My name is Camelia Rodriguez Camara and I am a Filipina American pastry chef based in the Chicagoland area. I grew up watching my grandmothers, mom, and aunties (all self-taught bakers) bake delicious cakes and pastries from scratch for holidays, family parties, and sometimes just a weekday dinner.
Initially a self-taught baker as well, I decided to switch careers and pursue my dream of being a pastry chef. I am a graduate of the L'Art de la Pâtisserie program (2018) at The French Pastry School in Chicago.
I feel very fortunate that I am able to make a career out of my passion for baking and aim to show off popular Filipino flavors (like ube, mango, pandan, and calamansi). It's my goal to share my love for my culture and ancestry with my desserts as I strive to help grow the Filipino food community in Chicagoland.
Camelia Bakes is a certified cottage food business operating out of a home kitchen that is not required to be inspected.