More photos to come soon, and Yummy Cupcakes also has 4th of July specials: Strawberry Shortcake cupcakes, Blueberry Cream Chase cupcakes, Apple pie cupcakes, and Banana split cupcakes. They will be CLOSED on the 4th though, and apologies for getting this up so late. Yay cupcakes and happy holiday to everyone - if you celebrate with cupcakes, let us know!
Name: Tiffini Soforenko
Age: 38
Location: Burbank and Santa Monica California
Occupation: Executive Chef/Owner
URL: www.yummycupcakes.com
When did you decide to open Yummy Cupcakes and what was your inspiration?
I officially started business March 2004 catering special events. I was inspired by my cupcake buying in New York. Cupcakes were much more common there but still only a small part of the bakery’s products. I wanted to create an all cupcake retail store. There were none at that time.
How much baking experience did the three of you have before you started the store?
Coming from a family of bakers, I grew up learning the tools of the trade. This has always been a passion for me. I also have 12 years corporate management experience from one of the largest guest oriented businesses in the world. My partners are my husband, Nik, and my Mom, Brogan. Nik is one of the top bartenders in Los Angeles so he knows efficiency and guest service. He also was the inspiration for our Cocktail Cupcake line. My mom, Brogan, has 14 years heading the marketing departments for major hotels plus 10 years as a professional business consultant helping others grow their retail businesses.
What kind of research did you do into the market for cupcakes? Why did you decide to start a cupcake-only bakery?
Yes. I did do research. As the first “cupcake only” bakery, I needed to know how it would be received. Our research told us there was a market. All of the places to buy cupcakes locally were limited in their flavor variety, made from mixes and served as a backup item with the feature being cakes.
What makes your cupcakes "gourmet" cupcakes? What's unique about them?
Our cupcakes are gourmet because of the ingredients we use and the way in which they are created. We use real ingredients such as whole milk, creamery butter, cane sugar, fresh ranch eggs, whipped cream, specialty bourbon and Tahitian vanilla from Madagascar, specialty chocolates such as Callebaut, Scharffenberger and so on. Everything is baked from scratch on the very day it is served. Our cupcakes are created by pastry chefs who are culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu, graduates. We have now 114 flavor combinations on our full menu. And all of our preparation, baking, frosting and decorating are done right in front of our guests. It’s like walking into our kitchen. All of these combined are what make us truly unique.
How do you come up with the new flavors, and which are your most popular? Which is your personal favorite?
We now have 114 flavor combinations on our full menu and I am always working on the next amazing flavor. I pick a flavor that interests me and start creating from there. It’s a lot of trial and error until we get it just right! For July, I worked with my lead pastry chef Julia Flick and created an absolutely amazing Strawberry Shortcake cupcake and a Blueberry Cream Cheese cupcake. Both are made with lots of fresh fruit and are mouth watering delicious!
My favorites seem to change. Right now my favorites are Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Cream Pie. My mom loves the Strawberry Shortcake and the Root Beer Float and Nik’s favorite is the Old School (it’s a chocolate cupcake filled with whipped cream, dipped in chocolate ganache, topped with a vanilla buttercream “squiggle” across the top) and the Fluffernutter.
Have there been flavors you've wanted to make that didn't quite work out? How much testing do you do of potential new flavors?
Only for a while. I really wanted to create the Root Beer Float cupcake but found that one to be my biggest challenge. It took me several months to get it to where I wanted to add it to our menu. And before we put any flavor out for our guests, it is taste tested…by our pastry chefs, our family, our friends and our guests. If we get rave reviews, we know we have a good thing.
You've recently opened a second Yummy Cupcakes location. Was this success something you expected? Why do you think cupcakes in general are so popular at this moment in time, and yours in particular?
We are very thankful for the success and the support we are getting from our guests. It was our guests that were the very reason we opened the Santa Monica store. While we are all part of Los Angeles, Burbank and Santa Monica draw from two very different areas. We have a lot of guests and corporate clients that are physically located in Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Culver City. This is much more convenient for them which is great for us.
I don’t think cupcakes are trendy. Cupcakes have been around for a very long time. What’s new is having a bakeshop that you can go into anytime and select from a variety of gourmet flavors. I’m excited that cupcakes are getting the attention they deserve.
What is your busiest time of the day or week?
Thursday – Sunday are our busiest days. The times we are busy are very different each day and vary even more by location. Guests may come in to the bakeshops and find they are the only one or come in to find they are 14th in line. There is no rhyme or reason.
You also sell some innovative cupcake items such as cupcake in a jar, cupcake biscotti, and cupcake-on-a-stick? Where did the ideas for these come from, and how popular are they?
I am always on the lookout for unique and delicious ways to present cupcakes to our guests.
The Cupcake Biscotti grew out of guests telling us they wish cupcakes had a longer shelf life. After much trial and error, I created a process to split an unfrosted cupcake in thirds, slow bake it to a crunch, then double dip it in pure Callebaut chocolate and roll it in nuts or sprinkles or coconut. It’s yummy and it has a longer shelf life.
