Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Matt Misisco SBCC student and Cruskcakes employee Brittany Copeland arranges a plate of mini cupcakes that sell for $1.50 each.

Media Credit: Matt Misisco The Crushcake, Crushcake's signature cupcake flavor, is a red velvet cake topped off with sour cream icing and a chocolate heart.

Media Credit: Matt Misisco The Peanut Butter Cup cupcake, above, is Crushcakes' best-selling flavor.

Walking into the bakery, one is drawn instantly to the alluring cupcakes sitting behind the glass counter. With frosting that looks like soft-serve ice cream, it's hard to tear your eyes from the display case to the burnt-red walls that bear the slogan "You never forget your first crush."

With flavors like chocolate bliss, lemon drop and peanut butter cup, Crushcakes owner and Santa Barbara local Shannon Feld is not afraid to bake outside the box. These aren't your grandma's cupcakes.

Crushcakes opened February 2, 2008 and has sold out every day it's been open. There are three sizes of cupcakes that range in price from $1.50 to $30.

"A lot of the flavors are based on drinks that I like or desserts I love," said Feld of her inspiration for cupcake flavors.

On the wall is the menu with 10 flavors that are there every day. You know, regular flavors, like "Buttermilk Crumb Cake," "Strawberry Blush," and their signature "Crushcake" - a red velvet cake topped with sour cream frosting and a chocolate heart.

"I just love cupcakes," said Feld of her popularity with people in Santa Barbara. "I had no idea people would love cupcakes as much as me."

The store opens at 9 a.m. during the week and is usually sold out before closing time at 6 p.m. Feld said, and their busiest time is usually from 1-3 p.m.

"In the beginning I did bake, but now I'm tired," said Feld, who now has bakers that make up the majority of her staff.

City College student and Crushcakes employee, Sierra Wallsmith said that besides getting cupcakes every day, the best part about working at Crushcakes is how excited people are to eat them.

"They're really popular because they're so delicious and have gourmet ingredients. People like that it's not conventional," said Wallsmith.

The flavor that sells out the fastest is the "Peanut Butter Cup", a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and a slice of a Reese's peanut butter cup on top. After that the most popular are "Chocolate Bliss", chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, and the "Cookies' N' Cream" which is one of their daily specials.

Wallsmith is "more of a traditionalist" and goes for the "Chocolate Chocolate" cupcake, with chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting.

You can "make cupcakes not war" with the "Peace Cake," a vanilla bean cake with tie-dye frosting and a chocolate peace sign on top. Feld donates five percent of the profits to a different local charity every month, such as Girls Inc. or Veterans for Peace to give something back to the community.

"I think you can make just about anything into a cupcake," Feld said.

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