Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Ahmad Escobedo.
Hi Karla, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It’s a pleasure to be doing my first interview as a small bakery business owner! My name is Karla Ahmad Escobedo and I am 22 years old with ambitious dreams of one day owning a family-owned bakery + restaurant. This has been a childhood dream of mine and I’d love to leave it behind to my children and family to take care of it. Also, there’s no greater privilege than being your own boss. I believe I was about 17 years old when I started working in the food-service industry at multiple restaurants around Texas. From running around waiting 5 tables during rush hour to working from the comfort of my own place, I think I’ve come a long way as a Millennial Momtrepreneur.
Gig ’em! As a former Texas Aggie majoring in political science sinking in college loans, I needed to make some money quickly. So, I decided to put my law school dreams on hold and take time off when the global pandemic hit March of 2020. Whilst in college, I was lucky enough to have met my now husband, Usama. As fate would have it, we shortly found out we were expecting our first son. Few months later, we moved out of the city limits and into the small town of Texarkana, Texas. This is where the story of Pattycakes Tx began.
As you might be familiar with, during quarantine times we were stuck indoors, scared to accidentally cough around others. One day endlessly scrolling life along, I was stopped by some images of the cutest bento cakes with the prettiest designs I’ve ever seen in my life created by a well-known Korean bakery. Right off the bat, I decided to get some cake pans together and attempt one of my own. Let’s leave that story for another day.. But within a few weeks after some research on Texas cottage laws, joining Facebook groups, & Youtube Videos, I decided to pursue this and see where it would lead to. I really just wanted to make vintage, lambeth-inspired cakes with intricate piping because they make my heart happy just looking at how beautiful they are!
Fast Forward to today, I’m just a mommy who loves to bake and decorate cakes for aesthetic and therapeutic reasons. I like to listen to hits from the 90’s/ early 2000’s and sip on chai tea while decorating custom designed cakes and snapping lots of pictures for the gram. I love talking to other experienced bakers to see how they’re doing, exchange tips and tricks, arrange giveaways, and meet other moms for playdates. I also love cooking on a regular basis and trying new dishes and recipes, especially Mexican dishes my mother would cook off the top of her head while I rewatch a video 500 times. Hey who knows maybe I’ll earn a Chef title someday!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When the pandemic first hit, I was laid off so I had to move back to my parent’s in a whole different city. It can become tiresome to constantly pack/move alongside market your business in different cities and still have clients from all over trying to reach you. When I was first starting up, I lived in a smaller city so I would get maybe one or two orders a month. It was very slow and honestly, I almost gave up but my husband always encouraged me to keep going and pursue this dream. That’s what makes this worthwhile despite having some slow weekends. No matter the obstacle, I will always pour my heart out into my small business.
Especially as a first-time mother and starting up a business, things can get hectic. Most days, my husband is at work and I am at home watching my son and baking. As easy as it sounds to whip up an egg and some cake flour, it does require full attention. You need to have patience and be able to multitask. You don’t over bake your cake a day before the order is due. I have to make a schedule, keep up with packaging and inventory, my costs and revenue, and still make time to message clients back. First and foremost, I am a full-time mother, and whenever I get the chance I send out invoices and make fondant pieces even if it’s 3 am. Yep, challenging isn’t it?
However, looking back at the start of this early 2021 when I first launched, I can’t wait to see where we’re headed. Growth has been exponential with awesome feedback from clients, new cake designs every week, growing followers on social media and recognition in the community. I really enjoy what I do, as a mother, wife, and cake decorator. It also means a lot to me when clients send in photos of their children smashing a cake and their smiles! Oh my goodness, it’s wonderful. I’d love to continue doing cakes for as long as God allows me to. I can only wish for the readers to follow your heart and listen to that little voice inside of you to do something regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Absolutely! I’m thrilled with Pattycakes Tx Bakery and how far it’s come from just picking out a name that sounded cute and catchy! I’m also the baker, cake decorator, accountant, business marketer, social media manager, & the front face of PattyCakes TX.
We specialize in custom cakes, decadent wedding cakes, cupcakes, & cakesicles! We even work vegan and gluten-free who may have food allergies and still want to enjoy a slice of cake! It’s like chemistry class all over again trying to perfect some recipes and working with so many ingredients. However, these are doctored recipes & homemade desserts for all occasions ranging from smash cake sessions and baby showers to graduations and engagements! Per Texas Cottage laws, I can’t really work with whipping cream or anything that requires refrigeration for that matter, but I do love working with buttercream, faux swiss meringue, vegan chocolate ganache and especially fondant. The fondant I use is gluten- free, dairy-free, nut-free and vegan too! It sort of reminds me of Play-Doh back in the day making a little shape & figures. My inner child is definitely happy when it comes to making cake toppers out of fondant.
On another note, I designed my very own logo. It previously was a white and round with a pink Kitchenaid Stand Mixer drawing and PattyCakes Tx on the top. I decided to rebrand when I moved to Houston because I wanted to take this brand to another level. So I opened up Canva and thus created the recognizable emerald teal green logo with a gold Taj Mahal in the center of it. If I had to guess, this logo is what separates us from the rest. It’s design was inspired by beautiful South Asian-Indian Architecture with a vibrancy of elegance and royalty. I also love to incorporate some culture and language with the addition of Urdu on my menu. Now you might be thinking, “all this mention of cake… I might just have to get one soon!” Well lucky for you, we’re in North Houston off 45 near Bush Airport. We offer pickup & delivery all over the larger metropolitan area of Houston, including the Woodlands, Katy, Sugarland, Needville, and Pasadena. Find us on our facebook business page, instagram, and tiktok! Feel free to stop by anytime and follow along on this cake journey of mine.
Blessing to you all, thank you for taking the time to read this.
Mrs. Karla Ahmad Escobedo
Pricing:
- Smash cakes start at $45.
- Custom cakes start at $65
- Tiered cakes start at $100
- Wedding cakes start as low as $275
Contact Info:
- Email: Pattycakesllctx@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/pattycakestx
- Facebook: Facebook.com/pattycakestx
Image Credits:
Karla Ahmad Escobedo
