We are closing down our Pavilion outlet. There, I’ve said it. It has not been an easy reality to digest. Feels a little like loosing a limb as it has been such a major part in the Cupcake Chic story. But I feel I owe it to our fans, the truth behind this decision.

So, why are we closing down our Pavilion outlet?

In part, I was so busy rushing out our macarons that I overlooked the date to revert to the retail management of Pavilion regarding the renewal of the store. I was two days late and that was enough for them to give our lot to someone else. Having said that, they were also planning to hike up our rent by a BIG AMOUNT (won’t say how much) that we needed a miracle game plan to be able to cover those figures. We were not allowed to sell any of our drinks because of the illy brand we carry (exclusivity of illy coffee in Pavilion goes to illy espressemante) which means we couldn’t increase sales with our beverages.

Then they told us that we possibly couldn’t sell macarons either because our name “Cupcake Chic” should only stick with cupcakes. Here I am, trying to launch our macarons so we can strengthen our product line and I believe the Cupcake Chic brand would not be diluted as a result and there they are, restricting my every move. It was very frustrating indeed!

Having said that, the team at Pavilion management has not all been difficult. The marketing team is incredible – lending us support from Day 1 – notable mention goes to Ms. Nikola Hassan – love that she is almost as proud of our brand as we are. (thank you, Nikola – if you’re reading this)

So there you have it, the truth told. In part, my fault. In hindsight, possibly a blessing in disguise as it would save us some hair pulling efforts in trying to increase sales to meet that hike in rental without being able to add to our product line. Not that we wouldn’t have taken on the challenge, mind you.

We had a meeting with the fit out team last week to discuss the restoration works and it was indeed a nostalgic final visit to the outlet. Just two years old, it is sad to have to tear this outlet down.

BUT…we are hopeful & optimistic. We will find a new home for Cupcake Chic in KL. This brand will grow from strength to strength and we know it will make Malaysia proud as a homegrown brand. The dream is shining just as bright as ever and we will not be swayed by this small road hump along our journey. I hope you (our fan reading this, hopefully) will continue to cheer for us as we continue to press on.

Instead of posting up a photo of Pavilion I thought I would put up this photo of me, posing with the floor plans before the construction work began in the Curve and I embarked on this journey. Just a reminder to myself, that this is a new era.

Jo @ Cupcake Chic, Curve (December 2008)

Most good girlfriends want to have more reasons to party together, so what better reason to exclude the boys and have a girly night other than the bachelorette party?

We had fun coming up with this pretty, chic set of cupcakes that has a hint of naughty with an elegant twist.

Ooh là là!

Customize the name of the lucky bride-to-be in this design to suit your occasion.

Comes in sets of 12 – just nice for a cosy little party.  ;)

Drop us an email at order@cupcakechic.com.my to place an order for delicious cupcakes for a delightful party!

Well, why not leave a lasting impression of your company when someone bites into such a positive experience?
Have your logo printed on exquisite Belgian chocolate discs placed on top of our yummy cupcakes.
All you gotta do is send us the image you wish to have printed.

We were uber-excited to have done cupcakes for Masterchef recently for their press conference!
Check out their cupcakes here:

We also had fun coming up with this gift box for TIME Dotcom and Astro’s newly launched “b.yond” service.

Yes, peeps. You saw right. We’re now doing macaroons as well! We will be doing a full launch of flavours real soon.
Keep watching this space as well as our FB page for more updates!

In the meantime, drop us an email at order@cupcakechic.com.my to place an order for fabulous cupcakes at your next event!

I am often asked how I manage to “do it all?” I’m not sure what that means, because I certainly don’t say “Yes” to everything and everyone. I guess people are referring to the many roles I play as a wife, a mother, a business woman, a person that serves in church and a person that squeezes in fitness when she can. While I am able to mostly fit it all in, my main gripe is that I am so task driven that I often lack the grace to do it as joyfully as I would like.

It’s a constant challenge. But I press on. I do however, say yes to a number of things that I either have a burden in my heart for or place a value to.

