San Diegans voted for a Sprinkles Cupcakes and they got one. The wildly famous cupcakery that started in Beverly Hills six years ago opens Thursday in La Jolla with 50 different cupcake flavors developed by founder Candace Nelson, who rose to sugar-fairy fame after frosting her way through Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart and The Today Show. She's also a judge on Food Network's Cupcake Wars, and her confections remain a favorite among A-list celebrities who keep her on speed dial for their Hollywood bashes.
The Feast caught up with Nelson as she toggled between diaper changes for her newborn son while preparing for a fresh round of store openings that will stretch beyond Southern California. Cities currently living in cupcake deprivation, can click here to vote for the next Sprinkles location. As you'll read below, it worked for San Diego.
Do you feel that you're given due credit for sparking such a massive trend?
Yes, I feel I am. On the Food Network's Cupcake Wars, they always introduce me as the founder of the world's first cupcake bakery. And that's about as good as it gets as far as receiving credit for the trend. I guess it also depends on how geographically close to Los Angeles you are.
Have you been given any title or nickname based on the Sprinkles business?
It's funny because in the days when my husband Charles and I started the first store in Beverly Hills and practically worked 24 hours a day, people walking or driving by would call out to us as 'Mr. and Mrs. Sprinkles.' The cupcakes are most certainly our identity.
What prompted you to open in San Diego?
It actually wasn't initially in the pipeline, but then we realized how many people from San Diego were driving to our Newport Beach store. And on our web site survey, San Diego for a few years was receiving the highest number of votes for the next location. So we found a great location in La Jolla and it just felt right.
What other locations are on the drawing board?
We have Washington D.C. opening in mid-February (in Georgetown) and then the Upper East Side in New York opening by mid-spring.
How about San Francisco?
We are actively still looking and it's just a matter of finding the exact perfect spot. Charles and I actually lived there for more than eight years and met there. And my whole family history is in that city, so I personally feel we need to be there.
What are the latest cupcake flavors you've added to your menu?
This year we have The King, an ode to Elvis, which is a banana cupcake with peanut butter frosting. And coming later this month, German chocolate, which is an old-school flavor that's hard to find these days.
Which flavor sells the most?
The red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting is a very clear winner. No matter where we open, it's been a number-one seller.
How many cupcakes do you consume in any given week?
It depends on whether I'm pregnant or not. Since having my son in mid-November, I'm just coming off the cupcake train. Then, I was craving two a day. But generally, I'll eat one only three or four days a week.
Your favorite flavor?
I hate this question because it makes me sound so boring, but I'm a purist and absolutely love the dark chocolate with dark chocolate frosting. And I like it without the sprinkles.
What are some flavors that flopped?
I tried my hands at making cappuccino cupcakes, but they oddly tasted like pancakes, so they never made it past the recipe development stage.
Who are some of your big-name consumers?
For private parties we've catered to Oprah, Barbra Streisand, Tom Cruise and we've done tons of Grammys and backstage parties. We also just did Christina Applegate's baby shower.
How does the workload of running Sprinkles compare to your days as an investment banker?
It's very similar in that it's a job that doesn't stop. Charles and I laugh about it because we got out of the banking business due to long hours. But it makes a difference when you love what you do.
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Magnolia Bakery Shuns World Domination, Is Ready for the Pie Trend
Eat My Cupcake: Candace Nelson's On a Sugar High
Chanel Iman Craves Cupcakes
