Around the City: Killer Cupcakes Goremet

What started as an ordinary batch of cupcakes unexpectedly turned into a way of life for local business owners, Nicole and Symon Wilk. After receiving praise for Nicole’s homemade cupcakes at a potluck, the couple started getting orders for their sweet treats. That’s when they noticed a roadside shack go up for rent along Highway 6 and thought, “What a crazy idea that would be, to have cupcakes on the roadside.”

During the warmer months of the year, in what would normally be home to a burger or fry shack in Aberfoyle, Killer Cupcakes Goremet serves up specialty bite-sized cakes with a signature retro flair. As a year-round treat, the couple has also opened up an equally nostalgic location in downtown Guelph. The small, but mighty shop is where hundreds of hours have gone into creating and perfecting unique treats that set them apart from any other cupcake shop in town.

For Nicole Wilk, it is all about providing a feel-good experience for the customer, “I’m not saying that it’s by any means good for you. It’s still sugar, it’s still calories, but it’s meant to be a treat. It’s meant to be enjoyed.” From the wacky décor to the surprising—and sometimes alcoholic—flavours, Killer Cupcakes reminds us to not take life so seriously.

“There’s a lack of fun,” explains Wilk, “and we’re trying to revive that for people.”

Part of the fun is coming into the shop to see what crazy flavours they have on offer each week and guessing how each cupcake got its name. “They’re all kind of named after old movies and rock ‘n’ roll,” says Wilk, who got the idea when she made a chocolatey, caramel-filled cupcake that reminded her of ­­­­­the character, Chunk, from The Goonies. Thus, the Truffle Shuffle was born. While chocolate and caramel seem like ordinary cupcake ingredients, there are other options that come into rotation that are a little less conventional, like the Teenage Wasteland, to which Wilk comments: “There’s nobody that does a better Mountain Dew and Dorito cupcake than I do.” Fun factors aside, the success of Killer Cupcakes boils down to the amount of care the owners put into their products, even if that means coming into work at four o’clock every morning to make a fresh batch of cupcakes by hand. The hard work does not go unnoticed, however, as the couple often sell out before the end of the day. “They’re good cakes with wholesome ingredients,” says Wilk, “and that goes a long way as far as our customers are concerned.”