Little Pieces of Joy ‘LPJ’ Cupcakes

Social media and I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship. Let me explain, I feel as though more people are living in order to “post” something on a timeline over here, “like” something over there or “favourite” a tweet elsewhere instead of actually living in the moment. I am so tired of seeing people with photos online of themselves holding their cell phones in the mirror as the flash reflects, blinding both me and them. However there are many times when something productive is achieved through social media and at those times I am grateful for this form of modern day living. One such time was when I read a tweet from @LPJCupcakes, I took a look at the profile only to see gorgeous pictures of cupcakes and then set upon a quest to find out who was behind these beautiful creations.

LPJ Cupcake

D’Marie Yiga is a self-taught baker whose business grew organically once people tasted her cupcakes that she would bake for family and friends and then began requesting their own. In the beginning before D’Marie decided to create a business, each time she offered her cupcakes she felt as though she was spreading some joy and months later, when things became official, the name ‘Little Pieces of Joy’ stuck and LPJ Cupcakes was born.

I was immediately interested in LPJ Cupcakes because of the vibrant colours and creative designs so it is no surprise that D’Marie has a background in art. Her cupcake designs are inspired by fashion, “I love how designers play with colour and textures of garments, which inspires me to use the same principles when decorating a cupcake. For example, I would create a vivid blue buttercream icing and adorn the cupcake with orange adornments. A colour palette used by Steve Madden and Gisuppe Zanntio in their collections.”

Beautiful food excites me and when I see something I like, instantly I think of composing a photograph. Thankfully LPJ Cupcakes are as tasty as they are visually appealing, D’Marie believes that the taste of her cupcakes set her apart from others “I believe that LPJ Cupcakes have a unique taste. I have invested so much time into finding the right recipe that I believe in my product and offer a 100% money back guarantee if the customer is not happy with the product. No other competitor offers that.”

D’Marie attributes the popularity of cupcakes in America to scenes from Sex and the City where “Carrie and the girls tuck into a delectable cupcake while discussing the trials and tribulations of being a woman.” She claims that cupcakes are no longer deemed to be a “kids treat” in England but they are “affordable indulgences that people are willing to spend a little extra to acquire.” Whilst D’Marie does not see the trend in the UK disappearing anytime soon she does appreciate that in order to achieve longevity in a very competitive industry it is important to always deliver a quality product and constantly push the boundaries of creativity.

Obviously I wanted to know how one makes the perfect cupcake especially since baking is not quite my forte. D’Marie says that there isn’t a simple definition for the perfect cupcake but that you should be able to bite into the cupcake without the entire thing falling apart, each cupcake should be moist without leaving a greasy residue on the cupcake liner, frosting should be fluffy but not overpoweringly sweet and the cupcake should taste like the flavour that has been advertised. Even though D’Marie would not give away her secrets as she says it has taken her 6 months to perfect her bestselling LPJ Very Vanilla Cupcake, she was willing to give me some tips that might be useful to you:

1. Do not skimp on buying the best quality ingredients for your cupcakes it really makes the difference in taste.
2. Join baking forums if you want to learn from others in the baking community.
3. Invest in a palette knife.

If you are interested in having a little piece of joy contact LPJ Cupcakes at order@littlepiecesofjoy.com

LPJ Cupcakes