Big community in little cakes

MADELEINE Witham began to bake her small business a decade ago, and much like a good homemade cake, it has risen to be a sweet success.

Iconic Eureka Street corner shop, The Little Cupcake, is celebrating 10 years of operation this month, and Ms Witham said she’s enjoying running the business as much as she ever has, with husband Mark, daughter Chelsea, son-in-law Marcus, and the support of their extended family.

“I love that I get to be creative and do new things,” she said. “There’s always something different, and I can always come up with something new.

“When those ideas run out, it will be time to say goodbye.”

Since 2013, the Witham family have become integral to the Ballarat events market with their signature cakes and hospitality front-and-centre at birthdays, weddings, and funerals.

“Making sweet things happen, that’s become our philosophy,” Ms Witham said. “We’re there for the most important celebrations in people’s lives, and it’s a privilege to be there for people.

“We aim to offer a special experience in the shop, and to make a cupcake an affordable treat. Customers have been so thankful, and we’re grateful for how much they enjoy what we do.

“They’ve brought us cards, and said, ‘thank you for being here, for sticking around,’ and the sense of community and kindness that comes with that is really big for us.

“We’re in a position to be able to give people a hand up when they need it as well, and that’s nice.

“There’s so much ugliness and negativity in the world, and we work hard to remove that, and to be a place people feel happy to come to. There’s no bad news here.”

But it’s not just Ms Witham’s handmade products that are beautifully decorated, so is the business.

The Little Cupcake has become a “destination” store, winning a Golden Plate Award, and the 2019 Small Business and 2022 Family Business honours at the Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards.

“Everybody knows who we are, or have heard of the cupcake shop,” she said. “We’ve got a wonderful reputation, and we bend over backwards to provide great customer service, and a great product.”

The family are now making plans to expand their deliveries to Bendigo and Geelong, as their second cake-making decade begins.

A new Witham era is also underway, with baby granddaughter Daisy an important part of the fun too.

“This is grandma’s shop, and she knows it,” Ms Witham laughed.