Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Betsy Eves and I love to bake cupcakes!  I have been writing the blog, JavaCupcake.com since January 2009.  It has since grown and evolved and has allowed me opportunities to blog for other websites!  I am not a contributing writer for Today’s Military Spouse and am a Blog Intern for Cupcakes Take the Cake!

I don’t own a bakery, but I bake for family and friends birthdays, bridal showers and parties! My husband is currently in the Army and maybe… just maybe when he retires I might open a bakery.  We’ll see!  I am moving with my family to Germany in February 2011 and will continue to bring you the latest cupcake news from there!

You can find my blog here, or you can find me on Twitter, Facebook , YouTube and Flickr!

My most recent pic with Jessica of Rocket Queen Cucpakes, Me,  Lisa Waxman Johnson of New York Cupcakes and Carrie Middlemiss of Bella Cupcake Couture!

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Well, I’m not a bakery owner…. YET!  Maybe someday after my husband retires from the army.  Until then, I’ll keep on blogging!

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Definitely good spatulas and wooden spoons, several sizes of ice cream scoops for scooping batter into liners and 2-3 tips that look amazing when piping buttercream!

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

My perfect cupcake is a moist cupcake that rises just above the liner.  It’s full of flavor and has the perfect buttercream frosting paired with it.  My favorite recipe I make is my Moist Chocolate Cupcake with Dark Chocolate Buttercream.  SO GOOD!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

Too many to count!  Some recipes I toss after the first try… but others, like the moist chocolate… I’ve perfected!

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

I know… I keep talking about my Moist Chocolate… but it’s my go-to.  I love it!  But, my all time favorite is the Strawberry Lemonade I did earlier this year.  OH MY GOSH! SO GOOD!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I’ve never made a cupcake from a box.   So 100% is homemade. Even my vanilla extract is homemade!

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

If you find this… please, let me know.  hehe

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I really love the website, Bake it Pretty.   But I also find a lot of liners and decorations on ETSY,  Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics, and the local Party World.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Ice cream scooper.  For sure.  It’s a life saver.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Nope.  I don’t.  I’ve never had someone request  Vegan.  I’d look into it though if someone asked!

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Nope.  Sorry.

What is the best cocoa to use?

Well, I’ve really only use Ghirardelli and Hershey’s.  I know a lot of bakers hate the Hershey’s , but I have had a lot of success with it!

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Butter,  powdered sugar, whipping cream, flavor.  Easy peasy.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Practice!

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Seriously, this took me FOREVER to figure out.  But after hundreds of cupcakes, I’ve finally got it down!

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Nope, sure didn’t.  I mean, I liked to be in the kitchen… but my passion for cupcakes started out of boredom.  I made a batch for my husband’s soldiers and was hooked!

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Since my surgery, I can’t eat these little beauties anymore… so my motivation comes from seeing the joy on others faces when they see and eat my cupcakes for the first time.   It’s like a natural high I get from it!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

I follow a lot of blogs… so I get inspiration from reading about others cupcakes.  I also get inspiration from what fruits are in season!

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

I don’t really.  I start with a color palate and go from there.  The decorations usually just come to me as I start to frost them.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I’m not too worried about that since I don’t have a bakery.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Eating them!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I would get sick if I did!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

LOL Dream on!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Only if I’ve been baking for like 36 hours straight.  lol

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

Sure, only if you do dishes!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Lev Ekster and I am the founder of CupcakeStop.  We started as NYC’s First Mobile Cupcake Shoppe.  Our website is CupcakeStop.com and in the last year, we have expanded to two cupcake trucks, a shoppe inside the new Limelight Marketplace on 6th Avenue and 20th Street in NYC, a bakery in Montclair NJ and nationwide shipping!  You can also find our Fan Page on Facebook and we’re also on Twitter, @Cupcakestop.

Note: From the Cakestop.com Facebook page… CupcakeStop (and Lev on the right) works with GladtoGive, Cookies for Kid’s Cancer and Joan Cusack to benefit Pediatric Cancer

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

The biggest challenge was mastering how to sell cupcakes from a mobile vending truck.  Being the first cupcake truck in NYC, I didn’t have much guidance.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Provide your customers a superior product with exceptional customer service.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Approximately 6 months of planning went into launching CupcakeStop.

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Much more, I am currently working 27 hours a day, 8 days a week!!

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

We redo, tweak and improve recipes all the time.  At CupcakeStop, we are never satisfied and feel there is always room for improvement.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

At CupcakeStop, everything is entirely Baked From Scratch.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

I always had a passion for desserts and was always a fan of cupcakes.  I just wanted to start a business that would offer a better product.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

I am inspired by my desire to make CupcakeStop into the undeniable best cupcake bakery in the world.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

We brainstorm in house but also take on ideas from our customers.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The room for creativity and ingenuity.

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I can’t…

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Not even close!

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

Absolutely, we’ll get a futon immediately.

All photos courtesy of the CupcakeStop’s Facebook page! THANK YOU!!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Karla Jennings and I was one of the creators of Sugar Cupcakery.  My sister Krista Tevar and I started Sugar Cupcakery in the summer of 2009 to meet the growing demand for organic baked goods in the Cincinnati area.  Once we opened the store we started getting a lot of request for vegan and gluten free items, so we slowly started adding them to the menu.

I started baking professionally in the summer of 2009, but I have been an avid baker for most of my life.  Sugar Cupcakery is located in Milford Ohio and is Cincinnati’s first all organic cupcakery.

Website: www.sugarcupcakery.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sugarcupcakery

Twitter: @sugarcupcakery or @__karla__

Personal blog: http://karlajennings.blogspot.com/

*Note* Karla no longer works with her sister at Sugar Cupcakery, but she was gracious enough to still participate in our series.  THANK YOU KARLA!

Sugar Cupcakery was also a contestant on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars!

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

One of the biggest challenges in starting Sugar Cupcakery was finding organic food vendors that would take us seriously.  There are a lot of organic distributors on the market these days but as a small business its hard to find ones that will invest their time in you.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Make sure you are passionate about the business you are about to start.  If you aren’t you will be unhappy.  Starting a small business is a lot of hard work and you need to surround yourself with people that are supportive of you and what you are doing.  Make sure you are well organized and are prepared to have many sleepless nights!  Also networking with local businesses and social networking;  small businesses love to promote other small businesses so getting out and doing grassroots marketing helped us a lot in the beginning.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

I had a business plan in my head for quite some time now on a bakery that I had always wanted to start.  When my sister called and asked me to help her design the interior of Sugar Cupcakery I knew exactly how it should look.  So the planning process was much shorter than usual.  We started planning in March of 2009 and the store was up and running by September of 2009.  Most business take way longer, I suppose we lucked out that we had a great crew working for us!

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

My cupcakes are always a “work in progress”  I like to base my flavors on what is in season and what I can find locally so I have to be versatile when I’m planning new recipes.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

Everything is made from scratch.  The only items we buy are the basics.   All the fruit purees are made fresh, as are the caramels and ganaches.