For instance, I am part of a great church called Kingdom City Church and am involved in the womens’ ministry which is organizing an incredible life-changing conference this September 2011. This conference is about setting women free on all levels. The conference is also in support of ending human trafficking and slavery. More information here : http://www.kingdomwomenconference.com/

So, for our soft launch, we had cupcakes bearing the conference logos and dressed up in the logo colours. I reckon they added some glitz to the event!

The other thing I started doing recently is…..exercise! (horror!) I make time to exercise because I know that I have to take care of my health so I can give my best to my family. And more importantly, keep up with my two super-duper active boys. So I signed up for the Daily Muscle Transformation Camp since its formation in July 1010. They recently had an awards night/dinner and guess what was on the menu for dessert? Yup, cupcakes!

Some may think it ironic to have such an indulging dessert for a  fitness gang – well, we’re not all fitness fanatics (I certainly am not!) but I reason that since we work out, we are definitely deserving of the occasional treat.

You can also find out more about the camp here : http://www.dailymuscle.com/transformationcamp/

So, there u go. A peek into my life full of cupcakes.

Daniel is no stranger to Cupcake Chic, as we had the pleasure of doing his Full Moon cupcakes as well!
You can read the story here.

Daniel’s mum, Chris emailed us saying that she wanted a beautiful tiered creation to celebrate his birthday at My CookBook restaurant at Sunway Giza.

With classic blue and cream colours as the theme, here is what transpired:

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

Everybody wants one!

A close-up on the teddy bears

One of Daniel’s friends:

I’m sorry, did you want some?

Mommy holding Daniel up to pick his cupcake

Well, little man. We wish you the happiest of birthdays every year! May you grow up in wisdom and stature and be a joy and delight to all who cross your path.

In this interview, Megan, who runs her own design business, reveals the planning, choices
and advice she took that made her wedding perfect.

Did you ever fantasize about your dream wedding as a little girl?
No, I never dreamed of any wedding. No fairytale kind of thing. I’m not that kind of person!
I just wanted the wedding to be well planned. I can’t take things that aren’t well organized.
So I actually planned my wedding pretty early and that is why I had time to go into detailed
preparation of my wedding cupcakes.

Why did you choose cupcakes instead of a cake for your wedding?
Cupcakes are smaller, more cost-efficient in a way, and I think it’s easier to eat. It’s
convenient for my guests, instead of just messily cutting a cake. Plus, there’s no wastage.
So did your guests enjoy the cupcakes?
They loved it. My guests and relatives were really happy, and said the cupcakes were
really nice even though it wasn’t so traditional with the Chinese culture! It was more a
modern alternative.

Why did you want to take a modern alternative, rather than go traditional?
I find cupcakes more lovely to look at than the traditional Chinese Ang Koo. Also, with
cupcakes, I can choose the colour that I like, and I had chosen blue to be the theme of my
wedding. So cupcakes were the best choice.

Earlier you said you can’t stand when things arenʼt well organized. Also, as a person
who runs your own design business, you must be very detail oriented. So when it
came to planning your wedding cupcakes, was it easy to organize, and did it meet
your expectations of detailing?
I ordered my wedding cupcakes with Cupcake Chic, and yes, they were very helpful. They
actually presented me with the samples, and we did make a few adjustments until I got the
right colour that I liked.
They’re also very smart to give solutions to the customer, instead of me telling them what
to do, which is exactly what they’re supposed to do because they’re the experts in
cupcakes, not me right?! *laughs* So yeah, Cupcake Chic was able to give me what I
needed.

Were you happy with the quality of Cupcake Chic?
Yes, of course. I was actually a fan of Cupcake Chic beforehand because they’re
everywhere, and I can never stop eating it! Sometimes I even have to stop myself from
entering the shop, because it’s very addictive and I can’t control myself, especially the
chocolate one. This is the one that’s worth it to waste your calories on! *laughs*

So you must have had the chocolate flavour at your wedding, right?
Yes! I had chocolate and vanilla.

So you served two flavours?
Yes, there were two cupcake flavours. One with my name, and one with my husband’s
name were presented.

