Craze for Cupcakes

Move aside the three-tier wedding cake and make way for the range of flavoured cupcakes on your special day. Whether a birthday, anniversary of even a wedding, the sight of cupcakes and the surprise flavours in each treat are amusing cake lovers.  Clare D’mello of Lil’C – Madame Chocolate has been making wedding cakes for the past nine years and started working on cupcakes three years ago. “Clients want something unconventional for their wedding cakes and more recently, they’ve started replacing the traditional three-tier cake with cupcakes. My wedding cake was also a collection of cupcakes,” says Clare. Taking note of things from shape to flavour and icing, Clare prefers spending more time working on ideas with her clients as she wants them to be stress-free when it comes to the wedding cake on their big day. “I don’t take more then three cakes on any day as it gets too hectic and the cakes have to be perfect. The pricing for cupcakes for wedding cakes depends on the flavours and topping, which range from Rs 80 to 150 for wedding cakes,” says Clare, who works from her cake studio in Pedem, Mapusa. Three years of baking has made Anushka Sequeira from Taleigao more experimental with her cupcakes. With a wide array of flavours under her brand, Sugarlicious, Anushka loves to chat with her clients about new ideas for their cakes. “Instead of buying a half kilogram or one kilogram of cake with the same flavour, one can try different flavours for each cupcake which makes the celebration more tasty. These cupcakes can be customised according to the client’s needs. I make cupcakes in flavours like Dairy Milk Silk, Oreo, vanilla butter cream and red velvet,” says Anushka, who receives orders at least 15 days in advance, though she does make exceptions if she has some free time. “I usually receive clients in the age group of 16 to 30 who are more open to ideas and want more personalised cakes. Many wives want something different for their anniversaries or youngsters want to surprise their lovers with a themed cupcake party. The trend is to create your own gift in the form of cupcakes,” says Anushka. Shalini Muriel Carneiro from Aquem, Margao, is an MCom graduate who took up baking as a part time activity until she could find a job. She started making cupcakes for family and friends but as soon as word got out, she was showered with orders, turning her hobby into a career. She now receives orders for creative cupcakes for birthdays and anniversaries. “I make cupcakes in four flavours: chocolate, vanilla, lemon and red velvet. I have done cupcake themed cakes for clients right from a one-year old to an 85-year-old lady. The latest trend I have noticed is that there is usually a cake for the birthday but these cupcakes are kept around the cake. For a 15-year-old’s birthday, there will be 15 cupcakes surrounding the birthday cake,” says Shalini, who accepts orders even two days before the event.  Working for one year with cupcakes, Shalini has the creative freedom to design the cupcakes with different theme. “With cupcakes, you can incorporate different flavours and icings; children find this exciting. For children’s birthday parties, these cupcakes are given as takeaways, something sweet to remind them about the birthday,” adds Shalini, who recently worked on a Minnie Mouse theme.