What is the best cocoa to use?

In the store we use Valrhona cocoa powder, it’s a great versatile cocoa.   I am also a big fan of green and blacks.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

I have always had a passion for cooking in general.  When I was a little kid, food brought my family together and so when I think back on my childhood most of my memories are of my family sitting down with food and lots of laughter and conversation.  I love the quote by Marco Pierre White “ Good food is the basis of true happiness.”  I love baking for people, baking appeals to all of our senses and its enjoyable for everyone.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

I get new ideas all the time, from going out to eat and looking at flavor combinations of teas or gourmet potato chips.  There are so many things around us everyday that inspire new flavor combinations, I love it!

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Constant research.  Also when changing the menu seasonally I have to look at what the stores around us are doing.  I never want to offer the same specialty cupcakes as the shop across town.

Fun Questions

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Haha!  I actually can’t smell them anymore.  But I have recently been told that I smell like cupcakes, I guess I can’t complain about that!

All photos courtesy of Karla’s Flickr! THANK YOU!!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Hi, I’m Liz, the Hoosier Momma over at Hoosier Homemade. I have enjoyed baking most of my life, and within the last couple years, have started creating cupcakes. I host Cupcake Tuesday every week on my blog, where other bloggers can share their creations too. If I’m not baking, you can find me on Twitter or BlogFrog.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

I don’t have a bakery, just my blog. But I love Wilton products for baking cupcakes, their tins are really nice. Their bags, tips and sugars are great too!

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I get most of my sprinkles from Wilton. I also buy lots of candy from a local candy store, Albanese Confectionery.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

I use a measuring cup for the batter, and sometimes a ladle.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

I’m a Buttercream fan too!

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes, most of my life.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Love of making things people enjoy!

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

I’m inspired by What’s New Cupcake? book.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Decorating…for sure

Photos by: Hoosier Homemade

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Sabrina, The Immortal Bakery, Seattle Washington, private cupcake baker to anyone who wants something delicious, homemade and different!  I’m the new kid in the cupcake block, but a baker who has had more kitchen time than many with shops. I love baking, it’s what my life is aside from my husband and sons.  I make flavors that other cupcake bakeries haven’t done yet or look to for inspiration for their own flavors. If it’s a bit wild we’ve done it. If it’s a flavor recreation (Like Orange Creamsicle) then we’re your place.

The Immortal Bakery Facebook Fan Page-  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Immortal-Bakery/170824986991?ref=ts

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Trying to get customers without a physical location. It seems to be the only drawback so far in my cupcake world!

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Variety, never be afraid to try something  new. If nothing else you learn your strong suits and know what ingredients you should proceed with caution around.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

I had been dreaming of a bakery since I was about 20 years old, although I had thought it would be a cookie bakery since that was what I thought was my strongest ability. Little did I know cupcakes would be something I would be known for.

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Much less time, originally I thought I would be baking from dawn til dusk, being a custom made to order cupcake baker allows me to spend more time with my family and work activities around my baking schedule.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

The hand mixer, without it I would be nothing. Many bakers love their stand mixers, I am old school in this belief. The hand mixer allows me the control I need and the feel to know when my batter is perfect! I adore my hand mixer.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

A moist cake, deep with flavor and layers to the flavor topped with a frosting made not too sweet but sweet enough to carry the cake. Never too much frosting and always a frosting & cake complimenting each other!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

I’ve been very lucky with this department, about 20 of my flavors I’ve gotten right the first go. My chocolate has been the toughest of the bunch, I set standards HIGH when it comes to classic flavors. Vanilla took a few months to tinker with to perfection, but I’ve gone through and made around 10 or 12 different chocolate recipes. I’ve always felt I could do better, I could just get a better cake if I tried harder. I’m really pleased with my chocolate cake now. Hard work paid off!

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Well, favorite to me is two ways. Favorite to bake would be my banana cupcake. I love that lil guy. When he’s baking it’s such an amazing smell and the recipe is one that is engraved to memory from doing it so much. My favorite to eat? My S’mores cupcake! The cake coupled with the frosting and the graham cracker. I can’t stop eating them!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

The only thing I purchase are the ingredients, the butter, the sugar, the jam is homemade but bought from a vendor (Johnson Berry Farm) at Pike place. I make my own Dutch apple filling/Apple bacon filling, but I do try as much as possible to do what I can to give my cupcakes the homemade just like Mom/Grandma feel to them.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

A thick batter is always one that is a great baking batter, I’ve found that the thinner the batter the easier it is to have something go wrong with it. I can’t really say one batter is better than another but most vanilla recipes can be doctored to make various flavors from it with just a few basic additions.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I tend to shy away from sprinkles or froo froo on my cupcakes. Many people can do anywhere and have a fancy cupcake these days. The real challenge is finding a plain, classic and clean looking cupcake. That’s what I gravitate towards when I used to buy cupcakes from others, stores, etc before baking cupcakes myself. I feel that too much added on top takes away from the flavor and the clean design of the cupcake itself.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Never, but that’s what makes them fun! People can have uniform cupcakes at most shops but I love that mine do offer a variety in way of size. I know people like having more frosting on one, a little more cake on another, each dozen of cupcakes ordered from me offer that to people. They’re just like people, each one is different in a way. Keeping things different is definitely what The Immortal Bakery is all about.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Yes, yes I do. Do I use it often, no, no I do not. I’m all about full flavor, full fat, full everything. I made the recipe for one vegan friend, I’ve made it a couple times, it’s a great one but it’s not something I’ve ever been interested in baking full time.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Cupcake and fat free are two words that in the same sentence confuse me. Going out on a limb here and being blunt, anything in moderation as long as it’s not a health risk (like with diabetes) or an allergy is perfectly fine. Many people these days expect a miracle with baking. Many do not understand there is not a 20 calorie cupcake that tastes like a 200 calorie cupcake. It does not exist and something will always be missing from it. Full flavor, rich ingredients and great depth is what makes the cupcake perfect. Subtract any of that and it’s not my cup of tea. I have to say no, no I do not nor will not have a trans fat free cupcake.

What is the best cocoa to use?

Hershey’s because when you add other ingredients to it, it holds up amazingly.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Your basic powdered sugar, butter, milk and extract or jam are the perfect combination for me! Buttercream is everything!

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

That’s a pretty big secret that I have to keep to myself right now. I’ve got something I use in our frosting that I’ve not seen many bakers of today use, but actually was something my grandmother and Nanny were the ones who taught me to always incorporate into a frosting.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

I don’t use a pastry bag, I prefer Ziploc bags with my pastry tip on them, it gives just enough resistance for me to do our signature rose tops!

