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Rudy, 15, makes outta-this-world confections. His shop, The Cakery, tempts customers with some of the most amazing cakes around. No one knows sugar like this guy!

This cookin’ kid bakes custom cakes for special occasions, running The Cakery right from his home. “I specialize in decorated cakes,” he says.

Addin’ the Deco

Rudy’s interest in baking rises from helping his mom in the kitchen. “She taught me how to really bake,” he explains. “I do mostly everything from scratch, and use mixes only for the really hard cakes.”

On a shopping trip in Rudy saw a cake decorating kit and decided to expand his creative skills. Shortly after, Rudy was rolling in the batter… Er, dough. “I started decorating my cakes, and people started buying them,” he says.

Testin’ the Mix

The extra flow got Rudy interested in his own biz, so he attended a summer camp at La Jicarita Enterprise Center lead by ‘trep instructor Juan Casimiro. “It really interested me,” Rudy says. “I had the talent, I had the cakes, and I wanted to do it — so I started the business.”

Rudy learned a lot of valuable info in class, including how to stay legal. Because The Cakery is so small, Rudy doesn’t have a whole lot of rules and regs. “Because I don’t cook foods besides my cakes, I only have to have a certificate to sell baked goods,” he says. “If my kitchen were bigger or I sold other food, I’d have to get a license.”

Rudy admits business isn’t always booming, but during graduation season he made six cakes in one weekend. The largest cake he’s made so far has been the three-tiered cake for his grandfather’s 73^rd birthday.

Takin’ the Heat!

The baked goodies business isn’t without its mind-boggling moments. While Rudy was making a cake for a farewell party, the electricity went out. Luckily, the cake was already baked, but Rudy still had to think fast. “I had to finish decorating the cake by lamplight,” he laughs.

Rudy says the best thing to come out of his business has been his recent trip to Florida to attend BizFest 2000. He came home with a special memento. “I had been looking for a chef’s hat for a year,” he says. “I wanted one of the big, poofy ones, not a tall one. I passed by this shop at Disney World and there it was.” Rudy wore the hat for the rest of his trip.

Rudy also uses his status as a successful ‘trep to teach other teens. “I tell people, ‘With a dash of creativity and a pinch of hard work, I have the recipe to success,’” he says.