Cupcake Kisses sweetens local holidays

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November 23, 2012

Cupcake Kisses sweetens local holidays

By TAMMIE TOLER Princeton Times The Zope Gazette Fri Nov 23, 2012, 09:20 AM EST

PRINCETON — Jessica Johnson believes the best recipes include love as a secret ingredient.

The owner, operator and chief baker at Cupcake Kisses is sure that’s one reason her sweet new business is gaining popularity.

“When I’m actually putting love into what I’m baking — that’s when I see the best things come out of my kitchen,” Jessica said, behind a box of fudge cupcakes topped with fluffy chocolate icing and a slice of savory-sweet pretzel bark.

The married mother of two has a “day job,” but her real passion of cupcake-making began a few years ago with her daughters’ birthday parties.

“It started out when I was making cupcakes for my kids. I would try to make them really special cupcakes for their birthdays or for family events. They loved them,” Jessica said.

Her cupcakes soon gained popularity among Johnson’s husband, Bradley, and their daughters, Hayleigh, 8, and Abigail, 2.

“Whenever I bake cupcakes, I have to put a gate up across the kitchen door to make sure that I can get the batch finished with all the cupcakes I need,” Jessica said.

One day, Bradley asked the obvious question: Why wasn’t Jessica selling the cupcakes that everyone loved?

She pondered the idea a bit, and Abigail soon inspired a business name.

“She would always want to give me kisses after she ate cupcakes. Of course, she had icing all over her face, and those were the best kisses, because they were from her and they had icing, too,” Jessica said.

Soon, she started expanding her gourmet flavors and the decorations she offers on a host of unique cupcakes with delicious names. The almost 50 flavors she bakes include strawberry cheesecake, coconut cream pie, orange dreamcicle, peanut butter cup, caramel apple pie, peppermint mocha, pumpkin gingersnap and more.

All of the cupcakes are made from scratch without artificial flavoring.

Jessica’s favorite is peanut butter cup, but she said sales of her caramel apple pie cupcakes skyrocketed after she offered them for sale at the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Expo in late October.

“The biggest bing-bang-boom I’ve had for my business came with the Women’s Expo,” she said.

While Cupcake Kisses started as Jessica’s pastime and passion, it has expanded to include the entire family. Bradley often serves as the “icing man,” because beating the sugar into everyone’s favorite cupcake ingredient takes a lot of muscle.

Daughters Hayleigh and Abigail joined their mom for the Women’s Expo, where they served as cupcake and coffee salespeople.

And, Jessica credits much of her success to her mother, Roseanna Coomes.

“If it wasn’t for her, I would not have taken the big step out of my comfort zone and done the Women’s Expo,” Jessica said. “She has been my biggest cheerleader and supporter. She has lifted my self-esteem and brought my frowns to smiles. She’s not only my mom; she’s my best friend. I love her tremendously.”

For now, Cupcake Kisses operates from the Johnsons’ Cornbread Ridge kitchen, where Bradley gave Jessica an early Christmas present in the form of a double oven — to help her meet the increased demand for her sweet treats.

“We’ve gotten so many orders since the Women’s Expo that he said he couldn’t hold off any longer. He gave it to me and put it in early,” Jessica said, clearly appreciative of the practical, perfect gift.

While cupcakes are the mainstay of her business, Cupcake Kisses also offers bread during the winter season and sandwich cookies, cake pops, cupcake bouquets, cupcake jars and push-up pops throughout the year.

And, delivery is provided at no extra charge. At this point, those delivery runs originate from her home, but Jessica hopes to begin looking for a storefront early in 2013.

“I really believe this is what I’m supposed to do. I love it, and my customers seem to enjoy it, too,” she said.

For more information about Cupcake Kisses, visit cupcakekisses.net, or phone Jessica at 304-952-2318.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.

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Cupcake Kisses sweetens local holidays

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