Baked by Melissa
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.jpg) Location on the Upper East Side, New York City | |
| Website | www |
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Baked by Melissa is an American bite-size cupcake company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 2008 by Melissa Ben-Ishay, the brand is defined by its signature handcrafted, quarter-sized cupcakes, designed to test all the flavors without the commitment of a full-sized dessert.
- Bite-Size Cupcakes: Each cupcake is approximately the size of a quarter, featuring overstuffed fillings and toppings.
- Dietary Desserts: Baked by Melissa offers gluten-free, no-nut, and vegan desserts.
- Macarons: In addition to cupcakes, Baked by Melissa also offers double-stuffed macarons.
All these desserts are handmade in their bakery located in New Jersey. [1]
Baked by Melissa also offers a range of gift boxes best for birthdays, parties, sympathy, weddings, and more.
Events & Catering
Baked by Melissa offers catering for any corporate event or personal event. It's widely known for it's corporate gifting, whether it's employee appreciation or the holidays. [2]
They also offer catering services for wedding, baby shower, and more. Creating your own mosaic cupcake display is also available when contacting their team.
History
Baked by Melissa was founded when Melissa Ben-Ishay lost her job in advertising in 2008.[3] She went to her brother's office, and he told her it was the best thing that had ever happened to her before telling her to go home and bake her cupcakes. Melissa went to the grocery store near her Murray Hill apartment to get flavor inspiration, then sent the cupcakes to work with her best friend's sister who was interning at Alison Brod PR. That afternoon, Melissa got a call from Brod's caterer, who became one of the co-founders.
Initially, the company baked and sold cupcakes through catering companies.[4] Melissa baked all of the cupcakes in her apartment until November 2008, when she moved into the basement of Cafe Bari.[5] That winter, she sold the cupcakes at holiday markets around New York, selling out every day.
The first Baked by Melissa location opened on March 9, 2009; it was a pop-up window at Cafe Bari in SoHo, Manhattan. The same year, Florence Fabricant said that Baked by Melissa “seems to have succeeded at the near-impossible challenge of finding something new to do with cupcakes.[6]”
In 2015, Melissa wrote her first cookbook, Cakes by Melissa, published by the William Morrow imprint of HarperCollins. Her second cookbook, Come Hungry: Salads, Meals, and Sweets for People Who Live to Eat, was released in January 2024.
Melissa's brother Brian Bushell was the CEO of Baked by Melissa until 2015.[7] Melissa was named CEO on December 5, 2019.[8]
In 2017, the company gave away 150,000 cupcakes in a project called Side With Love; people in the US could send a box of 25 cupcakes free of charge. The initiative was nominated for a Shorty Award for its impact on social media.[9][better source needed]
In 2018, Baked by Melissa created a special cupcake, which was sold in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[10]