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

I have, since I was very little. I would sit and watch my Nanny and mother bake and always would be so excited when I was asked to help. I started with the standard Nestle Toll house cookie recipe, the next year I concurred a Swedish Cherry pie and a Pumpkin Jelly Roll for Thanksgiving dessert. I was hooked on baking from the youngest memory I have.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

My family inspires me, since my boys were born they’ve had home baked goodies. I always felt that extra time was well worth it and worth making the memories for them to remember. Second it’s seeing people happy. I love watching people eat our cupcakes and the expressions that come onto their faces. Especially when they try a flavor they’ve never had before like our Pad Thai or Maple bacon!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Life, and through remembering things I enjoy eating. Maple bacon was obvious to me, my husband and I love dipping our bacon in syrup when we have pancakes. He gave me the inspiration for the Pad Thai when I was trying to come up with new flavors. Pad Thai is something our oldest son absolutely loves. I love a great pork loin with apple, hence where our Apple bacon got its start. Life though, childhood and what makes me feel happy eating.

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

I’m not really big on decorating; I find that too much takes away from the cupcake. Too much time spent on what it looks like and never enough time spent on the flavor itself is a problem I have with some bakers these days. Clean, classic and full of flavor. That’s my frosting decorating motto.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Being a baker who has had quite a few of my flavors taken, it’s not an easy thing. Right now we’ve got the first Pad Thai cupcake out there. I know eventually many bakers will try their hand at that. It makes me happy they’re inspired by something  we did first but it’s also hard since I’ve had multiple flavors that were signatures (such as our Maple Bacon) taken as quickly as new menus were posted up.  I just try to stay ahead of flavor trends and sometimes not even listen, just go with my gut and create a delicious product that others aren’t doing.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Seeing people eat them!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

Remembering that I’d like to keep the figure I have!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Our banana cupcake is one of the lower calorie ones, as long as you ate one or two I don’t think you’d gain any weight! I’d be more than happy to create something for you.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Never, why get into a business where you are tired of them. I sometimes get physically tired, but never tired of the cupcakes. They’re innocent in the war for sleep. Haha.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

My kitchen isn’t too terribly big, would a walk in closet and trips to the kitchen be okay? And yes please, sometimes I worry my sons say “YUM” just so mom gets the cupcakes out of their room. Haha.

Thanks to Sabrina of The Immortal Bakery for the photos!!!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

I’m Porche Lovely and I own Lovely Confections Bakery.  We are located in Denver CO at 1489 Steele St. Unit C.

Our website is www.LovelyConfectionsBakery.com

Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/LovelyConfections

And you can find us on Twitter @Cupcakes_Denver!

Our focus is on making the finest, artisan cupcakes using organic, local and natural ingredients.  We are an eco-friendly company.  We use sustainable packaging, and we compost and recycle too.  We use compact florescent light bulbs and were able to reduce our electric bill by 50% when we switched.

We also donate as much as possible to non-profits because we want to be an integral part of our community.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

The biggest challenge was finding a location that was already a food service establishment (to minimize expenses) and finding the best source of funding.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Make your business unique.  Give customers a compelling reason to visit your bakery.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

I started writing my business plan in March 2007.  I finished it and got a loan commitment that summer and then started shopping around for location.  It took me until December 2007 to sign the paperwork on my location.  I was so surprised it took that long!  We opened the first week of February 2008.  The biggest hold-up was waiting for the oven to arrive.

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

There isn’t enough time in the day to run a small food business.  I closed the bakery for Thanksgiving weekend last year and those were the first real days off I’ve had since I’ve opened.  That’s right, I went almost 2 years without a full day off.  I haven’t had one off since then!  Twelve to fourteen hour days are the norm.  Longer days make appearances regularly.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

A good oven that bakes evenly, a good mixer, ice cream scoops and piping bags.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

Both should have flavor!  I don’t like cake and buttercream that just tastes like sugar.  Yes, sweet is good but give me flavor too!  Our cupcakes tend to be more dense than others, especially places that use cake mix.  The buttercream too is a bit more substantial because we use a lot of butter.  I love butter.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

It took me the longest to develop by Red Velvet cupcake recipe.  I use a natural food dye so that took some time figuring out how to use correctly.  I tend to wing it a lot of times, especially weekend flavors.  Thankfully I’ve been baking long enough that I have a good feel on how to make things work.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

My carrot cake recipe!  And the coconut, vanilla, and chocolate too.  It’s hard to pick!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

1000% scratch made!  We grate carrots, zest lemons, make our caramel sauce, ganache, etc..  We also make our own fondant.  I’ve even colored my own sprinkles.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Hmm….  We actually have different recipes for the different flavors.  I don’t just put coconut in the vanilla cake.  Or lemon extract in the vanilla cake to make lemon.  When you bake from scratch, the technique can be just as important as the recipe.   Like I said above, make your cupcakes your own.  Make them unique so my foolproof recipe won’t help. 

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

A fabulous wholesale company who shall remain nameless.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Ice cream scoop.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

No- I love butter and eggs.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Simple- don’t use hydrogenated shortening.

What is the best cocoa to use?

I prefer a 22-24% cocoa powder.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Start with any good butter and flavorings and you’ll have a great buttercream.  I won’t share my recipe though.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

I’ve found sweetness to be subjective.  Some people think my buttercream is perfect and some think it is too sweet.  Some think my chocolate buttercream is too chocolately!  (Who knew there was such a thing.)  And others love it because it isn’t too sweet.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Don’t overfill your bag and hold it from the very tippy top.  If you do, it’s like writing with a four foot long pencil.  It just won’t work.  The stronger your hands get the more you’ll be able to fill a bag.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes!

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Both.  I have a deep love for the craft and science of baking.  I’m a big nerd so the chemistry of it all is fascinating.  Baked goods are magic.  They can turn peoples’ days around and make a good day a great one.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Everywhere!  What are new, interesting flavor combos that aren’t currently a cake but could be?

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

We have a signature look for most of our cupcakes.  We do make custom cupcake fondant toppers though.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I think the most important thing is that you are unique in your area.  Surf around the internet for inspiration, read books and magazines and then put your own spin on it.  This is why it is important to be unique.  Being unique allows you to put your spin, touch, etc. on something that you saw someplace else.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

All of it!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

It is a business.  Remember that!  The business’ job is to make money.  Yes, we make people happy with cupcakes and it is wonderful but you have to make money.  The reason you can’t eat it all up as the bakery owner is that it (your cupcakes) is your profit margin.  Your profit margin keeps you in business.  Your profit margin is your paycheck.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Julia Child said “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”  Seriously though, with a balanced diet and exercise a cupcake isn’t going to make you gain weight.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

No, but a lot of these days I can’t smell how yummy the bakery is.  It just smells ‘normal’ to me.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

If customers come in at the right time, they are my taste testers.

All photos courtesy of the Lovely Confections website.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Sarah Smallwood, Owner and Baker at Life is Sweet in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

http://www.lifeissweetni.com/

http://twitter.com/LifeIsSweetNI

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Belfast/Life-is-Sweet/198174293954?ref=ts

I grew up in the kitchen as my mom’s little helper and a passion for baking stuck with me.  Just about everything I know is through experience (trial and error) and research.  After attending a baking demo last summer, I couldn’t help but wonder why I wasn’t baking professionally.  It very quickly went from spontaneous idea to a business plan in the works (with endless support from my husband!).

