Who is Hello, Cupcake!?

Alan Richardson and Karen Tack are the best-selling authors of Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake?, the cookbooks that have created  a revolution in cupcaking. Using ordinary candy and snacks, a few everyday kitchen tools, a little good old fashioned ingenuity, and a dollop of fun, the two have turned the cake decorating world on it's head with extraordinary cupcake designs that beg the question “is this really a cupcake?” They have been working together for two decades to create sophisticated yet comical treats for the covers of America's favorite magazines. Their talent for using candy and snacks for decorations grew out of their need to create cupcake designs that were so easy anyone could make them. Their big revelation, a marshmallow circus peanut already looks like a goldfish, led them to discover that candy and snacks have color, shape, and texture that make decorating a snap. They feel that candy already knows what it can be, you just need to reveal it.
Their appearances on The Martha Stewart Show, The Rachel Ray Show, The Paula Deen Show, The Early Show, and many visits to the TODAY Show have made them America's cupcake celebrities. The two have toured cooking schools, festivals, expos, and state fairs across the country and love demonstrating how to be a candy detective and find the right candy for the right design.

Called “The Cake Whisperer” by Gourmet Magazine, Karen trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked in restaurant kitchens before starting her magazine career at Cook's Magazine. She soon revealed a penchant for food styling and a love of baking and sweets that have made her one of the top stylists in the country.

Alan studied at The Art Student's League and has worked as an art director, a photographer, a book designer, and a writer. In addition to Hello, Cupcake! and What’s New, Cupcake? Alan has co-authored The Four Season of Italian Cooking and The Breath of a Wok for which he received The 2005 Best International Cookbook Award from IACP as well as The Jane Grigson Award.

Karen and Alan's creations have appeared in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Real Simple, Food and Wine, Cook's Illustrated, Everyday With Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart Living, The New York Times Magazine, COLORS, Esquire, GQ, Washington Post Magazine, Family Circle, Taste of Home, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, All You, Family Fun, Nick Jr., and many more. Their mega-hit books Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake? have introduced them to millions of cupcakers. Check out their schedule below for upcoming appearances.