Community Highlights: Meet Yuliana Alcon of Sweet Pink Bakery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuliana Alcon. 

Hi Yuliana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always had a love for cooking but my passion for baking started almost 10 years ago. I needed extra money for a trip I was taking to Japan. At this time, cupcakes were the craze so I started googling and watching YouTube videos and started baking. I was selling them out of my mom’s small business in FL. I was able to save money from my sales and went on my trip. When I got back, I found a small pastry school in Doral, FL. and my professional journey began. All I could think about was baking and coming up with new flavors and recipes. I was able to get hired at Zuma Miami and this was truly a dream come true.

It was my first time baking in a professional kitchen and til this day I am grateful for such an amazing opportunity. Here, I learned the ins and outs of production, working in a team, and omg so many baking applications that I would have never had access to. After leaving Zuma, I ventured on my own and started selling custom cakes, cake pops, and cupcakes. In 2014, I moved to Northern Virginia to be with my Fiancé, once there, I was hired at Bittersweet Catering as Head Baker. This was huge for me, I was managing a team and leading a baking department.

Here, I also learned a lot of new techniques as well as was able to teach my team some of my own. But in my heart, I wanted to continue with my own business I wanted the freedom to be able to offer the desserts I wanted and my own recipes. At this time in late 2015, Sweet Pink Bakery was born. My specialty became wedding cakes, small desserts for events, macarons, and other baked goods. I have always offered my clients the best and freshest ingredients I could source. It’s a huge sense of pride for me to not use pre-made goods. All of the jams, caramels, fillings are made from scratch. Things slowed down for me once my daughter Sophia was born in 2017. 

Once again, we had a big move in 2019 to Summerville, South Carolina. I feel blessed to be in a community that has so many bakers but none offer macarons. I saw that there was a niche market for these amazing cookies. So, I resumed my business here offering macarons. I love baking and being an entrepreneur. Baking only macarons, grants me the flexibility of still owning and managing my business, while still being a mom and wife. I am constantly changing my menu because I like to offer my clients something new, interesting, and different.

I am also always working on new flavor combinations that are very different from the traditional simple flavors. Lastly, my heart was full when I was able to start shipping my baked goods nationwide to share with the world. I currently offer shipping from October through April; summer months are a bit tricky because of the heat and the delicate nature of macarons. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Owning a business and being only one person definitely has its challenges. I remember when I started learning how to make macarons there were many tears lol and massive amounts of frustration. Oven temperature, over whipping your meringue, folding too many times, I can go on and on.

But seeing that I persevered and hearing from my clients that my macarons are the best that they have had, or receiving compliments from bakers I admire makes it all worth it. I also remember when I was pregnant, I couldn’t smell vanilla lol and strong flavors so I would hold my breath at times.

These are all things that I look back on and I am happy that I kept on with it. It’s truly a passion and love for me. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Sweet Pink Bakery. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Sweet Pink Bakery was started out of my love and passion for baking. I pride myself on always sourcing the best ingredients possible for my clients. Everything in my kitchen is made from scratch and to order. I specialize in French Macarons, these delicate cookies are a true work of art. In each bite, there is a punch of flavor from the fillings that I create.

Here in South Carolina, I am known as the macaron lady and people know me from my macarons. One of the things that set me apart is that I offer very unique flavors. I do offer some of the traditional assortments but I tend to also try to include flavors like; earl gray creme brûlée, creme brûlée (this is one of my most popular), key lime pie, lychee raspberry, blueberry cardamom, passion fruit, and mango and these are just a few.

For Christmas, I am excited as I will be offering a macaron filled with Brie honey buttercream with a raspberry jam center and topped with candied nuts. Offering wild and different flavors is what I love to do and it’s what sets me apart. For me, it’s important for clients to know that I put love into everything I bake and that each time they buy from me they are supporting a small business. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The best advice I can offer someone that is just starting is to not give up. Keep at it, keep practicing, and most importantly reach out for help. Like my mom has always said “getting a no is guaranteed, but you won’t know if you can get a yes unless you ask “This means in my case, I reached out to the head pastry chef at Zuma asking for a job. I almost thought she was going to say no immediately because I didn’t have formal training.

Instead, she said to come in for a tryout. OMG, I was overjoyed, in that try out I kept my head low and did as I was told and I got the job. It wasn’t easy and I had a lot to learn but I always stayed extra when they needed me and always had the disposition to learn. I remember being like a sponge I wanted to absorb as much as I could and I loved every single minute of it. 

Pricing:

• My macarons start at $2.00
• My specialty macarons start at $3.00

Contact Info:

• Email: sweetpinkbakeryva@gmail.com
• Website: www.sweetpinkbakery.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweetpinkbakery
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetpinkbakery
• TikTok: @Sweetpinkbakery

Image Credits
Chelsea Rossi Photography