Life is Sweet is a home-based baking company specializing in American desserts.  A large part of my business is cupcakes, but I also do whoopie pies, Hello, Dollies, cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, etc…and my menu is ever-growing.  As an American expat, I bring the wonders of the American baking tradition to those in Northern Ireland.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Even without a rented space, there are a lot of start-up costs.  The list of things you need, things you would never have considered, takes on a life of its own.  Baking supplies, not just the ingredients but cake pans, fondant cutters, gum paste, glitter, it’s all quite expensive and it can be a long time before you start to earn all that back, and make a profit on top of it.   It can be quite daunting, and sometimes discouraging.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

My business is still so young and new, but from my current position, according to things I’ve already experienced in the field, I’d definitely say to always try to be distinctive. There are so many bakeries out there.  Of course offer the classics everybody loves, but be creative when devising flavours and designs.  Set yourself apart one way or another.

Also, relating to costs, don’t feel like you have to have a formal website, flashy logo, business cards, flyers, stickers, custom packaging, etc right off the bat.  It is very easy to get caught up, seeing what competitors have and trying to match them, thinking if you don’t have all of those resources up front you won’t succeed.  But I say determine what you think is absolutely essential and expand as needed.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

Cupcake perfection for me means chocolate, salted caramel, and fresh fruit; cake that is moist with a compact crumb but is soft and not dense; slightly more (buttercream) icing than cake.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

There is no standard number of re-dos.  I find my recipes using fresh fruit in the batter require a lot more testing to get the right ratios to achieve both a delectable texture and distinctive flavour.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I use as little packaged materials as possible.  Batter, mousses, curds, frostings, caramels,…it’s all made by me.  I do not use pre-made sugar flowers or figures.  Toppers of this sort are handmade in my kitchen.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Be patient.  If making quick/American buttercream, add the (sifted) confectioner’s sugar slowly and allow time for it to be absorbed by the butter and milk (or whatever liquids/flavouring you’re using).  Taste it through the process and stop adding sugar when it meets your taste.  If you’re afraid your frosting isn’t thick enough, a good trick is to whip it on high for a few minutes to incorporate air rather than adding more sugar.  The result is a light and fluffy buttercream, rather than an overly-sweet, gritty one.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice makes perfect.  You don’t need to make a batch of cupcakes to practice your technique.  Make a small batch of frosting, any kind, and pipe with various tips on a convenient surface.    You can add the icing back to the bags and reuse to test other techniques.  The more practice you have, the easier you’ll find it to keep your hand steady and get consistent swirls, flowers, etc.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

These days, with the business, it’s becoming more of an obsession and compulsion rather than a simple passion, but definitely.  I’ve always loved seeing all the ingredients come together in the bowl.  My favourite part though is the decorating, it’s a great creative outlet, if sometimes frustrating and exhausting!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Simply, I think of desserts or flavour combinations I enjoy elsewhere and try to translate them into cupcake form.  Right now, I’m working on Peach Green Tea and Spumoni cupcake ideas. Random designs, seasons, and even colours serve as inspiration sometimes as well.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a frosting fiend, but I love when all components of a cupcake – moist cake, fluffy, creamy frosting, and maybe even a yummy surprise centre! – meld and you’re hit with an incredible taste and texture experience.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Yes!  When I’ve been on my feet all day and can’t fathom doing anything but putting my feet up and vegging out.

All photos courtesy of Sarah Smallwood.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Hi, I’m an American who grew up in Southern Virginia, has lived in 3 continents (NorthAmerica, Europe & Asia) and eaten at almost every cupcake place in between!  Currently residing in the Netherlands (Holland), I started my cupcake business after becoming a stay-at-home mom who was craving good cupcakes.  There are NO (other than my own) good cupcakes here in Holland!  I was looking for something creative & lucrative to do with my spare time.  “Alice in CAKEland” aka “AliceinCUPCAKEland” was born in October 2009…

www.aliceincupcakeland.com

www.twitter.com/aliceincakeland

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Netherlands-Holland/Alice-in-Cakeland/156056398983

(sorry i dont have any good photos of me!?!? ….booo! but here’s a good photo of my cupcakes and oven!)

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Setting up a website in both English & Dutch!

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Study your competitions carefully…find their weaknesses and don’t do the same.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

About 2-3months

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Definitely more! I eat, sleep, breath cupcakes….what to do next, things to improve along w/ the baking, social networking (twitter is worth every minute I spend on it), replying to potential customer emails and order taking etc….

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Ah! There are 2 kitchen gadgets I would not live without …not sure I want to share my secrets though!

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

The cake should be moist, fluffy.  The icing should be airy and light yet packed with flavor and its sweet all around!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

This varies.  The icings I get them right after 3-4 attempts.  My cake I’m still working on!….its yummy but I feel it could be better.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

My new deep dark chocolate cupcake i call “New Moon”……oooooowwww weee its SWEET!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

Oh its all from scratch!

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Yeah someone share that answer with me, please!  I’m a perfectionist so each flavor has its own recipe….not really one flavor fits all kind of cupcakes here.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

The good ol’ USA! (import them into the Netherlands!)

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Very carefully!  I need to establish more of a methodology to this but this is where my right brain takes over and I just eyeball it.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Not yet but it’s in future plans!

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

To my knowledge, butter is a saturated fat.  And trans-fat is not found in saturated fats only in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated (quoting wikipedia here).  (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!) Therefore, going back to the question, my cupcakes are trans-fat free!  (Sorry not sharing the recipe)

What is the best cocoa to use?

That’s a secret!……hehehehhe

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Butter, sugar, and milk……then add the added flavor chocolate, berry juice etc….

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Lots of milk.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Talent? )

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes but i had suppressed it thinking I’d never be successful at it.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

I love making yummy, creative, pretty things….they happen to be cupcakes that makes people happy.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors? How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Researching what other people around the world are doing!

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Luckily there’s a huge gap in the cupcake market here in Europe which leaves everyone here with plenty of opportunity to bake & sell “new & unique” flavors.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The icing!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I do eat it all up!  But i also drink lots of water, do bikram yoga and do not eat anything fried, do not eat bread or any other “bad” stuff.  And I only eat good veggies/good foods after 6pm!  It’s not what you eat, it’s how much you eat at what time!  Eating a pizza at noon then staying active all day is probably better than eating a pizza then going to bed 3 hours later.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Yes, just eat it for breakfast and stay active the rest of the day!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Never!

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

You’ll have to fight my husband for that position

All photos courtesy of Alice in Cakeland.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Jamie, I operate the site mybakingaddiction.com. My blog started on a whim almost two years ago when I was suffering from summer boredom. I teach school full time, so I have the summers off and I am usually going a little stir crazy by mid-July. Within in the past couple of years, I have watched my blog grow and have enjoyed every minute of it. I adore my readers and always get so excited to read their comments, opinions and ideas.

