RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – Cindy Hashimoto and Raymond Hoff started on opposite ends of the county and without any intention of making cupcakes.
Hashimoto was born in Southern California and studied psychology at UC Irvine. Hoff was born in New Jersey, but grew up in the Bahamas where his parents retired. He returned to his home state to study business administration.
The two attended culinary schools and eventually met at The Cupcakery, a bakery in Las Vegas. Now business partners, they combined Hoff’s business and baking skills, and Hashimoto’s decorating skills and opened Island Cupcakes in the Rancho Target center.
The store features classic flavors like red velvet and chocolate, and also passion fruit, mango, guava and chocolate macadamia nut cupcakes topped with butter cream icing. The bakery also sells coffee and Hawaiian Sun brand drinks.
Q. How did you decide to switch careers toward baking?
A. Hashimoto: I always wanted to go to culinary school. But my parents were of the mind that you have to go to college and get a degree. … I let years and years pass. My sister talked me into going to culinary school, and it just went from there.
Hoff: I burned out pretty quick. And I always wanted to do baking. … So I combined both – baking and managing.
Q. Why did you decide to start your own cupcake business?
A. Hashimoto: It was sort of a long process. We knew we wanted to use the idea of Hawaii – my parents are from there.
Hoff: Why are we making money for somebody else? … We knew what we wanted to do, this island niche.
Q. How is the bakery island themed?
A. Hashimoto: We have seven tropical flavors that I don’t think too many places have.
Q. Do you think you can compete with other cupcake stores and bakeries in the area?
A. Hashimoto: We like experimenting. And we’re also doing three breakfast cupcakes (apple cinnamon streusel, blueberry streusel and java), so people can come by in the morning and get a cake with their coffee.
Hoff: We won’t skimp when it comes to ingredients. … We stick with just butter for our butter cream (rather than adding shortening or other, cheaper ingredients).
Hashimoto: And I’m going to be dicing up mango and pureeing bananas.
