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Need a Wednesday afternoon sugar hit? We’ve got it licked.
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Today I chat to Helena of North East wedding cake and cupcake specialist Baked Cupcakery about all things fancy, fondant and fun!
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How did Baked Cupcakery begin?
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Following my passion for all things creative I began a career as a Graphic Designer after studying at Leeds University. After nearly 4 years working as a Graphic Designer I decided I wanted a change and didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk any more.
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Ever since I was little I have always enjoyed baking cakes and sweet treats. Any chance that I got you would find me in the kitchen with my sisters baking up new concoctions. While I was working I started getting interested in cupcakes and began practicing. Looking back, I’ve come a long way since those early creations! Using my skills as a designer I created all the branding for Baked, even teaching myself web design so I could create the website. I pride myself on attention to detail and creating perfect cupcakes and cakes. A year on since I first set out on this path I couldn’t be happier – although there are stressful moments, nothing is better than seeing the faces of happy customers!
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What is your background?
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I have always done well at school and college, but after so many exams I knew the creative route was the way for me. My degree in Graphic Design has certainly been invaluable and I doubt I would be where I am today without it.
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I have no formal training in baking or decorating, but I have devoted many hours to perfecting my skills. There are always new things that I want to learn and try, that’s the exciting thing about this business!
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Where is Baked Cupcakery based?
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The business is based in Sunderland and I currently work from home. I love visiting brides to be to discuss their wedding cakes and cupcakes and I always come armed with samples! Brides can always check out the website and Facebook galleries as I am always posting new designs and creations for inspiration.
I do have ambitions of opening a bakery in the future, but I’ve learnt to take things one step at a time. I have access to a larger bakery where I recently baked over 1700 cupcakes in a day with a great team of people – so there’s no order top big or small!
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What type of cakes can you make?
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Baked Cupcakery make traditional and modern wedding cakes as well as beautiful cupcakes of course!
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Cupcakes make gorgeous wedding towers and favours for guests. There are so many possibilities I couldn’t pinpoint a particular design and there are lots of examples in the gallery. I’m always looking at the latest trends to make sure I create the most stunning cupcakes and cakes for my brides. Recently Baked Cupcakery has started offering printed cupcakes which can have photos, thank you messages and even guests names printed on them in edible icing – which double up as table place names and favours! Giant Cupcakes are one of our biggest successes and they are truly spectacular, especially on top of one of our cupcake towers.
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I love new flavours – which is why Baked Cupcakery has so many! There are all the firm favourites as well as flavours such as Limoncello & White Chocolate, Kinder Bueno, Twix, Jaffa Cupcakes… the Terry’s Chocolate Orange went down very well at Christmas.
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Which is your favourite cake or cupcake design of all time?
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My favourite cupcake design to create would have to be Baked’s Cupcake Bouquets. This is mainly because people are always stunned when they see them and I always have to explain that they are made of cupcakes and can be eaten! Cupcake bouquets make amazing table centre pieces as well as talking points at weddings. They took a while to perfect and now they are a true signature design of the bakery!
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As for my favourite cake designs, I love everything from Peggy Porschen and Maisie Fantaisie, they are so delicate, clean and beautiful.
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How long does a wedding cake or cupcake tower take to make?
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Wedding cakes are one of the centre pieces of the day (apart from the Bride of course!), so they have to be perfect. It’s important that they taste just as good as they look! Wedding cakes need to be made over a few days, so all the preparation is done in advance leaving the final day dedicated to getting the decoration just right. Cupcakes need to be made as close to the day as possible so that they are fresh and delicious. It’s a time consuming job, but worth it when you see the results. Cupcake towers are real show stoppers and there are plenty to look at in our gallery.
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What celebrity’s wedding would you like to make a cake or cupcakes for and why? What designs and flavours would you choose?
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I would have loved to design some cupcakes for William and Kate – a huge cupcake tower filled with vanilla buttercream swirled cupcakes and lacy wrappers to match Kate’s elegant dress. It would be amazing to know the queen had eaten one of my cupcakes!
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As a polar opposite I think I would have a lot fun and go wild coming up with cupcakes for Katie Price’s next wedding! Hopefully it would be an over the top glittery affair… chocolate cupcakes in animal print cases topped with buttercream in pinks and purples with gold hearts and flower decorations.
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What sort of cake or cupcakes would you make for your own wedding?
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I will find it very difficult to pick a design for my own wedding cake as I have so many ideas! I think when it comes down to it, it will probably be something classic and quite simple. I would love a cupcake tower filled with delicious cupcakes in pearly white with a hint or delicate purple decorations and beautiful cupcake wrappers – although I’m sure I will have changed my mind by then!
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Have you made any really unusual cakes or cupcakes?
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The most unusual I can think of is a special cupcake box for a Westie and Pug loving piano teacher. I created a cupcake for each passion – the piano cupcake even came complete with music sheet and mug of tea. The resulting cupcakes were very well received, so much so that they were reluctant to eat them as they said they were works of art!
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How far in advance should Brides Up North place their order?
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Dates are getting booked up fast, so I would advise making an appointment early to avoid being disappointed, I hate having to turn people away. A 20% deposit is taken to secure the booking and then you can rest easy knowing everything is taken care of!
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Can you give Brides Up North an idea on price?
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Our cupcakes start from £1.50 each and the mini cupcakes from £1.00, creating options for every budget. The Giant wedding cupcakes are currently priced from £55.00 and a tiered wedding cake (6” and 8”) from £145. Guide pricing is available on the website but Brides should get in touch for a full quote.
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How can Brides Up North get in touch with you?
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Baked Cupcakery has a website full of information and cakes! There is a contact form on the website to allow customers to quickly get in touch.
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Enquiries can also be emailed to hello@bakedcupcakery.co.uk or I can be reached directly on 07834854990. I am more than happy to visit couples to discuss their wedding cake at a convenient time for them.
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To keep up to date with news and latest designs follow us on Twitter @bakedcupcakery or give us a ‘like’ on Facebook/Baked.Cupcakery.
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Baked Cupcakery will be showing at the Great North Wedding Show (Hilton Newcastle Gateshead) on the 19th of February.
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Why do you read Brides Up North?
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Brides Up North is full of great inspiration and I love looking through the ‘real weddings’, probably because I’m nosy! There are some amazing suppliers featured, the only problem is that by the time I start planning my wedding I am going to have so many ideas I won’t know where to start!
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 Baked Cupcakery
Baked Cupcakery is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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