I love being in the kitchen cooking and baking delicious recipes for my friends and family. Since starting my blog, I have ignited my passion for photography…especially of food. I love being behind the camera and trying new techniques in an effort to perfect my skills and take my photos to another level. I dream of baking and photographing for a living…hopefully one day it will turn into a reality!

If you want to connect with me, you can check out my blog at www.mybakingaddiction.com

Follow me in on twitter: www.twitter.com/bakingaddiction

Hook up with me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/My-Baking-Addiction/380020751696?ref=ts

Or Subscribe to my feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/mybakingaddiction

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

I do not own a bakery at this time, but it is definitely a dream of mine.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

I adore Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake recipe for cupcakes. If has an amazing texture and crumb. Top it off with delicious lemon buttercream and I am in heaven!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

It all depends on the recipe. I am pretty good at following an existing recipe, but if I am attempting to adapt or create an original recipe, it can take multiple attempts to get it right.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I would say 90% of everything I bake is from scratch.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter?

Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I mainly purchase my items from: shopbakersnook.com bakeitpretty.com

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

I use the OXO large cookie scoop to measure my batter.

What is the best cocoa to use?

I love me some Scharffen Berger Cocoa.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

My fave is featured on this blog post…the cupcakes are pretty amazing too! http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/guinness-cupcakes/

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes, my nana had me baking and cooking at a very early age.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

I love cupcakes, but I find true pleasure in baking for people. Baking often evokes fond memories and I love hearing childhood stories from friends and family that involve food, smells, and flavors.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

I get inspiration from everywhere!

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The frosting…definitely the frosting!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I always take a taste…everything in moderation is key!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

LOL, I would love to develop this product, I’d me rich! You’ll be the first to know if it ever happens!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Yes, if I have a ton of them to do for an order or an event…I get cupcaked out!

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

You sure can, I can set up a futon next to my oven!

All photos courtesy of My Baking Addiction.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Rhienn Davis and I’m a professional cake snob.  I’ve always been a food person and baking sprang naturally from that beginning.  I’m also somewhat creatively inclined. I spent years in various careers (horse trainer, media- maven, book keeper, etc.) struggling to find a job that would stimulate both the creative and the analytical sides of my brain.  The entire time I was making cakes for friends.  That turned into friends of friends.  Then friends of friends of… you get the idea.  It was time to get serious.  My (unflappable, amazing, and unbelievably patient) husband gave me the final push to go out and start a business.  So I did.  Look Cupcake was born.  We have a commercial kitchen in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.

We’re also all over the interwebs:

http://www.lookcupcake.com

http://www.lookcupcake.blogspot.com

http://www.flickr.com/look_cupcake

http://www.facebook.com/lookcupcake

http://www.twitter.com/lookcupcake

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Initially – figuring out the seasonality and the busy/slow cycle timing.  Because we specialize in custom wedding and event displays our business is very seasonal.  It took time to level things out.  It was feast or famine at first.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

I think unwavering commitment to quality has been the key for us.  We don’t make your average, every day cake/cupcake and we know that it’s not for everyone… and we’re OK with that.  We put that out there in every marketing message, every conversation and every.single.order that goes out our door.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Years and years and years of baking.  About six weeks of actively starting the business (paperwork, permitting, etc.)

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

More time than you ever have.  Always.  There are always fifteen things you just didn’t quite get to today.  It consumes your every waking moment and way more of the sleeping ones than you’d like it to.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Dishers (ice cream scoops) are invaluable, lots of spatulas, a scale and piping bags.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

A moist buttery cake with a fine crumb, a pocket of delicious filling and topped with smooth, creamy, not-too-sweet buttercream.  That’s the magic formula.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

Sometimes the first try is magic, sometimes you tweak for months.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Something tells me giving out my favorite cupcake recipe PROBABLY wouldn’t be a very savvy business move on my part.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

EVERYTHING is made from scratch.  I’m an evangelist about this.  We house make everything… right down the the fruit purees and salted caramel.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Find an awesome yellow cake recipe and a magical chocolate cake recipe and you can make just about anything happen from those two bases.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

We don’t use sprinkles very often.  The majority of our decorations are hand made.  You can get awesome, natural sanding sugars and such from India Tree.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Dishers (ice cream scoops)

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Yes and it’s spectacular.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

We don’t use trans-fats in any of our products.

What is the best cocoa to use?

We use Pernigotti cocoa.  It’s from Italy and has a very high fat content.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

We use Swiss Meringue buttercream.  Once you go to a European meringue based buttercream, there’s no going back.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice.  Lots and lots of practice.  Don’t be afraid to try new things with different tips.  You may find something gorgeous you wouldn’t have discovered had you stuck to the “norm.”

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Love of making things people enjoy.  We do a lot more than just cupcakes.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Most of our flavor inspirations come from genres of food and/or drinks that we love.  Mojito, anyone?

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

See above.  There are no rules.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Everything has been done.  You just have to put your own twist on things.  It’ll drive you MAD if you get caught up in worrying about other people copying your ideas.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

No need to dirty a dish to have great cake!  Just peel and eat.

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I eat more cake scraps than I care to admit.   Thankfully, chef coats are cut generously!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Would that be worth it?  I mean, the naughty indulgent aspect of it is half the fun, right?

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

I haven’t yet.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

How are you at scrubbing cake pans?  Maybe we could work out a trade.

All photos courtesy of the Look Cupcake blog and website.

From the CakeSpy website:

Cakespy.com is a Dessert Detective Agency dedicated to seeking sweetness (literally) in everyday life. We do this by writing about bakeries, conducting baking experiments, and picking the brains of bakers and food artists, and finding awesome products for lovers of baked goods.

The Cakespy crew is comprised of several Cake Gumshoes throughout the US, and is headed up by Head Spy Jessie Oleson. Jessie O is a freelance writer and illustrator, whose writing appears on DailyCandy.com, and has a weekly column on Serious Eats, and who has illustrated for various companies including Microsoft, iPop, All-Mighty, Taylored Expressions, and is a regular contributor to Taste of Home.

CakeSpy Headquarters is in Seattle, Washington.

Photo credit: Erica Daking, All-Mighty Clothing

You can find CakeSpy all over the web!

CakeSpy.com
Flickr
Twitter
Facebook

Recipe/Ingredients questions

What do I consider to be the perfect cupcake?

Vanilla buttery cake with pink buttercream. Basically, the cupcake character I draw all the time. I draw what I want to eat! Constantly!

How many times do you have to re-do a recipe?

I am guilty of being a little bit ADD with baking — I get bored. I like to mix it up, so I will rarely do a recipe more than 2x.

My favorite cupcake recipe?

I love the basic cupcake recipe from Magnolia Bakery’s cookbook – but I love to mix up the frostings.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

The Home Cake Decorating Supply Company! And Bake it Pretty, online!

