Meet Mayra Alvarez | Cake Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mayra Alvarez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mayra, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process behind starting Dessertsbymay came to me in a peculiar way. My husbands grandmother used to make rum cakes for the elderly center she would visit weekly. When she passed in 2019, I found her recipe for her rum cakes folded and stashed away in a note pad. As we began to clear her house, I found all her rum cake pans and I had a strange sense of curiosity of making the rum cake recipe I found. I’m a true and firm believer in the power of our thoughts and for a while I used to pray and think of what I can do for myself and my family that would make me a better me! I always wanted to do something for myself and be proud knowing I accomplished it on my own. Being a stay at home mom while going to school was not doing it for me. College became a struggle to finish and I felt like it was not what I wanted to do. I took a break from online schooling (Covid obligated many of us to do online only) and I said what the heck, let’s make a rum cake. My husband was my first Guinea pig and he couldn’t get enough! He started asking for them weekly and I said to myself, let’s pass out samples! One day I made about 50 tiny samples, my daughter was 1 and half at the time so I put her on my chest with a baby carrier and started passing out samples in my neighborhood and drove down to other neighborhoods and knocked on doors, introduced myself and offered my samples and people took them without thinking twice. That same week I started getting calls and that was the birth of Dessertsbymay.

What should our readers know about your business?
Since I had my son back in 2015, my husband and I decided that I should stay home with him. We did not really have family that we can count on as far as helping us with watching our son and daycares can be really expensive so staying at home was more cost effective for us. For years it bothered me that he was the only one providing. I worked since I was 15 and staying at home to care for our house and children was something that didn’t sit well with me. I always had the desire to do something to help my husband with the weight of bills but most importantly, to help myself become a better version of me. I couldn’t figure out what I was good at up until July 2019. I sold rum cakes for a few months and it woke a passion and desire in me that I had no idea existed. I wanted more. I needed more. I wanted to learn and grow even more. I said to myself, let’s make a cake! When I tell you it wasn’t easy, it was not easy. So much trial and error and sleepless nights. My recipes go through tremendous trial and error and although at times it was frustrating and tears would roll down my face, despite of it all, I never gave up. I would wake up, bake and practice, go to sleep and wake up to do it all over again because I knew one day someone will reach out wanting a cake for a special occasion and I needed to be prepared. About a few weeks after, I got my first call for a birthday cake and I was a nervous wreck! But I took my time and although it wasn’t perfect, it was the start of new skill and that’s all I needed to get to where I am today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Haha! I’m a hermit! We don’t really go out much and when we do we usually travel up north to the beaches or to Orlando because we have an obsessive disorder with Disney, no shame. But if I had a friend staying over I would most likely take her evening sight seeing to biscayne bay in a boat. When I met my husband, we would go walking and stop in the middle of the biscayne bridge and just talk and share smiles with all the buildings lit up and ocean ahead of us. It was the best and most freeing feeling. So definitely taking her there and right after, dinner at Casolas!! Their pizzas slices are HUGE!! I mean literally the size of two of my faces put together and they are delicious! After that, most likely plan a few days at Orlando because who doesn’t love a little food and wine at Epcot!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely! A huge shoutout to Erick for helping me come up with the name for my brand and for believing in me that I should start selling rum cakes. He does photography over at @largachaphotography To my good friend Melissa owner of @mels_weddings she’s amazing! She helped me tremendously during Dessert wars 2020! We got top 7! And last but not least, my dear husband Alexander. What a support he’s been and I couldn’t ask for a better partner to help me keep up .

Website: https://dessertsbymay.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgIQC4CO1nJ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Italian tile 2 tier cake photo was provided by @dipphotography