Welcome to The Purse Forum.

EMMY · Oct 16th, 2009, 11:26 AM

Update:

I tried milky way bars in choc. cupcake batter....it was good....but mostly melted..I cut up 'fun-sized' bars and then put three little pieces in each one...you could see it..but I did not notice anything different other than a moister area that was more 'choclatey' in flavor....now I'm thinking of putting brownie batter in small supcake tins and putting snickers bars in them..hehehe I'll let you know how those turn out when I get around to doing it...I try all this stuff out on my coworkers...it cracks me up to see how men turn into little boys when offered a cupcake...LMAO!!!!

brimac327 · Oct 16th, 2009, 01:31 PM

Those key lime cheesecake cupcakes look yummy!

cristalena56 · Oct 16th, 2009, 03:54 PM

i want some mint chip cheesecake cupcakes

yum!!

they all look delicious!!

rainedrop1019 · Oct 16th, 2009, 07:47 PM

Holy cow - these look GOOD! You are less than two hours away from me. I'm tempted to DRIVE up there for some cheesecake cupcakes! I'm drooling looking at these pics....

bellafleur · Oct 18th, 2009, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by Jahpson

thats ok. you don't ship cupcakes do you??

Not yet, but I want to! My business partner and I are going to test out different shipping methods and keep sending cupcakes to family members in other states until they get there in one piece. I'm trying to research how other bakeries ship cupcakes, and most of them only ship ones with hard ganache on the top so they don't smush during shipping. Either that or they put the frosting in a container on the side. Plus my cheesecake cupcakes have to be refrigerated, so I'm not sure how that would work. The first thing I'm going to try is freezing them and shipping them overnight, but that makes the shipping cost really expensive. If anyone can think of how to ship a cupcake, I'm all ears!!

bellafleur · Oct 18th, 2009, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by whalenme

MMM more delicious cupakes! So, I was wondering do you always use a graham cracker crust for these or do you pick and choose what the bottoms of the cupcakes will be? I was also wondering is it all cheese cake or is there any cake mix in there with it. I know you may not be able to tell me because of your recipes, but I was just wondering.

Thank you!:) At first, I wanted to do different crusts for every cheesecake cupcake flavor, but I realized how much work that was going to be. Now I pretty much do 2 standard crusts- brownie bottom for chocolate themed cheesecake cupcakes, and graham cracker crust for the non-chocolate ones. The only exceptions are pumpkin spice, which gets a gingersnap cookie crust, and Cookies & Cream, which gets an Oreo cookie crust. Other than that, I stick to the two types of crust to make my life easier. And two types of frosting- rich chocolate for the chocolate ones, and vanilla cream cheese for the rest, unless someone asks for regular buttercream.

As for your second question...:) While I won't disclose the details of my recipes because I developed all of them myself, I will tell you that the cheesecake base is really very simple. No regular cake batter at all. It only has four ingredients- cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. The key is to use high quality ingredients, and experiment with altering the recipe. When it all comes together, I promise you that they really do taste as good as they look!:)

bellafleur · Oct 18th, 2009, 12:56 AM

Originally Posted by elizat

The new section looks great on your site!

I don't even like cheesecake and those look fantastic! I like those papers. I know cupcakeblog.com uses those too. It makes things look really pretty with the simple white non-crinkly cup.

Thank you!:) You really don't like cheesecake??? If you lived by me I bet I could change your mind...:)

I like using the paper souffle cups for the cheesecake cupcakes because they hold up really well (regular liners get wet and bleed), and I can also bake up to 45 at once on a cookie sheet because the cups are freestanding. They are little more difficult to eat out of, but I always recommend eating them with a spoon anyway.

bellafleur · Oct 18th, 2009, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by rainedrop1019

Holy cow - these look GOOD! You are less than two hours away from me. I'm tempted to DRIVE up there for some cheesecake cupcakes! I'm drooling looking at these pics....

