Passionate about pão de mel | Flavor | San Luis Obispo

If you’ve never had Brazilian honey cake, or if a transplant is missing at home, head to the local farmers market.

Vanessa Higgins, from Brasilia, and Carina Lahmeyer, from Niteroi, perfected their country’s tradition pao de mel recipe, creating a “killer combination of ingredients in one small bite,” according to customer Gabbi Banducci, a San Luis Obispo resident from Curitiba.

“We wanted to bring something different to SLO and connect with our culture,” said Higgins, who, along with Lahmeyer, moved to San Luis Obispo two years ago. “We tried a few recipes until we found what we needed for ourselves and our customers.

“We use a good quality Ghirardelli bakery chocolate. We have chosen to use dark chocolate to balance the sweetness of the doce de leite [caramelized milk]. The spices and honey in our cake batter make the texture soft and chewy. The ingredients all combine to make a super delicious honey cake. “

The Friends and Business Partners launched a cottage restoration operation in March, first selling to friends and then later that year expanded to farmers’ markets and pop-up locations on the Central Coast as the news of their sweets was spreading.

“We chose the name Honey Bee SLO to refer to where we live and love,” Lahmeyer said. “When we have the opportunity to sell our cakes statewide, everyone will know that we make them here in this special place we call home.”

Banducci was thrilled when “a dear friend found out about this business and bought me honey cakes, knowing they were homemade by Brazilians. She nailed him to the head with this gift.

“I buy [their product] at least once a month, either for myself or as a gift for friends and family. Everyone who received these cakes loved them. “

Banducci adds that she is deeply grateful to Higgins and Lahmeyer, giving Brazilians a taste of home, while “bringing something new to this great place called the Central Coast.”

Another regular customer, Reese Galindo of SLO, is not Brazilian, but she’s a big fan, buying the treats for afternoon pick-ups as well as milestones such as birthdays and graduation ceremonies.

“Honey Bee SLO Honey Cakes are an exceptional addition to the dining scene here at SLO,” she said. “Certain ingredients remind me of my own Filipino heritage.

“There’s a wonderful balance between the caramel and the subtle cinnamon flavor of the cake. Then the dark chocolate pairs perfectly. Pair that with a cup of coffee, and nothing beats a honey cake for merienda.“

By March, the duo were producing 60 honey cakes a week, “and now we’re at 300, according to our schedule of events,” according to Lahmeyer.

The two women have busy plates of raising young children, volunteering at school and, in Lahmeyer’s case, taking part-time jobs in the architectural-related retail business.

Lahmeyer is an architect by training, while Higgins holds a master’s degree in business administration.

Cooking, however, is part of their culture and remains their passion.

“I come from a large family where potlucks are the norm,” Lahmeyer said. “Everyone is responsible for bringing at least one dish. Cooking has therefore always been both a necessity and a passion for [me]. “

Higgins, meanwhile, travels to explore new cuisine and “remembers learning to bake cakes from my dad when I was only 10,” she said.

Fate reunited Lahmeyer and Higgins one day at SLO’s Sinsheimer Park.

“I was playing tennis and my husband was watching our boys,” Higgins said. “He heard Carina speak Portuguese in the playground and introduced himself and the children. We became friends before business partners.

“Our Brazilian community here in SLO County is close by. We have barbecues, celebrate birthdays, support each other’s businesses and play soccer on Sundays.”

At Honey Bee SLO, the partners “share the responsibility for baking, weekly shopping, social media, deliveries and most of the time we both manage the table at our events,” said Lahmeyer. “We are busy bees.”

Their characteristic dark chocolate doce de leite Honey cake recipe is the creation of Higgins.

“I started following the social media accounts of Brazilians in the United States doing pao de mel“she said.” I made a batch for myself but messed up the measurements. I am used to the metric system. I got it on the second try to share it with my local Brazilian friends. Everyone seemed to love them, so we had the courage to make them for Valentine’s Day and share them with the teachers at our children’s school.

“Based on the feedback, three of us Brazilian moms designed a brand and started selling. One of us decided to focus on other things, but we remain close friends, and Carina and I have kept the business going, ”continued Higgins.

The duo also make honey cakes coated with white chocolate, special-order gluten-free versions, bites of cakes, and doce de leite like a spread.

“A special advice from Brazil: eat doce de leite with a spoon, “Lahmeyer added.” You won’t regret it. “

Higgins has said he wants to expand the honey cake flavor menu to include things like passion fruit and coconut and is currently working on a pumpkin flavor for fall.

“We also want to experiment with other uses for our unique cake batter. It can be used in anything from full-size cakes to Belgian-style street waffles. I would also like to develop an ice cream flavor and / or a sundae, ”Higgins said.

Honey cakes come in different sizes and packaging, while cake bites come in two different mason jar sizes that can be reused or returned for a free honey cake.

“I would one day like to open a Brazilian bakery, or padaria, selling savory products as well as sweets and also imported Brazilian products, ”Higgins said. “In Brazil, the padaria is your one-stop-shop and neighborhood meeting point. “

In the meantime, the duo invite customers to follow their activity or place direct orders through their website or social media accounts. Personalized requests are welcome.

Try them, urge customers Banducci and Galindo.

“Vanessa and Carina are amazing people – really warm with their communications, and they deliver the highest quality outfits,” said Galindo. “It’s so wonderful to be able to support a local business, but I feel like we are the real winners because we have the opportunity to share such a delicious part of their culture.” ??

Flavor writer Cherish Whyte is stuck on Brazilian honey cakes. Contact her at [email protected].