A little treat with a big taste has made its way to New Paltz.
Moxie Cupcake a new bakery, has opened at 215 Main St. After starting out as a catering operation in 2010, owner Josie Eriole saw her business explode and expand rapidly.
Hailing from Albany, Eriole grew up baking. She said all of the recipes she developed came out of trial and error, so each cake and frosting recipe is her own creation. Originally a jazz singer, Eriole honed her decorating skills by creating custom birthday cakes for her two children. After watching “Cupcake Wars” with her niece one afternoon, Eriole declared that she would start a cupcake business and said it would be “phenomenally successful!”
Each cupcake is homemade with organic free-trade chocolate, she said.
“If you are going to have a treat, it should have no chemical additives,” Eriole said.
The name of the bakery came from playing around with different words. According to Eriole, her husband’s grandfather always said she had a lot of moxie or gumption and it stuck with her.
She first sold her larger sized cupcakes to Cafeteria, the coffee shop on Main Street. From there her wholesale catering business exploded and she now sells cupcakes in over seven different places throughout Ulster and Dutchess counties, such as Crafted Kup, The Cafeteria and Twisted Foods Village Market in Gardiner.
For Eriole, Main Street was an ideal location for the shop. Previously, she worked out of her home in a certified kitchen and wanted a fun, comfortable place for people to come. The outdoor space on Main Street created the “cute little hideaway,” she was looking for.
Thus far, five signature cupcakes have made a name for themselves. “The Moxie,” “Vanilla Sky,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Salt Away my Sugar” and the “Cherry Darling” have become classics. Other specialties include “You Say its Your Birthday” and the “Sunday Morning Cupcake.” Inspired by Eriole’s singing background, each cupcake is named after a song.
The official grand opening at Moxie will take place on Friday, Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept. 24. The opening will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both days. Door prizes will be given away, local band, “The Essential Food Group,” will provide live music on Saturday and samples will be offered all weekend. There will also be two raffles for visitors to participate in. The first is to win a 100- piece cupcake tower and the second is a membership in the Cupcake of the Month Club. This will give the winner six assorted cupcakes every month for a year.
In addition, the Moxie blend of organic fair trade coffee from the Massachusetts based company, Dean’s Beans, will be sold as well, along with hot chocolate and tea. The shop also boasts a sprinkles bar, which includes six different types of sprinkles that can be added to both cupcakes and hot chocolate. Moxie is not just a spot for satisfying your sweet tooth, as soups and “savory cupcakes” will also be on the menu. “Savory cupcakes” are lunch items in the shape of a cupcake, such as lasagna or sausage and peppers.
Those at the bakery are very excited to be the latest addition to the New Paltz community.
“Moxie Cupcake brings quality products to New Paltz that not only tastes great and uses quality ingredients but also supports local businesses and farms,” said Assistant Baker, Kwan Man Cheng. “I’m very happy to be a part of that.”
The store also offers college packs, so parents can send their child a special treat for birthdays and holidays. In Eriole’s opinion, “cupcakes are universally loved by all ages.”
The bakery is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11-6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11-8 p.m. For further information contact Eriole at 845-255-2253 (CAKE) or at moxiecupcakenp@gmail.com.