Are you in Chicago? Hi neighbor!:) You are welcome to drive up anytime! If you ever have a party or something and want to try them, I'd be happy to meet you in Kenosha. My husband's family lives there, so he's always at his dad's house on Sundays watching the Bears games they don't show in Milwaukee. I don't usually go because football isn't really my thing... well, I should say that swearing and screaming at the tv isn't really my thing... but I would do it for you!:)

Charlie · Oct 18th, 2009, 01:55 AM

Oh My Gosh!!!!!! This thread is heaven. Everything looks so delicious

Calya · Oct 18th, 2009, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by bellafleur

Not yet, but I want to! My business partner and I are going to test out different shipping methods and keep sending cupcakes to family members in other states until they get there in one piece. I'm trying to research how other bakeries ship cupcakes, and most of them only ship ones with hard ganache on the top so they don't smush during shipping. Either that or they put the frosting in a container on the side. Plus my cheesecake cupcakes have to be refrigerated, so I'm not sure how that would work. The first thing I'm going to try is freezing them and shipping them overnight, but that makes the shipping cost really expensive. If anyone can think of how to ship a cupcake, I'm all ears!!

To keep the cupcakes cool, you can pack them in a box with dry ice in it. I don't know how pricey that would be though. For shipping, I'm sure if you have a business account with a shipping company, prices may not be so bad. :)

bellafleur · Oct 21st, 2009, 05:35 PM

Ok you guys, I need your opinions quick!

A soup cafe is going to start selling my cupcakes, yay!:) What would you pay for a single mini cheesecake cupcake with your lunch? If you haven't seen my website yet, please don't look at the prices yet, just look at the photos I've posted and tell me what you think. The cupcakes are baked in 2oz souffle cups, which are a little smaller than a normal cupcake, which is about 3 oz. So they're not mini-mini. I don't know what's a reasonable price! It's a cute little place in a trendy neighborhood, and their soup is $5.50-$6.50 a bowl. Help!

Thank you!:)

Necromancer · Oct 21st, 2009, 05:56 PM

Congrats on selling your cupcakes, bella.
One of my regular cafes charges $7 for a tiny little friand ($10 with a cup of tea), and I must say, your cheesecake cupcakes look a lot nicer, so I'd happily pay a little more. If you're charging less, then I'd be very happy about that.
You could always suss out what other cafes are charging for similar things and try and work it out from there. Don't undercharge, your cupcakes are too nice to "give away".

bellafleur · Oct 21st, 2009, 06:18 PM

^Whoaaa, $7!! 7 Australian dollars? How much is that in USD?:) Even the famous cupcake bakeries here charge maybe $3.50 a piece, and I'm in a much smaller market. If I could get $7 a cupcake I would quit my job immediately and bake full time!:) Thanks for your advice and your vote of confidence, I really appreciate it!

IcansPotaFake32 · Oct 21st, 2009, 06:28 PM

Hi there Bella! I would charge $3.75 for a cheesecake cupcake. I live just outside of Manhattan and work in the city and buy cupcakes all the time and some of the larger ones are close (or more than) to $6.
For a regular cupcake it's $2.50 or $3.00 when they're plain butter cream or chocolate. I think you should maybe offer 4 varieties and just do 2 a little cheaper and two more expensive.
The other thing I was thinking. There is a big demand for gluten free products. Considering your cheesecake only has four ingredients you may want to try making gluten free cup cakes! If you alter the crush and you gluten free ginger snaps (in the case of pumpkin, for example) you could turn them gluten free.
Maybe sell them to Whole Foods or other health stores if you have one near you. Good luck!

Necromancer · Oct 21st, 2009, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by bellafleur

^Whoaaa, $7!! 7 Australian dollars? How much is that in USD?:) Even the famous cupcake bakeries here charge maybe $3.50 a piece, and I'm in a much smaller market. If I could get $7 a cupcake I would quit my job immediately and bake full time!:) Thanks for your advice and your vote of confidence, I really appreciate it!

LOL, yeah, I know it sounds like a lot, and it is compared to other places, but it's convenient and I suppose they've got to cover costs. I figure their rent alone must be extremely expensive. I always get a little cake (usually a nice lemon friand) and pot of tea and it costs $10. I only go there once a week though.
The Aussie dollar is pretty strong at the moment, so AU$7 is US$6.50.
Have you had a nosey around the area to see what's available and what prices things are going for?

