LET THEM EAT CUPCAKE

New Yorkers have been devouring them en masse for a decade, but Berlin has been late to the game when it comes to the single-serving sweet treat. Now that the cupcake craze has finally set in, we were excited to hear that Olivia Grimaud, a Berliner by way of southern France, had opened up Cupcake Cuisine near our headquarters. But when we paid a visit and tasted the shop's bite-sized French-style 'petit cups', we knew we couldn't keep such a sweet discovery to ourselves. Here's what Olivia had to say:

How did Cupcake Cuisine come about? The idea was born when I was living in New York in 2010 working as a freelance journalist. One day I was walking through Soho, and I saw all of these people lining up outside a coffee shop. I saw that they were waiting for these small, cute cakes. So I tried my first cupcake, and it was love at the first bite. I decided to bring these charming cakes to Germany. It took me two years to develop my own recipes.

So you weren't simply importing American-style cupcakes. What kind of changes did you make? The main task was to adapt the cupcake to German taste, which means: smaller, less sugar and more flavor. I decided to make very small cupcakes and to fill them, just because it's fun to taste more flavors, so you can try more of them without feeling guilty. I call them 'petit cups', referring to the French petits fours.

You're bringing in a bit of your heritage… Yes! I've loved baking since my French grandma, Mami, introduced me to the art of making her famous 'tarte aux pommes'. Well, actually I preferred watching her.

What was your inspiration for the look of the shop? I wanted to create a place where you feel comfortable, a little bit shabby chic, but not too much. I decided to paint some frames on the wall, referring to the concept of food pictures, cupcakes on a painted plate.

What has been your biggest surprise? I am still fascinated by the fact that something that small, can brighten your whole day.


Cupcake Cuisine, Fichtestr. 3, Kreuzberg, Tel +49 176 8206 9064, cupcakecuisine.com

Author

REBECCA FERMOR

Tags

CUPCAKES | FOOD | BERLIN