Scrumptious Cupcakes Debut Near Niles

A new cupcake connoisseur is baking up a storm around the neighborhood. Heather Knieling, owner of Scrumptious sweet treats in Park Ridge, bakes cupcakes and cake pops for those with a sweet tooth.

This part-time teacher dreamed up an idea for a sweets shop well before cupcakes became trendy. That was around 2005 - when she only had two children. In early Spring 2011, Heather, now mother of six, thought it was time to make the dream a reality. Originally, she wanted to name her shop "Shortcakes", a family nickname, but didn't want customers to think it was a pancake shop. It turned into Scrumptious, after brainstorming with her family and friends.

While running a busy household, Heather heads Scrumptious's operations while her husband, Mike, helps prepare batter and delivers orders. This flexible, customer-oriented, husband-wife team has caught business in the Northwest Suburbs by word of mouth and budget-concious marketing through Facebook. Scrumptious's Facebook page is one hundred sixty-two fans stong. They have since launched their website, www.eatscrumptious.com.

The first 100 boxes (one dozen cupcakes each) have sold in just a few months after a tasting event in June. I tasted a few of her best selling flavors.

• Bananas Foster - New Orleans in a cupcake with bananas, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Carrot Cake - Made without nuts, moist, and flavorful with a nice spice profile.
• Red Velvet - A favorite mini-cake with a smooth cream cheese frosting.
• Thin Mints - Reminiscent of the cookie treat that bears the same name.
• Pina Colada - Tropical treat to make you want to be beachside.

Bananas Foster and Carrot Cake are also topped with Heather's signature cream cheese frosting that is just spot-on with its sweetness and tang. A family frosting recipe, so secret that Heather's mother makes it, is the basis for many of the cupcake toppings. This white frosting's fluffy texture feels like a cloud in your mouth. Perfectly sweetened, it doesn't overpower the cupcake, but complements it.

Scrumptious's special offerings brought more family into the fold this summer. For a short time, Strawberry-Lemonade cupcakes were available. This seasonal special contained strawberries from a local farm, hand-picked in Wisconsin by Heather's family. This past August, "Grandma's Pancake Cupcake" was the flavor of the month to honor Heather's grandmother who passed away one year ago. Proceeds from the Pancake Cupcake sales went to Boxer Rebound, a charity close to the Knieling family.

Heather, self-taught baker, shares some baking tips with you.

• Try to bake on the day of your event - fresh out-of-the-oven taste is hard to beat.
• Know your oven - Unless you know your hot spots, use your timers! Heather constantly checks her baked goods during cooking.
• Instead of level scoops of flour, Heather actually uses heaping measurements of flour.
• When in doubt, add more vanilla!

Heather plans on a storefront for Scrumptious in the future... with her energy, sky's the limit!

Stay tuned to Patch.com for a delicious ice cream recipe from Julie to go with your cupcakes.