Cupcake bakeries have been popping up all over U.S. metropolitan areas, but thanks to Marc Lande, a Binghamton University senior majoring in English, they can be delivered right to your door in Binghamton.
Lande, who is from New York City, runs Operation Cupcake from his Downtown Binghamton apartment, where he bakes a variety of cupcakes that are usually ready the day after an order is given.
They typically cost $8 for a half-dozen and $16 for a dozen, but the prices vary depending on the order. Each cupcake is mini and flavors include Nutella crunch, cookie dough, peanut butter brownie swirl, chocolate disc chip cookies and hello marshmallow brownies, just to name a few.
An avid chef since high school, Lande decided to run a cupcake business in freshman year, but felt he didn’t have the time. He enlisted help from his friend who worked for Butterlane Cupcakes in New York City and things got off the ground by junior year. However, he received only a few orders at the time and took another break from the project.
During the summer he met someone who worked with Baked by Melissa, a famous cupcake vendor in Manhattan. He liked the idea of small cupcakes and began getting ideas for recipes. He started posting pictures and began taking orders, and in this way Operation Cupcake has emerged into the business it is today.
‘I like to see this as a project because eventually I want to open up a real cupcake business, maybe in Astoria,’ Lande said. ‘I’m using this project as a way to see what works and what goes wrong so I can fix it.’
Lande bakes the cupcakes at his apartment where they can be picked up, although he offers a delivery option, as well. He has two employees, Kassy Ruimy, a senior majoring in human development, and Alissa Chanin, a senior majoring in comparative literature.
According to Lande, he comes up with ideas for recipes by researching on the Internet, as well as taking suggestions from friends and experimenting. He bakes up to three times a week, with most orders used for events.
Lande enjoys baking cupcakes even more than eating them. He has always been a huge fan of the culinary arts and has been enjoying the experience of Operation Cupcake.
‘I love when someone eats something of mine and are like ‘oh, that’s good,’ he said. ‘It’s a real feeling of accomplishment.’
He hopes to expand his business in the future and looks forward to seeing it progress. Look for promotional events via Facebook and Twitter, as well as on his website, www.operationcupcake.com. To place an order, you can e-mail cupcakeroperation@gmail.com or call Lande at (646) 369-2095.