Cupcake business is one of the hottest businesses to venture into Nigeria. This is because it is a snack that is loved by many especially the children. Cupcakes are those cakes that are produced inside cups. It has the same ingredients with the big cake and the preparation is same. The difference is on the size and the container used. It is also called queens cake so I will be using the two names in this post. You may not necessarily need a shop at the start of this business; this is because it is a business you can start from home. Queen cakes are mostly produced for marriage ceremonies, birthday parties, naming ceremonies, coronation, thanks giving services, send off parties etc.
What is making cupcake business a hotcake is because people who are into it are not many as such demand keeps on out weighing supplies. You may think all the fast food are producing this wonderful snacks but no only a few does. Meanwhile these are people you will think shouldn’t miss it in their list. Companies that are producing cupcakes in large quantities are not as many as other snacks. Such as chin chin, doughnut, meat pie etc. In my area we have few of them like Classic bite, Fun time cupcakes and Kira. Then few vendors here and there who exhaust their product very quickly.
In this article you will be presented a step by step guide on who to produce delicious cupcake that will keep you in this business.
HOW TO START A CUPCAKE BUSINESS
Before you can start a cupcake business you will have to get training , buy equipment, identify your target market etc.
GET TRAINED
Just like any other business you will have to get training on how to produce quality cupcakes from a professional,. Good enough you can easily get one because confectionary experts are easy to locate. Some even organise seminars for registered persons. Cupcake production is very easy, it is one of the few things you can start on your own by reading online just like in this post.
IDENTITY YOUR TARGET MARKET
Please don’t even start without first identifying your target market or point of sale. It is very fine to sit at home and presume that it will sale anyhow once taken to the market; but it doesn’t work this way. Move around markets, shops, schools, places of worship and other likely places that you may supply to and introduce your business if possible bake a few pieces give them as sample. If the taste is good they will be the ones ordering for your queens cake. It is a good thing to have where to supply immediately after production, it will encourage you to press on.
BUY EQUIPMENT
You should be able to gather money to buy the equipment for the cupcake business. Without these equipment you cannot start except you rent them. And why will you choose renting for a business you want to sustain. The money for the equipment is not much and you can even cut down cost by using pot and fire in place of oven.
THE EQUIPMENT TO BUY ARE:
- Baking pan
- Queens cups
- Oven/aluminum pot
- Gas, stove or electric
- Egg whisker
- Wire rack
- Spoons
CUPCAKES RECIPE FOR A DOZEN
- Flour           250g
- Butter          250g
- Sugar          150g
- Egg            5
- Salt           1 teaspoon
- Flavour        1 teaspoon
- Preservative    1 teaspoon
PROCEDURE
- Pre-heat oven
- Sift the flour into a big bowl, add baking powder and salt
- Beat margarine and sugar together with a wooden spoon (spatula) or you use a cake mixer to mince them together until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Pour in your beaten egg in the fluffy butter mixture and blend it very well.
- Add flour and continue mixing
- Fold in your flour to the mixture and thoroughly mix
- Add milk and preservative and stir until the batter has a dropping consistency
- Pour the mixture (batter) into the greased pans. If paper cups are used then there is no need to grease them.
Shake it lightly to distribute the cake mixture evenly. Place the cups on a large baking tray and place them in the centre of the oven - Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Touch the surface with your finger tip to see if it will spring back. Bring out the tins from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove it from the cups and package for sale.
HOW TO BAKE QUEENS CAKE WITH POT
PROCEDURE
Use a clean baking pan in other to get a larger surface; line up the clean cake pans with baking sheets or you crease the cup with little margarine and dust with flour so as to make the cakes come out easily after baking.
Place the cupcakes on top of the overturned baking pan and over. Do not open the pot while baking in other not to make the cake collapse. Once the cake is done the aroma will fill the air. The colour will turn brown when it is ready if you dip something like toothpick in it without stain after bringing out you bring it down.
HOW LUCRATIVE IS CUPCAKE BUSINESS IN NIGERIA?
