(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
As she squeezes swirls of pastel-pink icing onto cupcakes, Savera Hashmi, owner of the new Pretty Sweet Cupcakes truck, tells us how she got caught up in the food truck biz. The self-taught confectioner started with a few Bonnie Gordon classes, and after “a lot of practice,” had graduated to making wedding cakes. A visit to New York, with its competitive food truck scene, got her excited about the prospect of launching her own mobile cupcakery here, but it was only when she saw the Blue Donkey Streatery parked outside of a party that she was convinced it would be possible in rule-loving Toronto. With a little help from Donkey owner Tony Vastis, she was able to get Pretty Sweet ready in time for the CNE Food Truck Rally.
Although she does the baking in a Newmarket kitchen, Hashmi ices the mini cakes as she goes, ensuring they’re fresh and visually perfect. Each little treat goes for $2.75, and the selection of flavours is always changing, although red velvet and chocolate on chocolate will always be available. More adventurous flavours include a tiramisu version; a Neapolitan, with a chocolate and vanilla base and strawberry butter cream icing; and an apple cupcake with cream cheese icing and a drizzle of caramel to finish. Up next on the calendar is Alexander Keith’s birthday bash on Friday, where Pretty Sweet will be joined by other street-savvy vendors at the Brick Works (see the Weekly Eater for details).
168918 Clockwise from top left: Neapolitan, apple, red velvet and vanilla cupcakes ($2.75 each) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-5-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-5.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-5/ oct12-pretty-sweet-5 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168921 Top left: apple cupcake with cream cheese icing and caramel drizzle ($2.75) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-8-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-8.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-8/ oct12-pretty-sweet-8 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168925 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-12.jpg 624 397 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-12/ oct12-pretty-sweet-12 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168924 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-11/ oct12-pretty-sweet-11 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168922 A tray of double-chocolate cupcakes ($2.75) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-9.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-9/ oct12-pretty-sweet-9 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168920 Double-chocolate cupcake ($2.75) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-7.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-7/ oct12-pretty-sweet-7 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168919 A classic vanilla cupcake ($2.75) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-6.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-6/ oct12-pretty-sweet-6 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168917 Neapolitan cupcake: chocolate-vanilla base with strawberry butter cream frosting ($2.75) (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-4.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-4/ oct12-pretty-sweet-4 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168916 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-3-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-3.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-3/ oct12-pretty-sweet-3 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168915 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-2.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-2/ oct12-pretty-sweet-2 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168914 Pretty Sweet owner Savera Hashmi (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-1.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-1/ oct12-pretty-sweet-1 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
168934 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Introducing: Pretty Sweet Introducing: Pretty Sweet https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12-pretty-sweet-intro.jpg 656 437 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-pretty-sweet/slide/oct12-pretty-sweet-intro/ oct12-pretty-sweet-intro 0 0
(Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
Pretty Sweet, prettysweetto.com, @prettysweet_to
Bought some when they stopped by UofT a couple weeks back and they were great. Everybody in the office loved them. Keep it up!
Savera’s cupcakes are deeelicious!
Ive tried red velvet and pumpkin spice… Without question the best cupcakes I’ve ever had- anywhere incl. NYC