Dulcefina, the story of the family business behind the dream cakes that succeed on social networks

“Dad would come home to tell us his stories about the things he had prepared and he was so passionate that he would buy books and magazines, I was a girl, but I was already part of the business,” says Rosalyn, who after school helped in the pastry shop. The family business began in the early 90s, years in which Peru was going through a tough economic crisis, but despite that, it continued. By 1994, they were already thinking of a name, that’s how Dulcefina was born.

“They were fine candies, so the name fit well. My dad used to make chocolates and cakes, a real artist with chocolate,” says Rosalyn, who started in the business with her mom without prior knowledge, so she started with short courses with which she gained experience; however, she decided study administration, but his path was laid out and the pastry shop became his place.

In 2014, she started her own business within Dulcefina, cakes, fifteen years had passed since she started helping her father, it was time to make a place for herself. Kathy, who also grew up on chocolate and flour, opted for accounting, until it was time to support her sister and the bakery would turn around again.

“Kathy arrives with her ideas and another era of Dulcefina begins because, for example, the first thing she told me is that she wanted us to make beautiful packaging for the cakes, she also thought about the virtual store, which for me was crazy because we do it with artistic cakes, not commercial, so, can we really sell them on the web?”, says Rosalyn. But that’s how it was, and not only did they decide to make these adjustments, but the Instagram account was also born, new packs, new proposals in general.

However, in terms of cakes, Rosalyn always offered her clients the most innovative, by 2008 they already work with fondant, elastic dough, dolls made with sugar, all with quite sophisticated finishes because the competition was strong. “Dulcefina began to stand out, I think because of our good finishes, good flavor and innovative designs, combining the techniques to achieve it,” says Rosalyn.

A new screen: Dulcefina’s Instagram

The virtual store contributed to the evolution of the business, in some way they were able to display their cakes, but this also allowed them to be on Google, a search engine through which they began to become popular and the first interviews arrived.

But it was with the Instagram account that they reached an important place. “I saw that many brands advertised by sending products, so I started knocking on doors and sending the cakes with a nice presentation box. That’s how we started meeting to make their birthday cakes and now they’re looking for us because they trust us and we really appreciate that they love us. I think you can tell that we make the product with a lot of love”, says Kathy.

dream cakes

The techniques used at Dulcefina are different: Buttercream, Ganache, among others, all of which allow them to work artistic cakes. But since the virtual store gives them new customers, they had to think of a new line, one that would be faster, thus Cake Express was born, which are cakes that can be ordered to be made a day in advance. One of the most recent works of this type was the birthday cake for the Parodi sisters, lifestyle influencers.

Then there are those who work a week in advance, 15 days and even up to two months, which are already the most worked and gigantic, such as the cake they worked for the marriage of the host Brunella Horna, which was made with flowers in sugar. enough and that they take many hours.

As for costs, what is normally done is quote by weight, but at Dulcefina they don’t work like that, what they do is quote hours worked because they do it is artistic. “There are cakes that we work longer hours and there are cakes that we sometimes take out in five or ten minutes, because it’s just a detail, so the choice of cake depends on the client,” says Kathy.

Something that should be mentioned is that none of the cakes made in the bakery are repeated, each one has the user’s personal touch and they never say no to a new design, they always look for a way to work on the proposal.

“Cakes are a very complex world, but very beautiful, we have had the opportunity to go to conventions and contests several times, but here in Peru it does not matter so much if you win a prize, what interests the consumer is a rich and beautiful cake and that’s what we want to do,” says Kathy.

almost 30 years later

The years have passed for Dulcefina and less than a year and a half after turning 30, her success is undeniable to such an extent that one weekend they can have between two hundred and two hundred and fifty orders.

For Rosalyn and Kathy, Dulcefina has her own personality “she is regal and popular”, and she is very excited about everything that is coming like the workshop they have dreamed of. “Artistic pastry is not a business that makes you millions, but a lot of personal satisfaction, even if it is a very constant job,” says Kathy. So after many years, the dream workshop will arrive in which Dulcefina will continue to grow.