LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Darquan Rogers can often be found around the Hub City with a treat in hand — a fitting image for the man behind Cupcake Empire.
Rogers spent three years in foster care as a teenager, has faced legal troubles, and has experienced personal loss. He said those experiences shaped the resilience that now drives his business.
“I’ve been through it. I’ve been resilient, I would say. It takes resilience to do this, a certain amount of perseverance and not giving up. There’s been plenty of chances I’ve had to give up and I’ve continued, persevered, trusted the process,” Rogers said.
Rogers launched Cupcake Empire after rediscovering a childhood passion for baking in adulthood.
Though he is not originally from Lubbock, he said the city has become central to his work — and he attributes many milestones to the people who live here.
“It makes me proud to know that I’m trusted with someone’s first cake, or someone’s event in general,” Rogers said.
Rogers said he spends between 60 and 100 hours a week baking cookies, pies, puddings, and more. It’s a demanding schedule, but he says it’s worth it to follow his dream.
“If I’m doing something I love, I’m not really working,” Rogers said.
He’s expecting that workload to grow after a recent TikTok about him gained more than 10,000 views, a development Rogers said caught him off guard.
“It overwhelmed me at first. I probably watched it 10 times just in disbelief,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the attention is not what motivates him. Instead, he said his focus remains on serving his community.
“I live to serve and I’ll keep it to where I keep the desserts coming and I do it from my heart,” Rogers said.
Rogers said he also hopes his story resonates with others who have faced similar circumstances.
“I feel like this can show anyone else, too, that was in my situation that they could also do it — it doesn’t necessarily have to be cooking, it could be whatever their heart leads them to do,” Rogers said.
Rogers can be found on Facebook under the name Cupcake Empire. He notes his old account was hacked, so the new one has a picture of a cake in a pan. His Instagram is @chefcakeman.
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