As a countdown to the upcoming New Times Cupcake Battle at the 2011 Las Olas Wine & Food Festival on April 29, Clean Plate Charlie interviewed owners of the participating bakeries.
We emailed Julie Fanelli and Stacey Hett, sisters and owners of Yummy! A Bakerym which offers both traditional and a gluten-free/casein-free menu. The sisters plan to win over judges with cupcakes that "taste truly homemade!"
Clean Plate Charlie: Tell us about your bakery -- how did it get started?
Yummy! A Bakery: Yummy! A Bakery was started by two sisters, Julie and Stacey (that's us) in May of 2008.
They both know a good dessert when they see it! Julie is the mother of two children, ages 9 and 4. After owning and operating an ice cream store for five years, her day-to-day life was missing something. Always one to please, she missed seeing the look of pure delight on customers' faces when they tried a truly delicious creation. Her background in shopping-center marketing utilized her many creative talents and her love for people. She quickly realized that Yummy! was a way to bridge her true passions in one big mixing bowl. Combined with her history in marketing (and mommyhood) and knack for baking, her biggest motivation is to create the perfect dessert for the perfect customer experience.
Stacey is a certified speech language pathologist with an endorsement in autism. Any parent knows that being a speech therapist goes well beyond the therapy itself. It's about being actively involved in a child's life, whether it be coaching parents, going to birthday parties, or being active in the autism research community. It's that time spent getting to know parents that she realized there was one problem that could be easily fixed.
Her kids were being deprived of cake! Because of treatments, some of her children and their families opted to try a gluten-free/casein-free diet. Unfortunately, that led to her kids not getting to eat cake. No kid should go without cake. That's where the idea for Yummy's gluten-free/casein-free menu was born.
Combined, we share a love for baking, and armed with a team of the best taste testers out there (two kids and two husbands), we are dedicated to the art of baking. With a traditional and a gluten-free/casein-free menu, we are hoping there is something for everyone. If what you are looking for isn't on there, just tell us and we'll give it a whirl. We honestly will not sleep until every mouth on this Earth has eaten cake.
When browsing the Yummy! menu, you might wonder where the name of the cupcakes originate. Each dessert is named after a member of our family. Everyone from parents to children to in-laws has earned a coveted spot on the Yummy! menu.
What is your signature cupcake or customer favorite cupcake?
Our Scott Chocolate (chocolate cupcake) with chocolate frosting and chocolate/peanut butter swirled frosting are both customer favorites. We've also been told that we make a mean red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Our peanut butter banana cupcake with peanut butter banana frosting has also been described as "simply amazing." Oh, and our Karen Cake (carrot cupcake) with cream cheese frosting is quite a crowd pleaser too.
Will the signature cupcake be used for the cupcake battle?
Maybe... maybe not. ;-)
What's your game plan for the cupcake battle?
Simply do what we've always done... make Yummy! cupcakes that people love!
Why do you think your bakery will win the battle; what sets your store apart?
Our cupcakes are actually good! They're fresh, moist, delicious, and taste truly homemade!
Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB.