(These save the date cupcakes went out with Megan’s wedding invitations)

How did you display your wedding cupcake tier?
The cupcakes were actually presented at my outdoor garden wedding where I did my
signing on that day itself. So the cupcakes were displayed next to my signing table, pretty
much the centerpiece of attention! And the garden wedding setup in the end looked really
great, especially in the photograph. I didn’t expect it to look that great, with the colour
combination and all.

That was actually my biggest worry when planning the wedding actually, because it’s the
first time I’m doing something outdoor in Malaysia. I was so worried of my make-up, and
also the cupcakes you know, would it melt and stuff? I remember discussing my concerns
with Jo (from Cupcake Chic), but everything turned out good! In the end it was the greatest
surprise. If you look at the picture, you’ll understand what I mean! The garden, and the
grass, and the colour of the cupcakes and the tablecloth and everything… it was beautiful.

Finally, what piece of advice would you give to future brides planning their
weddings this year?
Start early. Don’t do things last minute. And get help. Don’t do it all by yourself. Get help
from your friends, or maybe you can engage a planner. Although I’m not so much the kind
of person to use a wedding planner. I think it’s better to go to the individual expertise in
whatever thing you’re looking at.
Another thing is a lot of brides tend to get really, really stressed out, and they hate the
process of doing it. But I was one of the lucky ones, because when I started planning the
whole thing, all my girlfriends told me to just enjoy the process. So enjoy the process
because you’ll actually regret it if you don’t enjoy the process.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Call us at 03 – 7880 0963/012-210 1840 or email us at order@cupcakechic.com.my

to place an order for scrumptious wedding cupcakes!

Check out our wedding section here: http://bit.ly/eumUGB for more information or

view our wedding cupcakes album on our Facebook here: http://bit.ly/e2NCJj

Some people will catch on to number 2, some won’t. It’s OK. We still appreciate them for the time they were with us. Without getting all too sombre, we did have a fun night out and here are some snippets from the night.

We started off with dinner at the Curve – on the menu was delicious local fare (we had some new foreign workers from the Phillipines with us, so we wanted to give them a taste of our wonderful Malaysian cuisine!). Dessert was not cupcakes, in case you were wondering.

HQ team shot

The team from Pavilion KL

The team tucking in to their dinner

Fridaus & Harry (from the Curve)

Towards the end of dinner, the team presented us (Ben & Jo – founding partners) with a Thank You card filled with hand-written messages from everyone. Ben happened to have the camera on video mode so I’m attaching it here, just for fun…and you can hear me going “Wah!!!”. It really was a lovely touch and I was sincerely very moved by this gesture.

Special guests included Rudy & Sammie (our licensees from the Sunway Pyramid store) – oh okay, so Sammie’s taking place of her mum….she’s not exactly the licensee.

Rudy & Sammie from Sunway Pyramid

We adjourned over to the Platinum Suites to hang out at their VIP lounge where we took advantage of their X-box, free internet access, free flow beverages and even the wonderful massage chairs! It’s a real treat to see the team from the Curve and the team from Pavilion hanging with each other, even though it was their first meet up.

Add & and the kitchen team fighting it out on the X-Box

Nadia & hubby getting some R&R

Pavi team at massage chairs

Louging around

“Gulliver’s Travels” was the movie of choice. Light hearted and a total riot. It was great that we didn’t hear anyone snoring, considering the chairs were really comfortable and it was easy to just doze off. We even prepared a drink & popcorn set for everyone which was waiting for them when they entered the hall. We capped the night off with a short (and heartwarming!) message from Ben and a group photo.

Gulliver's Travels!

Attentive bunch as Ben caps the night off

Ben saying a few words

I look at the team and wonder, who will still be with us at our next appreciation night? Like i said, some may leave us and it’s OK, they might have moved on to other green pastures and we wish them well. But I do so love the team we have with us today. They’re a formidable team, with their heart in the right places and together, we have what it takes to achieve our vision – to be the most loved & admired cupcake brand in the world. We’re not there yet, but I am absolutely confident we’re taking the right steps in that direction. With that, I say this. “TERIMA KASIH to an amazing team, we appreciate every single one of you.”

