Williamsburg's First Cupcakery to Open in December

By Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, November 18, 2011

Portable, flavorful, individual-sized cupcakes have dominated the baked goods market in major cities for years, but now will be coming to Williamsburg.

The city’s first cupcakery, Extraordinary Cupcakes, will open in early December in the Williamsburg Shopping Center on Richmond Road.

Restaurateurs Adam and Dyana Steely have just the right combination of experience to run the cupcakery. Adam has worked in the restaurant and food business for 30 years, at Windows on Urbanna Creek, The Frog and The Redneck and most recently, Blue Talon Bistro. Dyana, a science teacher, understands the science of baking the perfect moist cupcake. She is inspired by her love of the chemistry behind taste, according to a press release.

The Steelys will offer up recipes culled from fond memories and their travels. A great cake is Dyana’s passion. “We believe the memory of a great cake stays with you,” Adam said. “In fact, when we were growing up – Dyana in the Southwestern part of the state and me near Charlottesville – our mothers made us the exact same homemade birthday cake, and neither of us has forgotten it. So, as we traveled and sampled we made notes, collected ideas and developed recipes in search of the elusive ideal cake.”

He said their favorite cakes were rich and moist, which calls for a delicate balance of ingredients and techniques. The couple experimented with several classic cupcake recipes, but found them too light and crumbly; instead, they aimed for the consistency of a moist Devil’s Food cake. Their tinkering resulted in what the Steelys call their “extraordinary cupcake.”

Once the consistency was mastered, they set out to create icings that complemented each cake. “They would have to be thick, yet light; sweet, yet not overpowering; smooth, yet still compatible with the dense richness of the cake,” she said.

Their menu will include the “Extraordinary Cupcake,” a spin on the Hostess cream-filled chocolate cupcake with rich chocolate frosting. Other flavors include “Marvelous Madagascar,” “Wicked Chocolate,” “Curious Coconut,” “Uncommon Carrot Cake,” “Remarkable Red Velvet” and “Amazing Chocolate Twist.”

The cupcakery will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.