This story is from My Wallingford intern Ivana Cheong.
Update: Trophy Cupcakes will appear on “Unique Sweets” on May 29, June 4 and June 6.
Since opening four years ago in Wallingford Center, Trophy Cupcakes has risen to be a household name in Wallingford and in the surrounding Seattle neighborhoods. The gourmet cupcake shop was once featured on the Martha Stewart show, and now it continues to gain recognition nationwide with a spot on the Cooking Channel’s new show, “Unique Sweets,” that was shot on Wednesday at Trophy’s flagship shop.
Trophy’s proprietor, Jennifer Shea, told us the episode is called “Childhood Favorites.” “I think they picked us because … well, because we have really good cupcakes!” she said during a break from the full-day shoot. “We’ve got a lot of flavors that are nostalgic, that were inspired by the things we loved when we were kids.”
Trophy Cupcakes proprietor Jennifer Shea (pictured here) posted this photo to the Trophy Cupcakes Facebook page during the day-long shoot.
Trophy boasts a lot of unique flavors as well as classic combinations. Since its inception, the team—from the owners, to the bakers, to the servers who run the daily operations—has worked together to come up with 12 to 14 new flavors every year. Some of Shea’s favorites include the Margarita cupcakes, the Piña Colada, the Hales Chocolate Stout, and one of the first flavors she developed, the Chocolate Vanilla.
The Chocolate Vanilla has become her trademark, Shea said, and Trophy’s fans would not disagree. Ten-year-old Chloe Margarones, a devoted follower and Trophy’s cupcake mascot, says it’s one of her favorites too. She and her mother, Leslie Margarones, travel from their home in Capitol Hill to Wallingford every week for Cupcake Fridays. “We’ve probably tried almost every flavor there is,” said the mascot’s mom.
One fan on hand for the “Unique Sweets” shoot was Tiffany Lee, a Fremont resident who became a cupcake convert after eating one of Shea’s creations. “I didn’t use to be a fan of cupcakes,” she said. “I had met Jennifer Shea before she opened the store, so I tried the cupcakes, and they were the most amazing cupcakes I’ve ever had.” Lee, whom Shea jokes is Trophy’s biggest fan, also raved about the aesthetics that keep her coming back: “It’s how the shop looks; it’s how the cupcakes are styled and decorated. I always find reasons to give someone a cupcake from Trophy.”
Shea dreamt of opening her own shop for 12 or 13 years, and she said that Wallingford was the perfect place to start: “It fits in well, with how it’s an older, family-oriented neighborhood. It’s got a lot of older, beautiful homes, and we’re inside this old school building that has a very nostalgic feel,” she said.
Though Shea said she hopes the “Unique Sweets” appearance will bring in even more business, she does not wish to expand for a little while; she is happy with her three stores (in the past two years she opened Trophy Cupcakes shops in University Village and the Bravern in Bellevue).
“I don’t like the idea of this being a competition,” Shea said. “I just want to focus on making quality cupcakes with quality ingredients that will inspire celebrations in people. When you walk into the store, it feels like you’re going to a party!”
Shea said that the episode of “Unique Sweets” featuring Trophy Cupcakes should air in April.
