Taylor Berra

At the age of 12, Ericka Frank fell in love with sweets. Not eating them- decorating them. Her neighbor used to bake cakes and cookies, and would allow her to come over and help decorate and frost the treats.

“I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Frank said. “It was sort of a passion for me.”

After realizing her love for food, Frank decided to attend St. Louis University to receive her masters degree in medical dietetics and her undergraduate in nutrition. While her major was all about informing people on how to eat healthy, she decided that cupcakes made people, and herself, happier.

“Telling people to eat healthy was not really what I was created for,” Frank said. “I was made for the beauty and decorative side of baking. I love to bake. Cooking, on the other hand, is not my thing.”

Moving forward with her dream, Frank decided to open her own bakery designed specifically for cupcakes. The Cup, which currently has two locations in Missouri, one in Illinois, and one in Tennessee embodies a fun and happy environment. It flows throughout the tiny store, from the decorations all the way to the workers, and makes its way into the delectable treats inside.

“I have a passion for making cupcakes really,” Froster Lauren Kupsch said. “It’s my dream job and it is such a cute location with friendly people and I enjoy working here.”

According to baker Jeremiah Wedding the secret to making such delicious treats is that each cupcake is made with pure love. Each customer walks out of the store with a smile on their face, in love with the treat they just ate.

“I love making people something that makes them happy,” Froster Kt Hill said. “If someone is having a bad day they can come in and get a cupcake and it just makes their day better.”