If you live for the New Haven Cupcake Truck's rare jaunts north, guess what. The Cupcake Brake
is officially open for business around these parts, ready to sate your midday sugar cravings.
The little yellow truck, owned and operated by Larry DeNorio of Vernon, has been spotted in Hartford this week, selling a variety of freshly-baked, custom-frosted cupcakes.
Click here for a photo gallery of The Cupcake Brake in Hartford.
Until recently, DeNorio owned a financial planning business in North Haven, where he first
became aware of the Cupcake Truck's success in the Elm City. Inspired, he sold the finance
business to start his cupcake venture. It wasn't too much of a stretch - DeNorio holds a
culinary degree.
"Baking is very relaxing to me," he said. "I thought I'd take a shot at it."
DeNorio began to build the business in mid-November - buying the truck, designing a logo and choosing a name for his mobile bakery. He now leases space from a Vernon restaurant and spends the mornings there baking and crafting frostings and fillings.
The Cupcake Brake's flavors vary daily, and each has a kitschy Connecticut-themed moniker. There's Plain Twain (vanilla), Mohegan Mocha (coffee), Coconut Calhoun, Yankee Lemon, Mystic Marble and The Capital (vanilla with pecans, pineapple and banana.) Charter Oak Chocolate is offered every day. Click here for the full menu of flavors.
The cupcakes can be topped with customers' choice of vanilla, chocolate, white chocolate cream cheese or brown sugar buttercream. Custom fillings include marshmallow, peanut butter, Boston creme and chocolate ganache. Each cupcake costs $2, and fillings are 50 cents extra.
DeNorio strives to give his customers a quality product, he said.
"I get butter from Vermont, I use local eggs, real vanilla beans, Madagascar vanilla bourbon extract," he said. "I try to use the best of everything when it comes to ingredients." He also plans to feature seasonal flavor specials in the next few months.
DeNorio is working with Hartford's parking authorities to determine more concrete location possibilities for daily stops. In the meantime, he will keep customers updated on the truck's whereabouts through the Cupcake Brake's Facebook page, Twitter account and main website.
"Baking is very relaxing to me," he said. "I thought I'd take a shot at it."
DeNorio began to build the business in mid-November - buying the truck, designing a logo and choosing a name for his mobile bakery. He now leases space from a Vernon restaurant and spends the mornings there baking and crafting frostings and fillings.
The Cupcake Brake's flavors vary daily, and each has a kitschy Connecticut-themed moniker. There's Plain Twain (vanilla), Mohegan Mocha (coffee), Coconut Calhoun, Yankee Lemon, Mystic Marble and The Capital (vanilla with pecans, pineapple and banana.) Charter Oak Chocolate is offered every day. Click here for the full menu of flavors.
The cupcakes can be topped with customers' choice of vanilla, chocolate, white chocolate cream cheese or brown sugar buttercream. Custom fillings include marshmallow, peanut butter, Boston creme and chocolate ganache. Each cupcake costs $2, and fillings are 50 cents extra.
DeNorio strives to give his customers a quality product, he said.
"I get butter from Vermont, I use local eggs, real vanilla beans, Madagascar vanilla bourbon extract," he said. "I try to use the best of everything when it comes to ingredients." He also plans to feature seasonal flavor specials in the next few months.
DeNorio is working with Hartford's parking authorities to determine more concrete location possibilities for daily stops. In the meantime, he will keep customers updated on the truck's whereabouts through the Cupcake Brake's Facebook page, Twitter account and main website.
Go Larry!
Does this mean that The Cupcake Truck will stay home in New Haven more often!?
The cheesy names don't make the cupcakes any better.... I'd rather buy from a local baker than a truck that comes in from Vernon.
I had the cupcakes! It's actually really neat, you can just go online and order them. Does this sound like a plug? lol
Actually the cupcakes are awesome! esp. the chocolate one! best cupcake i ever had. and i also love the brown sugar frosting!
Yes I blew my diet with an awesome Charter Oak Chocolate with Vanilla Butter cream it was the best cupcake I ever ate, "Sorry Mom"!!!