Today we’d like to introduce you to Azucena Mancha Hernandez.
Hi Azucena, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My passion for baking started when I was a little kid, my mom would always bake cakes for my family, and I would volunteer her for the birthday cakes at school; she wanted to teach me how to bake, so I would stop volunteering myself (or her) so often, and I ended up loving it so much that it became my career. I graduated from Culinary Arts in 2013 and had the amazing opportunity to participate in 3 internships in great companies like Le Meridien Cancun Resort and Spa in Cancun, MX. The Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, FL, USA, and The Ritz Carlton Dubai, UAE, all train with the best mentors in the Pastry kitchen. I moved to Texas in 2020, right when the pandemic hit, with the fear of working in a kitchen due to Covid, I started my journey baking from home first for family and friends and little by little moved to sell to neighbors, and when I least expected it, I had customers from other states booking my services to surprise family/friends on their birthday. I love to make custom cakes. It brings me joy to know that someone enjoys my hard work and that a cake is uniquely made top to bottom for them, from the cake flavor, filling, and frosting to the design and details.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been smooth sailing, learning the basics of baking and decorating to the intricate details of pairing ingredients, playing pretend to be an architect, and building sculptured cakes guided by the hand of amazing mentors. Bumpy, more than anything, my fear of failing. I’ve been blessed to have friends and family supporting me; by encouraging me, telling me how talented I am and how good everything looks and tastes, pushing me to assist farmers markets to spread the word out, purchasing cakes/sweets, and promoting us with their friends. I definitely would not change it for anything. I love to have the ability to push myself to become better than yesterday and to overcome any obstacles. It also became a fantastic way to connect with my community, I’ve been making cakes for babies since they turned 1, and it’s amazing to see them grow and know I’m a little part of their lives and the photos and memories will last forever.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Divu Patisserie?
Home-based business, hoping to expand to a brick-and-mortar store soon. We love to create delicious edible memories, from custom cookies with a wedding date, a sculptured cake to surprise a groom on their special day, to a 4.5 Ft tall cake with 200+ fresh flowers. What sets us apart from other bakers is the passion we put into every cake mixed with the innate customer service acquired from the excellence of The Ritz Carlton School. I love their motto, “to wow a guest,” and I adopted it daily. My favorite cakes are wedding cakes, but there’s a special place in my heart for small kids’ celebrations. We offer all kinds of custom sweets and desserts, from treat tables for birthday celebrations to custom cookies with your company’s logo or edible business cards to make you stand out from the rest, and of course, what we’re known for is our groom’s cakes and wedding cakes.
We love surprises, fun facts, and incredible stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
I love to volunteer at a dog shelter when possible; it brings me joy to know I can make a little difference in a dog’s life; my dream is to have a big land to adopt as many as possible.
Pricing:
- Custom cookies starting $48
- Custom cakes starting $65
- Dozen cupcakes starting at $24
- Wedding cake starting $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/divupatisserie
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divu_patisserie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divupatisserie
- Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMqY7JaAQn4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/p/CL5q0g0Akgh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
