Record-Journal from Meriden, Connecticut • E4

Business Juno 19, 2011 PageE4 Record-Journal A baker's delight, and that's just icing on the cake By Stephanie A. O'Connell Record-Journal staff WALLIN GFORD In just three years, Sara Kenny has created 30 different scrumptious flavors to fill her cupcake tins and cake pans before she slides them gently into the oven and waits for the sweet smell to blanket the room. Once she bakes the sweet tea and pink lemonade or chocolate bacon cupcakes, Kenny tops off the perfectly plumped cakes with flowers, hearts, skulls, swirls and designs atop a cloud of brightly colored frosting. Kenny started "You've Been Cupcaked" three years ago after she earned a following creating cakes and cupcakes for family members. Since, the business has boomed and she creates custom cakes and cupcakes for all sorts of occasions, including weddings.

Kenny works out of her mother, Karen Chasse's, restaurant Sara J's. "It was assumed that when we had a family event that I would be making the dessert," said Kenny, 26. "I always loved to bake and I love sweet things. I ended up making a flamingo cake for my mother's surprise birthday party and that was the cake that started it all. People started coming up to me asking me to make cakes for them" It's been a work in progress for Kenny, who burnt and had the middle sink in on that flamingo cake for her mom on her first attempt.

Kenny watched her grandmother bake when she was little but has taught herself as she goes, mixing and creating flavors according to season, her favorite foods and suggestions from friends and family. Her favorites include the chocolate bacon cupcake; a chocolate cupcake that hides pieces of maple brown sugar bacon inside is topped with more bacon. She also enjoys dirt, chocolate cupcakes covered with Oreo crumbles and gummy worms. "My favorite is the sweet tea, pink lemonade cupcake," said Sika Amado, a frequent customer of Kenny's and Sara J's. "I'm actually having her make my boyfriend a cake and I just gave her an idea and she is going to make something.

I know it will be great" Kenny creates Cookie Monster and bourbon bottle shaped cakes and Muppet Baby cupcakes on a small metal table tucked behind the counter at Sara J's. She works before the restaurant opens or after it closes so she can help her mom making steamed cheeseburgers and breakfast sandwiches for customers. "I think this is her calling," Chasse said. "I love her cupcakes and I could eat anything that she makes. I want to retire and work for her." Kenny would love to open her own shop but for know she loves working with her mother.

She has turned down multiple offers to sell her treats at other bakeries and restaurants in town, staying loyal to her mother. Not that she has time to bake for other businesses. Kenny is booked through mid-July, with appointments for the rest of the summer coming in as quick as she can fill them She learned her lesson to not over book after taking an order for 357 cupcakes and six cakes that needed to be delivered on the same day. Kenny is learning to manage her time better day by day, but there is certainly no learning curve when it comes to her passion for her job and her baking. "I love what I do and I am proud of what I do," Kenny said.

There are other bakers out there that admire and that I am inspired by but at the end of the day, without sounding cocky, I think that I am pretty good at what I do and I am happy with the work that I da I want people to come to me with an idea and give them something that is 100 times more than they expected." (203) 317-2235 Above: Sara Kenny, 26, of Wallingford, decorates Chocolate Cream cupcakes that she baked and frosted at Sara J's Restaurant in Wallingford on Tuesday. Kenny, who started baking about three years ago, says that her business, "You've Been Cupcaked" has become popular within the last year. Kenny, whose business, which makes a variety of cupcakes, birthday cakes and wedding cakes, makes about three to four dozen cupcakes per day. Left: Chocolate Cream cupcakes that were baked, frosted, and decorated by Kenny. Matt Andrew Record-Journal Property Transfers Bravo-Rendon and Jessica M.

Verch, 591 WHams Road, $238,000. and Deborah A. Tomln to Hofyst Real Estate LLC, property off College Avenue, $105,000. CHESHIRE Property transfers reported from June 6 to June 10: Barbara M. Lee Revocable Trust to Domenic Larosa to Paul and Mary NaUo, 26 Kennedy Drive, $210,000.

Christopher C. and Ashley C. Newton to Frederic ZSerier, 107 Wibur $186,000. Florence M. Berry to Susan A.

Bristol, unit 514, Building 5, Btackstone VI-lage Condominiums, $54,500. Estate of Viola K. Semofc to David J. Vumback 75-77 Warren St, $84,400. Gail S.

DePaotato JayeR. and Amanda J. Hurst, 415 Pomeroy $170,000. Ann M. Goforth to Moises Pagan and Nina Muniz, 37 Peacock Drive, $149,000.

Tim S. and Jennifer A. Yu to Richard and Donna Manila, 42 Maxwell Drive, $280,000. Estate of Nicholas Mecca to Jesse Pringle, unit 5, 157 Burrttt St, $223,000. Kenneth T.

Tomalski and Evelyn Tomalski to Wllam R. Yanchak, Mark A. and Diane B. CoUte, unit 56, 175 Berlin $218,000. Joseph D.

Dupuis to Garrison C. and Jennifer F. Brum back, 207 East St, $344,900. Stephen E. and Kimberty M.

Csinsi to Theodore M. and Johanna S. Lucas, 4 Sunset Ridge Drive, $338,000. Dean A. Dubois, David A.

Dubois WALLINGFORD Property trans-fere reported from June 8 to June 14: VW Homes to Anisha Padens Court, $437,299.14. David J. Jetmarto Christopher L. and Lauri Rose, 3 Norman $215,000. Robert and Dariene Monk to Melissa K.

Thibodeau, lot 12, Hllock Drive, $224,000. Estate of Kendrick W. Ralph Jr. to Jennifer M. Barone, 7A Pilgrims Harbor, $168,000.

Peter and Angela Kooytec to Cartas SOlfTHINGTON Property trans-fere reported from June 6 to June 13: Monica Stokes to Mtahael D. Niedzwiecki, 37 Zwicks Farm Road, $169,000. Brodach Rlvercrest to Michael C. Doyle, James G. Holder Jr.

and Katharine K. Lewis, trustees, 30 River-crest Drive, $310,000. Estate of Gregory L. WHyakto Joseph and Janice Infante, unit 8, 40 Cornerstone Court, $155,000. Richard B.

Stanton, unit 19, 9 South-wick Court, $190,000. J. Leonard Sponek to Connecticut Postal Hokfngs LLC, property off Maple Avenue, $664,380. Steven A. Spiain and Michael E.

Splain to Gloria A. Onorato, 10 South- wick Court, $178,000..