Name: Susan Sarich
Title: Proprietor
Age: 37
Location: Los Angeles
Occupation: Founder, SusieCakes Bakery, Los Angeles
URL: www.susiecakesla.com
When did you open SusieCakes and what was the impetus for it?
I had been carrying around boxes of my grandmother's original 4X6 recipe cards for way too long and decided it was time to do something with them!
How much baking experience did you have prior to starting it and what was the biggest thing you had to learn when running your own bakery?
I have no formal pastry training and the biggest learning curve was anticipating how much of each item to bake everyday. . . I am still learning!
How do you differentiate yourselves from the other bakeries in Los Angeles?
We offer high quality products combined with uncompromising hospitality. We pride ourselves on offering friendly customer service along with our great old-fashioned desserts. We also have some very unique signature desserts (other than our frosting-filled cupcakes!) such as chocolate wafer icebox pie, made with our own wafers, and whoopie pies, which aren't found in many Los Angeles bakeries.
You bill your bakery as “an all-American home-style bake shop.” What does that mean to you?
To me, it means a bakery that offers traditional desserts that were popular with homemakers in the 50's or 60's⎯straightforward, uncomplicated, Betty Crocker-esque!
You feature frosting filled cupcakes in a variety of flavors; chocolate, vanilla, coconut, lemon, strawberry, mocha, peanut butter, red velvet, strawberry, and chocolate mint. What are they filled with and how much of the filling do you put in?
They are filled with a dollop of the same frosting that is on top. Are they messy to eat? No, it's a small amount of additional frosting.
For those who like their cupcakes with just cake on the bottom and frosting on top, do you offer non-filled cupcakes?
The frosting-filled element is our signature, so the regular size cupcakes are always filled. The option for guests not wanting filled cupcakes would be the miniature cupcakes. They are too small to be filled, so they simply have the frosting on the top.
Is there a typical Susie Cakes customer?
Definitely not! Our guests come from all walks of life, but share the common bond of loving simple, scratch-made desserts.
What are our busiest times of the day and week?
Saturday mornings and afternoons are very busy for pick ups.
A Variety article where your butterscotch toffee pudding was featured started out with the line “Enough with the cupcakes” and lamented the rampant “cupcake worship” taking place in LA. Do you think cupcakes are overrated?
No. I think the growth in cupcake-specific bakeshops is terrific, but I do sometimes feel other great desserts get overlooked⎯such as pudding, for example!
How do cupcakes rate in terms of your most popular items? They are one of our top sellers. Do you notice anything different about how customers approach the purchase of cupcakes versus other items?
They either come in and know exactly what they want (they don't even look at the case!) or they lament for some time over which of the many great flavors to try.
What do you think gives cupcakes their enduring appeal?
I believe it all stems back to childhood. People like to be transported back to a time and place in their lives that was easy and carefree. Cupcakes can do that.
Your mailing list sign-in mentions baking classes. Have you had any and if so, how have they gone over?
We will be starting off with children's decorating classes this spring and then we'll take it from there.
And now for some personal questions . . .
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Every day.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
They never seem to get boring for me.
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
Vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting⎯I am a purist!
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
Cupcakes are able to be made in a tremendous variety of flavors and styles. Few other desserts can be so versatile!
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
Not necessarily the cupcake itself, but I believe there could be some great improvements in our industry's packing options for better transport.
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
I am incredibly fortunate to have a phenomenally talented bakery team that bakes all of our products daily.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
First grade. We decorated cupcakes at school and I accidentally sat in mine. My mom had to be called to bring me in a new pair o pants because mine were covered in frosting.
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
I have fun absolutely every day seeing the happiness cupcakes can bring to our guests. When the kids come in the front door literally running towards the display case, I know we're doing a good thing.
Do you have anything else to add?
I feel fortunate to come to work every day. I never take it for granted that I get to do and share what I love.
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