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

eh…They’re maybe not always all the same size, but I imagine that measuring out your batter carefully would be the key here.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

As a matter of fact I do! It’s the avocado cake that I found on Joy the Baker. It’s vegan but also the most decadent chocolate cake I’ve possibly ever come across. Here: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/07/vegan-chocolate-avocado-cake/

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

um…I don’t think so! Maybe that vegan one is though?

What is the best cocoa to use?

I know that some people get all fancy, but I actually like Hershey’s Special Dark.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

My favorite way to do it is usually sans recipe – start out with 2 sticks of butter at room temperature, creaming it until fluffy, and then adding confectioners’ sugar and a dot of vanilla (and whatever flavorings etc) until it’s reached a desired consistency.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

I taste it as I add in the sugar – it is easy to add too much. I love sweetness but too much is too much!

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Still working on that one!

Inspiration questions:

Did you always have a passion for baking?

I absolutely did–my mom says that my first real word (other than mama and dada) was “chocolate” after tasting frosting for the first time. Yeah!

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

What inspires me? Love of making things people enjoy. I like eating other people’s baked goods better than eating my own!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

The internet, silly! Isn’t that what it was made for?

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Um, definitely Hello, Cupcake (the book) and their new follow up!

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I just don’t google it. Because if I have an idea and google it, someone has probably already done it. But if I don’t, I can at least pretend the idea was mine and have my own spin on it.

This and more original CakeSpy artwork can be found for sale at cakespyshop.com.

Fun questions:

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The part where the frosting and cake touch. Magical!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I do eat it up though.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

I can draw you one!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

N.E.V.E.R. When I met a girl who made custom perfume once, I asked her if she could make me smell like a freshly baked birthday cake, so does that answer your question?

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

OK! You have to clean the dishes though. Sorry.

**************************************************************

Note from Betsy about Jessie:

Jessie recently bought the Bluebottle Art Gallery in Seattle and have transformed it into her very own CakeSpy Shop!!! This weekend is the GRAND OPENING of the shop and I couldn’t be happier for Jessie!  For more details of the opening, visit the event page on Facebook!

Photo Credit: Jessie Oleson of CakeSpy

I had the pleasure of meeting Jessie for the first time at Trophy Cupcakes when Rachel of Cupcakes Take the Cake came into town.  It was my first ever cupcake meet-up and it was a blast!! Jessie was as sweet in person as she is online and I was thrilled to be able to have an opportunity to chat with her.  My daughter, Emily, absolutely adores Jessie’s art and her famous Lil’ Cuppie!

Rachel from CTTC, Jennifer Shea owner of Trophy Cupcakes, Jessie Oleson of CakeSpy, Unknown, Betsy Eves of JavaCupcake

Jessie and my daughter at Cupcake Camp Seattle

Knowing Jessie has been such a pleasure.  I never realized what a blessing it would be to someway be involved in the cupcake community… And although I’m a newbie, Jessie has made me feel completely welcomed and appreciated for what I do.  Thank you Jessie for being a kind, welcoming, strong woman who inspires me to do better and be better! You are truly a rare gem in this world Jessie and I am proud to know you!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Clara (aka CB or Ms. Cuppycakes to my blog readers).  I was introduced to blogging in December 2007 by my bff, Nikki of Crazy Delicious Food, b/c it was a way to hold me accountable while she was teaching me how to cook via the internet.  (She lives in Boston and I live in California.)  At first it was more of a recipe holder to store recipes that I found via other food blogs and the internet but over time and encouragement from Nikki, I started posting things that I was baking and cooking in my own kitchen.  After a while I started noticing how many cupcakes I was baking and decided to break off my original food blog into a Cupcake Only blog.

http://iheartcuppycakes.com

It’s actually kind of fun to go back to the first few recipes and see how much I’ve learned, grown and created in the last 3 years.  I don’t have any formal training besides “graduating” from Wilton’s 4-class cake decorating series at Michael’s craft store.  My cupcake blog is proof that anyone, with no baking experience outside a cake mix and butter knife (Yes, I really did use a butter knife in the old days), can learn to bake from scratch and pipe a purdy swirl with some imagination, willingness to learn and an encouraging teacher.

Actually Nikki thinks it’s pretty funny that I’m not the one asking her questions anymore.  I’m the one getting emails, tweets, texts from other newbie cupcake-ers asking me questions.  And I love it.  I’m a strong believer that teaching is the best way to learn.  I know learn from every question.

Please feel free to contact me via email: iheartcuppycakes@gmail.com or twitter @ihcuppycakes.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Definitely my KitchenAid mixer.  I have the Artisan Red 5 quart 325 watt model. (I fondly named her Ginger Spice.)  I know the price seems daunting but trust me.  Worth every penny.  If you are diligent online bargain shopper like my bff, you can find it for less than you think.  She found mine on Amazon for $199+free shipping.  I think retail would have been $350.  Score!  Some of my other cupcake staples are:  Wilton 1M (favorite star tip), Wilton 1A (favorite round tip), piping bag (I prefer disposables), offset spatula, cupcake liners, cupcake pan, oven thermometer, various decorations (I’m addicted to dragees! Sshhh! They are illegal in CA though), food coloring gel (I prefer gel instead of liquid), measuring spoons and teaspoons, digital scale, various size mixing bowls, sifter, whisks, spatulas, ice cream scoop (makes it easy to fill cupcake liners!), cooling rack, food safe markers/writers (I prefer Americolor).

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

I’m a frosting girl so my perfect cupcake needs to have the higher ratio of frosting to cake.  Honestly.  The cake is just a vehicle for the frosting for me. HA!  I’m a fan of Swiss Meringue Buttercream because it has a smooth not overly sweet texture and flavor.  I also won’t turn down Cream Cheese Frosting or anything caramel flavored either.  As for the cake.  I need my cake to be light and fluffy not dense.  If I can throw the cupcake against the wall and it lands with a “thud” I aint eating it!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

It really depends.  I’m pretty confident *knock on wood* with basic recipes (ie vanilla or chocolate) but when I create something new it might take me 1x (if I’m lucky) or 3-4-5x to get it right.  I aint gonna lie.  It’s a lot of trial and error.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Favorite is a tough word!  I have many different favorites.  And they change all the time.  But right now I’m a fan of Shelly Kaldunski’s Vanilla Cupcakes, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cupcakes and Elisa Straus’ Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I tend to use these basic cupcake recipes and spruce them with my own spin.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I tend to bake from scratch more than mixes but it’s not because I’m against cake mixes like my fellow cupcake-ers.  It’s more of a control thing.  When I create different flavors, I want to be in control of everything that goes into it so that if I need to adjust any ingredient it won’t be a guessing game.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

You really can’t go wrong with a basic vanilla cupcake recipe.  (See link in question above)

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I’m very lucky to have a variety of cake supply stores near me.  Two of my favorites are ABC Cakes in Orange, California and Calico Cake Shop in Buena Park, CA.  I have also ordered from Confectionary House and Bake It Pretty online.  Don’t forget to check your local Michaels, Macys (Martha Stewart collection) and grocery stores too!  You can find some cute things in stock sometimes.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

I use an ice cream scoop to help me keep the cupcake batter the same volume for each cupcake liner.  I know many readers ask me what the size is.  Honestly?  I have no idea.  It’s just a regular ol ice cream scoop that I bought on sale at my local Target.  It just took me trial and error to estimate the amount of cake batter for each liner.  Am I perfect now?  Not in the least because all recipes aren’t created the same and how much batter can vary for every recipe.  Short answer. I just don’t worry if they aren’t the same size.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

I can’t say that I’ve done much in the vegan cupcake realm but I would recommend Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz if you are looking for a vegan cupcake cookbook.  I’ve heard rave reviews from many vegan and non-vegan cupcake bakers.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

My motto is:  If you are gonna do something wrong.  Do it right.  So I don’t have any trans-fat cupcake recipes.  I tend towards moderation instead.  But don’t ask me how that’s working out.

