In May, I visited Sweet E's Cupcakes on Martha's Vineyard and tasted their delicious cranberry cupcakes. I'm hoping I make it back this summer for more! All photos save for Ezra's by me, from this Flickr set.
Name: Ezra J. Sherman
Age: 34
Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Occupation: Cupcaker
URL: http://sweetonmv.com
How long have you been baking cupcakes, and what gave you the idea of
opening up your own cupcake bakery?
I have been baking constantly for about the last year since my wife and I decided to go for opening our own shop. We had just moved up to Martha's Vineyard from NYC, and we were walking down Main Street in Tisbury wishing we had a cupcake. We finally got one.
You once worked at New York City’s famed Magnolia Bakery. What did you
learn there that you applied to Sweet E’s Cupcakes?
Keep folding boxes.
What makes Sweet E’s Cupcakes unique?
A lot of places I have been to have either a great cake or great frosting, I like to think we did our homework and got them both right. One big factor is our vanilla - we use a combination of Mexican and Ugandan paste, powders, beans and extracts. Our vanilla bill is second only to our rent...
You do a cupcake flavor of the day; how do you come up with flavor ideas? Which has proven most popular? Which is your personal favorite? Are there any you plan to serve in the future?
Some of the flavors come from customer suggestions (like Thai Iced Tea) others from childhood memories, like chocolate-covered banana. Some of the flavors we bring back again and again, like Black Velvet, while others, most notably Apple Pie, we are happy to forget. While I recommend our Vanilla/Vanilla to everyone who walks in the door as a great first cupcake and a great way to see what we do, it's the Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcake that I could eat every day.
Are there any specifically Martha’s Vineyard-inspired cupcakes?
Cranberry and Beachplum are two that I don't think we would try anywhere else. The acidity in both makes for a, dare I say, refreshing cupcake. Plus, there's some kind of tax if you don't purchase your own weight in cranberries every year.
Cranberry cupcakes
The Obamas’ upcoming visit to Martha’s Vineyard is big news. What cupcakes would you offer them if they came in?
We've been getting this question a lot lately and we are working on an "Obama" cake - something that pays respect to the flavors of his diverse background. There are some great flavor profiles to work with, you know - Hawaii, Kenya, Indonesia, Chicago's South Side...
What are the busiest hours/days of the week for Sweet E’s?
If I could figure that out I would be a lot happier.
You put a daily quote about cupcakes above your door. Which one is your favorite (so far)?
We have a lot of fun with it. We will give away a cupcake to the person who can identify the original inspiration for the quote, or even take a comment made in the shop and throw it up there for our own inspiration. Many of them are satirical, witty or just silly, but over the Fourth of July we put up, "Where liberty dwells, there is my cupcake." I find myself repeating it every once in a while.
Is there a typical Sweet E’s customer?
Yes. Women and men between the ages of 1-99. But our favorite customer is someone who has never been to a cupcake shop before and we get to be their first.
Do you do custom cupcakes for events? If so, how far in advance should someone book you?
We do. Most orders we can fill the next day while other specialty or rare ingredients need 3-10 days. We have events that we cater just about every day and while most book in the same week, we have events in September that we have already scheduled.
What would your dream catering gig be?
Cupcakes for the entire nation of Iran. They need a cupcake.
What’s your number one piece of advice you’d give to someone wanting to open a cupcake bakery?
Like any business, you have to love what you are doing every day or it won't translate. Bake 500 cupcakes a day for a week, from 4:30 until 10 in the morning, and then make up your mind whether or not you want to open a cupcake bakery.
Why do you think cupcakes are so popular these days?
I'm not entirely sure, I think it may still be from pie backlash.
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
I do so much "tasting" throughout the day that is is rare I eat a whole cupcake.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
The smile it puts on your face.
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
Um, peanut butter - see above.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
I think they are really quite an American treat. They aren't pretentious or delicate, and like barbeque, you have to get into it and get a little messy to really enjoy it.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
A shipping device that, when turned upside down, tossed on a plane, dropped by parachute and kicked by the delivery guy allows the cupcake to emerge unscathed. That and cupcake action figures.
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes
them for you?
I still do a lot of the baking myself. We did just hire a baker though which is great because it allows me to spend more time in the shop and with our customers.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
Maybe this is sad but there was no sugar in our house when I was growing up, so I have a pretty distinct memory of the first time I ate a Hostess chocolate cupcake...