Cupcake business like any other snack business is very lucrative. There is huge profit in it as you keep on producing with increase buying. The business is sustainable as more people consumed queens cake as a result of population increase.
Cupcakes are produced to capture both the rich and the poor. The price is cheap enough for anybody to buy, it is mostly sold for #200 per one depending on location.
The ingredients for production are cheap and the cake sold for much gains. You can make more than 50% returns in investment. It keeps increasing as demand increases.
HOW MUCH IS NEEDED TO START A CUPCAKE BUSINESS IN NIGERIA
For a small-scale cupcake business you can start with #200,000 outside the equipment. The amount for equipment will depend on the type you are using whether stove or oven. But for a large-scale production you will need from #500,000 upward. The price of ingredients keep going up frequently. Find out how much it will cost you to start in your environment.
PACKAGING OF QUEENS CAKE
Chose packaging that is appealing. Most commercial cupcake suppliers use printed nylon to wrap it and then use ribbon to tie the mouth. But you can use something different it could be a small container like carton or transparent container. Know that your container will also determine the price to sell them so use packaging materials that are cheap to minimize expenses.
MARKETABILITY/HOW TO SUCCEED IN CUPCAKES BUSINESS
You should be able to make cake that can be used for both indoors and outdoor ceremonies. Print flyers and distribute them around your neighbourhood. If possible get a sign post erected in front of your shop or house; so clients can walk in to do business with you. You can start by producing for family, friends, neighbours and colleagues if your cake is good they will advertise it for you.
Locate schools, hotels, restaurants, fast food joint you can be supplying to. Also keep a show glass in front of your house or shop to showcase the cakes for sale. Other places to supply to are supermarkets, shops, traders, hawkers etc.
To be successful in cupcake business make sure you keep producing tasty and delicious cupcakes. Always make sure you meet up with every demand. Be consistent in the business. Keep on learning new innovations, tips, designs and baking procedures.
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hi, thanks so much for this article. How many cupcakes can I produce using this recipe? n how much can I sell each?
Hello @Stella, on top of the recipe measure I said a dozen cupcakes; meaning 12 cupcakes. To produce 100 cupcakes you need 2kg and 250g of flour. #100
Dat’s 12*100 will give 1200. Wat’s my profit assuming I got a kg of flour 250, sugar 1/2 kilo 200 n eggs 500 for half create then wraps #100. Then my gas/ kerosine I have not added it wit flavour n preservatives . So at the end of the day I will be having just #50 as my profit.
1kg will give you 24 cupcakes
How do I preserve the cup cake so it won’t get spoilt easily because I want to be supplying shops.
You have to put add preservative, you can read ‘how to prepare cake’ from my blog to know the type of preservative to use.
Let them cool completely before packaging
Keep them in room temperature
What’s the link to your blog pls
Pls I didn’t see your post on how to make cake.I need to check the preservative or give me the link.Thanks
Just type into google search ‘cake business enibest’, it will display it
Thanks so much for this
What makes cupcake spoil quickly?
Because there is little or no preservative
Hi
How do start my cupcake business with a capital of 300k
Haba! The capital is big enough for you to start comfortably
you capital is enough to start it real big please go ahead and do so
Will milk make my cup cake spoil quickly
yes, you can use food preservative
Thank u so much, it’s motivate me
I finished writing my business plan
Great! That’s the way to go bro
I’m a Baker I just graduated from baking school, but Jobs isn’t coming that often so I decided to do cupcakes and supply, thanks to ur articles I learned a lot, my question is can I use Brandy alcohol to preserve my cupcakes? and how many Spoon will go for that 250g flour?? alcohol Brandy is what we used to preserve normal cake’s I don’t no if I can use it for cupcakes too, and if no what else can I use in preserving it, I’ll be waiting for ur response thanks in advance
Great. Congratulations more grease to your elbow. Brandy is just fine, quantity is same as you will add in cake production
You didn’t add baking powder, is it not necessary
oversight, it’s one of the ingredients
Can I use corn flour for backing cupcakes? Pls can I hv your whatsapp number?
Yes off course any flour will do but you have to go for the one that is more valuable to you as a business person