Local Cupcake Shop Owner Rises To Runner-Up Spot on Cupcake Wars

It came down to an East Coast-West Coast showdown, and in the end, the San Diego-based cupcake shop, Pure Cupcakes, beat out Manahawkin business Cake That! for the top honors on Food Network's Cupcake Wars, which aired earlier this evening.

Cake That! owner Jess Bartlett and her assistant beat out two other teams - Cloud 9 Cupcakes from Atlanta and Rockin' Cupcakes from Michigan - to make it to the last round of the competition.

The theme of the competition was San Diego Zoo, and for the final round, Bartlett made 1,000 cupcakes of various types and designs - including those with fondant trunks. But in the end, it was the San Diego shop owners that took the top honor.

Bartlett said at first, she was reluctant when some customers suggested she apply to be on the show.

"Everyone always said to me, 'oh your cupcakes are so good, you should try out'," Bartlett said. "I hopped online, sent an email and a video to the producers, and then they flew us out to LA."

She said after she got accepted for the show, she went in to the taping with the attitude that just making it to the taping was a success in itself.

Bartlett said after the taping in July, the show was supposed to air in November, but the date got pushed back to this Sunday.

"In hindsight that was a great thing, because after Sandy, no one, including us, had television down here," Bartlett said. In fact, Bartlett, a resident of the Mystic section of Little Egg was among many that lost her home altogether in the storm. She now lives in a townhome in Little Egg with her husband, Bob and her children, Jake and Emily.

Bartlett said despite the difficulties with Sandy, she said this taping and the airing of the show in March has been a bright spot.

"We have had some rough months, but I think our area is ready for something to be excited about," she said.

Bartlett started making cupcakes about four years ago, after leaving her job as a makeup artist in New York. She opened the Bay Avenue shop on Memorial Day weekend, 2011.

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