Oct 16th, 2009, 11:26 AM	#61
EMMY Member Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Syracuse , New York Posts: 6,735	Update: I tried milky way bars in choc. cupcake batter....it was good....but mostly melted..I cut up 'fun-sized' bars and then put three little pieces in each one...you could see it..but I did not notice anything different other than a moister area that was more 'choclatey' in flavor....now I'm thinking of putting brownie batter in small supcake tins and putting snickers bars in them..hehehe I'll let you know how those turn out when I get around to doing it...I try all this stuff out on my coworkers...it cracks me up to see how men turn into little boys when offered a cupcake...LMAO!!!!
	__________________ Emmy

Oct 16th, 2009, 01:31 PM	#62
brimac327 Member Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 557	Those key lime cheesecake cupcakes look yummy!
brimac327 Member Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 557	__________________ *VCP* Trophy....where are you???

Oct 16th, 2009, 03:54 PM	#63
cristalena56 ~bethy-lame-o~ Joined: Sep 2007 Location: phoenix,az Posts: 6,097	i want some mint chip cheesecake cupcakes yum!! they all look delicious!!
	__________________ "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, My CB Site MySpace But diamonds are a girl's best friend......" Collection Coach Wishlist Grandma...I Love You....I Miss You.....

Oct 16th, 2009, 07:47 PM	#64
rainedrop1019 To buy or not to buy Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 932	Holy cow - these look GOOD! You are less than two hours away from me. I'm tempted to DRIVE up there for some cheesecake cupcakes! I'm drooling looking at these pics....
	__________________ 5 bags in 2 months: Rainedrop is in trouble! Does anyone have tips on how to smuggle bags into the house......? SO Wine MAC - In Production!

Oct 18th, 2009, 01:55 AM	#69
Charlie Is focused O_O Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 12,162	Oh My Gosh!!!!!! This thread is heaven. Everything looks so delicious
Charlie Is focused O_O Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 12,162	__________________ One pound at a time, lift Charlie lift! Stop LIVE animal skinning in China - sign the petition

Oct 21st, 2009, 05:35 PM	#71
bellafleur OP Member Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,620	Ok you guys, I need your opinions quick! A soup cafe is going to start selling my cupcakes, yay!:) What would you pay for a single mini cheesecake cupcake with your lunch? If you haven't seen my website yet, please don't look at the prices yet, just look at the photos I've posted and tell me what you think. The cupcakes are baked in 2oz souffle cups, which are a little smaller than a normal cupcake, which is about 3 oz. So they're not mini-mini. I don't know what's a reasonable price! It's a cute little place in a trendy neighborhood, and their soup is $5.50-$6.50 a bowl. Help! Thank you!:)
bellafleur OP Member Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,620	__________________

Oct 21st, 2009, 05:56 PM	#72
Necromancer Member Joined: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 3,439	Congrats on selling your cupcakes, bella. One of my regular cafes charges $7 for a tiny little friand ($10 with a cup of tea), and I must say, your cheesecake cupcakes look a lot nicer, so I'd happily pay a little more. If you're charging less, then I'd be very happy about that. You could always suss out what other cafes are charging for similar things and try and work it out from there. Don't undercharge, your cupcakes are too nice to "give away".

Oct 21st, 2009, 06:18 PM	#73
bellafleur OP Member Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,620	^Whoaaa, $7!! 7 Australian dollars? How much is that in USD?:) Even the famous cupcake bakeries here charge maybe $3.50 a piece, and I'm in a much smaller market. If I could get $7 a cupcake I would quit my job immediately and bake full time!:) Thanks for your advice and your vote of confidence, I really appreciate it!
bellafleur OP Member Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,620	__________________

Oct 21st, 2009, 06:28 PM	#74
IcansPotaFake32 Member Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 941	Hi there Bella! I would charge $3.75 for a cheesecake cupcake. I live just outside of Manhattan and work in the city and buy cupcakes all the time and some of the larger ones are close (or more than) to $6. For a regular cupcake it's $2.50 or $3.00 when they're plain butter cream or chocolate. I think you should maybe offer 4 varieties and just do 2 a little cheaper and two more expensive. The other thing I was thinking. There is a big demand for gluten free products. Considering your cheesecake only has four ingredients you may want to try making gluten free cup cakes! If you alter the crush and you gluten free ginger snaps (in the case of pumpkin, for example) you could turn them gluten free. Maybe sell them to Whole Foods or other health stores if you have one near you. Good luck!
IcansPotaFake32 Member Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 941

Welcome to The Purse Forum.

Our Purse Forum, or TPF, is the #1 online social network for everything designer handbag related. Join over 200,000 enthusiastic members in this friendly community and start engaging in the discussion today.