Together with her husband Charles, Candace Nelson started a thriving cupcake business from scratch. This extraordinary entrepreneur discovered her true calling after quitting her lucrative job as an investment banker amid the infamous dot-com bust. After some reflection, this creative spirit decided to launch a specialty cupcake business. More success than the pair could have ever anticipated resulted from the woman investing her entire heart, soul, money, and time into her baking ambitions. The “Sprinkles” cupcakes, which are made with the best ingredients, have caught the interest of well-known people like Tyra Banks, Oprah Winfrey, Blake Lively, Ryan Seacrest, and Katie Holmes. Her widespread success has been greatly influenced by her appeal to celebrities. As a result of the elite’s focus on her company, her shop has become known among the global populace as an exclusive cupcake bakery, and as a result, several imitation shops are springing up everywhere. There is almost always a queue of people wanting to sample the best cupcakes at each site of her business. She rose to recognition as a television personality after appearing on the popular program “Cupcake Wars.” She is regarded as a cupcake expert and is one of the show’s two permanent judges. She generously shares her accomplishment with shelters and food banks every day by offering copious amounts of leftover cupcakes, cookies, and ice cream.
Early Childhood & Life
On May 8, 1974, the cupcake queen was conceived. She grew up for the majority of her youth in Indonesia.
She soon relocated there to finish high school. She earned her degree from “Wesleyan University” in 1996 and started working in investment banking.
She received her diploma in 2002 from “Tante Marie’s Cooking School” in San Francisco’s professional pastry program. She found her passion in baking her renowned cupcakes at this pivotal moment in her life.
Candace Nelson’s Career
Before she became well-known for her cupcakes, she was an investment banker in Oklahoma. However, the dot-com bust destroyed her banking career, leaving her jobless. She made the decision to concentrate on baking at the moment.
Her first cupcake shop, Sprinkles, debuted in Beverly Hills, California, in 2005. Her stock sold out every day within the first few days of opening, and she became an overnight hit. She quickly reached her daily sales goal of 1,000 cupcakes.
Another “Sprinkles” bakery was established in Newport Beach in 2006. Famous giants like Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Streisand started to take notice of the magnificent cakes.
She received an offer to serve as a judge on the popular television program “Cupcake Wars” in 2010. The contest asks bakers to design the tastiest themed cupcakes, and the winning team receives $10,000 from the judges. The program is still airing.
In 2012, she conceptualized the first Cupcake ATM in history. This machine is refilled with fresh cupcakes and cookies every day and night to accommodate Sprinkles devotees on the go. The device is accessible every day of the week.
Currently, Sprinkles operates 14 locations across the US in addition to a Sprinklesmobile cupcake van. It also does significant business with “Williams-Sonoma” stores in the US and Canada.
She recently agreed to an agreement with M.H. Alshaya to expand the number of “Sprinkles” sites across the Middle East by 34. Nelson doesn’t have any immediate intentions to slow down.
Candace’s Bigger Works
The debut of the first “Sprinkles” store in 2005 was her most illustrious achievement. This incredible businesswoman worked seven days a week, resting for only two hours at night, and occasionally even dozing off on the bakery floor. Due to Candace and her husband’s commitment, cupcakes became extremely popular across the nation.
Recognition & Achievements
Several well-known shows, including the “Today Show,” “Nightline,” “Good Morning America,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” and “Oprah” have highlighted her inventive and delectable cupcakes. Additionally, she has received mentions in the “Los Angeles Times,” “New York Times,” “Food & Wine,” “Bon Appetit,” and “People” magazines.
Personal Legacy & Life
Charles Nelson is the man she gets wed to. The duo began their careers as investment bankers. Her husband helped Candace every step of the way when she launched her venture in the cupcake industry and continues to do so when “Sprinkles” opens and operates.
Since the “Sprinkles” brand is committed to using only the greatest and freshest products, many other stores have been inspired to follow suit. The cupcake shop is so adamant about using premium ingredients that it utilizes “Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla,” which costs more than $100 a gallon.
With their mouthwatering cupcakes, they started a trend in the bakery business. Once Sprinkles became well-known, it attracted the interest of many business aficionados, and imitations started to appear everywhere.
She went into further detail on how everything is cooked every few hours during an appearance with the radio program “The Business Makers.” As a result, there are a lot of leftovers at the end of the day. The store distributes all excess items to the neighborhood food bank and homeless shelters rather than selling them the next day.
Estimated Net Worth
Nelson is the author of The Sprinkles Baking Book, The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll, and Sweet Success. Candace Nelson, a pastry chef of Indonesian descent, is thought to be worth $5 million.
Trivia
This well-known individual made an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” during the inauguration of the second Sprinkles site in Newport Beach. Their sales increased by more than 50% as a result.
Doggie Cupcakes are available from the cupcake chain. They can be purchased offline, online, and even at Cupcake ATMs. The dog owned by the couple serves as the canine taster for the cupcakes.