Happiness is in the Frosting

Fountain Valley School of Colorado Heather Zidell ’90, right, dispenses happiness from Bubbles the Airstream.

ueled by a whim—along with a random eBay win that landed them a ramshackle 1965 Airstream trailer—Heather Zidell ’90 and her business partner, Leora Azoulay Lesh, launched Trailercakes, a thriving cupcake business in Dallas. F

Zidell is CFO (Chief Frosting Officer), the restored trailer’s name is Bubbles, the vibe is happy 80s, and the disco music they play has people dancing in the streets. Trailercakes mission: “To always serve the best tasting cupcakes you’ve ever had while evoking nostalgic emotions of happiness and bliss. We believe that being laid back and fun can and should exist without compromising a standard of

quality. Happiness comes in many forms, and we hope to summon those emotions the moment the first bit of frosting hits the lips. That, to us, is the icing on the cake and why we like to say ‘happiness is in the frosting.’” Trailercakes proves that cupcakes are no passing fancy, marking their fifth year in business. A busy day is delivering 5,000 cupcakes to the Dallas Mavericks while an average day is baking and selling around 1,000 cupcakes. Bubbles the Airstream travels to special events while their storefront is located in central Dallas.

Zidell’s career experience in marketing and media sales contributes to the success of the business. Recently, YELP—the crowd-sourced website that reviews local HAPPINESS IS IN THE FROSTING

businesses—flew Zidell to San Francisco to join 100 other top-rated businesses from across the country in celebration.

Zidell says that their peanut butter and jelly cupcake put them on the map. A Dallas reviewer in D Magazine put it this way: “Taking a bite into the PB&J cupcake is a transcendental experience. The cake is light and fresh and crumbles apart gently as it dances across your tongue. The frosting, otherwise known as ‘peanut butter fluff,’ is what it claims to be: a fluffy, cloud-like consistency laced with rich, nutty peanut butter flavor. And just when you feel your mouth is near gustatory sensory overload, you are hit with a burst of strawberry jelly hiding deep inside, begging you to release it from its prison of cake…” The menu rotates, and Trailercakes’ loyal customers memorize the schedule (and get upset when it changes). Cupcake names add to the fun and include “Who Ya Callin’ Coconut,” “Laverne and Shirley,” “Slap Your Mama Chocolate” and “Caramel Eileen.”

So what does the Chief Frosting Officer say is the secret to good frosting?

“Use real ingredients—butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese—and never any filler.”