Meet Sophie LaMontagne, 33, and
Katherine Kallinis, 32. They’re sisters,
best friends, and the founders of
Georgetown Cupcake, Washington,
D.C.’s highly successful— and first—
cupcake shop. The duo also star in their
own show, DC
C u p ca k e s
, on TLC. (The
second season just wrapped in April.)
Their start “Our passion was baking,
and we thought,
I f
we
ca n be to g eth er,
so m eh o w p a y th e ren t, a n d do th e very
th in g w e w a n t to do, th en w e sh o u ld g o f o r
it.
We’d talked about starting a
bakery for years, and then in 2007 we
quit our jobs— and suddenly signed a
lease.”
K a th erin e
boss “Our first goal was to sell
cupcakes a day; now, to our amaze-
we sell 10,000 most Saturdays.
But there’s no ‘perfect’ day when you
own a small business. It’s like running a
marathon that never ends.”
S op h ie
Their inspiration “Our grandmother
loved to bake and made fresh bread and
a cake from scratch for each dinner we
shared with her. We were always at her
side in the kitchen: She’d save extra
baking mix in little tins for us, and we’d
make mini-size treats. Today, we use her
recipes for our vanilla, chocolate, and
red velvet cupcakes.”
K a th erin e
One sweet secret “We set two timers
for the cupcakes to come out of the
oven. The first is a reminder, the second
is go-time. Even one extra minute can
make the difference between moist and
dry cakes.”
S op h ie
Their style “Katherine’s clothing leans
a little bohemian; I’m more inclined
toward classics. But honestly, we’re
usually in a flour-dusted apron, yoga
pants, and matching pink Wellies, which
get hosed off each night.”
S op h ie
: 0
O n l i n e
Inspired to bake? Sophie & Katherine
whipped up their five rmes for perfect
cupcakes— go to
b h g .c o m / fu p c a k e tip s
for
all the details.
style I
“ B a k i n g
c u p c a k e s
a l l o w s
u s
t o
m
a k e
p e o p l e
h a p p y
i n
a
t a n g i b l e
w a y .
I t ’ s
t h e
g r e a t e s t
f e e l i n g
i n
t h e
w
o r l d . ”
Sophie LaMontagne
Take a cue from a cupcake: Keep your base simple and your top irresistible.
On Sophie (left): Tabitha cardigan, Club Monaco, $129; clubmonaco.com.
Jolicia tank, Club Monaco, $79; clubmonaco.com. Linen skirt, Coldwater
Creek, $60; toldwatercreek.com. Bettina heels, BCBGeneration, $98; at
Belk stores. Pearl cluster crystal and stone bracelet, Adia Kibur, $40;
lifemix.net. On Katherine (right): Ruched satin blouse, Simply Vera Vera
Wang, $48; kohls.com. Double cloth pant, Coldwater Creek, $60;
coldvtratercreek.com. Cluster stretch bracelet, Simply Vera Vera Wang, $32;
kohls.com. Clemsen wedge, Charles David, $218; endless.com
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B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S |
MAY 2011 |
BHG.COM
