batch of pastries, from breads to cupcakes became a tiny source of my joy. Baking not only allowed me to acquire new skills but also provided a feeling of achievement. Even if things are starting to return to normal, baking is still my favorite way to feel happy just by creating something delicious.

Hello everyone! Welcome to another episode of my blog. Today, I would like to share one of my talents that began during the pandemic, a passion I discovered as I unlocked it. I’ll also share how I developed this talent and the person who influenced me to seize this opportunity. Keep reading!

In the midst of the pandemic, I started learning how to bake, and I was greatly influenced by my father’s sister, Aunt Liezl. A little background on her: before she began baking, she graduated with flying colors from San Carlos University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She is a licensed Chemist. Though she worked as a chemist for a while, she decided to take a different path and became a SPED teacher, also known as a teacher for students with special needs. After several years, she decided to resign and enroll in culinary school. She worked hard to become a chef, and over time, she became a well-known pastry chef in Cebu. She even started teaching Cebuanos who wanted to learn how to bake. Right now, she is already in Canada working at the Pinoy Pastry Shop.

In 2021, I decided to stay at my aunt’s house in Liloan, Cebu because I wanted to learn how to bake cakes. Although I already had some background in pastries from my TLE class in high school, this was a great opportunity for me to explore this talent further. Since my aunt was the one teaching me, it was a wonderful chance to learn for free. My father also encouraged me to learn so I could bake goods at home, believing that this skill could help me earn money, just like my aunt did. As you can see in the picture, this is me trying to perfect the frosting on a cake, which was really difficult at first. My aunt taught me the technique, and soon enough, I got the hang of it.

I stayed at my aunt’s house for three months, and then I decided to create my own pastry shop with guidance from my aunt. I called my shop “Dy Pastries.” I was nervous when I started because I was afraid of the feedback from people. My aunt told me that this was the stepping stone if I really wanted to have a business. She helped me organize everything and taught me how to run a business like this. Every time I frosted cupcakes for an order, she would remind me to take a picture and post it so that people would be encouraged to order. Aside from cakes and cupcakes, I also learned to make breads such as ube pandesal, Korean bread, babka bread, binangkal, and many more. She taught me everything, including how to mold fondant for cakes.

After weeks of posting on social media, one customer ordered two cakes from me. These two cakes were a mango cake and a cookies and cream cake. I was so proud of myself because I was the one who made and decorated these cakes. With the help of my aunt, they turned out looking yummy and gorgeous. I was incredibly happy because I already had a customer who trusted me to bake her order. I was truly thankful for this order because I poured so much love and care into it. That moment made me realize just how much baking makes my heart happy.

Before I went back to Danao, I baked ube pandesal and binangkal because I had a lot of orders coming from my friends. If any didn’t sell, I would display them in our sari-sari store. I was so happy because I remembered all the breads sold out. Aside from using premium ingredients, they were also affordable, so everyone could buy them. I also had a lot of deliveries at that time, which is why they sold out quickly. I loved receiving messages with feedback from people as they enjoyed the food.

Aside from cakes and breads, customers also ordered tubs of yema cake and a whole custard cake from me. These desserts are perfect for sweet-tooth customers. They’re very affordable, yet the quality of the product is premium. I initially thought I could only bake and cook breads and cakes, but I was surprised to find myself making sweet cakes that could satisfy customers' cravings. My heart was filled with joy at this outcome, and I’m sure my father was right, money comes quickly when you have a business like this.

As you can see in this picture, these are some of the products I’ve learned to bake. I’m forever grateful that, during this pandemic, I had the opportunity to learn this skill. I also noticed that I was able to pick it up quickly. Three months of learning with my aunt's supervision made the process more bearable and motivated me to stay dedicated. Techniques are really important in this kind of business. Even though the products are affordable, I always make sure the quality is high so that customers are satisfied with their cravings.

These colorful cupcakes, both the frosting and the cupcakes themselves, were truly made by yours truly. Over the course of the 2 years during the pandemic, I’m really proud that I built my own business. I learned so much as I continued to grow. Now, it’s been 2-3 years since I stopped my business because of school and, even now, I don’t have enough time to continue due to work. However, I’m still hopeful that one day, I’ll be able to continue my business. I’m happy to know that some of my customers have told me to get back into baking because they miss my pastries and breads.

To all the entrepreneurs here on Hive, I send my congratulations to all of you. Always remember to keep going. Little steps can help progress your business. Also, to all business-minded people, do what your heart loves; that is the most important recipe, whether you're cooking or baking.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and connect with my thoughts today. I’m excited to continue sharing my journey with you, and I hope you found something here that resonated or sparked an idea. This blog is a space for growth, inspiration, and conversation, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or experiences in the comments. Feel free to share if something stood out to you. Here’s to many more stories, lessons, and moments of connection ahead! See you in the next post!