Saturday, January 28, 2012

Small Business Idea No. 9: Start a Cupcake Decorating Business


2:00 AM Mrs. F No comments

Cupcake is slowly beginning to become the trend in the cake industry nowadays. It is a very tasty treat for children and oldies alike. Cupcakes are the new cake. Everywhere you go, pastry chefs are creating cupcakes into works of art, even making much larger cakes out of little ones. If this is something you know how to do, or are willing to dedicate some time to learning, then starting your own cupcake business could prove to be lucrative and fun.  

The Skill:

First you have to have a skill in decorating cakes. Cupcakes will look much better and enticing if the decor is eye-catching. If you already have the skill, well, good for you. But for those who are still newbies and would like to learn it is advisable that you enroll in a baking school to learn all the techniques in creating sumptuous cupcakes. Remember also that it is not only how the cake looks but how the cake tastes.  

Here are some resources that you may find useful in learning the skill of decorating cupcakes:



 

Well, it is very important that you know how to bake cupcakes. You have to first try creating cupcakes and then decide what tastes best. Letting other people such as your relatives, friends and neighbors taste your cupcake will allow you to learn which recipe works best. They will serve as your test market.

Cupcake Recipe Resources:

cupcakerecipes.com
cupcake-recipes.com
marthastewart.com
allrecipes.com
thecupcakerecipes.com  

The Market:

Well, everyone who loves cupcakes can be your target market. These can be children and adults alike. But if you like to sell more, you should target selling for celebrations such as birthday parties, corporate events, weddings, thanksgiving and even Christmas.    

The Tools and Equipments Needed:

To be able to create cupcakes you should first have the tools and equipment. Below is a list of  the tools and equipment needed for your cupcake business.  

Cupcake Baking Tools:

  • Measuring cups (for dry ingredients-plastic or stainless steel).
  • Measuring cups for liquid ingredients (such as pyrex glass or plastic).
  • One or two sets of measuring spoons (plastic or metal).
  • A set of different size mixing bowls (small, medium, large, and extra large).
  • One round and one oblong or rectangular cooling rack.
  • Rolling Pin (and rolling pin cover if you like).
  • Rubber spatula's (silicone ones are good because they can be used in high temperatures, and may be washed in the dishwasher) Also, metal spatula's for removing baked goods from pans.
  • Either a wood or marble pastry board for rolling out your pie, tart or pastry dough.
  • An offset spatula for decorating and frosting cakes, pastries and cupcakes, etc.
  • Two or three pastry brushes.
  • Pastry blender.
  • Fluted or plain pastry wheel.
  • Pastry bags, and assorted size and shape pastry tips.
  • Flour sifter.
  • Dough or pastry scraper.
  • 9 piece set of glass bowls (graduating sizes of mixing bowls for preparing ingredients for recipe).
  • Either a heavy duty electric stand mixer, such as a KitchenAid stand mixer, or a food processor, such as a Cuisinart or KitchenAid food processor. Both a stand mixer and a food processor are good to have.
  • An electric hand-held mixer (I recommend the KitchenAid brand) and a manual rotary hand mixer, sometimes called a rotary egg beater (a bit old fashioned, but can be useful at times, especially for whipping cream, beating eggs, and light cake batters).
  • An electric blender (I recommend the KitchenAid brand).
  • A deep fryer (either electric or non-electric).
  • At least two or three 9-inch round 
  • cake pans and at least two or three 8-inch round cake pans. Small cake pans are nice to have if you are going to make a cake for 2 - 4 people. A good size for this purpose is a 6 or 7-inch x 3-inch cake pan (they can be purchased at baking supply stores, or at baking supply stores online).
  • One or two (8 or 9-inch square baking pans).
  • One 3-quart (9 x 13-inch) rectangular glass baking dish, and 1 metal 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
  • A 13 x 18-inch jelly roll pan.
  • An 11 x 7-inch brownie pan.
  • Regular or non-stick 12 cup muffin pan. (having a mini muffin pan is good too).
  • At least 2 (14 x 10-inch or 16 x 14-inch) cookie sheets.
  • A (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75-inch) loaf pan.
  • A (10 x 5 x 3-inch) loaf pan.
  • A set of mini loaf pans (5 x 3 x 2-inch pans).
  • A 1.5 quart rectangular glass loaf pan (pyrex is good).
  • One 9,10,11, or 12-inch removable bottom tart pan (a 9 or 10-inch is good to have on hand).
  • At least 4 flan or creme brulee dishes that are 4 to 5 inches round.
  • Springform Pans: 9-inch, 10-inch, and 11-inch springform pans (springform pans are great for making cheesecakes in, etc.).
  • Mini springform pans, set of at least 4, (4 1/2-inch to 5-inch size)
  • One of each: 6 cup bundt cake pan, 9 cup bundt cake pan, 10 cup bundt cake pan, and a 12 cup bundt cake pan.
  • One (13 x 18.5 x 1.25-inch) sheet cake pan.
  • A non-stick angel food (or chiffon) cake pan. (one that holds at least 6 - 12 cups of batter).
  • A "fancy" style cake or bundt pan (Nordicware and Kaiser are two good brands that make very nice "fancy" style bundt and cake pans).
  • Two or three pie pans or pie dishes for baking pies or tarts. Size 9-inch is a "must have" size. A 10-inch, 11-inch or 12-inch one is good for making larger pies. Use glass, ceramic or metal. Also, mini pie dishes are nice. A set of 4 is good. They are usually about 5 inches round, metal or ceramic.
  • All-purpose metal scoops are good to have for scooping out your flour, sugar, etc. from thier bags to pour into your measuring cups.
  • Small, medium and large cookie dough scoops ( 1/4 - 1/3 and 1/2 cup sizes). These I recommend for people who are doing alot of cookie baking.
  • Airtight storage containers for your different types of flours, sugars, etc.


 

 upcake Decorating Tools:

Less popular (but just as great) suggestions included:

The Manpower:

Well, at first you have to do it on your own to minimize the cost for hiring manpower. Since you are still starting off, it is better to do all the stuffs alone at first. but if you are already getting orders of a minimum of 500 cupcakes a day, then maybe you can start getting some help.

The Marketing Strategy:

There are a lot of strategies to market your cupcake business. First, you can try the local market, by participating on local fairs, renting a small stall to showcase your cupcakes. then distribute your business cards as people purchase your cupcakes. You can also try having a sample taste test on your local market, let them taste your goodies for free. If you are not into this idea, you can have your family, relatives and neighbors do the taste test for you. You can promote your business by creating your own website where the local people can scan through your cupcake gallery. It can also be a vehicle for contacting you when they would like to order cupcakes. You can also create a Facebook page so that your business can get more social and interactive.  

Useful Resources:

Baking Organizations United States
American Bakers Association
American Institute of Baking
American Society of Baking Retailer's
Bakery Association American
Bakery Expo
Cupcake Bakers Association

International
AIB International
International Cake Exploration
Societe International
Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association
International Baking Industry Exposition
Baking Association of Canada
International Association of Cupcake Bakers

Commercial Resources
Food Network
Williams Sonoma
JoyofBaking.com
Betty Crocker
Kraft Foods
King Arthur Flour
Sugarcraft
Baking911.com
Recipes4cakes.com
Pillsbury
Baking Cakespy
Kerekes Bakery & Restaurant Equipment Inc.
Bakingshop.com

Article Resources:


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