From classic flavors like chocolate and red velvet to something a little more unique like honey lavender and pumpkin orange-spice, Mugg Cakes is bringing a new kind of cupcake to Oxford.
In 2011, St. Louis native Karrian Brown decided she needed a change of pace. She resigned from her job in the healthcare and funeral services profession to pursue her dream of running a cupcake business.
“I decided to do something fun,” Brown said. “They say follow your dreams and follow your passions, and that’s what I did. It’s something when your reality starts to match your dreams.”
The name of Brown’s business has both literal and sentimental meaning. When starting Mugg Cakes, Brown said she needed something to set her cupcakes apart—to make them more than just another cupcake.
“The mug is the uniqueness to our company. It became important to me because you have people who have had mugs for centuries,” Brown said. “They become collectors’ items. That was something that caught my attention, to say ‘Hey, let’s put a cupcake inside of a mug and see what happens.’”
Brown said her nickname growing up was Mugg, so, when they came up with “Mugg Cakes,” it seemed like the perfect fit.
Brown, her husband and three children moved to Oxford a little over a year ago and have not looked back. Brown has never been happier than she is now running Mugg Cakes and said that a big part of that is the support she has received from her friends and family.
“I started baking for family and friends, and it took off from there,” Brown said.
One of her biggest supporters is her husband Derek, who stands behind her whenever she decides to pursue something new.
“Let’s do it,” Derek said. “That was my initial reaction and it has been my reaction ever since. Every time she wants to take a new step, I say ‘let’s do that’.”
Perhaps one of the most supportive roles Derek plays for his wife takes place in the kitchen; not near the stove or the mixer, but at the table ready to taste whatever new combination Brown has concocted.
“I just taste. I know my role and I play it well,” Derek said.
Brown is constantly mixing different flavors to come up with new cupcakes. She says her customers play a huge part in keeping her inspired to try new things by making suggestions to her about what they would like to see, or rather, taste. Brown is no stranger to trying new things when it comes to her cupcakes, even if it takes her a few tries to get the mixture just right.
“Every batch I’ve ever tried has flopped at least once or twice,” Brown said. “The wildest were these green cupcakes. They were for a Dr. Seuss thing. They were green, but like really green.”
In addition to the classic cupcake flavors, Brown comes up with new cupcakes daily, giving each of them their own name such as the “Muggkin,” a pumpkin cupcake, or the “Mug Pie,” an apple pie cupcake.
For the foundation of her cupcakes, Brown has taken her grandmother’s recipes and revamped them. She combines techniques and tricks from her grandmother, her own experiences and Google to make the perfect cupcake. Brown also uses local ingredients in her Mugg Cakes.
“I do get farm fresh products from the local farmers,” Brown said. “Support local.”
Mugg Cakes has no brick and mortar or physical building for the business. Brown works out of a commercial kitchen but has no actual storefront. She has promoted her business and made it successful through networking.
“I work the markets Tuesdays and Saturdays. That’s where I got my start (in Oxford),” Brown said. “Then it started to get around town by word of mouth.”
Since then, she has approached local businesses about selling her cupcakes. She now has Mugg Cakes available at a few different establishments including Cups, the YoknapaTaco food truck and Oxford Canteen.
Corbin Evans, owner and chef of Oxford Canteen, said he hopes Brown and her Mugg Cakes will become more popular. He features them on the menu every week on “Cupcake Friday.”
Mugg Cakes will also be available at the Barn Trading Company in the Oxford Farmers Market.
With so many options to choose, it is hard for a customer to pick which Mugg Cake to try. Brown said she likes to stay on the classic side with a chocolate cupcake while Derek, the expert taste tester, said all of them are his favorite.
“My extra special favorite would now probably be the pumpkin spice,” Derek said.
Brown said she hopes to continue selling her Mugg Cakes in local businesses, but also does parties and events. She requires at least 24 hours notice and a minimum of a dozen cupcakes.
