Did you know Cupcake Royale was the first cupcake shop in the nation to open outside New York?  Yup, we’ve been handmaking cupcakes for the last TEN years!  It first started as a coffee shop in Madrona WA, featuring a small roster from Portland OR, Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

Looking for something creative, innovative and clever to serve with our hand-crafted coffee, Jody Hall the owner and CEO, took an inspirational trip to New York.  She entered Magnolia Bakery and fell in love with the cupcakes; the way they looked, tasted and individual specialness of them.  She thought that’s it- CUPCAKES!!!  Promptly came back to Seattle and bought a mixer and an oven.  Dug out her grandma’s cake recipe and went to work!

Our first store was Madrona in 2003 aka Verite Coffee home of Cupcake Royale.

Cupcake Royale was Stumptown Coffee‘s FIRST account in Seattle WA.

Did you know the Royale with Cheese Cupcake, was named after a clip from pulp fiction?  The “Royale with Cheese” is “one tasty burger.”

One of our most popular cupcakes in our case is named the “Kate” she received the name on behalf of Kate Spade– Chocolate cupcake with Pink buttercream.  She made brown the new black for many years.  #godblesskatespade

Did you know the phrase ‘Legalize Frostitution’ came from an employee?  A froster, who after many, many long days came home and expressed to her roommates how tired she was from frosting all day.  They jokingly said- “You’re a frostitute” you get paid to frost all day, the only difference is it’s legal.  #legalizefrostitution

Dance Party with Holly Hobbie– AKA the Dance Party cupcake- We all know her (Holly Hobbie) soft spoken kind of shy.  Well, this cupcake was named to give her an edge, let loose and get her dance on.  We are all about embracing one’s wild side!

Bacon Crack- we were trying to make bacon behave  itself in ice cream. So. We made a butter brittle and instead of adding nuts, we added bacon.  We made a big batch, placed it on a platter and set it  in the middle of the table during a meeting.  After about 5 minutes it was GONE!  Jokingly we said “it’s so addictive, it may as well be bacon crack!”

Yup, we did get to meet President Barack Obama and double-yup, he sent us a tweet.

In 2013 Cupcake Royale launched it’s own brand of ice cream.  With a little help from some friends down south, Salt and Straw Ice Cream.

Our cute pink boxes are printed in Ballard WA.  Super eco-friendly, with soy ink and completely compostable!

Photo of Jody Hall by Brandon Hill from the Seattle Met.