Precious Lil Cakes by Annie

Roughly around 2500 years ago, some guy named Confucius said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. That simple quote has been proven to be true from then until now. True in the sense that most of us choose a career based on practicality or convenience and not on ambition. This is the main reason why we hate our jobs. Even if our work rewards us with decent income, there is still a huge gap inside of us that it cannot hope to fill.

However, there are still a few people who make a living out of something they love to do. A good example is Ms. Chen Cariño who put her love for baking to good use when she started a home-based business, Precious Lil Cakes by Annie, with the help of her mom.

Raige: When did you start to get interested in baking?

CC: I started playing with the oven way back in 2003. I love to eat chocolate chip cookies. That’s why I decided to learn how to bake so I would always have stocks in my cookie jar. :)

Raige: How did you end up baking for money?

CC: I never really intended to bake and sell. But one day, a friend asked if I could bake some cupcakes with Minnie Mouse toppers for her child’s birthday. After that orders started to pile up every month because of referrals, mostly from friends and relatives. I decided to turn my hobby into a full time business.

Raige: And your mom helps you with the business?

CC: Yes. She helps me in decorating the cakes.

Raige: The name of your business is Precious Lil Cakes by Annie… Who’s Annie?

CC: Well, there’s actually a story behind that name. Annie is my mom. She’s the one who taught me how to bake. I had a sister who died from leukemia when she was 10 years old. Her name was Precious. I wanted to include their names in my business. And we only make small cakes. That’s how I came up with Precious Lil Cakes by Annie. My mom is my business partner. This is somehow a way for us to cope with the loss of my sister and my dad who also passed away last 2011 from pancreatic cancer.

Raige: I’m so sorry for your loss. Is running the business helpful to you and your mom in overcoming your sadness?

CC: Yes. Each project that we take is dedicated to them. That’s why we always give our very best.

Raige: What are your top sellers?

CC: We always get a lot of orders for our fondant chocolate cake and dulce de leche cupcakes.

Raige: Which one is your favorite?

CC: Dulce de leche is my favorite because… Yum! :)

Raige: How will you convince me to buy this cupcake? How will you present it to me?

CC: This is a moist chocolate cupcake that has a caramelized milk center and topped with rich dulce de leche butter cream. One bite is simply orgasmic!

Raige: Damn! Give me two dozens of those!

CC: Hahahaha! :D

Raige: Are you willing to make “special” brownies if someone ordered?

CC: Sure why not? Let’s put the weed in there! However, I don’t have any idea where to get that kind of stuff, so I guess they’ll have to settle for… basil? :P

Raige: Good answer.

CC: Thanks. :)

Raige: Right now, your business is home-based and getting orders mostly from referrals. Any plans on setting up a shop?

CC: It’s one of our plans, but that is still way ahead in the future. We still have a long way to go before we get there.

Raige: Okay. Thank you so much and best of luck to your business. And by the way, I’m serious about the two dozen dulce de leche cupcakes.

CC: Sure! :)

Here's some samples of Precious Lil Cakes by Annie.

For orders and inquiries, you could contact Precious Lil Cakes by Annie by liking them on Facebook: facebook.com/preciouslilcakesbyannie or email: preciouslilcakes@chef.net.