Meet Liz Castañeda | Baker & Cookie Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Castañeda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think much of the success of my brand is owed to my commitment to quality from start to finish. I only use the highest quality ingredients to deliver an absolutely delicious tasting cookie. Having beautiful, custom designs that are artistically special is equally important to me. I love to include delicate and tiny details that make cookies feel special or more personal, even if it takes more time. All my products are packaged with hand tied bows in beautiful bakery boxes with matching ribbon. My customers rely on me to help them celebrate some of life’s most special occasions and I want them to feel the meticulous care in every step of bringing their vision to life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Simply put, cookies bring me joy. Making something from scratch that is detailed and beautiful directly from my imagination is immensely fulfilling. I enrolled in culinary school many years ago feeling burnt out from a cutthroat job in the fashion industry and struggling with the difficulty of infertility. I found peace in the measured science of baking and the creative expression of decorating. I spent several years as recipe developer for a household brand but felt stifled behind a major corporation and not always able to have my own voice. I started The HB Baker as way to create and fulfill my artistic passions and to run a business that was all mine. Balancing a small business and family life has been both a challenge and a gift. While I love not having marketing executives weighing in on my choices, or long meetings, running a one woman show can be difficult. I’ve learned so much about things I never imagined, like website design, photography, and even how to 3D print cookie cutters. Learning new things is exciting and helps push me in new ways. Being in control of my schedule, choices and my brand is well worth the extra work.
Baking and decorating cookies makes me happy, but the best part is – it also makes other people happy. The smile on people’s faces when they see their cookies is definitely the best part of the job and provides so much motivation to deliver the absolute best product possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Huntington Beach and Orange County have so many beautiful places and fun things to do. Our trip would definitely begin with some times spent on the sand at our beautiful local beaches. Can’t come to HB without and walk down the iconic pier, tacos at Sancho’s and then some shopping with a view at Pacific City. A sunrise hike in beautiful Crystal Cove would be a definite must and then off to my favorite brunch spot, Haute Cakes. And there is not a more quintessentially more OC outing than dinner at Javier’s. The food is incredible and so is the people watching. A quick stop by Disneyland for a churro and dole whip and maybe a ride is always on the list. The perks of living nearby and being a passholder! I take treats as pretty serious business so there would definitely be a stop for all my favorites….a cinnamon crumb doughnut from Sidecar, a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie from Paderia and my absolute all time favorite treat since I was a little girl- a balboa bar from Sugar n’ Spice on Balboa Island.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be here today without the encouragement of my parents and husband to leave my corporate job behind and enroll in culinary school nearly 15 years ago. The joy I found in the kitchen has only been matched by that found in parenting my twin daughters Carolina & Camila. They are eager taste testers, honest critics, and the biggest champions of my work. And to my early customers who took a chance on me and allowed me to build my portfolio and shared my business with their friends and neighbors.

Website: https://thehbbaker.com/

Instagram: @thehbbaker