Cupcakes take the cake. Davis Square bakery offers everything from mojito to pumpkin treats
BostonNOW by Jenny Paul BostonNOW Correspondent
November 26, 2007

Life in Boston got a little bit sweeter when Kickass Cupcakes opened in September.

The bakery, housed in a small Davis Square storefront, is devoted exclusively to cupcakes and sells about a dozen varieties, including a rum-soaked mojito cupcake and a vegan-friendly pumpkin spice cupcake.

"We moved to Boston about four years ago from California, and the first thing I noticed when I moved out here is there aren't any cupcake bakeries," said owner Sara Ross. "...I just thought it would be a great business idea for Boston."

The concept has caught on quickly with Bostonians, Ross said. The store delivers to Cambridge and Boston, and Ross recently spent a full day baking over 400 cupcakes for an MIT study break.

Although the shop only has one oven and one mixer, Ross and her employees bake 800 to 1,000 cupcakes daily. Ross develops the recipes herself and said her work in product development at a baking company has come in handy.

"I usually start with a concept and then work backwards," Ross said. "I have basic recipes. A lot of the cupcakes are based on vanilla or chocolate, and then you just kind of add to it."

And some of her creations aren't your grandmother's cupcakes. Ross whips up deep-fried cupcakes and cupcake parfaits daily. Her "pupcakes" and "kittycakes" - animal-friendly versions of the human dessert - are popular with pet owners, she said.

There isn't any seating at the Davis Square location, but Ross said she hopes to get a permit to set up tables on the sidewalk during the summer. She also plans to open a second store in Boston, near Boston University or in Coolidge Corner. Ross said the hardest part about owning her own business is balancing work with her personal life.

"Of course, it's 24/7 when you own your own business," she said. "...And alson for me it's hard when someone doesn't like the cupcakes, which happens. You realize you just can't make everyone happy 100 percent of the time."

BostonNOW: What advice do you have for others starting a business?

Sara Ross: No doubt, your friends and family will offer you lots of advice on how to run your business. Don't lose your perspective in the midst of what will be both good and bad advice. Stay true to your own vision and trust your gut at all times when it comes to your business.

BN: What do you wish you knew before you started Kickass Cupcakes?

SR: I wish I knew how much the people of Boston love cupcakes...I would have opened the business a lot sooner!

BN: What's the biggest mistake you made in getting Kickass Cupcakes off the ground?

SR: It's been crazy busy since we opened and I honestly didn't plan for so much success so fast. I've been scrambling to keep up. What a problem to have, right?!