What started as a childhood hobby has blossomed into one of Alhambra’s most exciting new bakeries: The Wild Whisk, a sweet labor of love from Tracy Yen and her husband, Francisco Angel.
The couple met while studying at the University of Southern California. Yen, who earned a degree in marketing, spent ten years in the corporate world before deciding it was time for a change.
“I think everyone’s feeling the burnout these days, with everything going on, working from home,” she said. “I was working all the time. I really missed doing things with my hands.”
Baking had always been part of Yen’s life. Her mother, a professional baker for over 25 years, introduced her to the joy of whisking, mixing, and measuring from an early age. “I was always a really crafty person,” Yen shared. “Very DIY. Baking brought all of that back to me.”
While Yen handles the baking, Angel manages the finances, and the pair share the dream of building a business that reflects both their shared passions and cultural roots.
The result is The Wild Whisk, a cozy bakery infused with the flavors of Hawaii, Mexico, Vietnam, and Los Angeles. Signature offerings include a Hawaiian chex mix, a nostalgic holiday favorite, and a rich Vietnamese coffee tres leches cake that’s already a customer favorite.
“Combining our cultures was one of the reasons why we wanted to start this,” Tracy said. “My parents are Cantonese, but they grew up in Vietnam. Francisco’s parents are from different parts of Mexico, he grew up in LA, I grew up Chinese-American in Hawaii. All of this together just felt very ‘San Gabriel Valley.’”
The bakery’s name, “The Wild Whisk,” is a nod to Angel’s ranchero family roots and the couple’s bold, adventurous approach to baking. “It’s about exploring new frontiers,” Yen explained. “Especially when it comes to desserts.”
Yen has been baking for most of her life, and said that The Wild Whisk came around organically. It felt like the natural next step for her after moving on from her corporate job. The actual storefront was “kismet,” she said. “It came as a stroke of luck right when we were thinking about looking for it.”
“I feel like our neighbors here in Alhambra are really open to new ideas and have been very supportive,” she said. “They’re open to trying our wacky ideas.” Her own favorite is the Hawaiian chex mix. Everyone has their own take on it, and she’s been perfecting her mix for years at home.
Many of their recipes start with a simple idea: childhood favorites. Yen and Angel share their favorite treats from childhood and think about how to make them into unique desserts to add to the menu. “The climates in Hawaii, Vietnam, and Mexico are very similar, so we enjoy a lot of the same fruits,” she said. “So there’s so much opportunity to combine our desserts.”
“Not everything we make goes on the menu, but it’s nice to have that opportunity to be creative,” she added.
Aside from setting up their bakery, Yen is looking for ways to get more involved with the community in Alhambra, especially where she can donate sweets. She partnered with another Alhambra business, Happy Humble Hub, to share her signature treats at ActiveSGV’s Mission-at-Twilight, and is actively seeking other ways to support nonprofit events and community causes.
Now open four days a week, The Wild Whisk continues to grow, one batch at a time. Yen hopes to expand hours and grow the team in the near future, but for now, she’s relishing the joy of sharing handmade treats that celebrate family, heritage, and the spirit of Alhambra.
Visit The Wild Whisk at 2428 W Valley Blvd Unit D.
Instagram: @thewildwhiskbakery
Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Thursday – Friday
9 am – 3 pm Saturday- Sunday
Closed Monday-Wednesday
Phone: (626) 872-0003
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