The team at Cupcake Chic

Here are 7 gorgeous wedding cupcakes design ideas to suit every style — from traditional to romantic!

(1) Go Traditional

Just because you are opting for wedding cupcakes, doesnʼt mean that you canʼt have that traditional cake cutting ceremony youʼve always dreamed of! A quality wedding cupcake designer will be able to give you tier options, from a modest 3-tier to a grande 7-tier. You can have a cake on the top tier, and cascades of cupcakes below, designed to suit any theme, and every dream!

(2) Get Versatile

Thereʼs no guarantee that when a slice of wedding cake is served to your guest, it will look pretty on their plate.

A cupcake however, will always make a good impression that is individual. This gives you room to get versatile!

The wonderful thing about cupcakes is that, unlike cakes, they donʼt have to be limited to one design. So be adventurous and ask your wedding cupcake designer how you can get versatile with a variety colours and designs to surprise and delight your guests!

Chic Tip: To ensure you get a quality mix, ask your cupcake designer for visuals of your shortlisted designs. This way, you can mix and match the best combination display of your favourite cupcake designs.

(3) Be Dreamy

Planning that fairytale wedding with cascades of flowers and beautiful trimmings? Well, whatever your dream, cupcakes can make it come true. So donʼt be afraid to communicate with your wedding cupcake designer your fairytale dreams. Because creativity in even the tiniest detail is exactly the kind of quality you can expect from a good wedding cupcake designer!

(4) Add Romance

Are you a hopeless romantic? Then express your love for each other with a gorgeous display of hearts!
Cupcakes with individual hearts will shower your wedding with love, making your wedding day a romantic heaven.

(5) Exude Class

You can also make your wedding cupcakes display classy by adding flowers such as roses in the arrangement.
Ask your cupcake designer how they can liaise with your florist to add a touch of finesse with arrangement options for your wedding cupcake tier display.

(6) Be Fashionably Contemporary

Make your wedding cupcakes as fashionably contemporary as you are! Modern colours with simple but striking designs can really change the mood of your wedding from boring to memorably chic.

Chic Tip: Get your hands on the latest interior design magazines. Cut out a few designs of rooms with a sleek modern interior style that you like, and ask your wedding cupcake designer to follow the colour combinations. Youʼll be sure to have a winner!

(7) Looks Good, Tastes Better

At the end of the day, a gorgeous cupcake doesnʼt just look good, it also tastes great. After all, you donʼt want to serve your guests a dry, tasteless cupcake! A good gourmet cupcake should be made from the finest ingredients, such as real butter instead of imitation margarine. A quality baker wonʼt just make your cupcakes look good, but is dedicated to make them consistently taste even better. One good way to test a bakerʼs dedication to consistent quality is by hopping into one of their stores and purchasing the cupcakes they serve to their daily customers. A good cupcake should not be dry, and above all else, tasty! Have fun designing your wedding cupcakes!

Chic Tip: Thereʼs always a lot to do when it comes to planning your wedding, so selecting a wedding cupcake designer who can take care of everything, from individual favour boxes to doorstep delivery, is an added plus!

Check out our wedding cupcakes here!

Country singer pop star Carrie Underwoodʼs wedding was distinguished by a lavish cupcake tower of amazing vanilla confection with elaborate decorations in addition to vanilla butter icing as edible pearls. Hunky Season 4 winner of “The Bachelorette”, Jesse Csincsak, tied the knot with Ann Lueders in a Las Vegas wedding that featured a cupcake tower of red velvet, pineapple mouse and chocolate cream flavours.

If youʼre planning to have stylish wedding cupcakes at your wedding, then here are the most important points to consider when making your choice.

(1) Quality Care & Ingredients
Itʼs easy to think that a cupcake is just a cupcake, but ultimately, the final taste, texture and enjoyment of a cupcake is determined by the quality of the care and ingredients that are put into it. From using refined flour instead of standard flour, to creamy butter instead of imitation margarine, the resulting difference in quality is significant to the palate.

