Candace Nelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Candace Nelson
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| Born | May 8, 1974 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, pastry chef, television personality |
Candace Nelson was born on May 8, 1974. She is an American pastry chef and a well-known judge on TV shows like Cupcake Wars and Sugar Rush. She is famous for starting Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world's first cupcake bakery.
Contents
Candace Nelson: The Cupcake Queen
Her Early Life and Baking Dreams
Candace Nelson grew up in Indonesia. Baking was a big part of her family. Her French-American grandmother was known for making amazing desserts in her San Francisco restaurant back in the 1930s.
Candace went to Groton School and then Wesleyan University. She also studied at Tante Marie's Professional Pastry Program in San Francisco to learn more about baking.
Before she became a famous baker, Candace and her husband, Charles, worked as investment bankers. After a big change in the business world, Candace decided to follow her passion for baking. She started a custom cake business right from her home in San Francisco. Later, she and Charles moved their business to Los Angeles and decided to focus only on making cupcakes.
Starting Sprinkles Cupcakes
On April 13, 2005, Candace and Charles opened Sprinkles Cupcakes. It was the very first cupcake bakery in the world! They started in a small shop in Beverly Hills, California. Even though some people thought it wouldn't work, they sold 2,000 cupcakes in their first week.
Candace wanted to make classic cupcakes extra special. She used the best ingredients like sweet cream butter and pure vanilla. She also created unique cupcakes, including options for people who eat vegan or gluten-free foods. She even made cupcakes for dogs! The Sprinkles stores were designed to look modern and simple.
Sprinkles Cupcakes grew very quickly. They now have many locations across the United States. They also have a special "Sprinklesmobile," which is a van that travels around selling cupcakes. In 2007, Candace also created cupcake mixes that people could buy to bake at home.
The Famous Cupcake ATM
In 2012, Candace came up with a super cool idea: the Cupcake ATM! She thought of it when she had a late-night craving for a cupcake. This machine lets you buy cupcakes without needing to go inside the store. It's like a regular ATM, but for cupcakes! Sprinkles now has many Cupcake ATMs all over the country.
Many famous people love Sprinkles cupcakes, including Oprah Winfrey, Blake Lively, and Serena Williams. In 2014, Candace sold Sprinkles to another company.
Becoming a TV Star
Candace Nelson is a popular judge on TV baking shows. She is well-known for her role on Cupcake Wars, which is shown all over the world. She also judges Sugar Rush on Netflix, where she was also an executive producer.
She has appeared on other food shows like The Best Thing I Ever Ate and The Chef Show. She was also a judge on Bobby Flay's Throwdown. Candace has been featured on many TV programs, including The Today Show and The Martha Stewart Show. Her cupcakes have also been shown in famous magazines like Bon Appetit and Food & Wine.
Candace also helped create and produce a new pizza cooking competition show called Best in Dough for Hulu.
Beyond Cupcakes: Pizza and Books
Candace Nelson is also a co-founder of Pizzana. This is a restaurant chain that makes delicious Neo-Neapolitan style pizzas.
She has also written two books: The Sprinkles Baking Book and Sweet Success.
Her Life Today
Candace Nelson lives in Los Angeles, California, and also in Sun Valley, Idaho. She has two sons.
