Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercy Fabila.
Hi Mercy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was a Marketing Consultant for health and wellness businesses throughout LA for nearly a decade but baking was always the tool I used to reduce anxiety and turn off the multiple tabs open in my head. Coming from a business background but with a deep interest in baking, I wasn’t sure how I could combine the two so I continued to bake as a hobby for many years. With the pandemic temporarily closing most of my client’s businesses, I used this free time to bake for friends and family and bring them some sweet joy during these unexpected times. I began testing out various rustic dessert recipes as I’ve always been drawn to the aesthetic of an imperfect-looking but incredibly delicious pastry or cake. After a few months, the most requested dessert was my Basque Burnt Cheesecake and after doing some research, I realized that this cake is not easily found, especially in the South Bay so I decided I wanted to get it out there to my local community.
After surviving a brain tumor in 2017, I made a promise to myself to always pursue what truly makes me happy and brings me peace. Nothing changes your priorities quite like a near-death experience! Baking just so happens to bring me peace and so much happiness… especially when customers share their joy with me after taking that first bite of my unique Basque Burnt Cheesecake.
2021 saw tremendous growth for my business so I began splitting time baking out of a commissary and from my home kitchen to fulfill as many weekly orders as I could. I have catered events for El Segundo Rotary Club, Manhattan Village in Manhattan Beach, and numerous pop-up events, as well as private events including weddings, birthdays and baby showers. I look forward to growing Bashi Bakes by incorporating more rustic desserts to the menu in 2022 that are inspired by my Spanish, Mexican, and Italian background.
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?
Since I did not plan on switching careers from marketing consultant to baker, I initially struggled with the idea that I may be leaving a stable career and relationships with clients that I cultivated for years to walk into the unknown world of baking. When I saw the demand grow for my cheesecakes, I slowly began cutting ties with clients, right around the time the world began opening up again, post-quarantine. It was a big risk but I knew I couldn’t do both careers. Even with an entrepreneurial mindset, you can’t always multitask and be successful, especially when you’re starting a brand new business in a completely different industry. I needed as much time as possible to learn how to turn this hobby into a full-fledged business.
As a consultant, I learned to network and find clients on my own but that was as far as I would go with putting myself out there. The rest of my time was happily spent working behind the scenes to build the online presence of these businesses. Now that I am growing Bashi Bakes, I’ve realized how important it is to really be the face of my business, but this was something I initially struggled with. Having worked with influencers and all aspects of marketing, one would think this would be an easy transition but again, I was always behind the scenes and much more private. After giving it a lot of thought, I figured that at this stage of my baking business, I really want my customers to know who I am. I am not just creating a website anymore. I am not curating social media pages. I am considerably researching the finest ingredients and techniques to ensure that each cake gives my customers a truly decadent dessert experience. Most importantly, I want to gain the trust of my customers because I know how important word-of-mouth is in the baking industry. What helps me push myself to be the face of Bashi Bakes is remembering how passionate I am about every step of the baking process. I love what I do and I love that I am introducing this rare cake to so many people who have never heard of a basque burnt cheesecake. It is also pretty amazing when I hear those who don’t like cheesecake say I’ve converted them!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I bake authentic basque burnt cheesecakes hailing from Basque Country, a unique region in northern Spain known for its deep traditions & rich cuisine, baked at various high temperatures throughout the baking process to produce a caramelized surface with a creamy, lightly-sweet interior. Unlike American cheesecake, these fluffy cakes are best enjoyed warm or at room temperature. The cake pairs well with coffee, red wine, and sweet and velvety Pedro Ximenez sherry, as they do in Basque Country.
Our most popular cakes are the Mini BB Cheesecakes. After much testing in the kitchen, I was able to capture the same texture and flavor of the larger cakes in mini size that are perfect for events and dessert tables. I always say, though, to get the full experience and to thoroughly savor each bite, I always recommend the larger cakes. All of our cakes are also available gluten-free.
Bashi Bakes is proud to be the only bakery in the South Bay producing these delicious cheesecakes in the most authentic way as possible. We also proudly bake using organic ingredients, biodegradable, non-toxic parchment paper, and a lot of love.
Pricing:
- Mini BB Cheesecakes – $38 / dozen
- 6-inch Basque Burnt Cheesecake – $35
- 8-inch Basque Burnt Cheesecake – $45
- 10-inch Basque Burnt Cheesecake – $60
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.bashibakes.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bashibakes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bashibakes
