RESTAURATEUR AND BAKER HOPES CUPCAKES WILL BE HER CURE FOR COVID
Tempting desserts designed to reflect personality of those they’re made for
A pair of local restaurant entrepreneurs is hoping a pivot from quick service lunch bowls and sandwiches to, yes, cupcakes, will help them weather the COVID -19 storm hurting so many restaurant people in Edmonton.
Stephanie Paras and Himanshu Motwani have been running Maka Eatery out of the Don Wheaton YMCA (with satellite food kiosks at other Edmonton YMCAS)
for more than three years. When COVID-19 struck and the Y gyms were closed, their business dropped by 100 per cent. Catering to the business community has also been a mainstay for Maka Eatery, and that’s disappeared, also. While the YMCA is in transition to return to operation, it will be some time before Maka Eatery can support itself again.
In the meantime, Paras, 30, has turned to her love of pastries and baking, launching an online custom cake and cupcake business called My Cupcake Mama. The new business offers 16 flavours of cake, as well as gluten-free, vegan and nut-free varieties.
The Journal spoke to Paras about buttercream, whimsical perspectives and eating too much of your own product. The interview has been edited and condensed.
Q Where did your love of cupcakes begin?
A I took a two-year baking and pastry program in the Philippines, where I was living until 2011. But it was more focused on French techniques and pastry, not so much cakes and cupcakes. So when we decided to launch My Cupcake Mama I started doing tutorials on Youtube, and also looking to Instagram and Tiktok to learn new techniques and trends. That’s really helped me get into the market.
Q I have tried your cupcakes, and found the biggest challenge to be getting my mouth over the whole thing at once. How do you get so much lift on the icing?
A My icing is called Swiss meringue buttercream. It’s not just butter and icing sugar. I make meringue first and then whip butter into it. That’s why it’s not too sweet, the meringue cuts the sweetness and makes the icing really smooth and not grainy.
Q How would you describe your cupcake and cake-decorating style?
A I like talking to customers and then putting what they want together in a cake. I like it to reflect their personality, especially when I’m baking for a friend or a family that I know. I’ll ask about their favourite colour, and if they are a bubbly personality I’ll put a lot of colour into the cake. If they are simple and straightforward, I’ll give them that, but beautiful. I want the cake to speak to their personality.
Q What is one of your favourite cupcake flavours?
A I like the ube, the sweet purple yam flavour. In the Philippines, ube is a very popular dessert and the purple yam is used more for sweets than for savoury cooking. I grew up with that cake; it really reminds me of my childhood.