Why Cupcakes?

I never thought I would be doing cupcakes as a career. After getting my Pastry and Baking Arts Certificate at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, I thought my first job would be at a small neighborhood bakery making tarts, cakes, muffins. I also didn't expect to get pregnant while going to culinary school either. But our sweet little Laura, now 10 months is the absolute best thing that's happened to our family.

I was six months pregnant when I finished culinary school and in no shape to be lifting 50 pound bags of flour. Initially I was disappointed that I didn't get to enter the baking industry along with my other colleagues, that I was somehow missing out and would lose my newly acquired baking skills.

Fast forward one year later....it all worked out! I love being with Laura every day. During her naps and after she's down for the night, I do my baking experiments in the kitchen. I'm a food geek at heart and love tweaking recipes ensuring the taste, texture, and presentation is just right. Who wants to work at someone else's bakery, doing the same things, day in and day out? Sure, I'd quickly learn to crank out pastries with precision and efficiency, but how would that be fulfilling?

So how did I decide to do cupcakes? I was already a member of the San Rafael Mothers' Club with 200+ members. I thought it would be an easy place to start. Doing something for kids' parties would be fun and not a high pressure job, as doing wedding cakes. Plus, I'd feel I would be helping other mommies like me.

I have to give props to my cousin, Terry, who is a journalist at the AP in Phoenix, Arizona. She's a cupcake baker in her spare time. She's always trying new cupcake recipes and sharing her experiences with me. She introduced me to a blog called Cupcakes Take the Cake
She pointed me to this blog when I told her I was thinking of doing cupcakes as a business. Once I read and saw all the cupcakes on that blog, I was immediately hooked - it opened my eyes up to all the creative possibilities in making cupcakes.

Who can resist a cupcake? Cupcakes are cute and remind people of home. Each cupcake is a new adventure - another opportunity to make a new flavor, a new look, a special little cake for a special occasion.