Christine Martínez shares her passion for baking

 There are many different chef positions in larger  hotels, restaurants and eateries. In a professional  kitchen, a pastry chef is the top person in the dessert  section. Each should be highly trained and able to  create dessert recipes, pastries and many other baked  goods. Christine Martinez is an L.A. native of Mexican-  American descent who decided to follow this career.  We would like to share her story with you.

Christine Martínez, Pastry Chef

My name is Christine Martínez. I’m an L.A. native of Mexican-American descent. Upon completion of high school, I moved to New York to attend Columbia University.  I received a B.A. in Visual Arts in 2000.

I returned to L.A. shortly after and began teaching elementary school. I was a teacher for 5 years until I got the desire to change my career. I left teaching and enrolled at the L’Ecole Superieure de Cuisine Francaise which is a culinary school in Paris, France. After the program, I worked in some of the best hotels and pastry shops in Paris, including L’Hotel Meurice and the tea salon Angelina. I lived and trained in Paris for two years.

I returned to L.A. in 2007, where I obtained a pastry position at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The hotel was an amazing place to learn and be challenged. The environment was incredibly demanding and I definitely sharpened my skills here.

My Own Business
In 2009, I decided to start my own custom cake business. After researching, I realized that there are very few cake businesses that cater to the Latino community, in particular to quinceañeras. I thought it would be a great idea to market my business to that audience so I created Sweet Quince Cake. Since then, I’ve grown consistently and have done cakes for all sorts of events and clients.  From birthdays to Beverly Hills bridal showers to Hollywood album release parties, I’ve done them all.

A Pastry Chef
I chose to be a pastry chef because I wanted to use my creativity in my occupation.  The creative possibilities are endless in pastry and that is exciting to me.  I also love sweet things and creating something that looks and tastes good is very rewarding to me.

One of my mentors is my first pastry instructor, Pierre Jues who teaches at Long Beach City College. He gave me a good insight into the pastry world and a realistic introduction into the hard work and long hours that are required to be a good pastry chef.  He also taught me a lot about French culture and mentality, which helped me when I moved to France.

A Quinceañera Party Pastry Chef
The cake process begins by meeting with the client and getting an idea of what they are looking for in a cake.  Then I create a few sketches of what their cake would look like.  We meet again to discuss the design and I give them a cake sample. Once they order, I plan the cake and prepare all decorations that can be made ahead such as gum paste flowers.

The week before their event, I’m busy baking the cakes and making the fillings.  Usually, the crucial time where all elements come together is two days before. The cake gets created and decorated.  The day of the event, we deliver the cake, set it up, and put all final decorations on the cake. When you own your own business, there are so many other duties you must perform as well. I put time in marketing my business, I maintain a Facebook fan page, and I keep up with all the telephone and email inquiries. It’s very exciting to design your own cakes and see them come to life. The challenge is figuring out the right way to achieve a design in a cake; what materials to use, how to make it. When the final product looks amazing, it’s something exciting.

How Long Will it Take to Become a Pastry Chef?
Usually, pastry programs are 1 year in duration, but there are many years after that during which a person will learn and train on the job.  Baking is tricky and a person needs a lot of practice to understand and master the techniques.

Sources of Income a Pastry Chef Can Have
The great thing about being a pastry chef is that you can work all over the world and in all types of businesses.  From hotels to small bakeries to institutions like schools, there are usually bakers making bread and cakes. The better paying positions are usually at hotels.

To Become an Entrepreneur: Challenges & Rewards
It’s very challenging to start a business on your own.  I didn’t start Sweet Quince Cakes with a lot of money to invest so everything is done by me. Sometimes I have assistants, but when it comes to fielding phone calls, designing, constructing, and delivering, it all depends on me. There have been a lot of late nights spent finishing cakes, but the reward is when the client raves about the work. Then I know I chose the right path.

Giving Back
I teach cake decorating classes at the East Los Angeles Occupational Center and at Crenshaw High School.  Through my teaching, I relay my passion for baking. A lot my students have become very passionate about cakes and have started their own cake businesses. I’m also available for my students and others to mentor them in how to begin making cakes professionally.  As soon as I get my own bakery, I’d love to have interns.

Why I Really Like Quinceañera Celebrations
A quinceañera is a wonderful celebration of a young woman. The quinceañera party can be a great way to honor a young girl at a pivotal moment in her life. The celebration should not only be about showcasing the beautiful young lady she has become, but also about encouragement and building self-esteem to pursue her dreams and become a strong, independent woman.  This is what I believe a quinceañera celebration is about and why I truly enjoy being a part of this special day in a girl’s life.

Chef Christine Martínez
Sweet Quince Cake
(323) 385-6133
info@sweetquincecake.com
www.sweetquincecake.com

This post is also available in: Spanish