Jubilee Cupcakes & Vintage Candy
2510 N Proctor St, Tacoma
253.503.0709
jubileecupcakes.com
Patti Frank dreams cupcakes. Visions of sugary confections dance in her head. Her mind races with ideas for new creations. Callebaut and Valrhona chocolates, lemon, coconut, Champagne and bacon—yes, bacon—swirl through her imagination, marrying to make new and innovative treats.
Jubilee Cupcakes and Vintage Candy opened in July, 2010. Formerly Sweet Things, a cupcake and vintage clothing boutique, Patti recreated the business as a cupcake and vintage candy shop.
The locale exudes charm and nostalgia. A black and white awning hangs over a white wrap-around porch scattered with black wicker and wrought iron seating. Guests can linger over their cupcakes and Valhalla coffee or Mad Hat tea while looking out over a terraced garden, vivid with old-fashioned flowers.
More striking inside are the myriad of cupcakes. Displayed on tiered racks and pedestals, beautifully decorated cupcakes are everywhere. Over ten flavors are available each day; some are standard and others rotate daily. Seasonally, be on the lookout for specialty cupcakes for Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
The Macon Bacon, a daily cupcake, is an intensely dark chocolate cake baked with house-made maple bacon and topped with maple buttercream and a piece of homemade maple bacon. No doubt inspired by a breakfast plate where pancake syrup met bacon, it is one of the most innovative offerings in the shop.
Moist, speckled banana cake is the basis for the Elvis. Filled with dark chocolate ganache, it’s completed with peanut buttercream and a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce.
The Lemon Meringue bursts citrusy flavor. Patti is not shy in her use of fresh lemon juice and zest. Fresh lemon cake filled with homemade lemon curd is topped with a traditional toasted Swiss meringue.
It’s obvious that quality is a priority. Cupcakes are baked in small batches throughout the day to ensure freshness; even if you are stopping off late in the afternoon to pick up an after-dinner treat, you can be assured of a fresh, moist product. Patti and baker Cheryl Massimi are all about getting it right. All components are made in-house and the from-scratch recipes are created and continually fine-tuned. The chocolate cupcake recipe was tweaked no fewer than fifty times before it met their quality standards.
Jubilee offers cupcake accessories, party supplies, and greeting cards. Also available is the most extensive collection of vintage candy in Pierce County, including Hammond’s Candies, old-fashioned lollipops, ribbon candy, and hand-pulled taffy.
A new undertaking is catering to the breakfast crowd. Stop by for a blueberry bumble muffin or a slice of banana pecan bread. A second store is in the works and will be opening in Puyallup in early spring. Patti and Sheryl are also experimenting with vegan and gluten free muffins and hope to have them available before this publication is distributed.
Anne Byrn said “When you look at a cupcake, you’ve got to smile.” When the finest ingredients meet creativity, when commitment melds with inspiration, and when innovation marries quality, the resulting cupcake makes you smile.
Janae Colombini