The Sweet Life

In what she describes as a moment of laziness, LaQueanya Henry chose to order cupcakes instead of make them herself for her daughter’s baby shower. When she and her daughter Mechiala sank their teeth into the confection some five years ago, both tasted disappointment. “We agreed that we could do it much better,” recalls LaQueanya.

It wasn’t long after that letdown that Mechiala pitched the idea. “She approached me and said, ‘We should start a cake business,’ and I replied, ‘You should start a cake business,’” LaQueanya remembers. “At the time, I was a working full time. I told her I’d support her financially, but I didn’t intend to get involved.”

But as she explains, “The universe had its own plans.”

Getting Started

LaQueanya was laid off from her job of seven years. With her husband’s encouragement, she told Mechiala she was ready to open Sugar Coated Cupcakes. That was in February 2020 and no sooner did their custom order cupcake trailer arrive than the world shut down due to COVID-19. “We had planned on doing weddings and events, but instead we had to hard pivot to popups at breweries and wineries,” she explains. With their mobile unit, the mother-daughter duo sold their cakes to wine tasters and beer lovers across the Greater Sacramento area.

“The pandemic was actually good for our sales,” explains Mechiala. “Everyone was stuck inside and they wanted treats. Cupcakes are comfort.”

The pair also established two refrigerated cupcake vending machines. “We don’t have a storefront so customers can visit the vending machines any time,” says LaQueanya. “They’re filled with cupcakes and our macaroons. We refill daily, but the cupcakes can last in there up to a week.”

After conducting some research, LaQueanya found that customers preferred the specialty flavors more than the traditional chocolate and vanilla. “We started stocking the machines more heavily with specialties like our lavender lemon,” she says of a cupcake that features lavender extract she makes from flowers picked at Araceli Farms in Dixon. “I could order some buds off Amazon, but I’m willing to drive the extra miles to support a local farm that’s woman owned.” As part of their effort to source ingredients locally — within 100 miles — they only serve fruits that are in season.

Cupcake Subscription

From their popups to events to their subscription boxes, the women bake a couple thousand cupcakes each month. The flavors on offer change frequently, with some of the ideas for new combinations coming to them in the wee hours. “She will text me in the middle of the night —like 3 a.m. — with a flavor idea, because she wants to make sure she remembers it in the morning,” shares Mechiala with a laugh.

But only the subscription holders get a chance to taste the most limited flavors. “We really want them to feel special, so we make subscriber-exclusive cupcakes like a berry goat cheese cheesecake or the chocolate hibiscus. We don’t repeat those flavors, so it’s truly a unique opportunity,” LaQueanya says.

Sacramento King’s Partnership

A cupcake that’s somewhat less exclusive — provided you have a ticket to a Sacramento Kings game — but equally delicious is Sugar Coated’s chicken and waffles cupcake, which is available to fans at the Golden 1 Center. The partnership is the result of the Henrys’ win during the inaugural Capitalize: Food competition in 2023. In a March Madness style bracket, Sugar Coated was first named to the sweet sixteen and advanced from there. The contest culminated with a pitch and samples of their product. “We first made our lavender lemon — purple for the Kings,” recalls LaQueanya. “Then I said, kind of jokingly, ‘Let’s try a chicken and waffles cupcake,’ and that’s what they wanted us to make.”

The result, which won them the contest and partnership, consists of a maple cupcake with a maple buttercream frosting, and topped with Mechiala’s scratch-made maple waffle and a piece of buttermilk-soaked fried chicken. “A lot of people ask if there’s chicken in the waffle — no, just on top. We soak the chicken for 24 hours, so it has to be ordered at least 48 hours in advance,” says LaQueanya. To sweeten the deal, the cupcake includes a pipette’s worth of maple bourbon syrup.

They’ve also concocted recipes for cupcakes that pair with special release wines and beers at local establishments, like a pistachio chocolate cupcake to complement Flatland Brewing Co.’s Righteous Rye Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout. LaQueanya says DIY cupcake kits and parties will soon be available.