Today's cupcake interview is with Courtney Forrester, pictured above, owner of Sweet in Boston (Back Bay) and Harvard Square (Cambridge). All photos by me (Rachel) at their Back Bay location; more in this set and this set.
When did you get the idea for Sweet and what was your inspiration?
Having always had a sweet tooth, I became obsessed with baking cupcakes and making frosting from scratch as dessert for dinner parties I hosted at home about 4-5 years ago.
How long did it take you from having the idea to opening the Back Bay store?
About three and a half years.
What makes Sweet's cupcakes unique?
Sweet works to provide the most amazing cupcake experience possible. All of the frostings, fillings and batters are freshly prepared from scratch and from the highest quality ingredients available. All of our cupcakes are baked each morning in the Sweet kitchen. Sweet cupcakes do not contain trans fats or stabilizers. The Sweet team works hard to provide terrific service in a friendly and fun environment. It just does not seem right to purchase a cupcake from a cranky counter person so we work to find upbeat, smiling staffers that are as happy to be there as the customers are!
You currently have two locations, in Boston's Back Bay and Harvard Square in Cambridge. How did you decide on those locations, and are there any more in the works?
Boston’s Back Bay has been my home for many years and the first Sweet is located there because I found it challenging to find freshly baked items in my neighborhood. Once Sweet opened we found ourselves delivering frequently to the Cambridge area and that led us to Harvard Square. Sweet has been fortunate to wind up with two retail locations with terrific community and business synergies, as well as wonderfully supportive cupcake savvy customers! Looking ahead, we have great demand for deliveries to the Boston suburbs so we need to do some homework on where we are going most frequently and what would make the most sense for our customers.
Sweet's red velvet cupcakes
Which of your cupcake flavors is most popular? Which is your personal favorite?
Sweet’s top sellers are the vanilla bean Sweet Cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and the Red Velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Seasonally, favorites vary from last fall’s popular S’mores to the holiday favorite Gingerbread; Chocolate Coconut and Lemon in springtime and Strawberry Shortcake in the summer. The Sweet Cake is my personal favorite.
Sweet's pink lemonade cupcakes
You offer new flavors each season. What's currently on tap, and what can we expect in the fall?
Sweet’s summer flavors have been a terrific success. Whimsical touches like the straw in the Pink Lemonade and the paper umbrella in the Pina Colada are fun and make for terrific presentation for summer entertaining. Strawberry Shortcake and Red White and You, take advantage of wonderfully ripe berries with their homemade fillings. For fall, Pumpkin, Caramel Apple, S’mores and Pumpkin will return and the Sweet kitchen is working on some new ideas featuring cranberries, caramel and fudge!
You had offered the Boston cream pie cupcakes as a seasonal cupcake and after fans clamored for it, it became a permanent part of your cupcake stable. What other changes have you implemented based on customer requests?
Red Velvet was not originally one of Sweet’s daily, year-round, ready-to-eat offerings but demand was so great. The store’s interior designer is from Nashville and she helped us to create our version, both delicious and authentic! Customers also request cakes in our cupcake flavors frequently. More and more, we are making a Red Velvet cake or a Pink Lemonade cake so we worked to be able to offer all of our flavors in cake and cupcake form and to offer some really special cake décor options.
Inside of Sweet's Boston cream pie cupcake
What are your busiest times of the day/week?
Mondays and Tuesdays on the phones as customers place advance and delivery orders for corporate and personal events. Wednesdays through Saturdays are our busiest days in both stores.
Frosting shots at Sweet
You now also do custom wedding cakes as well as cupcakes for special events. How far in advance should someone order, and what kinds of selection do you offer?
Sweet stocks beautifully decorated cupcakes every day! Many of our customers have had specific customization requests which we love to work with them on. Currently, we offer a wide variety of decorating options that can be done with just 4 days notice. For children a cake might feature a princess crown or fondant dinosaur, cupcakes might spell “Congratulations” or “Marry Me?” (we have actually done this!) with individual letters on each cupcake. Filigree, a delicate design of swirls has also been extremely popular. For weddings and events, as much notice as possible is always optimal, for weddings in particular, a minimum of one month’s notice is best and events might be slightly less. The Sweet decorating staff will correspond directly with customers to ensure that we create what they had envisioned or help them to explore the possibilities and arrive at the perfect design.
What's been the most exciting event Sweet has catered?
We were contacted by a tour manager for the band Bon Jovi to do a large tiered stand of cupcakes with a cake on top for Richie Sambora’s birthday which would occur while the band was performing in Boston. We had delivered to the TD Banknorth Center with the understanding that the cake would be served backstage. The next morning we learned that it had been wheeled onstage, during the concert, and that someone had filmed it and posted it on YouTube so we were able to view it.
What would your dream cupcake catering gig be?
We have a lot of sports fans on the Sweet team so if I was speaking on behalf of everyone - we would love to bake for any of the Boston teams or players – hopefully a championship celebration!
Why do you think cupcakes have become so popular?
Americans have become so used to customizing everything from their coffee (skim or soy, latte or cappuccino) to their pizza (crust, sauce, topping) – and to taking it to go. Cupcakes allow them to have the flavor (frosting and cake) they want in a portable and fun way; or to serve them to a large group and offer a wide variety. At Sweet, finding that everything is handmade and not frozen or from a mix or plastic wrapper is another unique quality that it seems people are drawn to.
What advice would you have for someone looking to open their own cupcake
bakery?
Go at it with a plan and be ready to change it. Even the best laid plans are better once you have the experience of even one day of business under your belt.
And now for some personal questions...
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Usually at least one per day, sometimes more, and at least one frosting shots – usually chocolate buttercream - daily. Recently, I sat down with one of each flavor and quartered them to taste them all. Since we currently stock 17 cupcake varieties it amounted to just over 4 cupcakes at one time. It was a good exercise to compare them all side by side.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
Frosting and cake (in that order).
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
The Sweet Cake with vanilla frosting (vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting).
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
Cupcakes always seem to turn an occasion into a celebration. When you put out a plate of cupcakes there is something festive about it. My daughter just baked brownies and, while delicious, the plate of brownies did not have the same sort of impact.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
Not technically, but all of the creative flavor combinations, unique toppers and uses (spelling out a marriage proposal, weddings,
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
Since we opened the store I have not baked one cupcake on my own at home. That sounds terrible but I did have a baby in February and I have a four year old so time has been a little limited. Hopefully I will get back to it soon.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
Firsts in categories: As an adult: standing in line at Magnolia or Sprinkles. As a child: too numerous to recount! Relative to Sweet: lingering with friends at the dinner table over dessert, encouraging me to open a cupcake shop.
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
Surprising someone with cupcakes as an unexpected treat!
Do you have anything else to add?
Thank you so much!
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