A bakery story.
Life has thrown Gloria DeAngelo more than a few curves, yet she keeps moving forward. She believes in the power of hard work and education.
Whether teaching the art of baking and cake decorating at Milwaukee Area Technical College or mentoring young bakers in her kitchen, she uses her own life as proof.
DeAngelo was born in Milwaukee but raised in Mexico. She attended college to become a kindergarten teacher and had her life planned out.
Things changed drastically when her toddler daughter passed away, and then a few months later, her mother. Seeking a new direction, in 1987 she returned to Milwaukee, where she entered the ESL program at MATC and worked her way into culinary arts. That’s where she was introduced to cakes and launched her career.
She was a fixture at El Rey as a baker and cake decorator for years, and in December 2014 she opened Gloria’s Cake Shop & Cafe, 2531 W. National Ave.
Business has been slower than she’d like, so she’s not offering sandwiches any longer, but she believes in the neighborhood.
Cakes can be ordered and delivered anywhere, and she’s working to get more catering orders. She’s become a master of Mexican churros and loves baking anything, including cheesecakes, French silk pies, even tiramisu and tarts.
Only if pressed will she admit that making and decorating cakes is her favorite. That’s where she can get creative, and she revels in specialty desserts for weddings, showers, birthdays and bachelor parties. If you show her a picture, she can likely make it into a cake.
Milwaukee, Mexico and MATC
I was actually born in Milwaukee. When I was 2, my parents moved back to Mexico. In Mexico, my parents had a restaurant. I graduated from college as a kindergarten teacher. I had a daughter, she passed. My mom passed. It was just five months between the two. I decided to do something with my life, and I came back here.
I didn’t know any English, because I’d been so little when we moved. I went through the ESL program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. While there, I started dreaming about opening a restaurant and went through the culinary arts program. It took me about five years.
I’m so happy I followed through. It was so hard. For me, MATC gave me the key to open doors and keep going.
Her food roots
My parents had a seafood restaurant in Mexico. We grew up cooking, but my mom would only make two desserts: cremita and mango pie.
Kitchen transition
I never thought I’d be baking professionally, but near the end of my culinary arts program somebody asked me to make a quinceañera cake. I asked the teacher if I could make the cake there, and he told me yes.
Something happened, and at the last moment he told me no. I had given my word. I had to do it. I went and got a little KitchenAid and started making cakes at home. I went to El Rey to get ingredients, and (eventually) they asked me if wanted to work for them.
Her mentor
A teacher at MATC, Cheryl Miranda, was the one who taught me to make flowers. I didn’t care too much about cakes, I just wanted to open a restaurant. Then she taught me how to do flowers and borders.
Labor of love
I go home after being here 14 or 15 hours a day, and I say thank you to God because I love doing this.
Cake connection
I’ve had people tell me, “You made a cake for me 25 years ago for my baptism.” Now they come as customers.
Worth the work
The hardest thing to learn in my whole life was making the churro. It is so simple, but there is technique.
Top seller
My mocha tres leches, that’s the most popular thing right now. I like making them all: pies, tortes, mousse, cheesecake, anything. My thing right now is to work on gluten-free and eggless, the specialty cakes.
Trends and tastes
Most people like the look of the fondant, but they don’t like the taste. When I started, I tried the fondant, I’d cover the cake, but my cake is so light and fluffy it would make lines. So I’d make the icing very, very smooth and work the edges of the cake to look like fondant, but it is not.
People like the designs and the toys, a lot of those things are in fondant and gum paste, but I work a lot with buttercream. I love to do wedding cakes and special event cakes. I love the creativity. If someone gives me a picture, I can make it.
Her inspiration
My 24-year-old daughter, Evelyn, she’s the one who keeps me going.
The National neighborhood
Most of my family lives in this area, and I thought this would be good for the area. My parents actually lived on 21st and National when I was born. I live in New Berlin and my husband keeps asking me, why don’t you open closer to home? I want to stay here because I have the faith this is going to work.
Most memorable cake
It was years ago, but I am still very proud of it. I made a cake for the astronaut, James Lovell, and it was presented at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
For the Milwaukee Public Library, they had an anniversary celebration downtown, and I made a replica of the Central Library. I wish I had taken pictures.
Her splurge
I don’t go on vacations. If I have extra money, I just buy stuff for cakes.
Her birthday treat
I’m usually working. We go out to eat. No, I don’t make cake. Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.