This is the first of many new blog posts, and features, on local places I love! I hope you stay tuned to this series – if you’re a local, you might want to venture out of your comfort zone and try one of these places. As a fan far away, you might be encouraged to seek other local stores in your neighborhoods or just drool over my blog posts..who knows, but at the very least, I’ll get to introduce YOU to the places local to me that I dig. I love to support local and this is one way, I can spread the word on good local places.
I’ve always loved cupcakes. I have cupcake tea towels in my kitchen. I bake cupcakes for every birthday. It’s a semi-obsession (but I AM lacking the talent, trust me. You would not want to witness one of my cupcake messes!) so it was only fitting to begin the Local Love series with, you got it! A cupcake shop.
Meet Jammie, the owner, creative mind, baker, head honcho, and more of Caked Cupcake Boutique! I spent one morning with her and two of her (wild and silly) Caked ladies and they let me capture a morning of cupcake decorating, displaying, and more. I was astounded at how FAST they were at making these delectable little treats look AMAZING within a few mere moments on each one. It was fascinating! Along with the fun of me shooting and getting in their way? An interview, with Jammie herself. And some product shots of the absolutely delicious goodies I took home with me that day.
Ready to get Caked?! Feast your eyes…
LM: So you’re the owner of Caked, a Cupcake Boutique! Tell us about your business and what drew you to opening it?
J: Caked is a place to go to for all things cake! We specialize in gourmet cupcakes, special occasion cakes, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, you name it! We also make incredible, buttery sugar cookies, and various other desserts, as well, as gluten free cupcakes and cakes. We also do a little bit of vegan baking. Caked is recognized for it’s dedication to quality and freshness AND customer service, which is so important to me. Our cupcakes are made fresh daily, bright and early every morning. We don’t use box mixes or canned icings – it’s all from scratch. We take pride in our moist and flavorful cakes, and put a lot of effort into making the actual cake every bit as exciting as the icings and toppings. I had no choice but to open this bakery, it was an undying passion that would not leave me alone. I was restless for several years, wanting to start my own business. I tried talking myself out of it, as I new that business ownership would not be easy, would be stressful, and would require long hours and a great deal of sacrifice. Yet, I just couldn’t shake it! So, Caked was finally born on April 21, 2011! 
LM: How long had you been baking before starting Caked?
J: I had been baking and decorating cakes as a hobby from my home for about 15 years or so, but only began getting really serious about it about 3 years before Caked opened. At that time, I began playing with recipes, tweaking them, and developing my own. I was self-taught in the area of cake decorating and had managed to acquire a strong skill set on my own. I made cakes for family, friends, and co-workers. I knew I should take some cake decorating classes to advance my skills, as you should never stop learning! I’m still learning, in fact!
LM: How did you pick the name?
J:I was drawn to business names that were single, descriptive words, not sure why. I liked the idea of a verb/adjective being the name for a business. And, it makes for a great slogan: Get Caked!
LM: How long was this a dream?
J: My dream of business ownership had been ongoing for about 10 years or so, prior to opening Caked, I just didn’t know what “it” was. About 5 years prior to opening Caked was when I found myself taking cake decorating classes, and a couple of years later, I think my goal to open a bakery began to flourish, whether I was fully aware of it or not. Prior to opening the bakery, I had a party-planning business called Occasions that I did in my spare time while also working a full-time job. I would provide the specialty cake, the cookie favors, and all the decor. I specialized in over-the-top, lavish children’s parties. But, it was entirely too difficult to take the party to the site, set it up, execute it, pack it up, then unpack it AGAIN once we were through! All that in addition to the baking, decorating, etc! It was grueling, it really was. I decided that I no longer wanted to take my business to others, but that I wanted a brick/mortar space where the public could come to me. And, I “knew” that cakes and all things celebration needed to be a part of my business concept, as that is where my passion was. So, when I didn’t really get it ‘right” with Occasions…I tried again with Caked!
LM: Who is your biggest support in this adventure?
J: My family, of course. And, my staff, they are hugely supportive and take a great deal of pride in Caked, the good work we do there, and they get just as excited as I do to see the bakery growing. My strong faith keeps me going, to be sure, especially on the long, hard days. My Creator is most definitely my biggest support, no question. going, to be sure, especially on the long, hard days.
LM: What did you do before this?
J: I worked in the field of medical insurance billing and practice management. I worked at Podiatry Associates of New Mexico for about 6 or 7 years. I was the Billing Manager for most of that time, and then eventually became the Practice Manager. I love business management! I also worked for Albuquerque Foot & Ankle while I was also running Occasions on the side. In my highschool and college years, I worked in restaurants and had a management background within that framework, as well. All of it has prepared me for Caked, but it’s also quite a different animal to manage someone else’s business as opposed to your own!
LM: Favorite part about Caked?
J: Making people happy! Seeing smiling faces is very rewarding, especially since I came from the medical field, where people oftentimes didn’t feel good or were in pain, etc, and not at their best. So, it’s nice to see smiling, happy faces each day in the bakery. Cupcakes, as a rule, just have that effect on people! It’s very rewarding! We get such a kick out of designing cakes that thrill our customers, too!
LM: What’s YOUR favorite flavor to eat? to bake?
J: I have Celiac disease, so I have to eat gluten free. As such, my favorite GF option is our Red Velvet – it’s soooo amazing! It took me a really long time to ‘get’ that recipe right, so I’m super proud of it. I also have an affinity for the GF brownie cupcake! As for baking, I like baking it all, the actual baking is very therapeutic somehow. My least favorite thing about my work, if I had to pick, would be that I am oftentimes covered in sticky icing!
LM: Most popular flavor?
J: Hmmm….I would have to go with the Red Velvet. It’s followed closely by Salted Caramel…and then I’d probably say Vanilla and the Oreo Cookie Cupcake. The Peanut Butter Brownie cupcake is really gaining momentum, though. And, our German Chocolate is to die for!
LM: Most unique request?
J: We get requests for cupcakes without icing once in a while, which always throws us for a loop! We had a wedding consultation recently for an oreo cookie wedding cake!
LM: Where do you get your inspiration for all the unique ideas you incorporate into Caked goodies?
J: Everywhere! I get inspired for cake decorations from clothing and stationary and even gift bags! Magazines, websites, blogs, customer suggestions…you name it!
Find them on Facebook or the internet and visit them in person – and show them some local love!
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