The Cupcake-In-A-Jar grew out of my desire to eat a cupcake a little at a time and not have it dry out. I decided to again split the unfrosted cupcake in thirds and layer it in a mason jar with whipped cream and/or chocolate ganache or buttercream, fresh fruit and nuts or sprinkles and I can refrigerate it so it’s there whenever I want just one bite or several. And there are as many flavor combinations as there are cupcake flavors. The
Cupcake-In-A-Box grew out of many, many requests by our guest to ship our cupcakes. Now we can put all the fixings for a particular cupcake in a box and ship it. The Cupcake-on-a-Stick was inspired by the apple on a stick. We fill the cupcake, unwrap it, then double dip it in pure chocolate and roll it in nuts or sprinkles.
All of these are very popular. The most popular is the Cupcake-In-A-Jar.
What's next for Yummy Cupcakes? Do you have any other plans to innovate/expand?
We are focusing on a few exciting growth options for Yummy Cupcakes. I will keep you posted!
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Every day…and often! As the Executive Chef it is my responsibility to check product quality routinely : )
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
The way it makes you feel. It’s pure enjoyment.
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
Any cupcake that’s filled: whipped cream, lemon curd, banana puree, chocolate ganache.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
There’s just something magical about a cupcake. I can’t think of any other baked good that makes you feel the way you feel when you get a cupcake.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
Yes. I would like to see a Yummy Cupcake Bakeshop on every corner so everyone could have these gourmet cupcakes!
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
I bake every cupcake the first few times until it is perfected to my taste. Then I create a proprietary recipe that is given to our pastry chefs to create from scratch on a daily basis. They are made in the bakeshop every morning and all day long as demand requires. We never serve day old cupcake or bake offsite and transport. And I am physically in one store or the other, almost every day, to bake, decorate, train and serve my guests.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
As a child, sincerely, stirring the cupcake batter for my mom. She couldn’t have made cupcakes for us when we were kids if I didn’t help : ) Now my memories are of the very first day we opened our first store. I remember getting ready to open the door and putting on our new logo’d t-shirts and aprons, just us three partners, wondering what would happen. On the second day we were in business we had lines out the door!
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
I remember being tied up in traffic and having a large box of cupcakes next to me in the passenger seat. I remember taking a small bite of one cupcake, then taking a piece of another with my fingers, then another piece and before I realized it I was eating parts of every cupcake and having a great time. People were staring at me and smiling and I’m sure it’s because I was probably smiling ridiculously with frosting all over my face. I remember thinking that life was really good for those 45 minutes!
Do you have anything else to add?
Yes. I love your website. Thanks for letting us be a part of it.
Name: Tiffini Soforenko
Age: 38
Location: Burbank and Santa Monica California
Occupation: Executive Chef/Owner
URL: www.yummycupcakes.com
When did you decide to open Yummy Cupcakes and what was your inspiration?
I officially started business March 2004 catering special events. I was inspired by my cupcake buying in New York. Cupcakes were much more common there but still only a small part of the bakery’s products. I wanted to create an all cupcake retail store. There were none at that time.
How much baking experience did the three of you have before you started the store?
Coming from a family of bakers, I grew up learning the tools of the trade. This has always been a passion for me. I also have 12 years corporate management experience from one of the largest guest oriented businesses in the world. My partners are my husband, Nik, and my Mom, Brogan. Nik is one of the top bartenders in Los Angeles so he knows efficiency and guest service. He also was the inspiration for our Cocktail Cupcake line. My mom, Brogan, has 14 years heading the marketing departments for major hotels plus 10 years as a professional business consultant helping others grow their retail businesses.
What kind of research did you do into the market for cupcakes? Why did you decide to start a cupcake-only bakery?
Yes. I did do research. As the first “cupcake only” bakery, I needed to know how it would be received. Our research told us there was a market. All of the places to buy cupcakes locally were limited in their flavor variety, made from mixes and served as a backup item with the feature being cakes.
What makes your cupcakes "gourmet" cupcakes? What's unique about them?
Our cupcakes are gourmet because of the ingredients we use and the way in which they are created. We use real ingredients such as whole milk, creamery butter, cane sugar, fresh ranch eggs, whipped cream, specialty bourbon and Tahitian vanilla from Madagascar, specialty chocolates such as Callebaut, Scharffenberger and so on. Everything is baked from scratch on the very day it is served. Our cupcakes are created by pastry chefs who are culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu, graduates. We have now 114 flavor combinations on our full menu. And all of our preparation, baking, frosting and decorating are done right in front of our guests. It’s like walking into our kitchen. All of these combined are what make us truly unique.
How do you come up with the new flavors, and which are your most popular? Which is your personal favorite?
We now have 114 flavor combinations on our full menu and I am always working on the next amazing flavor. I pick a flavor that interests me and start creating from there. It’s a lot of trial and error until we get it just right! For July, I worked with my lead pastry chef Julia Flick and created an absolutely amazing Strawberry Shortcake cupcake and a Blueberry Cream Cheese cupcake. Both are made with lots of fresh fruit and are mouth watering delicious!
