A pastry chef from the Holguin municipality of Rafael Freyre posted on Saturday on a detailed breakdown of her production costs to respond to those who question why she has increased the price of her pastries and cakes.
Yusi Zaldívar Pérez listed what he pays today for each ingredient: sugar at 550 pesos per pound, flour at 430, eggs at 125 pesos each for the cheapest version, baking powder at 2,200 pesos per pound, jelly at 600 pesos —or 950 for the jar, to which sugar must also be added—, colorants at 2,400 pesos for 60 ml and flavorings at 2,700 pesos for the same amount.
To that list of ingredients, Zaldívar added what does not appear on any invoice: "Stress from the current, current, detergent, sleeves, nozzles, knowledge, dedication, studies, personal growth, and the love with which I make them."
"Tasting a panetela is not a basic necessity; it's for pleasure, a treat, or a special day. In other words, it's for those who can indulge in a craving. Unfortunately, the increase in price is a reality that affects us all," he concluded.
Other Cubans pointed out ingredients that Zaldívar hadn't even mentioned: condensed milk, whipped cream, chocolate, cornstarch, oil, butter, powdered milk, and evaporated milk. Others added materials for presentation: "Straws, doilies, pearls, butterflies, glitter, colored ribbons, and containers."
A pastry chef who responded to the thread was even more harsh: "I only make one dollar and twenty cents when I sell a cake. And we know that isn’t enough for anything," she wrote, adding that her income doesn't even allow her to buy three pounds of rice.
Another user warned that sugar had already risen to 600 pesos that same week, above the 550 that the pastry chef had mentioned on Saturday.
The pastry chef posted this Monday her updated price list: mini sponge cakes for 1,400 pesos, medium ones for 2,800, large ones for 4,000, and large ones with a small topping for 5,500. For cakes, a full tray costs 11,000 pesos.
Prices in Cuba have risen by almost 25% in nine months, with food and non-alcoholic beverages experiencing a year-on-year increase of 42.66% in September 2026, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). The dollar is trading at 920 pesos in the informal market this Monday, which directly raises the prices of all products.
The Cuban minimum wage is 3,210 pesos per month since July 2026, but economist Javier Pérez Capdevila has estimated that a person needs around 96,000 pesos per month to meet their basic needs, about 30 times that amount.
Related videos:
Filed under: