The Village of Walden received a huge addition to its business lineup late last month: Whipped Cupcakes Patisserie, a bakery that moved from Maybrook to 5 Orange Avenue in Walden. Since its grand reopening on March 22, Whipped Cupcakes has seen great success as local and visiting customers enjoy the patisserie’s incredible assortment of delectable desserts.
Nicole Conklin, a Newburgh resident and Whipped Cupcakes’ owner, has loved cooking and baking since she was a child, with her grandmother serving as her teacher and biggest inspiration. Conklin has an extensive history in the food industry, working for various restaurants and catering facilities. Around 2015, she began operating pop-up trailers at farmers’ markets and events across the Hudson Valley, such as General Montgomery Day and the Pine Bush UFO Fair. After receiving ample positive feedback over the years, Conklin would eventually open two brick-and-mortar bakeries: an all-year store in Maybrook and a seasonal store in Bethel Woods.
Between its pop-up shops and bakeries, Whipped Cupcakes is well known for its large variety of tantalizing treats and coffees, including cupcakes, cookie “sammies”, French pastries, and lattes. Some of the store’s biggest sellers include the sea salt chocolate chip cookie sammy, the oatmeal cream cookie sammy, and the lavender latte; Conklin’s personal favorites are the lemon lavender cupcake and cookie butter cupcake. The store’s most iconic dessert is the Chubby Hubby, a chocolate cupcake comprised of salted caramel filling, peanut butter cream, and chocolate pretzel pieces.
Conklin opened her Maybrook location in January 2020 with prosperous results, attracting both new customers in the village and returning customers from across the region. One of her biggest challenges was the COVID-19 pandemic, only two months after opening, but she and her staff prepared a solution: curbside pickups, allowing customers to enjoy some sweet relief during turbulent times.
“We opened in January 2020, and COVID hit two months later, so we had to adapt with the times. We weren’t open for walk-ins, so we created a curbside pickup so that we could stay busy. It was well received with the locals,” Conklin said. “We did that for about six months into COVID, and then when businesses were allowed to open up, we were able to welcome people back into the bakery.”
Brian Maher, Assemblyman and longtime Waldenite, played a major factor in her decision, as he recently announced that he would move his office to Walden.
“An already successful small business like Whipped Cupcakes deciding to make the Village of Walden their home is a huge win for Walden’s main street,” Maher said.
Whipped Cupcakes Patisserie is located at 5 Orange Avenue in Walden, across the street from the post office. The bakery is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information, call 845-636-4809 or email whipped.cupcakes@yahoo.com.