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
That is suitable for print? hmmmm…
Name: Ezra J. Sherman
Age: 34
Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Occupation: Cupcaker
URL: http://sweetonmv.com
How long have you been baking cupcakes, and what gave you the idea of
opening up your own cupcake bakery?
I have been baking constantly for about the last year since my wife and I decided to go for opening our own shop. We had just moved up to Martha's Vineyard from NYC, and we were walking down Main Street in Tisbury wishing we had a cupcake. We finally got one.
You once worked at New York City’s famed Magnolia Bakery. What did you
learn there that you applied to Sweet E’s Cupcakes?
Keep folding boxes.
What makes Sweet E’s Cupcakes unique?
A lot of places I have been to have either a great cake or great frosting, I like to think we did our homework and got them both right. One big factor is our vanilla - we use a combination of Mexican and Ugandan paste, powders, beans and extracts. Our vanilla bill is second only to our rent...
You do a cupcake flavor of the day; how do you come up with flavor ideas? Which has proven most popular? Which is your personal favorite? Are there any you plan to serve in the future?
Some of the flavors come from customer suggestions (like Thai Iced Tea) others from childhood memories, like chocolate-covered banana. Some of the flavors we bring back again and again, like Black Velvet, while others, most notably Apple Pie, we are happy to forget. While I recommend our Vanilla/Vanilla to everyone who walks in the door as a great first cupcake and a great way to see what we do, it's the Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcake that I could eat every day.
Are there any specifically Martha’s Vineyard-inspired cupcakes?
Cranberry and Beachplum are two that I don't think we would try anywhere else. The acidity in both makes for a, dare I say, refreshing cupcake. Plus, there's some kind of tax if you don't purchase your own weight in cranberries every year.
Cranberry cupcakes
The Obamas’ upcoming visit to Martha’s Vineyard is big news. What cupcakes would you offer them if they came in?
We've been getting this question a lot lately and we are working on an "Obama" cake - something that pays respect to the flavors of his diverse background. There are some great flavor profiles to work with, you know - Hawaii, Kenya, Indonesia, Chicago's South Side...
What are the busiest hours/days of the week for Sweet E’s?
If I could figure that out I would be a lot happier.
You put a daily quote about cupcakes above your door. Which one is your favorite (so far)?
We have a lot of fun with it. We will give away a cupcake to the person who can identify the original inspiration for the quote, or even take a comment made in the shop and throw it up there for our own inspiration. Many of them are satirical, witty or just silly, but over the Fourth of July we put up, "Where liberty dwells, there is my cupcake." I find myself repeating it every once in a while.
Is there a typical Sweet E’s customer?
Yes. Women and men between the ages of 1-99. But our favorite customer is someone who has never been to a cupcake shop before and we get to be their first.
Do you do custom cupcakes for events? If so, how far in advance should someone book you?
We do. Most orders we can fill the next day while other specialty or rare ingredients need 3-10 days. We have events that we cater just about every day and while most book in the same week, we have events in September that we have already scheduled.
What would your dream catering gig be?
Cupcakes for the entire nation of Iran. They need a cupcake.
What’s your number one piece of advice you’d give to someone wanting to open a cupcake bakery?
Like any business, you have to love what you are doing every day or it won't translate. Bake 500 cupcakes a day for a week, from 4:30 until 10 in the morning, and then make up your mind whether or not you want to open a cupcake bakery.
Why do you think cupcakes are so popular these days?
I'm not entirely sure, I think it may still be from pie backlash.
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
I do so much "tasting" throughout the day that is is rare I eat a whole cupcake.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
The smile it puts on your face.
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
Um, peanut butter - see above.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
I think they are really quite an American treat. They aren't pretentious or delicate, and like barbeque, you have to get into it and get a little messy to really enjoy it.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
A shipping device that, when turned upside down, tossed on a plane, dropped by parachute and kicked by the delivery guy allows the cupcake to emerge unscathed. That and cupcake action figures.
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes
them for you?
I still do a lot of the baking myself. We did just hire a baker though which is great because it allows me to spend more time in the shop and with our customers.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
Maybe this is sad but there was no sugar in our house when I was growing up, so I have a pretty distinct memory of the first time I ate a Hostess chocolate cupcake...
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
That is suitable for print? hmmmm…
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