Sweet treats and gourmet pastries became more accessible than ever on April 13 when the Couture Cupcake Café and Gelato Bar opened for business.

The newest edition to the Kildeer shopping center boasts a selection of 125 couture cupcakes in addition to serving coffee, tea, and gelato. Cathi Volante, CEO and cake artist, said her store sets itself apart from others in the area with traditional recipes and the organic ingredients with which she makes them.

“Most of the recipes are from my grandmother, and my father [and] I have made [them] modern,” Volante said. “We [also] use organic ingredients. I fly my chocolate in fresh from Europe every week and it really plays a big role in the flavor profiles of the cupcakes.”

In addition to the chocolate, Volante also imports the gelato selections from Venice, Italy to ensure the authentic flavor. Above all, however, Volante said her shop is different because it is the first of its kind in the LZ area.

“You [usually] have to really go to the city [for cupcake stores], and then there’s only a few select places that make extreme cakes like we make, so to have that in the suburbs is really rare,” Volante said.

The café not only offers cupcakes and gelato, but also designs cakes for special events, like weddings. Their motto is “What the bride wants, the bride gets,” according to the Couture Cupcakes website.

Customers like Lauren Guilford, junior, said they were also attracted to the design of the store and its convenient location.

“[My friends and I] were out for lunch at [Noodles and Company], so [Couture Cupcakes] was just near it, so we thought we were just going to see what it was,” Guilford said. “”It was just a little, cute shop with pink all over. [And the food] was really good, I got a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting – the frosting was the best part.”

Volante said she initially began designing cakes for friends as a side activity with an original career in Press Relations and Marketing.

“Actually, being a pastry chef was my hobby. I have a fourteen-year-old and an eleven-year-old…and we all watch the cupcake shows and the ‘Cake Boss,’ and I just organically have made wedding cakes for friends and friends of friends,” Volante, said. “My kids one day said, ‘Why don’t you open a cupcake store?’ And that’s kind of how I got started.”

Cakes are available for pre-order at any time via phone call or store visit, while a large selection of cupcakes, gelato, and other treats are available in the store. For more information and a complete menu, visit http://couturecupcakecafe.com.