How to make the perfect cupcake
PHOTO/BRAD KANE
Renee King,
The Queen's Cup,
Millbury
All cupcakes are made differently. Some can be mini, standard or large. Some are plain, just the cake and frosting. Others look like they paid a visit to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
In any case, cupcakes are a lot like businesses. Businesses can be small, medium or large. They can be plain and have simple operations or have many layers involved in their day to day activities. Cupcakes are a part of life, and so are businesses. Without either of them, the world would be a lot less sweet.
Making the perfect cupcake is a lot like building a business. First, you have to have the idea. What kind of cupcake would you like to make? Once you have the idea, it's time to get the basics. The most basic, but essential ingredients are the flour, baking soda and/or baking powder and eggs. The flour makes up the majority of the cupcake, the baking powder and soda make the flour rise while also balancing the cake out. The eggs hold it all together.
Businesses need a plan, much like the flour, to get their creative ideas flowing and have something to fall back on. Once the idea is there, you rely on your instincts and support of those around you to build you up, balance you out and hold you together when things get hot in the oven.
When the cupcake is baked, things can get pretty hot and need time to cool down. Once this process is over, it's time to get back to work. Imagine biting into a small piece of cake and being delighted by fresh strawberries or homemade ganache. How good does that sound?
When building a business, the same feeling should try and be replicated. What about the business delights the customers, makes them want to return and makes them feel appreciated? The inside of the cupcake, or the business, needs to have an element of surprise, a sense of appreciation and the need to tell everyone about what you just experienced.
A cupcake wouldn't be what it is without its captain, the frosting. A business can't be a business without its team. The frosting adds structure to the cupcake, the team is what makes the business function. Without structure and functionality, cupcakes and businesses crumble. The best captains and teams are tough like buttercream, but should also have a soft side like mascarpone or cream cheese frosting.
The cupcake is baked, filled and frosted. The business is built, functions and has a team. Next, it's time to decorate. Besides the captain and team, sprinkles add another important component to the layers of life. Rainbow sprinkles, also known as your employees, should be bright, fun and energetic to be a part of your cupcake or business. Without them, your cupcake appears drab, your business is unappealing.
The flour and dry ingredients, or the business plan, when followed correctly bake the cupcake and build the business. The filling keeps the customer coming back for more. The frosting and the team give the cupcake and business structure. The sprinkles, or employees, make everything appealing. When all of these things blend, the cherry on top are the people you meet, the support you receive and the success that comes with all the hard work.
Renee King is the owner and baker at The Queen's Cup in Millbury. Reach her at thequeenscups@yahoo.com.
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