The milhojas cake from Casa León, the venture of friends Josefina Sotta and Bárbara Correa, was chosen by Walmart Chile as the best in the country, according to Emol. The contest drew more than 90 entries from startups, small businesses and pastry shops across 14 regions.
The story began during the pandemic. Sotta and Correa have different professions, but they shared a love of baking and decided to turn it into a business. They started out cooking in their own homes.
Over time, the project grew into a company. Their bet was on home-style products, with a focus on recipes, textures and a balance of flavors.
The milhojas, one of the most traditional preparations in Chilean pastry-making, ended up being their star product. For those unfamiliar with it, it consists of thin layers of puff pastry alternating with manjar (a caramel spread similar to dulce de leche), a classic at birthdays and family celebrations.
The road was not easy. According to the account published by Emol, the founders went through periods of low sales and cash flow problems. Put simply, there were months when the money coming in was not enough to cover what had to be paid on time.
That situation forced them to make changes. They diversified their sales channels and expanded their client base so as not to depend on a single source of income, a common strategy among small businesses trying to survive slow months.
The Emol article does not specify what prize Casa León receives, nor its sales figures or the current size of the company. It also does not give the date of the contest.
The founders told their story in a new edition of Emol's Lo pensó/lo hizo ("Thought it/did it") section, where they also said their next goal is to reach more families across the country.
