FORT IRWIN — Candice Jamoles wasn’t at all phased when her young daughter ran through her kitchen wearing underwear on her head. Poised over a mixing bowl, Jamoles, acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, carrying on a conversation over the whine of an electric mixer and the commotion of a 16 month old. It’s just another day in the office for Jamoles and her burgeoning gourmet cupcake business.

Jamoles, the wife of Fort Irwin soldier, got the idea for a home business, Baby Sweets Cupcakes, from what she considers the “cupcake craze.” She noticed the trend of cupcake-only bakeries in major cities like San Francisco and New York. Cupcake-baking seemed like a fun hobby, so she decided to give it a try and bring it to Fort Irwin.

“I thought hey, why not?” Jamoles said.

That hobby grew into a licensed business that offers 12 varieties of gourmet cupcakes available at Fort Irwin. Flavors range from the traditional vanilla to the exotic “Hawaiian,” a cupcake filled with pineapple and topped with coconut.

Baby Sweets Fine Cupcakes was officially launched on August 12. Jamoles is still getting the word out about her shop, giving out samples and generating a buzz on her Web site, www.babysweetscupcakes.com. 

For now Jamoles does all of the baking in her kitchen, and she personally delivers her cupcakes around Fort Irwin. The new business hasn’t made any sales yet, but cupcakes are priced at twelve dollars a dozen.

“I never really thought that I would be an entrepreneur, but I’m kind of liking it,” Jamoles said.

This former television news reporter moved to the High Desert from Syracuse, N.Y. in late January when her husband was stationed at Fort Irwin. Jamoles is a freelance reporter for the High Desert Warrior newspaper, and she recently started an advertising job in the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation office. She bakes cupcakes when she finds the time between work and family time, but she considers it a fun thing to do.
Her advice to anyone else who wants to start a business is to start slow and go through the proper mediums.

“Give it a try, you can’t see how something is going to work until you try,” she said.

Jamoles hopes to open her own store location some day, but for now she is taking it slow.  She said it depends on how well her business does, and how much demand there is for her product. Jamoles hopes that America’s fascination with cupcakes will last.

ABOUT THE WRITER:
Andrea Goodwin is interning with the Desert Dispatch this summer. To reach her, call (760) 256-4126.