Allen began baking while having cravings for sweet treats during pregnancy with her third child nearly 10 years ago. After watching several episodes of “Cupcake Wars,” Allen said she realized there was nothing like that where she lived in Kansas.
“I was like, ‘Well, I’m pregnant; I have these cravings; let me see if I can try and make it,’” she said. “That’s exactly what I did, and that’s exactly how we started.”
Allen and her husband, Kenneth R. Allen Jr.—a co-owner of The Sweet Cupfé and retired veteran—moved to Leander in 2015. After building her clientele and outgrowing her home’s kitchen, Allen said she knew she wanted to open a local bakery.
Scones and brown butter coffee cakes are among the bakery’s most popular orders, Allen said. She said The Sweet Cupfé’s ingredients set it apart from other bakeries.
For example, instead of using butter cream, Allen uses Chantilly-based frosting for her cake flavors. Allen also does not use fondant icing, which she said surprises people, because her work looks like it could be fondant. Instead, she makes her own modeling chocolate.
Since opening, Allen said her customer base has grown immensely. She said she wants people to feel valued at The Sweet Cupfé.
“That’s really what we want our bakery to be: a staple in the community,” she said. “Somewhere where you can get great sweets and great atmosphere.”
This year, the bakery donated cookies to the graduating class at Camacho Elementary School. Allen said it plans to do more similar events as well as find other ways to give back. While Allen has plans to open other locations in the future, she said for now, she is focused on building up the first location.
“I’m still trying to get my bearings going from being a cottage bakery to an actual bakery storefront,” she said. “There is definitely room for growth and movement ... it’s just a matter of when we can get it going.”
The Sweet Cupfé
305 US 183, Leander
512-528-4286
www.facebook.com/thesweetcupfe
Hours: Wed.-Sat. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Sun.-Tue.
