Everything is online and can be ordered at the click of a button on a smartphone or gadget. But there is one thing that hasn’t become a regular commodity that one can order through messenger or text message, breads and pastries. Good healthy breads have yet to make it to one’s doorstep, unless one orders from JoHec’s Cakes and Cupcakes.
Jo Villanueva, 38, gave up her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job 10 years ago to venture into customizing cakes. She said that her creative energy when she baked and decorated cakes was more fulfilling than working as an employee. Today, she has her own shop at home and has included breads. But the location of the shop isn’t convenient for customers who have grown to like her cakes, cupcakes, and breads. Taking a step further, she has a delivery service for an additional fee. Or, one can text the delivery man to pick up a tray of cinnamon bread, cupcakes, banana – walnut and cranberry raisin loaf, or whole wheat bread for the P99 additional charge for transport without moving an inch from home.
Wanting to call her shop a “Boulangerie”, French for “where bread is made”, Jo has grown fond of baking French breads. Although it takes an hour to complete the process of kneading, rising the dough, and baking it. She says there are many things that one can make with bread dough like cinnamon rolls or “babka” the Jewish chocolate-filled braided bread. Elements like butter may vary in each recipe but the delicious aroma of bread baking in the oven is certainly delightful. She has healthy breadstick snacks called “grissini”. She says this is like pizza crust with olive oil and some herbs to give it flavor. Her whole wheat bread is made from wheat flour and weighs 650 grams.
For now, her cinnamon rolls in a tray of three come in a variety of flavors – raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, mango, cream cheese, or regular. Similar to the gooey sweet buns or cinnamon rolls, hers is slathered with jams or jellies that add to the pleasure of the sweet toothed and their preferred sweet stuff, with cheese or just plain. These trays cost from P100 to P150 depending on the flavors.
For Jo, the breads make up the production for weekdays but the weekends are meant for custom made cakes depending on the meaningful or memorable event for the customers. She has made five feet tall cakes for weddings or themed cakes for birthdays. These cakes are what customers remember her most for and return or refer other clients to her. Most often, she makes samplers for the customers to choose the flavors of cake layers to be used for the order. Her most popular flavors have been banana – walnut – raisincake; carrot – pineapple – apple – walnut cake, and dark chocolate cake.
A photo of the cake design or the idea for the design is next and the preferred color. The details of the cake like real fruits or real flowers are included. Sometimes she gets to use her own discretion to surprise her customers. But these beautiful creations come with a price too for those who want their dream cakes with fondant or cream cheese frosting.
For those who want to get healthy and good breads, delicious cupcakes, cookies, customized cakesor other baked goodies, check out the Facebook account of JoHec’s Cakes or call or text Jo at 09177033698. Deliveries are doable for those who have loved her cakes and breads too. Her shop is across the barangay hall of City Camp Proper.
April 19, 2024
