Cupcake class also a fundraiser

Cupcake lovers can join fellow mini cake enthusiasts for an afternoon class to learn the secrets of organic cupcake baking, all to benefit San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House.

Taught by Michelle Ciccarelli Lerach, creative chef and owner of Cups, a cupcake catering business and soon-to-open cupcakery in La Jolla, the class will take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sept. 27 at the new Ronald McDonald House at 2929 Children’s Way in San Diego.

For a hands-on cupcake baking experience, participants can buy a ticket for $125 to get into the kitchen to bake with Lerach and learn how to make batters, frostings, fillings and toppings. Held in the expansive six-island kitchen at the new Ronald McDonald House, bakers will crack the eggs, mix the sugar, scoop the flour, pop them in the oven and then decorate.

For $85, attendees get to sit in the audience and view all the processes and techniques the Cups chef uses to make luscious, gorgeous cupcakes.

Audience members will also be given the opportunity to decorate and frost their own cupcakes at several decorating islands and take their creations home to enjoy - if they don’t finish them before they leave.

A lawyer-turned-chef, Lerach has taught multiple sold-out cupcake classes at Sonoma’s famous Relish Culinary Adventures Cooking School. She will create four different cupcakes including the Ronald McDonald House Love Cup, a lemon-vanilla bean cup with lemon curd center, topped with lemonade Swiss meringue frosting and fresh strawberries.

For every Love Cup sold, half of the proceeds will be donated to Ronald McDonald House. Other flavors include: the PB Cup - a dairy-free chocolate cup with creamy peanut butter-cream; Banana Crème - a banana cup topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting; Chocolate Truffle - a rich, truffle-filled chocolate cup, topped with a rich, dark chocolate frosting; and Velours Rouge - a red devil’s food cup with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting.

All participants will receive a favors bag filled with their own cupcake creations, Cups goodies and coupons to use at the Cups La Jolla location.

To register for the cupcake baking class, call (858) 467-4750, ext. 2445, or visit