Bites Nearby: Cupcake Cravings Drive Food Truck's Destiny

It all started with a sweet tooth that drove a mother of three to experiment with homemade treats. Her kitchen explorations blossomed into a labor of love. Angelette Aviles gave away a lot of cupcakes on her way to discovering a passion and a talent.

"The next thing you know, I had strangers calling me. When strangers started calling, I said I have something here," explained Aviles, the owner of Cupcake Blvd., a food truck that parks outside the Silver Spring Centre at 8455 Colesville Road on most Thursdays.

Her romance with baking is now a full-time business on the verge of expanding. In December, Aviles plans to open a storefront bakery to go with the food truck she rolled out on Valentine's Day.

"We've gotten so busy, and we're also doing wholesale orders," said Aviles. "The truck has actually helped open the store."

The Cupcake Blvd store is scheduled to open on Dec. 15, which happens to be National Cupcake Day. The new kitchen in Crofton, MD will give Aviles, and a soon to be staff of eight, additional room to make and sell more than six flavor creations a day at the store and on the truck.

"There are different flavors every week, and they are so good. It's something you need to try," said loyal customer, Mauricio Awyala.

He and many other Cupcake Blvd fans bring co-workers and friends to the truck. Some customers also buy extra cupcakes to share at the office or take home.

"They're fantastic. They taste really good, and I like all the flavors," said Beltsville resident Angie Elkins. She is trying the Pumpkin Spice this time, but the Dulce de Leche is a favorite.

"My family is from Puerto Rico, so we always have some sort of Latin flavor each week. It's either Dulce de Leche, Margarita or something like that," said Aviles.

The food truck owner left behind a career in public relations and marketing when she decided to become a baker. Her research skills, cooking classes and baking experiments are paying off in cupcake sales, birthday party requests and special occasion catering.

"We're going to have a party room (at the store) for kids because I've had a lot of requests to bring the truck to parties or do cupcake decorating classes for kids," Aviles added.

Some of the flavors Cupcake Blvd offers are inspired by TV cooking shows, popular choices or customer requests. Red Velvet, Snickerdoodle, Nutella and Oreo are among the big sellers. Bethesda magazine called the truck's offerings "little works of art." The cupcakes are $3 each or $16 for a half-dozen and $30 for a dozen.

"I think the cupcakes are absolutely wonderful. They are yummy," said Vankita Brown, who lives in Takoma Park. "A friend of mine introduced me to Cupcake Blvd. We've been coming three weeks straight."

Cupcake Blvd also makes stops in Bethesda and Rockville, which is a relief to Melinda Randolph, a regular customer. She will be working in the Rockville area soon and said, "I'm going to follow her right over there and continue to get my cupcakes."

Aviles and her staff start baking cupcakes at six each morning. They are made from scratch using butter, vanilla bean and other natural ingredients. She insists on selling fresh ones each day, taking the leftovers home or giving them to shelters.

As a former Wheaton resident and graduate of Good Counsel High School, Aviles takes pride in making it convenient for families in Montgomery and Anne Arundel Counties to buy fresh-baked cupcakes.

"When you're having fun doing it, it doesn't seem like work. You may feel it at the end of the day with your feet, but my mind is always spinning," said Aviles. "I'm always thinking of the next day or what is going to be on the menu."

You can track the Cupcake Blvd on the food truck's website. Information on the truck and the new store is also available on Facebook, Twitter and FoodTruckFiesta.com.

Note: This is a food truck profile, not a review. Opinions expressed do not represent the ideas of the writer or Patch.