When it comes to your important day, you want a gourmet baker who doesnʼt compromise quality, and even if this means paying a little bit more, itʼs well worth it for the occasion. The most important thing when it comes to selecting your wedding cupcake vendor is to purchase their cupcakes at their own outlets and discover for yourself the quality they serve to their daily customers.

A good quality gourmet cupcake should be moist, springy to the touch, and well…scrumptiously delicious! Take note however that many cupcake bakeries have their flavours on rotation, so you may not be able to taste everything in one visit. Our advice is to look out for their schedule of flavours, which is normally displayed on their menu, to find out when the flavour of your interest will be available.

(2) Friendly, Convenient & Efficient Service
With so many things to do when it comes to planning your wedding, having a wedding cupcake provider that can help take care of the finer details is very important. So when choosing your gourmet cupcake vendor, be sure to ask about their additional service, such as favour wrapping, packaging options, tier rental, presentation arrangements, and delivery service.

You also want to make sure that youʼre going to get friendly, courteous service, so look for vendors that also offer a free consultation service. Try them out and evaluate your interaction with them. Do they answer your questions with care? Do they help give you all the information you need? If yes, then youʼve hit the jackpot!

(3) Stylish & Impressive
After you, the next centrepiece of attention is your wedding cupcake tower. So you want something that is going to be equally stylish and impressive!

A gourmet wedding cupcake decorator should be flexible and creative to suit your wedding theme, with a range of styles, colours, flavours and finishing touches. Remember that not all cupcake vendors will have their best creative work available for everyday sale at their display counters, so ask instead to see visuals of their wedding and special occasions catalogue.

Chic Tip: If youʼve arranged for a free consultation with a cupcake vendor, have a search online for ideas and show or email them the kind of cupcake decorations you like so they can help design your perfect wedding cupcake masterpiece!

Alternative, you can call your preferred cupcake vendor, Cupcake Chic.
Our digits are : 03-78800963 or drop us an email at order@cupcakechic.com.my.

Tiffany blue & white wedding cupcake tier

Red & White themed wedding cupcake tier

A garden wedding tier

Cupcake wedding favors

Working in a cupcake company, one doesn’t think that life gets much sweeter.

Enter Brandon.

Brandon (waiting behind the scenes - in our kitchen!)

Brandon calls us up at the Curve to tell us that he plans to propose to his girlfriend, Sandy at our store, and asks if that would be OK. Now while we kept it cool on the phone, “Oh sure, that’s a great idea”, inside we were screaming “That’s so SWEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!”

Then he proceeds to say “I’ve checked out your other outlets, and I think the Curve is the most appropriate given the layout of the store”. Can this be any more well thought-out? And the answer to that is, “Yes”.

Brandon had arranged for two of her friends, Sook Mei and Kashvin to take Sandy out on their usual Saturday hang-out session, and bring her to Cupcake Chic on the pretense of having some cupcake cravings.

Brandon and I met up to discuss the details of the proposal that was to take place on the fateful Saturday of the 27th of November 2010. Props go to Brandon for coordinating everything so well. The timing and execution was perfect, as Sandy didn’t suspect a thing at all! I was honored to be there to witness the whole event.
The 2 conspirators, Kash and Sook Mei:

Kash

Sook Mei

These 2 should get an Academy Award for their acting skills! They managed to get Sandy to the Curve, and all the while still communicating with Brandon to know exactly where to go in order not to bump into anyone else who was part of the party.
Meanwhile, their friends had all gathered at IKEA on the opposite side of the road to observe the show and to give Brandon moral support:

Friends hiding at Ikea

Cupcakes spell out the million-dollar question:

We’re totally biased, but don’t you think cupcakes totally rock when it comes to sending a sweet message?

What's that? I can't hear you.

No prizes for guessing what her answer was. =)

The ring seals the deal

Joyful smiles and warm congratulations

The lovely conspirators with the happiest girl on earth

When friends become family, its beauty shines through.

With the Cupcake Chic team.

With love, from all of us at Cupcake Chic.