My first media exposure, yaayy! Below is the article, read on ……

Jakarta’s Cupcakes Craze

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

June 29, 2008

Cupcakes have taken Jakarta by storm, and many people cannot get enough of their creamy goodness.

In other countries, such as the United States, Canada and Australia, cupcake madness has prompted people to be more creative than ever when it comes to making and presenting these cakey desserts (they even put together stacks and stacks of cupcakes to make one big cake).

Esti Feuermann, who creates and sells cupcakes in Jakarta through her CupCakes Frenzy outlet, said business was booming because many people found her offerings a great alternative to purchasing a whole cake.

“They are delicious, pretty and individually portioned. You won’t have a lot of cake leftovers after a party or gathering since it’s easy to transport cupcakes and everybody loves them,” Esti said.

She created her first cupcakes for her daughter’s second birthday party.

Esti’s cupcakes turn up all over Jakarta for all kinds of special occasions. She handles everything from small individual orders to more challenging orders of more than 300 pieces with custom colors and words.

So what are the ingredients?

The cake part of the cupcake can be anything from carrot cake to banana cake or a muffin.

If you want to learn more about the ingredients, the best thing is to sample a few of the cupcakes, said Esti, who is very careful about guarding her recipes.

She makes a whole range of cupcakes, including dates, walnut & chocolate cupcakes, orange & poppy seed cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, dulce de leche (caramel) cupcakes, banana & chocolate cupcakes and coffee cupcakes.

Children, she said, are particularly fond of the vanilla, Oreo, chocolate and strawberry cupcakes, said Esti.

“I don’t consider it as much baking as an art. One only needs to try one to truly appreciate the love and dedication that goes into making each and every cupcake.”

She said she was not willing to sacrifice on quality.

“I do not use pre-mixed preservatives, flavorings or emulsifiers. I personally bake each order from start to finish.”

The Cakeshop at the Mulia Hotel is also promoting its own cupcakes, which are made of cake, sugar icing and buttercream.

“In previous centuries, before muffin tins, bakers often used teacups to bake mini cakes. Hence the term ‘cupcake,'” the hotel explains in a card that accompanies every purchase of its custom-made cupcakes.

Cupcakes by Chocalot, which is located at EX Bridge in Plaza Indonesia, also feeds on people’s desire to savor these sweet delicacies.

“We started selling cupcakes alongside other items at our Chocalot store. We established the specialty cupcake shop in December 2007. Due to popular demand, we will open two more stores, in Citos (Cilandak Town Square) and FX,” owner Alvina Santoso said

She said that she treated her cupcakes like a fashion brand, always introducing new designs and flavors.