New cupcakery in Chesapeake, Virginia



from The Virginian-Pilot

Inside the glass display case, the individually wrapped delicacies come in vibrant colors and carry names as tantalizing as they look: Espresso Royale. PiƱa Colada. Ho-Ho Heaven. Cookies ’n’ Cream. Habanero Hottie.

These are cupcakes. Ornately decorated, meticulously frosted cupcakes. Just cupcakes.

Chesapeake native and lifelong baker Dawn Eskins opened Carolina Cupcakery last month in the Edinburgh Commons shopping plaza off Hillcrest Parkway. With her creative concoctions, she has brought to Hampton Roads a retail concept that other cities have savored for years.

Call it cupcake chic. It’s all about one product – albeit in different forms and flavors.

And locals are taking their first bite of the trend. Curious shoppers wander into the Cupcakery and wonder at its precise merchandise. “Just cupcakes?” they often ask.

“Absolutely,” answers Eskins, a graphic designer by trade. “But it’s every kind of dessert you can think of, morphed into a cupcake.”

In its first three weeks, Eskins said, the business has exceeded her expectations. Now living in Camden, N.C., and partnering with her two college-student daughters, Eskins earned enough money in her first three days to cover her shop’s monthly rent, she said.


Their website is a little sparse (but says the rest is coming soon - is this a new trend, that bakeries get local newspaper writeups before their websites are fully functional?) but this is how they describe themselves:

CAROLINA CUPCAKERY specializes in gourmet cupcakes, as well other cup-sized treats, baked fresh, from scratch, using the most organic, wholesome ingredients we can find including; unbleached flour, sweet-cream butter, farm-fresh eggs and organic flavorings. We are committed to supporting local produce farmers.

CarolinaCupcakery will offer a rotating menu of more than 70 varieties of their rich, scratch-baked cupcakes. The collection is noteworthy for its broad range of flavors, inspired by everything from Happy Hour drinks to Retro Classics such as Ho-hos and Creamsicles. The daily menu changes to include special holiday, seasonal and folksy combinations such as Peanut Butter and Jelly and Girl Scout Samoa cupcakes.

As a small-batch bakery, we bake all day, so more varieties of cupcakes are available, fresh. Baking 8-10 different kinds each day, paired with the fact that most cupcakes stay moist at least 3 days, means there are 24-30 varieties available most of the time. A baking menu is published, so customers know when to come, to get their favorites, fresh!


Plus they bill themselves as green - they don't use styrofoam, use compostable/recycled materials, etc. See their FAQ for more information.

CarolinaCupcakeryLLC
237 Carmichael Way #221 (beside the new Target)
Edinburgh Commons North, off Hillcrest Pkwy in Chesapeake, VA 23322
Daily operating hours: Monday - Saturday, 8- 7pm (extended summer hours to come)
Sunday, noon- 5pm (No baking/Previously baked goods will be discounted)

Comments

Peg Graham said…
I went to Carolina Cupcakery in Chesapeake, VA today for my daughter's 7th birthday treat!

We had a blast!!!!see my blog: http://pegola.typepad.com/

The owner, Dawn Eskins and family are all so sweet! The homemade taste is what it's all about.
(and the kids got to frost their own cupcakes too). What a fun little store...they'll go far!YUM!

cupcake hugs-
Peg Graham
Chesapeake, VA
Anonymous said…
Had wonderful vegan cupcakes from Carolina Cupcakery this weekend at a freind's birthday this weekend. What a yummy treat!!
Anonymous said…
My daughter and I stopped in at the Carolina Cupcakery this morning. My Doubledecker Chocolate had a good taste but, except for the icing, was a very dry cupcake.......as was my daughters Cappuccino Kick. My husband liked his Grasshopper cupcake and we all enjoyed a taste of the Sweet Potato Gluten-free....which was excellent. (and very moist) In all honesty, I don't think they are worth $3.50 each nor the drive to get there.
Anonymous said…
I think the cupcakes are quite tasty. Most people lavish themselves with a medium sized coffee from starbucks at $4, so a jumbo-sized cupcake at $3.50 shouldn't be a big deal. It's the wonderful customer service and the obvious home baked taste that makes the price worth it.
Anonymous said…
The idea of a delicious cupcake seems like a great pick-me-up after a day of shopping, right? Well, I was so utterly disappointed by Carolina Cupcakery's "treats" that I had to throw all 3 cupcakes (and the $15 it cost me!) in the trash. We got three different cupcakes that were all horribly dry, one seemed almost stale! The frostings were super sugary with no other noticeable flavors. So sad :(
Anonymous said…
I thought my daughters cupcake looked moist and good, she loved it - though she is 3 and loves anything sweet. Though, the two i bought for my husband and myself were basically stale and on the too sweet side. Cute store and nice staff, but not sure worth the hefty price more than once in a great while.
My Site (click to edit) said…
carolina cupcakery makes extremely delicious cupcakes. my favorite is the french toast cupcake. it really blows my mind how good all the different flavors are.
everyone should try it
My Site (click to edit) said…
carolina cupcakery are the best cupcakes i have ever had
try them u wont be dissapointed
Carolina Cupcakery has generously donated yummy cupcakes for a lot of local non-profit events like the Paul C. Harris Scholarship event and Chesapeake school After Prom parties. They do a great job on large colorful orders of mini cupcakes which are perfect for parties.