Cupcake Bakeshop
 Ah, the cupcake. The trendy treat is all the rage in NYC and L.A. as dessert devotees scarf down pricey miniature cakes. But a few folks stirred the frosting before cupcakes became a hot commodity among hipsters. One of those intrepid bakers is San Francisco resident and blogger Cheryl Porro. The ingenious Ms. Porro doesn't settle for plain-jane vanilla cakes. She consistently pushes the boundaries of baking on her blog.
When we discovered the site, we fell in love with the flavor concepts, the audacious ideas, and the luscious cupcake photography. The blog offers up delicious original recipes accompanied by meticulous step-by-step instructions. Cheryl was kind enough to put down her newborn and turn off her oven to join us for a chat about her site, baking, and how she gets those mouth-watering photos... Hey Cheryl, when did you start the blog? I started the blog in March of 2005. Before that, I had a site at cupcakebakery.com. I had intended to keep it up to date with recipes and stuff, but it was a pain to maintain and I felt no motivation. A good friend of mine was a big fan of craft blogs and pointed me to the whole food blog thing. That same day I signed up for a blog and wrote my first post. Do you work on anything besides the blog? I'm a Software QA Manager at Salesforce.com. Wow. So the cupcakes are a sideline? That's interesting, since you do it so well. Thanks. Yes, it's a side thing, but I am equally as obsessive about my day job. So, it's interesting... Was the response to the blog immediate after you set it up? When did you know you had developed an audience? It seemed to start off fairly quickly with a small audience. I would get about 10 or so comments per post. In the early days I was very experimental, so I think that got me some attention. Posting my cupcake photos on flickr and commenting on other food blogs (and then getting linked from them) helped build an audience. We were going to ask you about your photos on flickr. Have you always been into photography? Your cupcake photos are amazing... That's funny. Basically, no. For the life of me, I can not take a good picture of anything but cupcakes. I know it's weird. The photography thing has been a happy shock for me—I give credit to the good lighting in my kitchen. Have you considered a career in food styling? Not really. I hadn't considered it myself, mostly because I have this sense I would only be good styling cupcakes. I have problems with getting a good shot of savory foods. What has been most gratifying about running the blog? A few things. First, the immediate response I get on the blog. When a recipe really strikes a chord, I see it right away. It motivates me to push myself as far as recipes go. This was a struggle before I started the blog, because I always wanted to experiment with my baking but had no motivation. Second, I love the fact that someone can post a question about a recipe, and if I'm online and not swamped, I'll answer their question for them. We love the whimsy you inject into baking. Where do you come up with the concepts? Well, it's interesting. Part of why I post so infrequently is that the process by which I come up with an idea takes time. Sometimes I'll have some ingredient, flavor combo, or technique in mind, maybe based on something I ate recently. It doesn't hurt that I eat out a lot in a great city like San Francisco. So inspiration abounds. I work across from the Ferry Building and will often just walk around looking for some other ingredient or something. If I have cherries in mind, I walk around thinking "cherries and..." So it's all about fresh ingredients and going beyond the norm? Definitely. Sometimes i will pull out something kitschy if I'm in the mood, like the red hot cupcakes, but mostly its about fresh or exotic ingredients usually not found in a cupcake. Have you always baked? Yes, since I was about 13 or so. I would bake for my family. I've gone through a lot of baking phases through the years. I was into tarts for some time, then 5 star restaurant desserts, then I got into cupcakes around 2000. I always played with the idea of going to school to be a pastry chef, but I've been in software for a little over 10 years and have found it difficult to leave. What do you make of the trendiness of cupcakes? Why cupcakes? I know for me, I like the individual nature of the cupcake. In general, I don't like to share, especially dessert. A cupcake is your own to enjoy. What's your favorite recipe you've posted on the blog? Very tough. I think the thai ice tea cupcake was my most challenging and one inspired by something I love. I still don't feel like I have a great recipe, but that one came pretty close. Far too modest. Favorite cupcake besides your own? I feel bad saying this, but I haven't really had a good cupcake "out." Mostly because I bake them so much I never want to eat them when I'm out. I've tried some and haven't been too happy. I need to get down to L.A. or something where there are more shops. Honesty appreciated. Favorite food blog? 101cookbooks. I've been inspired to cook from her posts. OK. Never say never—would you leave software behind and consider a cookbook, catering business, or bakery? I'd consider a cookbook. I actually shopped a proposal through a book packager, but nothing came of it. I still might self publish some day. I may consider catering and/or a bakery especially if my job ever took a turn for the worse. Thanks Cheryl. May your frosting bag never run dry.
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