The sweet taste of success

Here is a story of a young girl who in spite of her privileged background, and in spite of her being well-provided for by her parents, she has learned the value of money, industry and hard work at a young age. Her name is Ange dela Cruz.

Ange is the only child of computer software entrepreneur/philanthropist Zoilo “Jess” dela Cruz III and businesswoman Susan dela Cruz. Ange is the proud owner of a line of desserts called The Sweet Life by Ange. She has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her mother used to co-own a bakeshop and she would see her bake butterscotch bars, food for the gods, chocolate candies, etc. With abundant supply of baking ingredients around her, she tried baking, loved it, learned it by heart. And each time she saw a piece of cake at a bakeshop, she and her mother would work on it together studying and dissecting it carefully until they would come up with a better version.

Ange spent mostly her junior high school in the kitchen. “I bought a million cookbooks, studied recipes, read food blogs and even asked my Chemistry teachers for help. Pretty soon I was able to churn out fluffy brioche, perfect chiffon cake and many others,” she says.

As the proud owner of The Sweet Life by Ange, Ange says that the business just happened. “I’ve always wanted to sell my goodies but it happened when I least expected it. Last November 2006, my friend introduced me to a dessert that she wanted me to make for her. When I did it, my whole family loved it and my friend was ecstatic. An aunt of mine then asked me to make it for her Christmas Party. Before I knew it, orders were coming in, blogs featured it, and people were talking about it. By December, it was a full-fledged business churning out ‘Sweet Surrender’ orders by the hundreds.”

Ange had her first real experience at selling when at 17 and in high school, she joined Bakers Dozen Fair at Powerplant. “It was our first real experience selling so it was hard on all of us. I would stay past 3 a.m. to bake, decorate cupcakes and oversee production. Mondays after a weekend of selling were the worst. I could barely keep myself awake. My free time was spent costing and coordinating with suppliers. My parents saw my plight and we quickly made adjustments. We hired and trained a staff, invested on better and more efficient appliances and synchronized a production plan. My mom is now in charge of selling during the weekends while I oversee production at home.”

Her friends have also been very supportive of her business. “My two best friends, Ally and Honey, are my best customers and promoters. They were behind most of the names of my pastries and they willingly offered constructive criticisms when I needed it most. My other friends, Vica, Louisa and Ava, helped me through the first months of the Baker’s Dozen Fair.”

Her teachers in school were also big sources of inspiration. “The ‘Sweet Surrender’ is a favorite among my school’s faculty members; a lot of our orders come from them. I also have teachers who stop by the booth during weekends not only to buy but also to offer moral support. It has been amazing,” she adds. Some are asking Ange if there are plans of expansion but the young entrepreneur says that she is going to college (she is graduating from high school this March) and she is taking things one at a time.

 Last month, Ange celebrated her 18th birthday at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel’s Quezon Ballroom. Her debut featured a fashion show showcasing 18 muses modeling Ange’s own designs which were executed by Sunshine and Vanessa Lim. A large all-white runway was constructed for the party. The ballroom was transformed into an upscale club. Elegant drapings, calla lily flower displays and mannequins displaying couture creations by Kate Torralba, Rajo Laurel and Puey Quiñones welcomed guests.

A photo wall embellished with the official Luxe Couture logo and portraits of the 18 muses allowed guests to get the celebrity treatment. And, a large portrait of Ange wearing a glamorous Quiñones creation was the ultimate eye-catcher.

Ange’s cake, a large three-layered affair in the shape of stacked hat boxes, created by Marta Matute of Marta’s Cakes, was a breathtaking Boudoir-inspired work of art. Ange also made sure that her desserts were also stars that night as displayed in an eye-catching cupcake tower setup.

Before heading home, guests got to take home a plethora of Victorian-inspired giveaways:  Hat boxes with a custom designed Brocade pattern, CD holders, T-shirts, bangles, beaded bookmarkers and mini “No.18” perfume bottles. There were also edible white chocolate roses made with premium Tulip Chocolate and studded Velvet Headbands (inspired by Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf). To top it all, guests took home Ange’s cupcakes in elegant gold boxes. The 18 muses had a special giveaway, a mini Brocade Armoire for their jewelry.

Bravo, Ange!