There are dream jobs out there and cupcake maker has to be up there. Abbigail makes cupcakes for Hummingbird bakery who we think make some of the best cupcakes in London. They’re famous for their red velvet cupcake which you HAVE to try if you haven’t already. They have 6 stores in London and you can have a cup of teapigs there too.
Abbigail has given us a behind the scenes interview, a day in the life of humming bird cupcake maker.. oh and they will be making a cupcake using our very own chai tea this month. You have to go and try it.
“Our working day begins early, around the time most people are hitting the snooze button on their alarm. And by the time most people are sleepily making themselves their first cup of coffee of the day, we're already surrounded by the aromas of freshly baked cupcakes. 6.30am isn't too early for a cupcake is it?!
The first job of the day is to divvy up all of the day’s tasks between the kitchen staff. Then, like a well-oiled machine, we set straight to work. One person starts by ‘scooping’ (TOP TIP ALERT: this is when we use an individual food portioner or scoop to put the same amount of cupcake batter into each cupcake case). Doing this ensures that each cupcake is the same size. These cupcakes are baked, cooled and then we decorate them, making sure they've all got the same amount of frosting and all have a perfectly formed swirl on top! This is the signature look of a Hummingbird Bakery cupcake.
While the cupcakes are being prepared we're also busy getting all of the cakes ready for the shop and for the customer orders. All of the cakes get frosted and finished, each with their own personalised messages, ready for that unsuspecting someone that deserves an extra special treat - we take care of them all!
It's nearly 9am and all of the cupcakes, cakes and tray bakes are in the shop ready to be sold. Rows of Red Velvet cupcakes sit proudly on their trays ready for the first customers of the day. Our Rainbow Cakes stand tall and grand, waiting to make someone’s day quite a bit brighter. Then the doors to the branch are opened and we scurry back to the kitchen to continue our work.
The next job of the day is making fresh cake batters and preparing and baking the brownies, frosted brownies, cheesecakes and whoopie pies. The pace of things will usually slow down a little at this point except on special occasions, like Valentine's Day, when we really get to work! On days like these thousands of handmade decorations need cutting out, cake boxes need putting together and the huge number of orders we have to work through puts the crowded kitchen into overdrive. When operating at full capacity, our finishing time can easily extend from the normal time of about 3 or 4pm until late into the night. These days feel like a sprint finish but the buzz in the kitchen is fantastic and we all pull together to make sure each and every order is perfect.
When the end of the day comes, whether its 3pm or 11pm, we always finish off by scrubbing the kitchen down ready for another action packed day of baking. Being a Hummingbird Baker is a sometimes hectic and high-pressured experience but it is ultimately a highly rewarding job. Walking through the shop at the end of a shift and seeing customers happily munching on our cakes makes the early start and the icing in the hair completely worthwhile. It’s not everyone who can say their work brings smiles to faces of hundreds of people each and every day.”
