There is no shortage of sweet things to try in New York City, but one local spot takes the cake (pun intended) on the best Tres Leches cake in the Big Apple.
Sweets & Things was started by Yesenia Rodriguez, the CEO and baker for the business. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Brooklyn, Rodriguez developed a taste for sweets early on, particularly those that come from her heritage.
“What inspired me to start my business is the love for desserts. I have always had a sweet tooth. I love to eat sweets! I decided to start baking my favorite desserts,” said Rodriguez.
With her love of sweets in mind, Rodriguez started Sweets & Things in October 2018, creating a delicious menu of tres leches cakes. She worked the business consistently over the years (while working a full-time job as an Operations Traffic Analyst for New York City, which she still does), only stopping during the pandemic. She picked the business back up in December 2022 and hit the ground running.
“Opening a business/bakery in New York is very challenging. New York is very expensive and as of now, I currently rent out commercial kitchens to bake,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez makes a variety of Tres Leches flavors, with over 40 currently available for purchase. Rodriguez says that of the flavors, Ube, Guava and Pińa Colada have been the most popular among customers.
Sweets & Things hosts pop-ups every weekend throughout the year, which Rodriguez posts on the Sweets & Things Instagram page. She hopes that by 2024 Rodriguez can have her own storefront, as she loves being a part of the New York City food scene.
“I love the NYC food scene. In New York, you can find different foods from all over the world. There’s nothing like it anywhere,” said Rodriguez.
To stay up to date on the latest from Sweets & Things, follow @sweetsandthingsny on Instagram or visit sweetsandthingsny.com.
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