Dulcinea Baking Co. has promoted tasty handmade pastries and savory dishes such as quesadillas, breakfast burritos and chicken tamales on its Instagram page.

From colorful conchas to a warm cup of coffee, the bakery’s atmosphere offers delightful customer service and a variety of options for any season or occasion. 

Oaxaca is a state in the south of Mexico, according to an Indigenous Mexico article. 

The state is widely known as Mexico’s food capital where traditional cuisine reflects centuries of indigenous traditions and culinary knowledge passed down through generations, according to a Modern Adventure magazine.

As someone passionate about baking, I have always loved the idea of exploring food and pastries from different cultures to expand my taste buds and gain inspiration. 

I went to Dulcinea in the evening and was greeted with a wide selection of colorful freshly baked sweet goods like mini conchas, turtle shaped bread and sprinkled cookies.

Despite the language barrier, the staff at the bakery welcomed customers with a positive attitude and a smile along with a fast paced service. 

The bakery had a small space, but a big pastry glass display and a medium-sized fridge on the corner of the store as you enter, but offers a spacious outdoor patio seating. 

Prices ranged from $2 to $8, depending on the dessert. The bakery also offered drinks such as coffees and housemade juices like aguas frescas and healthy green juices.

I bought five baked goods to try totaling to $15, excluding tax and tips. 

I chose the strawberry croissant, besos (a Mexican sweet bread), a chocolate donut, pay de queso (Mexican cheesecake) and a slice of chantilly cake. 

Unfortunately, starting with the besos was a let down. The texture wasn’t as airy and fluffy as I expected and had a cornbread-like texture, covered with buttercream on the outside. 

The next sweet I tried was the pay de queso, which surprised me due to a lack of sweetness. 

The cake itself had a breadier texture compared to a smooth and creamy texture I’d hoped for.

I finally tried the slice of berry chantilly cake, which was frosted with sweet cream and a mix of confetti and chocolate sprinkles, topped with a dollop of strawberry jam.

Cakes are among my favorite pastries; however, despite the sweetness of the cake, it sadly lacked a moist and soft texture I was looking for.

A berry chantilly cake is a fluffy layered vanilla cake, frosted with chantilly cream and berry syrup to keep everything moist, according to a Broma Bakery recipe.

As much as I did not want to be basic, I bought a strawberry croissant, filled with light strawberry cream and a glaze on the outside.

I’m not the biggest fan of croissants, but this strawberry croissant did not disappoint.

The strawberry cream inside was perfectly sweet and had a strong berry flavor, while the bread was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 

I lastly tried the chocolate donut, which stood out amongst the four others I’ve had. 

The chocolate donut was about the size of my hand and very different from all the other donuts I’ve tried. 

The texture was perfectly fluffy and the chocolate glaze on top added the perfect touch to the experience. 

I am honored to try this bakery and lucky enough to have experienced such friendly customer service. 

The pastries, on the other hand, did not meet all of my expectations in comparison to initial looks giving the overall rate with a 2.5 out of 5.