Cupkates offers Las Vegas youths chance to make creations in baking camp

All of the accoutrements for a tea party were at the ready except for one key item. But that was the purpose of the event: To make cupcakes worthy of a tea party.

In July, Cupkate’s four-day Summer Baking Kamps were held to allow those ages 4 or older to learn the inner workings of a bakery. The bakery at Tivoli Village, 420 S. Rampart Blvd., Suite 150, held the two-hour classes to give youths the chance to create their own cupcakes and recipe books.

“Every baker has to have a place to start,” said Kate Thompson, owner/operator, during the first day of camp. “I like the creativity (of making the book). It turns your ideas into a reality.”

The children cut paper and used colored markers and stickers to decorate their books. Scrapbooking stock printed with varied designs was used for the covers. The second day would cover mixing the batter and frosting, and the third, baking their creations.

“Obviously, I take it in and out of the oven, not them, because it’s hot,” Thompson said.

The fourth and final day was all about making cakes and cake pops and, of course, enjoying them with lemonade with edible glitter.

Not all the talk was on baking. The children discussed a variety of topics — their favorite movies, what kind of candy they liked and what costume they would wear for Halloween.

Thompson redirected things by bringing up possibilities for cupcakes.

“Does anyone like chocolate gummy bears? If you choose the white ones, they look like polar bears, and you could make a snow cupcake for a North Pole theme,” she said.

“And maybe add a Santa,” said Rylan Bresee, 6, who attends Lummis Elementary School.

Rylan said she likes to cook so much that she’s created her own cake batter at home with her friend Alexia, 7. Together, they came up with a variety made with milk and Sprite. They plan to go into business using that recipe, she said.

“It’s really good. I tasted it,” she said. “One day, we’ll live in a compartment together and bake together.”

After much talk about exotic flavors, such as bubblegum and cotton candy, the campers got down to making their final flavor choice. Rylan choose a blueberry-flavored cupcake. Amora Delgado, 7, who attends Staton Elementary School, had been leaning toward cherry bomb but decided that she would do the same.

Katrine Christensen, 11, who attends Rogich Middle School, opted for what she described only as a “sour kind.”

The back room was where the baking would take place in a Wisco Industries convection oven. Thompson told the kids that it was her “adult Easy Bake oven.” It can bake 48 cupcakes in six minutes.

The children also got to use an industrial KitchenAid mixer. They had to stand on a chair to use it.

“So they get to do everything,” Thompson added. “I’m just kind of here to help.”

Katrine said that at home, she bakes using a box mix and was looking forward to learning how to do it from scratch.

Amora said her mother bakes cakes and lets her help with the batter. Her favorite part? The decorating.

“I like to put sugar sculptured flowers on there. My mom makes them,” she said.

As the batter created more than one family could eat, the extra goodies went to the Shade Tree, a local women’s shelter. A few dozen extra cupcakes would be made to go to the shelter, Thompson estimated. The children said they appreciated sharing their creations.

“It makes me feel happy because we get to eat all the things we want,” Katrine said. “Some of these kids don’t have that much food to eat every day.”

She said she would add a special touch, likely glitter and bows, for any of her cupcakes designated for the shelter.

Thompson, whose former location was in the Market LV, also within Tivoli Village, said that while the summer camp was new this year, she has always offered tea parties since opening her business in 2009. About 50 percent of her business was on-site events for children with the other half being corporate accounts.

Why did she want to host a summer camp?

“Last year, we were trying to think of things that kids could do (when out of school for the summer) besides sports camp. While they’re really great, speaking for myself, I could only go to so many tennis camps when I was young. There was never the opportunity to do anything like this. … kids need something to do that’s inside when it’s summer in the desert.”

Visit cupkateslv.com.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.