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Nouf Al Khalifa has already baked her way into the hearts of hundreds of cupcake lovers in Bahrain … but can her tasty bite-sized treats rally enough support to help her business rise?
She first started making them for fun with her sister May from the comfort of their kitchen in West Riffa six years ago and now has dreams of opening her own bakery providing she can attract 1,000 supporters.
Nouf believes her original initiative helped feed the frenzy for cupcakes in the kingdom and inspire more than 40 companies to set up shop in competition.
She said: “It was such a great feeling. I am sure we were the first in Bahrain because soon afterwards the craze erupted.”
Being the head of admissions and student affairs at the New York Institute of Technology, she and May, who also attended the university, shared batches of cupcakes on campus with students and colleagues.
One bite and people were hooked, Nouf said: “People said they loved them and I decided to go for it and launch Cuppycakez.
“Cotton candy was my first cupcake. Doesn’t it sound so glamorous? I love cotton candy and I think everybody should love it too. There is cotton candy flavour in the cupcake itself and it’s topped off with cotton candy icing.
“I have travelled around the world and tasted a variety of cupcakes and wanted something different to offer those with a sweet tooth.”
A website was set up and home deliveries were launched. The first order was placed on Halloween and since then word of her baking business began to spread.
Nouf, now the head of student affairs at RCSI, along with her sisters May, a marketing specialist at IAAA, and Arwa, 26, has created eight more colourful delights packed with melt-in-your-mouth flavours.
“These cupcakes come from original recipes that I came across during my travels but re-developed and tweaked for that tasty Cuppycakez twist and that perfect ‘mmmm’ feeling.
“The way I see it is if you use really good ingredients, then you’ll end up with really good cupcakes and, of course, they are all made with love.”
The Chocoholic was the next gooey cupcake to be created. “We melt the best dark and milk chocolates and mix them with the dough. I then cut up bits of chocolate and add a secret ingredient. This cupcake is fluffy, moist and soft. You can even feel and taste the chocolate pieces with every bite.”
Another favourite with customers is Fudge, a brownie-style cupcake. It also has chocolate bits in it and is topped off with Nutella and a flake. The Vanilla is another big seller.
Nouf said: “When you eat it you will be nostalgic for your childhood. As kids we used to have tons of vanilla sponge birthday cakes. It’s topped off with vanilla icing and brings back all those great memories.”
Midnight is a dark chocolate concoction that according to Nouf is so soft and fluffy that you don’t even need to chew it. It’s chocolaty with cream cheese icing on top.”
This year’s summer cupcake is strawberries & cream and kept in the fridge for a cool fresh taste.”
New flavours are generally brainstormed by the sisters, but a lot of family and friends take part in coming up with names. Friend Ahmed Fakhro created the logo and Nouf’s cupcakes have put smiles on people’s faces at corporate events, weddings, birthdays and showers.
Future plans include producing gluten-free, sugar-free and non-fat cupcakes to help take the misery out of dieting.
Nouf and her sisters are also involved in supporting the community and, for example, donated more than 800 cupcakes to a Think Pink Gala event aimed at raising breast cancer awareness.
As Nouf’s customer base has grown she is hungry for more success and motivated to make the bakery plan a reality.
She said: “When I started the business a lot of people said that they would invest but back then I said I didn’t have time to open a full-time business.”
As well as cupcakes, the outlet could also stock related products such as toppers and trays and perhaps even candles.
Nouf has set herself an all-or-nothing target. If she attracts more than 1,000 followers on her Instagram site cuppycakez_ by the end of August then she will open a bakery ... if not, then her business ends with her.
She said: “I guess I just want that extra push and if I see that we have that large number of support then I will be more than happy to do it, otherwise that’s it.
“I have been approached by different people wanting to buy Cuppycakez; the name, the recipes and everything. But even if I decide not to continue, I am not going to sell my recipes.”
At the moment Cuppycakez has attracted 579 followers on Instagram with only 421 to go. To add yopur signature of support and to find further details visit www.cuppycakez.com, on facebook or @cuppycakez_ on twitter.
