House of Cupcakes, located on Witherspoon Street in Princeton is owned by Ruth and Ron Bzdewka. They are known for having won the prestigious Food Network competition show “Cupcake Wars” in 2011, and receiving the $10,000 grand prize after producing a 1,000 cupcake display in the finale. Since then, the business has expanded and Princeton is now one of four locations with business ventures expanding as far as Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ruth Bzdewka says that “Variety, locations, and good products” are some of the reasons why House of Cupcakes is different from other traditional bakeries.
The range of cupcakes exceeds over 35 flavors, with signature cupcakes priced at $2.95 each. For a ½ dozen, it costs $14.95. For quantities of 100 or more, it costs $2.50 each.
Alondra Avalos, a House of Cupcakes employee, says that they change up the menu to add seasonal cupcake flavors.
“Pumpkin spice is currently already out and I’m pretty sure that we do something different for December,” she said.
Other seasonal cupcakes include caramel apple and maple walnut. As December approaches, there will be additional festive flavors appearing on the menu.
She adds that “Everything is made daily.” However due to the lengthy process, “The only thing that is not made daily is the sugar cookies because those need to be dried out.”
Entering the shop patrons will see a menu displayed on a television monitor screen above the colorful cupcake display, listing all of the items.
Alongside cupcakes, there are other items such as cookie favors starting at $3.99, individual gourmet donuts for $2.00, and drinks such as coffee and tea starting at $2.49.
One of the standout flavors is the signature red velvet cupcake with whipped with cream cheese frosting. Another favorite is the peanut butter cup which includes a peanut butter buttercream topped with broken pieces of peanut butter cups.
Fiona Weber, a Nursing major at Mercer says, “They have so many flavors that are different than the usual cupcake flavors and they’re really good. The best ones I’ve had are salted caramel and chocolate chip cookie dough.”
Ruth Bzdewka notes that the bakery has options such as “gluten-free and vegan cupcakes.”
Maryam Mansoor, a Biology and Psychology major attending both TCNJ and Mercer says that “They are very delectable desserts.”
The shop accommodates customers with plenty of comfortable seating options indoors, however, most customers tend to grab their items and go, as the bakery tends to fill up quickly with lines that reach the door.
House of Cupcakes is open Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