What is the best cocoa to use?

I use either Valhrona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder.  Which one is the best?  I think that’s more personal preference.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

As I mentioned in question #1, I’m a Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) girl.  I love Martha Stewart’s recipe.  You can find her basic recipe on page 304 of her Cupcakes book or (here) via her website.  I’ve also tried her caramel and strawberry variations.  Yum!  I could eat it straight from the mixing bowl.  Click (here) for SMBC recipes I’ve made on my blog.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Don’t dump in all the powdered sugar at once!  I add my powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time and pinky taste before adding more.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice Practice Practice! Patience and a steady hand.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Not always.  I loved baking with my mom when I was little (I was her beater licker pastry sous chef) but it wasn’t until after I got married that I really got into cooking and baking for my new husband.  I call it the domesticity bug.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Here’s my cop out answer.  It’s a little bit of both.  Everyone loves cupcakes so it’s really easy to bake something I love and also bake something that friends and family enjoy eating.  Show me someone that doesn’t love cupcakes and I’ll show you someone that hates puppies. I think it’s actually been scientifically proven.  But don’t quote me.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

I get inspired by fellow cupcake-ers, books, art, colors and random ideas that pop into my head.  Sometimes I even dream about it.

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Ditto Question above.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I think it’s harder and harder to have a truly original idea these days.  Every cake recipe is gonna need similar ratios of flour, sugar, butter, eggs but I think the thing that sets cupcakes apart from before to now are unique flavors (bacon!) or decorating ideas that are complicated in an easy way (think Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson).  For me I do what I like and hope that others like what I’m doing.  If not, at least I’ll enjoy eating the cupcake!

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Frosting!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

Who says I don’t eat it all up?

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Honey, if I could do that I’d be Oprah’s personal pastry chef making frillion dollars.  HA!

Do you ever get tired of the sight or smell of cupcakes?

Nope.  I think that’s why I love baking cupcakes.  I don’t get bored.  I don’t get tired of it.  I enjoy every minute thinking about cupcakes, eating cupcakes, dreaming about cupcakes.  It’s a sweet life.  (No pun intended.)

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

Sure!  But I warn you.  Many of my personal taste testers can’t keep up with my constant cupcake baking.  Eventually they leave me for steak.  HA HA!

THE END

I wanna take this opportunity to THANK the following people:

My husband, my best friend, my rock, my soul mate.  Everything I am is because of you.  I love you.

Nikki of Crazy Delicious Food, my baking+cooking mentor and virtual cupcake taste tester, the one that answers my questions at 1am with only a “little” bit of complaining about interrupting her beauty sleep.  Remember we’re 3 hours time difference apart. (s.pisp.lsp.osp.vsp.espy.sp.ospu.spgs.pi.sp.rspl.sp)

Betsy of Java Cupcake for the opportunity to be interviewed.

All my IHEARTCUPPYCAKES! readers.  My blog would be lonely without you.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

It’s me Monica Serratos, owner of Two Parts Sugar, Orange County CA.  I literally never used a mixer until October 2008… haven’t stopped mixing since! I am a mother of 3 first…I have 3 y/o Alicia, 2 y/o Anabelle, and 4 mo old Angelica. I rent a commercial kitchen in Irvine and bake at night into the wee hours of the morning while my girls sleep soundly in bed. I then come home to be a “stay at home mom”…naps are golden. I absolutely LOVE what i do and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twopartssugar/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-Parts-Sugar/276707580173?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/twopartssugar

http://twopartssugar.com

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Finding the time and convincing my husband.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Hard work, determination (although my husband might call being stubborn), and most importantly a good heart.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

It just kinda happened….

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Waaay more! It gets tricky juggling 3 girls 3 and under, a husband and baking.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

My Kitchen Aid mixer is my god.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

Moist, soft, and held together, icing sweet but not overly so and PROPORTION people…I like a little cake with my icing please.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

I’m getting frustrated just thinking about it.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Our raspberry red velvets…get’s em every time

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

ALL made from scratch

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste?

You wish!

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

OC Novelty in Santa Ana…they rock!

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

My other god…the handy dandy ice cream scoop

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Nope…possibly in the future

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Desserts should be indulgent…leave your diets at the door please

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

You wish

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

See above

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Baked occasionally, but NEVER pictured myself doing this….always been creative and dabble in making kids clothes, baby blankets, scrapbooking all that kinda stuff…found out I had a knack for cakes/cupcakes

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

There really is nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up when they see and taste your creations. I am a huge people person…I sometimes have to check myself, cause I like to add that little extra

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

EVERYWHERE….ice cream flavors, cookies, drinks, you name it

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Just bring me a theme and my mind goes crazy

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The decorations

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I usually do

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

It probably would not taste good

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Yes, when it’s 6:00 in the morning, I know my girls are waking up and I am stuck in the kitchen finishing up and order I decided to add a “lil sumin” to that ended up taking way longer than I thought.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

Hmmmm…that’s the best part of the job…sorry.

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/04/ask-the-baker-monica-of-two-parts-sugar/feed/ 0 http://javacupcake.com/2010/04/ask-the-baker-carrie-david-of-crumb/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/04/ask-the-baker-carrie-david-of-crumb/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:55:42 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=1941 JavaCupcake Note: This is the third post in the “Ask the Baker” series featuring interviews with bakers and bakery owners!   Click here to see the complete list of bakers being interviewed.  Check back every Tuesday for a new interview!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Crumb
founded by Carrie Nickerson and David Menestres
Raleigh, NC

http://justCrumb.com
http://twitter.com/justCrumb
http://facebook.com/justCrumb

Cups of cake are a very small part of our business. We are custom bakers who bake just about anything. Cake in cupped form is just a useful way for serving great cake in a pre-portioned fashion.

Photo from IndyWeek.Com and by Jeremy M. Lange

Start-up questions:

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Finding backers that can provide the type of support and money that we need has been our hardest ongoing challenge. Maintaining full control of our creative vision is the most important thing to us.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Be creative. No one will pay for something they can buy from a local supermarket. Use as many local products as you can and forge relationships with local foodies. If you can make the foodies happy then the rest are easy. Find a banker you can work with and an accountant you trust.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Very little. Most of your planning time needs to be spent working on great, original recipes which is an ongoing process. Stasis is not a good thing. Evolution and ingenuity are what drive all successful businesses.

