interview+photography by Jorge Perezchica
Who could have anticipated the perfect pairing between nostalgia and food? Meet Kassandra Rioseco-Jimenez, a passionate baker with roots in Calexico-Mexicali and currently based in Palm Springs. In her kitchen, nostalgia serves as the secret ingredient, evoking memories of her mother’s cakes and her grandmother’s enduring influence. Inspired by fresh produce, Kassandra seamlessly infuses her Latina heritage into her cakes, a reflection of her family’s rich farming background.
Kassandra’s journey was by no means direct, taking unexpected turns before honing in on her craft. Reflecting back at 19, she found herself immersed in the world of baking at Ceci-Cela, the renowned bakery owned by French pastry chef and founder Laurent Dupal, where she sold cakes in New York. The bustling city life then led her to corporate retail, where she took charge of store aesthetics and curating spaces. After putting baking on hold for years, the dry spell suddenly ended in 2018 with the birth of her first child, ‘Nina.’ Life no longer felt like a frantic pace or being stuck in a hamster wheel of work. Kassandra found freedom, reigniting her passion for baking.
The magic typically unfolds at 3 a.m. when the clock strikes, her kids are peacefully asleep, and Kassandra’s creativity thrives. It’s a symphony of flavors in harmony with the comforting aroma of baking, shared with her husband. Picture decadent cakes adorned with a lavish array of flavors and textures. Imagine the velvety richness of whipped dark chocolate, delicate citrus notes complimented with the sweetness of hibiscus, and berries bursting with vibrant freshness.
At the core of Kassandra’s baking philosophy is nostalgia, transcending mere sentimentality. For her, it’s about cherishing memories, an emotion heightened since becoming a mother. With the launch of her bakery, named Con Amor, Nina y León after her two children, she is savoring early success, attracting returning customers and securing larger orders. Despite being just two months into the business, Kassandra is fueled by the positivity resonating from the local community, spreading organically through word of mouth and referrals.
Kassandra’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly Latina women, is to embrace creativity fearlessly. To her, being Latina signifies family, culture, food, and relishing the simple joys of life. Her ultimate goal is to carve out a cherished space—a hole-in-the-wall bakery destined to become a local classic, with her grown-up kids nearby.
¡Ay, qué rico!
Read on for our conversation with Kassandra Rioseco-Jimenez
Early Baking Roots in New York
Coachella Magazine: Introduce yourself and tell us about your background in the baking business.
Kassandra Rioseco-Jimenez: When I was 19, I moved to New York and I worked for a wholesale baker. The bakery is called Ceci-Cela and the owner, his name is Laurent DuPal. I worked with him for nine months. I worked at his wholesale bakery in Brooklyn, and I worked selling cakes in his shop in Manhattan, and that was my introduction to baking.
When I came back from New York, I got into retail and I just worked corporate retail for about eight or nine years and left the whole baking thing behind. But when I had my first child in 2018, my little girl Nina, I had more time to bake again. My life wasn’t so fast. I wasn’t stuck in that hamster wheel of just working. So, I was able to start baking again.
Reviving Passion After Motherhood
CM: How has your mother’s experience as a baker shaped your own approach to baking?
KRJ: My mom’s been a baker her entire life. She caters back home. I’m from Calexico-Mexicali and she’s known for her cakes. She’s known for catering. So I learned early on, that it could be a business.
CM: Could you share the inspiration behind your baking business and how did motherhood influence this decision?
KRJ: I was newly inspired when I became a mother myself. And I had more time to create, to bake or to cook at home. And that just brought back all of the nostalgic memories. I guess it gave me time to think about my culture and about how food and baking has always been such a big part of my life. And that inspired me to start my at-home bakery.
CM: What unique flavors or twists do you incorporate into your baked goods that reflect your Latina heritage?
KRJ: I take a lot of inspiration from fresh food. My grandparents and my husband’s parents were both farm workers and there was always fresh fruit, fresh seasonal stuff around and in abundance. For example, my husband’s parents would come home with a big box of persimmons or a big box of figs, or a big box of blackberries when they were in season. So that really inspires me to create a cake around the seasonal produce.
Overcoming Obstacles and Networking
CM: What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them in the launch of your bakery?
KRJ: For me, personally, it was the financial aspect of it, like obtaining permits, getting all of the right supplies, making the time. The way I overcome it is by handling one obstacle at a time, letting things play out the way they’re supposed to, and not forcing everything to happen at once. I’ve only been doing this for two months, slowly tackling each obstacle as it comes.
CM: Do you ever reach out to your mom for ideas or recipes?
KRJ: All the time. I probably call her like four times a day. Yeah. She really wants to hang up on me all the time.
CM: Do you use social media as a source of inspiration?
KRJ: All the time and for food. Social media has been a good outlet. I think that the pandemic really slowed everybody down. It bred a new generation of creatives that are looking at food differently, looking at produce differently, looking at their health differently. And I hadn’t been on social media since probably 2015. When I got back on social media, it was an inspiration to see what other people are doing with produce.
CM: In what way do you engage and contribute to the local community through your bakery?
