JWU student with her own bakery is the youngest to compete on Hulu's ‘Cake Cupcake Cake'
Q: You have one more semester at Johnson & Wales. What are your plans after graduation?
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I've been actively looking for the past few months for the right storefront to open my first brick and mortar in Mystic. For a long time, I had the typical dream of moving to Los Angeles or
Hand-painted macarons by Jennifer Lee, a baker from Connecticut and senior at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Jennifer Lee
Custom macarons prepared by Jennifer Lee, a baker from Connecticut and senior at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Jennifer Lee
What are some of your specialties?
Macarons. I love making French macarons, and they are some of the hardest cookies to make. I also focus on custom desserts, such as custom cakes and cupcakes. When I open my storefront, I want cake to be at the forefront.
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What else would your bakery offer?
Other than a focus on custom cakes, I want a plethora of French macarons, cakes by the slice, or
A custom cake prepared by Jennifer Lee, a baker from Connecticut and senior at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Jennifer Lee
Contestants on many Food Network shows, like 'Chopped,' have said how stressful it is to be under a tight time crunch and still produce excellent food. What was it like to be on 'Cookie Cupcake Cake?'
This is a very unpopular opinion, but I didn't feel any stress at all. When I was a kid, I was in my parent's kitchen, cooking and pretending like I was on a TV show. I'd prep, stare at a mark in the kitchen, and narrate what I was doing like I was on a show. It's like I manifested this. The hardest part was the unknown and the fact that I was the youngest one on the show. One of the contestants has had just as much experience baking as I've had years on this earth. That's intimidating.
What didn't we see on the show?
All the cookies were baked at home. And then I had to drive them 4.5 hours from Mystic, Conn., to Jersey City where we were filming. My cookies broke on the way there. My entire cookie crumbled. There was nothing I could do about it.
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Also, if you didn't notice [or watch], the judges don't actually eat the cookies. So they could taste horrible, but it's all about presentation. It's very different from other cooking or baking competition shows.
Custom cupcakes prepared by Jennifer Lee, a baker from Connecticut and senior at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Jennifer Lee
Custom cupcakes prepared by Jennifer Lee, a baker from Connecticut and senior at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Jennifer Lee
Are you a baker or a cake designer? There's a difference.
I definitely consider myself a baker. I love art and being creative, but design isn't my sole focus. A lot of the contestants on the show worked with fondant and did a lot of hyper-realism, which I never do. I will make my creations aesthetically pleasing, but delicious to eat. I don't like when things are too sweet. If you watch 'Cake Boss,' a lot of the cakes on there use piping to hold everything together. You can't really eat everything. It should be edible art. Not just art. I'll always choose a basic-looking cupcake over a monstrosity-looking cake that Buddy would make for his show.
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Where do you go, besides your own bakery, when you need something sweet?
Watch Jennifer Lee in episodes
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This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Jennifer Lee is a Johnson & Wales student graduating after the spring semester.
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
This story first appeared in The Food Club, a free weekly email newsletter about Rhode Island food and dining. Already a member of the club? Check your inbox for more news, recipes, and features in the latest newsletter. Not a member yet? If you'd like to receive it via e-mail each Thursday,
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