How much time does it take to run your business? More or less than you anticipated?

Running a business is a constant thing. If we’re not baking we’re thinking about new recipes, supplies we need, and the next few days, weeks, and months. It’s rare to spend more than an hour to two a week when we’re not thinking about or doing something business related.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Tools, gadgets, and gizmos are all shit. You need a few mixing bowls, some measuring cups and spoons, a few cup cakes pans, and a pastry bag with a few tips. If you can make something awesome with minimal equipment then you will be golden.

Recipe/Baking questions:

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

We make everything ourselves.  Freshness is one of the most important consideration in a quality baked good. Pre-made items have too many chemicals and preservatives that will do nothing to enhance your cake.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Practice.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

We have vegan options, gluten free options, and other options for people with dietary restrictions.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Use less sugar.

Inspiration Questions:

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Learning to cook and bake is fundamental to life. You are what you eat.

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?  With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

We’re creative people and come up with everything we do (or maybe we just play creative people on TV). Many times they come about as a result of a random conversation with someone, from a great cocktail at the local watering hole, or from whatever is fresh at the local farmer’s market. Listening to your own cravings is an excellent source of inspiration.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Everything that can be done has been done and will be done again. Most of what’s easily available is shit that isn’t worth recreating so you can save yourself the time.

Fun Questions:

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Eating

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

Lots of cycling.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

No. Your weight issues are your own to deal with.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

No.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

No that position is already taken by the gimp we keep in the floor.

Please introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Hi, I’m Mari Luangrath and I own Foiled Cupcakes in Chicago. We’re Chicago’s only exclusively online personal delivery cupcake service. Our website launched in July 2009, and we service the entire Chicago and west suburb area.

www.foiledcupcakes.com
www.twitter.com/foiledcupcakes
www.facebook.com/foiledcupcakes
www.foiledcupcakes.com/blog

Here’s a picture of me and my best friend, Jocelyn, who’s our Executive Cupcakeologist, based in Southern California.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Starting this business was a labor of love that took a good year before we even thought to launch our site. Everything from branding, cupcake flavors, recipe testing, and ingredient sourcing are all things that we put a lot of deliberate time and effort into.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

We make everything from scratch, as far as our cupcakes and fillings go. All of our toppings are imported from Europe.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Bringing the community together. There’s no better way to do that than with food. And no better food to do that than with cupcakes. (That’s just our humble opinion.)

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

When you’re surrounded by cupcakes all day long, it’s not hard to want something like empanadas. Or chicken parmesan. Or a box of salt.

Please introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Kari Haskell, Owner and Head of Cupcakes at Retro Bakery in Las Vegas!!!

I am a home-baker gone pro. I have no schooling, just over 20 years of practice. I was a stay-at-home mom for 9 years, then decided to open up Retro two years ago when they were building a new building down the street from my house (GREAT COMMUTE!!). Retro is on the outskirts of Las Vegas (a $150 round-trip cab ride from The Strip), but it’s quickly becoming a MUST-EAT Vegas destination, which is exactly the success I wanted. I don’t want to rule the cupcake world. I just want to be Vegas’ BEST BUTTERCREAM.

Retro is ALL over the internet so you can DROOL while you book your ticket to Vegas to come VISIT US!!

http://www.retrobakerylv.com
http://www.twitter.com/retrobakery
http://www.twitter.com/retrocakeguy
http://www.twitter.com/retrocounter
http://www.retrobakery.blogspot.com

OH YEAH: follow my insanity about building a bakery on a weekly basis from start to finish at my personal blog: http://www.buildingabakery.blogspot.com

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

A menu. Our original plan was to be an EVERYTHING bakery: pies, cookies, cupcakes, cakes…BUT, then I realized that it’s just TWO OF US doing the baking and runnin’ the place. We had to scale DOWN to be able to manage baking all day, helping customers, folding boxes, doing dishes, cleaning messes, watching LUCY (our daughter) doing the bookkeeping, etc… (there’s MUCH more than baking involved with running a BAKERY).

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

INTERNET: KNOW IT, USE IT. Don’t be afraid.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Three months…I’m a GO GETTER! Remember, I was a stay-at-home mom, so I had HOURS to think about it all day…while changing diapers…and picking my other kid up from school.

How much time does it take to run your business? More or less than you anticipated?

You can’t even IMAGINE how time FLIES after you open. You BLINK and you’ve worked 10 hours. I average about 90 hours a week (and that DOES NOT include internet time or menu changes, or test baking…). I also only have ONE DAY OFF per week (and even THAT day is spent talking about Retro…)

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Too many to write…BUT, the main one is an ice cream scoop. It is my best friend. It makes scooping batter WAY easy and consistent. Oh yeah: a PIPING BAG for frosting cupcakes.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

I love Vanilla/Vanilla. I’m a purest. BUT, I do tend to love wacky flavors like PB&J. I’ll take vanilla over chocolate every time.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

I baked every day, twice a day one I decided we were opening…STILL didn’t have it right. Honestly, we didn’t REALLY have it right until about two months after we opened because commercial baking vs. HOME baking is like NIGHT and DAY.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Cinnamon Toast: vanilla cake topped with cinnamon buttercream and dusted with cinnamon and sugar (my favorite cupcake of ALL TIME)

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

Trade secrets.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Yes. EXACTLY that last sentence.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

Trade secrets.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Ice cream scoop and LOTS of practice. Sometimes they’re small…sometimes they’re HUGE…depends on my mood.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

ALL of our chocolate cake is Vegan. It’s a little-known fact…it’s FABULOUS, and no one knows…

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

NO WAY, JOSE.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Practice…and EATING that practice

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

THAT is an actual talent. It’s about squeezing and swirlin’ at the same time.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

YES. No one else baked in my immediate family, so whenever dessert was needed, I just stepped in. Pies were my first baking LOVE…cookies and cake quickly followed.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

PEOPLE. I LOVE to see them smile after they take a bite…it keeps me going “What will they like NEXT??”

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Everywhere…grocery stores are the BEST. Each section is FULL of ideas for the next cupcake flavor

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

I don’t…I’m lazy that way. I’m all about the TASTE instead of the DESIGN

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I just don’t look. I am SURE that everyone has done my stuff SOMEWHERE…but, I just try to think of stuff that I think no one else has…usually someone ELSE tells me that it’s available at another shop. OOPS.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

BUTTERCREAM

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I eat it ALL DAY…in small amounts…and usually don’t eat anything else.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Just walk in place while eating it. It cancels out the calories.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

I can’t smell them anymore. I’m around baking SO MUCH, I can’t smell cake. It’s very sad. People come in and say, “OH!! It smells SO GOOD in here!” I can’t smell it at ALL.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

YES, but you’d have to fight my 4 yr old for the position.