Yesenia Portes discovered her passion for pastries and cooking at just nine years old while caring for her siblings in New York. Her grandfather taught her the basics, sparking her culinary interest. After years as a military wife and mother, she graduated from Gross Bonnet Culinary Academy in December 2010, earning a Pastry Chef certification. Yesenia won first place for best taste at the Honolulu Dessert Fantasy that same year. 

 

After a successful internship at Hilton Hawaiian Village, she started a home bakery, quickly booking orders months in advance. However, a military relocation to North Carolina in 2013 left her feeling defeated. Struggling with depression and anxiety, she turned to corporate America but missed her culinary passion. 

 

Eventually, Yesenia decided to specialize in Gourmet Cupcakes with a Latin twist and launched her business in March 2018. Six months later, she bought a concession trailer with plans to launch in spring 2020. With over 85 cupcake flavors and 10,000 instagram followers, she continues to grow her community support while operating her online bakery in Summerville, SC. Yesenia believes that with hard work and self-belief, any dream can be achieved.