Teenage Baker

Self-taught baker Ange dela Cruz talks about fashion, flavors, and everything in between

What do you bake?
Sweet Surrender (Brazo de Mercedes), L’Amour (a cookie-brownie hybrid), and cupcakes that take inspiration from pop culture icons like Elvis and Michael Jackson.

What was the first thing you ever baked?
It was either apple pie or chocolate chip cookies. I think I was four years old.

Did you study baking?
I took a few cooking classes, a one-day cupcake decorating class, but no formal training. I’m mostly self-taught. 

Favorite part of the baking process?
I love that I can take inspiration from fashion and things like that, and fuse that into my baking. When you’re putting together flavors, textures, different colors for icing, there’s an art that goes into everything.

What are your influences?
Fashion (I have a Chanel cupcake!), and female icons who symbolize a lifestyle of frivolity and glamour like Marie Antoinette. Recently, we got a photo taken of Lady Gaga holding our cookies. My friends, the boys of Magic 89.9, gave them to her and took a photo of her holding them.

Which three words best describe your baked creations?
Glamorous. Lavish. Fashionable.

What’s the most fun thing to bake?
I loooove making cupcakes. If you see mine, the frosting is not just dabbed on with a spoon; it’s high and mighty. My favorite so far is the Marie Antoinette, with the cherry on top. It’s been copied a lot.

Your favorite ingredient?
I love baking with alcohol, it’s really fun. I have a raspberry vodka cupcake, the “Betsey Johnson.” I think when you fuse alcohol into recipes, especially cupcakes, it creates a twist and also a more mature image.

Who is your baking idol?
My mom because she was the one who taught me. When I was younger, she co-owned a baking business. She’d collect all the cupcake and cake pans.

Favorite baking books or blogs?
I was really inspired by Lori Baltazar of dessertcomesfirst.com. I love the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. I also have a favorite book on cupcake design.

What’s the most valuable business lesson you’ve learned so far?
Know your market. Find a particular thing that will make you stand out. With me, I like selling that glamorous lifestyle—that’s my niche.

Share one tip for home bakers.
Never ever scrimp on quality. Every ingredient has to be top-notch—it all affects the final product.

Aside from your own stuff, what are your favorite desserts?
At the top of my list are the stuff from Ladurée Paris. All their desserts look good and taste good!  I love their Fleur de Sel Cupcake, Saint Honore cake, and Millefeuille. Locally, I love the Coffee Pie and Coffee Bean Sans Rival of Chateau 1771.

After this interview, what will you bake?
My friends have been insisting I make Blondies for them. And I have a really good recipe that my best friend and I love. It has sour cream, it’s really good.

To see Ange dela Cruz's recipes, click below:

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Heart Toppers

Devil's Food Mini-Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream

Photography by At Maculangan │ Interview by Becky Kho │ Makeup and Grooming by Benjie Angeles

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