KRJ: I haven’t gotten to that point yet where I really, truly, I’m engaging the way I want to. I’d love to participate in more markets. I’d love to meet more local artisans and local business owners. I’ve only been doing this for two months, but I do definitely wanna give back. There’s a lot of opportunity for that in the community.
CM: Currently, is your focus primarily on deliveries and pop-ups?
KRJ: It’s mainly through deliveries and pickups at my house. I have done a couple of pop-ups at markets.
CM: What’s your approach to networking and establishing connections for pop-up collaborations?
KRJ: Lately, the pop-ups I’ve participated in, I’ve been reached out to. But I do wish there was a platform or something where other entrepreneurs could learn about pop-ups that are happening or being planned. Because that would be easier for all of us to have all that information in one place.
Creative Harmony at 3 a.m
CM: Can you share a standout moment or experience from your time running the bakery?
KRJ: What stands out to me is that, I think about my mom a lot, because she would wait for me to be asleep for her to bake. So, my favorite memories are of my husband and me at three in the morning when our babies are asleep, and we’re baking either for a market in the morning, or we have a big order. Those are my fondest memories right now — my husband and I waiting for our kids to sleep, and then we just start being creative together.
CM: And everybody’s been supportive so far?
KRJ: My husband, Oh yeah. He’s a chef. So he gets it. And he’s been super supportive. He’s excited for me.
CM: What’s been the most unexpected thing so far since you started your business?
KRJ: Well, first I thought it was gonna be a little bit slower, you know? So, I would just do like a cake a week or every two weeks. And what’s been the most unexpected is the way that the community has really invited me to market. They’ve ordered from me again. I’ve had returning customers. I have bigger orders. For example, tomorrow I have a 40 mini-cake order. So that’s been the most unexpected.
CM: Have you always had a natural sense of creativity, given the visual appeal of your cakes?
KRJ: I did corporate visuals for two different companies, Donna Karen and Anthropology. I was in charge of curating spaces, making sure the store aesthetics were pleasing, and the merchandise sold. I was in charge of that. I’ve always been creative in that way, in the aesthetics of things, but never in the food industry.
CM: What is your ultimate goal? Do you envision opening a physical space in the future?
KRJ: That’s my ultimate goal. To have a little hole in the wall, a space maybe in downtown Palm Springs, or maybe a mobile facility, something like that. But something small, nothing big. Something that I can manage.
CM: As a Latina entrepreneur, what advice do you have for other aspiring business owners?
KRJ: My advice would be, if you’re really passionate about something, no matter what it is — fashion, food, the arts — just put yourself out there and do it. I think sometimes as Latina women, we’re scared to be creative. Actually it’s not even just Latina women; it’s our our generation as a whole. You know, we’re brought up to be hard workers, work for somebody, do your best, show up to work every day. Our dreams are kind of always put up to the side. So, my advice would be to just do it. Put yourself out there. You never know who you can meet, who’s watching you, or what opportunities may pop up by just making yourself visible. It’s that simple.
Favorites, Reflections, and Future Plans
CM: Do you have a favorite cake?
KRJ: It’s kind of like picking your favorite baby <laugh>. It’s like picking a favorite child. So, I would say…
CM: The one you shared on social media with figs looked quite appealing to me.
KRJ: The fig is probably my favorite because it reminds me so much of the women in my family. My grandmother loved figs. My mother loves figs. I love figs. My mother-in-Law. So, I think that’s my favorite as well.
CM: Where do you see yourself in five to 10 years?
KRJ: Hopefully, my little hole-in-the-wall bakery will be a Palm Springs classic. I see my babies all grown up running around the bakery. That’s It.
CM: Apart from baking, are there other types of businesses you’d like to explore?
KRJ: Right now, I’m just focused on this project, but I’m sure once I get to a place I feel comfortable, I can explore opening something else or doing something else. But for now, just the baking business, the cake business.
CM: What do you love most about the baking business?
KRJ: I love the solitude when creating a cake or something. The creativity that goes into menu building. I love the nostalgia, thinking of when my mother would bake cakes when we were younger. Thinking about my grandmother. I love building something around the produce. I guess, it’s the nostalgic aspect of it — just looking back as you’re baking.
CM: You’ve brought up nostalgia frequently. How would you define its significance for you?
KRJ: It means memories. Ever since I became a mother, I’m not working as much — I’m just at home. I’ve had a lot of time to be nostalgic, to look back at memories, to think of produce in a different way. To think of food, our past and how food really brings us together. And those memories that I don’t have anymore in the present day.
Icing on the Cake
CM: How has the feedback been so far in the community?
KRJ: So far it’s been positive. “Knock on wood.” I haven’t had anything negative or anything.
CM: Good word of mouth has been spreading?
KRJ: It’s been spreading organically, I’ve had my first client, for example, I’ve baked about eight cakes for her already. And she’s referred me to people. So far it’s been positive. “Knock on wood.”
CM: How would you describe yourself in three words?
KRJ: Creative. Latina. Mother.
CM: And lastly, what does being a Latina mean to you?
KRJ: I’m Mexican. To me, it means embracing our culture, which is family oriented. It is around food. It is about having fun, and embracing life. Enjoying life. That’s what it is to me.
SOCIAL: @conamorninayleon