National Cupcake Champion crowned

London bakery owner Emily Johnson has been crowned National Cupcake Champion 2012 in the annual search to find Britain’s best professional cupcake baker.

Emily, who owns the Upsy Daisy bakery and tea room in Hammersmith, West London, beat off stiff competition from 55 other professional bakers to take the prestigious title at the championships, which were staged by ‘British Baker’ magazine at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London on July 2.

Her Mojito Cupcake took the ‘Best Cupcake Made with Alcohol award’ and was named the overall winner by a panel of celebrity judges including Edd Kimber (winner of the first series of The Great British Bake Off in 2010), royal wedding cake-maker Fiona Cairns and Gerhard Jenne, founder of London-based bespoke bakery Konditor and Cook.

Emily said: “I originally created the cupcake for a New Year’s party and developed the recipe, adding a mint and lime buttercream, for the competition.”

Georgi Gyton, associate editor of British Baker, said: “It really was like biting into a Mojito in cake form – from the crunch of sugar, to the zingy hit of the lime and refreshing mint.”

She continued:”This year’s National Cupcake Championships were once again a fantastic demonstration of a sector that is truly thriving in the UK, if not the world. Cupcakes are as popular as ever, with the quality of the products being driven up as a result.”

Now in their fourth year, the National Cupcake Championships celebrate and support the growth of an industry sector which has spawned a raft of new businesses across the UK and stimulated innovation in what has become a highly popular cake classic.

The fourth annual National Cupcake Week will take place from September 17-23. Also hosted by ‘British Baker’ magazine, the week once again celebrates the huge popularity of the cupcake.