People of ProsperUS: Laura Alvarado
By: Anna Gotskind
Laura Alvarado, the founder of Tropical Sweets Cakes, has been baking since she was thirteen years old.
“My dad used to have his own bakery in Puerto Rico but he would just go more into the crackers and the bread and all these things. I liked seeing my aunt do her cakes. She inspired me to go for it and to learn a little bit more.”
Alvarado taught herself how to create beautiful custom cakes first in Puerto Rico and now she applies her skills here in Detroit.
Inspired by her aunt, Alvarado began baking more cakes and improving her skill. She discovered that, like her family, she had a talent for baking. “I’ve never been to school. Never been taught by anybody but myself. Just from an inspiration, seeing my auntie. Actually it was my aunt doing my Grandmother’s 50th-anniversary cake and I wanted to see how it felt so she let me do a little bit of frosting one it. I think that’s what motivated me the most.”
However, when Alvarado moved to Detroit she stopped for a while, not entirely sure if baking was what she wanted to do with her future. She explained that she was scared to put herself out there and start a business. However, slowly, she started baking small cakes again for birthdays and quinceaneras.
“Not a lot of people knew about me. I would say only the Puerto Rican community.”
Still, Alvarado’s baking abilities shined through and she began receiving requests for custom cakes allowing her to rediscover her love for baking them. She began to look at baking cakes as a viable career. Soon after she was accepted to ProsperUS’s Entrepreneur Training Program.
“Coming to ProsperUS made me realize you know, you can do it. Go for it. I wasn’t completely 100% sure that that’s what I envisioned to do and doing [the ProsperUS Entrepreneur Training Program] motivated me to go out there and not be scared.”
She now focuses on baking her incredible custom cakes full time. Alvarado has made cakes inspired by different animals, cartoon characters, holidays, movies, and really whatever the customer wants.
“The beautiful thing about it is that its art and you get to enjoy that art. I enjoy it when I do it. When you complete the project it’s just such an amazing feeling.”
- Phone Number: (313) 687-5402
- Email: tropical.sweetscakes@gmail.com
- Address: 4963 N. Campbell St
