Last week the Boston Brunchers were invited to a cupcake decorating party at Treat Cupcake Bar in Needham, MA.

They didn’t have to ask me twice, that’s for sure! Anything that involves the Brunchers, cupcakes, colored frosting, and sprinkles…well golly, I wouldn’t miss it!

The Brunchers have been doing a lot more activities in and around Boston besides just going to brunch. I haven’t been able to attend their other get-togethers like going to the Boston Ballet, Pure Barre, or dinner at Common Ground, BUT my schedule was clear for this event!

YES!

I arrived at Treat around 6:30 p.m. It’s located on Highland Ave in Needham, which has easy access from I-95. The 59 bus runs right past the store, and the commuter rail is a short walk away, but otherwise, no public transportation is near the store. Also, I immediately found out that parking is scarce for the shop. There are lots surrounding it, but they’re restricted to the other businesses that surround the store (a huge pet peeve of mine). Luckily, it was past 6 and street parking was ample, so I snagged a spot on the road.

My first impression of the space itself? Clean and bright! I love the baby blue and pink decor on their signs. The signs are also easy to read — big plus for a nearly blind girl like myself who frequently squints to see tiny print on so many signs.

I also loved the clean and neat display cases of their cupcakes. There were two counters: One has their pre-made signature and seasonal cupcakes displayed. The second is their cupcake bar where you pick your cupcake and get to go wild with picking your own frosting and toppings. Kind of like what you do at Coldstone, but with cupcakes. Awesome.

But the Brunchers were treated to something even better than just picking the frosting and decorations for our cupcakes…we were escorted to the back room and got to decorate our own cupcakes! Treat offers these types of parties all the time — for birthday parties, bachelorette parties, or just a whenever-you-feel-like-decorating-some-cupcakes parties!

First, we decorated our cupcake boxes.

Next, we were given aprons, and got to decorate those, too.

Sized for kids…but…oddly really appropriately sized for Cooking Whims. (hah!)

Up next, we were given pieces of fondant. Sweet! I’ve never used fondant before. Mainly because it’s pricey and I’m not a huge fan of how it tastes, but I do like how it looks. It can transform a plain cupcake into something really magical and elegant. But amateur-fondant-girl over here just went with some simple cut-out shapes like hearts and stars.

Then, my FAVORITE. We were given a spread of colored frosting, sprinkles, and candy, and got to decorate six cupcakes. We weren’t given piping bags … so I couldn’t experiment with pretty piping designs, which I would’ve loved, because I don’t have a pastry bag set at home, and I know how many different pastry tips there are out there… But regardless, Sarah Waters, the graphic designer and event coordinator at Treat, showed us some frosting tips using a flat knife. They come out gorgeous that way, too. Plus, you can get real fancy and rim the cupcakes if you have a solid line of frosting around the edges.

I liked that.

And Ta-Da! My finished box of cupcakes to take home! I took these home and Chris enjoyed one right when he walked in the door from class. He didn’t even search for dinner. He just went straight for the star cupcake and engulfed it. (A sign they’re good, huh?)

The cupcakes at Treat freeze well, too. Simply wrap them tightly or store them in an airtight container. When you want to eat them, leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours before devouring.

Overall? Treat is a cute cupcake shop that I’d like to go back to — but mainly for a decorating party like this (and FYI a cupcake decorating party for 10 people is $300. That’s $30 per person — and yes, adults over 21 can BYOB.) As for buying the individual cupcakes? As much as I adore cupcakes, I would usually rather make a batch myself (like these!) and share at a party instead of spending $3.25 for an individual cupcake. What I enjoy out of a cupcake the most, actually, is the process of baking and decorating them, which is why I had so much fun at this event.

That being said, I know there are people that don’t like to bake, but do love cupcakes and sharing them with friends, or want them for a party — with that mindset, Treat’s a great option. They deliver to many surrounding towns. See their delivery options here. They also bake with dietary restrictions in mind — they make dairy-free and gluten-free cupcakes — something a lot of people would appreciate. Pia, who was with us at this event, actually asked for a batch of dairy-free cupcakes, and was happy they had them on hand!

Thanks, Treat, for having the Boston Brunchers over for a cupcake decorating party!

Address:
Treat Cupcake Bar
1450 Highland Ave.
Needham, MA
www.treatcupcakebar.com

Note: The Boston Brunchers were provided this decorating party free of charge courtesy of Treat Cupcake Bar. I did agree to write a post about my experience there, but as always, all the opinions I share here are my own.