My favorites seem to change. Right now my favorites are Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Cream Pie. My mom loves the Strawberry Shortcake and the Root Beer Float and Nik’s favorite is the Old School (it’s a chocolate cupcake filled with whipped cream, dipped in chocolate ganache, topped with a vanilla buttercream “squiggle” across the top) and the Fluffernutter.
Have there been flavors you've wanted to make that didn't quite work out? How much testing do you do of potential new flavors?
Only for a while. I really wanted to create the Root Beer Float cupcake but found that one to be my biggest challenge. It took me several months to get it to where I wanted to add it to our menu. And before we put any flavor out for our guests, it is taste tested…by our pastry chefs, our family, our friends and our guests. If we get rave reviews, we know we have a good thing.
You've recently opened a second Yummy Cupcakes location. Was this success something you expected? Why do you think cupcakes in general are so popular at this moment in time, and yours in particular?
We are very thankful for the success and the support we are getting from our guests. It was our guests that were the very reason we opened the Santa Monica store. While we are all part of Los Angeles, Burbank and Santa Monica draw from two very different areas. We have a lot of guests and corporate clients that are physically located in Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Culver City. This is much more convenient for them which is great for us.
I don’t think cupcakes are trendy. Cupcakes have been around for a very long time. What’s new is having a bakeshop that you can go into anytime and select from a variety of gourmet flavors. I’m excited that cupcakes are getting the attention they deserve.
What is your busiest time of the day or week?
Thursday – Sunday are our busiest days. The times we are busy are very different each day and vary even more by location. Guests may come in to the bakeshops and find they are the only one or come in to find they are 14th in line. There is no rhyme or reason.
You also sell some innovative cupcake items such as cupcake in a jar, cupcake biscotti, and cupcake-on-a-stick? Where did the ideas for these come from, and how popular are they?
I am always on the lookout for unique and delicious ways to present cupcakes to our guests.
The Cupcake Biscotti grew out of guests telling us they wish cupcakes had a longer shelf life. After much trial and error, I created a process to split an unfrosted cupcake in thirds, slow bake it to a crunch, then double dip it in pure Callebaut chocolate and roll it in nuts or sprinkles or coconut. It’s yummy and it has a longer shelf life.
The Cupcake-In-A-Jar grew out of my desire to eat a cupcake a little at a time and not have it dry out. I decided to again split the unfrosted cupcake in thirds and layer it in a mason jar with whipped cream and/or chocolate ganache or buttercream, fresh fruit and nuts or sprinkles and I can refrigerate it so it’s there whenever I want just one bite or several. And there are as many flavor combinations as there are cupcake flavors. The
Cupcake-In-A-Box grew out of many, many requests by our guest to ship our cupcakes. Now we can put all the fixings for a particular cupcake in a box and ship it. The Cupcake-on-a-Stick was inspired by the apple on a stick. We fill the cupcake, unwrap it, then double dip it in pure chocolate and roll it in nuts or sprinkles.
All of these are very popular. The most popular is the Cupcake-In-A-Jar.
What's next for Yummy Cupcakes? Do you have any other plans to innovate/expand?
We are focusing on a few exciting growth options for Yummy Cupcakes. I will keep you posted!
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Every day…and often! As the Executive Chef it is my responsibility to check product quality routinely : )
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
The way it makes you feel. It’s pure enjoyment.
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
Any cupcake that’s filled: whipped cream, lemon curd, banana puree, chocolate ganache.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
There’s just something magical about a cupcake. I can’t think of any other baked good that makes you feel the way you feel when you get a cupcake.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
Yes. I would like to see a Yummy Cupcake Bakeshop on every corner so everyone could have these gourmet cupcakes!
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
I bake every cupcake the first few times until it is perfected to my taste. Then I create a proprietary recipe that is given to our pastry chefs to create from scratch on a daily basis. They are made in the bakeshop every morning and all day long as demand requires. We never serve day old cupcake or bake offsite and transport. And I am physically in one store or the other, almost every day, to bake, decorate, train and serve my guests.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
As a child, sincerely, stirring the cupcake batter for my mom. She couldn’t have made cupcakes for us when we were kids if I didn’t help : ) Now my memories are of the very first day we opened our first store. I remember getting ready to open the door and putting on our new logo’d t-shirts and aprons, just us three partners, wondering what would happen. On the second day we were in business we had lines out the door!
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
I remember being tied up in traffic and having a large box of cupcakes next to me in the passenger seat. I remember taking a small bite of one cupcake, then taking a piece of another with my fingers, then another piece and before I realized it I was eating parts of every cupcake and having a great time. People were staring at me and smiling and I’m sure it’s because I was probably smiling ridiculously with frosting all over my face. I remember thinking that life was really good for those 45 minutes!
Do you have anything else to add?
Yes. I love your website. Thanks for letting us be a part of it.
Comments