My mom Valerie has been baking recreationally since she was a teenager. Inspired by the women her life as well as her high school cooking and baking classes in Assumption (AC ’86), she gradually became known as a budding baker in her circle. As a young wife, she spent her days experimenting in the kitchen — recreating those warm, classic desserts most reminiscent of home or childhood. Years later, friends and family finally convinced her to turn this hobby into a business. She began accepting small orders of her first-generation favorites like ensaymada, cinnamon rolls, and food for the gods during the holidays. By late 2017, Valerie’s Kitchen had graduated from passion project to promising enterprise. I began helping my mom with product development and marketing – expanding our menu to even more family favorites like rum cake, sansrival, and apple pie. We replaced our then-generic packaging to the now very elegant custom design, set up our social media accounts, and populated our pages with professionally-taken photos. In November of that year, we joined our first bazaar and we have been sprinting ever since! Now a three-time recipient of Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Manila’s Best Dessert Award, my mom is living her dream life as a full-time baker. In addition to 20 regular menu items like the ultra-delectable Strawberry Dream Cake (notable for its moist, dense texture vs a spongy shortcake), Chocolate Cheat Day Cake (a chocolate cake with a layer of salted caramel and dark chocolate ganache on top), and American classics Boston Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie, and Pumpkin pie – Valerie’s Kitchen has expanded its repertoire to beautiful custom cakes for any occasion. You can find my mom’s sumptuous creations at several Shell Select stores throughout Metro Manila, the Manila’s Best Shop at the Manila Polo Club, and Assembly Hall Café in Makati — as well as straight from our home kitchen in Ayala Alabang throughout the year.