A new sweet treat downtown

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Story and photos by Sarah Crookall

Aiming to bake you happy is downtown Oshawa’s new cake shop, Cuppies and Cakes. From custom cakes, cupcakes to push-pops, the shop has an assortment of goodies to make customers smile.
May 4 marked the opening day for the cake shop located at 140 Simcoe St. S. in Oshawa. With a love for baking and decorating everything cakes, storeowner Tori Denier is in the business of running an affordable shop with an eye for perfection.
The business is a family operation. From signs, baking and store front operations, the shop has the touch of a family unit. However, the majority of the baking is done by Denier herself.

“It has to be as fresh as it can be,” she said. In the storefront, where Denier says the display may look sparse, it’s because buttercream and whipped cream are made of real and fresh ingredients. Wherever it is possible ingredients are bought locally, to support local farmers. Customers can also enjoy freshly ground coffee with their treats
With its sweet goal of satisfaction in mind, the shop works to accommodate customers as best as possible. Rather than pricing out custom cakes, Denier inquires about her client’s budget and aims to fall below it.
Denier employs creative ways of cutting cost at all corners, especially for weddings where she says customers can spend around $400 for a cake. “If we can get someone three tiers but the bottom two are dummy cakes and then give them really lavish, beautiful cupcakes, we’ve just cut our cost in half,” she said.
The combination of cake and cupcakes is a growing trend that Denier says is easier, cleaner and more affordable. In addition to custom cakes, Denier also makes custom cupcakes in various shapes and themes. Adding to the clientele-friendly spirit, Denier has made accommodations for special diets, including egg-free and dairy-free cakes.

While Denier always enjoyed helping others with cakes, she originally completed schooling in Bookkeeping. But it was baking and catering for her mom’s wedding a couple years ago that cemented her lingering idea of starting her own cake business. “I need to be creating something at all times,” said Denier.
Fortunately, all of that creating has lead to an assortment of flavours and designs. Top sellers for cupcakes include: Boston cream, Oreo and french vanilla. Push-pops are also a hit, which are ice-cream molds filled with cake. Denier says push-pops are great for moms because they can give their child a bite and put the rest away for later.
Customers can enjoy a single cupcake for $1.49, a 4 inch cake for $6.99 and an 8 inch, double layer cake for $14.99. But that’s just the icing on the cake because Cuppies and Cakes love to experiment with recipes and try new things.