Local cake artist competes to be ‘The Greatest Baker’

KYLE — A baker in Kyle is continuing the legacy of her mother and ensuring that her memory stays alive through every cake she makes. And she is hoping to share her story with the world by competing to earn the title of ‘The Greatest Baker.’

Susana Otalora has been baking for the past year through her local home-based business, Susana’s Dessert House, where she is recognized specifically for her bundt cakes that are infused with fresh fruits and soft creams that make the desserts just sweet enough. When she bakes bundt cakes for orders, Otalora feels like she is a child again when her mom would bake different desserts during the holidays, special occasions and just because.

“In my country [Columbia], my mom used to bake as a hobby. Basically, she was my first teacher and that was my first experience baking. Unfortunately, she passed away on July 20, 2021, and I just had my daughter, she was 10 months old. It was a hard time for me and I just keep baking because it reminds me of my mother,” she explained. “She had a plan to open a bakery in my country. She was taking professional classes there, but her dream stopped because of COVID-19 and she got sick. It was a huge loss for our family, and obviously for me … I just keep baking to keep away from the pain.”

The baker has only had her hobby-turned-small business for a short time, but she has felt a tremendous amount of support from Kyle and neighboring communities. She also credits La Ola Pop Shop and Dolores Diaz, formerly of Sweet Cakes 4 U prior to its closure earlier this year, for their guidance and advice.

“I was doing it as a hobby, basically … [When it] was Valentine’s Day, we had lots of orders. And then I just went to a Kyle fair, I think it was Pie in the Sky,” Otalora said. “It was actually my second time having a pop-up and it was sold out after three or four hours of being there. People were asking me, ‘Do you have a [storefront] or something like that?’ It was a really good opportunity to see how well it was going to be.”

Road to The Greatest Baker

Otalora is competing to become “The Greatest Baker” in a national competition hosted by Buddy Valastro, known as the “Cake Boss,” a pastry chef and TV personality. The winner of the competition will receive $10,000 and be featured in a global artisan food and cooking magazine, “Bake From Scratch.” They will also be able to meet and attend an exclusive workshop with Valastro.

The competition is all about recognizing home-based bakers and small businesses. For Otalora, winning could mean being able to purchase a mobile cake/food truck to have her desserts be more accessible to the public.

“I never expected this business to be this successful, so in my mind, it was just baking out of my home. But my own customers are just asking me to have something more open to the public … This is a big opportunity because the money is going to go directly to open something,” she explained. “And being in the magazine, wow, that's unbelievable. Being there, making my business just to be more recognizable for everyone around the country, Texas and obviously in the county, is huge for me.”

As of Monday, Dec. 4, Otalora is currently placed third in her group. Voting for the first round — the group stage — is active until 9 p.m. CST on Thursday, Dec. 7. Following the other rounds, the grand prize winner is expected to be announced in early 2024.

The competition is also supporting The Andrew McDonough Be Positive Foundation, which helps provide for families dealing with pediatric cancer across the country. Those who vote for bakers in the competition receive one free vote per day, but they can also receive more votes by donating a specific amount. For example, if someone donates $10, then they get 10 votes for their chosen baker.

To vote for Otalora to become ‘The Greatest Baker,’ visit www.greatestbaker.com/2023/susana-otalora.