[ lyrics by randy newman ]

hope your halloween is full of treats!  xoxo, -melanie-

i love lexington.  a lot.  join me for a little tour of some of our favorite places with this new blog series!  and who better to kick things off with than tricia, who knows us by name and lets audrey put a few extra sprinkles on her cupcake when we stop in…she’s won our hearts! side note: i’m a pretty judicious cupcake judge – magnolia’s is no stranger thanks to an off-the-chart-awesome nyc client who totes them here on her lap :)

Here’s a little q&a so you can get to know tricia better!

The philosophy of BabyCakes Cupcakes is make it from scratch and bake it fresh.  We only use quality ingredients and you’ll never find a box mix of any type in our kitchen.  We are passionate about the fact that we refuse to freeze, and all the ingredients that go into our cupcakes are natural.  We only use butter, flour, organic fruit, fresh milk and we buy fresh, bake fresh.  It is very important to us that we make a product that we would personally eat and offer to our loved ones.  I personally don’t eat foods that I cannot pronounce and I wouldn’t feel comfortable offering that to people who grace our doors.  We also treat people the way we would want to be treated.  We try to make you feel as warm and welcome as possible when you walk through our doors.  We owe our success to the people in our community, so we want to show them as much respect and love as possible everyday.

 

We love the way you seasonally explore new flavors – which flavors tend to be the most popular?  What are some of the flavors we might see in the cupcake case this fall & winter?

Some of the most popular flavors are White Chocolate Raspberry, Banana w/Peanut Butter Icing and Fudge Sauce, Maple cupcakes with Optional Bacon, Red Velvet, Carmel, Cookie Dough and Creme Brulee.  That was actually a tough question, I feel like I just let the other flavors down; don’t tell them ; ).

 

So you’re obviously a whiz at cupcakes, do you like to bake other things?

I adore baking pies and tarts and cookies.  I also make a really mean cheesecake.  I really do enjoy baking in general; it is truly a creative release for me even though we don’t carry them at BabyCakes.

 

Where did this love for cupcakes begin?

I  started baking cupcakes when I was 27.  It is just my husband and I, so during the holidays I would turn amazing desserts that I adore into cupcakes, so we wouldn’t waste food.  From there we started making them for friends and the rest is history.  I have to credit my mom and grandmothers for instilling in me a deep love for homemade desserts though.  We did not have processed foods in our house when I was growing up and everything we ate was made from scratch.  I feel so extremely fortunate to be able to say that.  It was also a bonding experience and one of the ways that my family showed love to each other. Cooking and baking were an extension of a hug for us, so we wanted that hug to be really loving.

 

What’s your first cupcake memory as a child?

My first cupcake memory and the majority of my dessert memories are with my grandmothers.  Again, I am so fortunate to have such loving women throughout my life.  My grandmothers loved when we helped them in the kitchen.  Both had farms and raised their own vegetables and fruits.  They both had orchards.  I can remember molding no bake cookies with my hands and picking fresh cherries for my grandmothers cherry dumplings.  I remember vanilla cupcakes made from scratch and that we were allowed to ice them in any fashion we desired.  I think that is where my passion for homemade goodies comes from.  I wouldn’t dream of letting those two beautiful ladies down by creating something I wasn’t proud of.  I have big shoes to fill!

 

Your charitable giving is so lovely – tell us a little about how that started.

We started the charity work with a day dedicated to Haiti relief; all of our walk-in sales that day when to the Red Cross.  I believe we sold out of cupcakes three times and just kept rebaking until there were no eggs, no flour, no milk in the shoppe.  We were exhausted at the end of that day, but to say it felt amazing was an understatement.  I give all the  credit to the people who graced our doors that day.  I truly believe people want to give and sometimes you just have to give them an outlet.  Needless to say, we didn’t want that feeling to end, so we made it one of our goals to give back as much and as often as we can.  Plus, I really believe in supporting your community; without them, we would not be here.

 

It’s no secret, we love cupcakes – and so does lexington!  We like the thought of having a cupcake surprise post-dinner with a candle on a child’s half birthday, or after they conquer a big test, bringing them to a dinner party or into the office…what are some other ideas you see people picking up cupcakes for?

A common theme is baby showers, birthdays, weddings and holidays of course.  We did a surprise wedding recently and that was an absolute blast, we do a lot of bachelorette parties, during football season we get a lot of tailgaters, Keeneland brings in a lot, anniversaries, baptisms, communions, ‘welcome home from school cupcakes’, ‘yay you got an A cupcakes’.  They truly, truly are universal and perfect for any occasion.  I will say that there have been many moms in this town that use our cupcakes as rewards for A’s.  We feel good about this and like to think that we are contributing to the nations educated.

 

What are some of the other items you offer that people might not know about?

We offer mini cupcakes which are perfect for parties since they’re literally bite size.  We do doggie cakes and they’re all natural, made from scratch just like our people cupcakes.  We offer gluten free and vegan cupcakes.  We do sugar free upon order and we offer 6 inch double, layer round mini cakes and 3 inch smashcakes for 1 year birthdays upon order.

 

How often do you eat cupcakes?  I mean, someone has to taste test :)

I honestly eat one cupcake every Thursday.  The banana with peanut butter icing and fudge sauce is my kryptonite.

 

Tell us about YOU – what are some of your favorite things?

I’m positively, absolutely addicted to books and reading.  I actually have a library in my house and collect old books and 1st editions.  I’m also in love with photography, mainly candid and scenic shots.  I have two golden retrievers that I absolutely adore and would categorize myself as an animal lover.  I have an overabundance of nail polish and lip gloss. I also meditate daily.

 

If you weren’t a cupcake shoppe owner, what would you be?

If I did not make cupcakes all day, I would be a writer.  Words have such power and when they are put together beautifully it makes my heart sing.  I would also travel the country in my pimped out Airstream which I desperately want and possibly need.  I have tried to justify this to my husband by saying we could travel the country, making cupcakes and bringing joy throughout the land.  I feel I will wear him down eventually.

 

What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from so many things.  People truly inspire me.  I am lucky enough to get an amazing cross section of personalities and ages; each one has taught me so many things about myself and the person that I want to be.  They inspire me to do the best that I can daily.  The flavor combinations honestly come from everywhere.  It could be a heavenly new drink combination that I am trying, a really exciting new restaurant with an adventurous chef trying amazing combinations, retro candies from my childhood that I miss and we do try to push the envelope and try combinations that shouldn’t work which usually comes from boredom on our parts.  We like a challenge.

 

What do you find most rewarding about what you do?

The most rewarding feelings comes from our customers.  We had a lady come in one day that said her father thought our peach cupcake was one of the best things he had ever put in his mouth.  He actually passed away a few days later and her telling me that brought me to tears.  The reward for me comes from knowing that I have made someone’s day better and hopefully brighter.  That we are able to offer people with allergies cupcakes when they may not have had a birthday cake in years.  Since our doors opened, there is not one day that has passed that I haven’t felt truly blessed and thankful that people opened their arms to us.  Seeing their smiles, meeting their children, mothers, fathers, siblings is definitely my reward.

 

See why I love her?  If you haven’t already discovered Babycakes, it’s just off Richmond Rd, tucked in Patchen Village behind the Rite-Aid.  Far too close to the yoga studio I love!!  Hope there’s time for a cupcake soon!  xoxo, -melanie-

Tricia Clemons – BabyCakes Cupcakes – 153 Patchen Drive, Suite 57B Lexington, KY 40517 – 859.433.6190 – bb-cakes.com – facebook