Perhaps in conventional circumstances, when a princess goes to war against a general, we expect the one with the bow in her hair to lose.
And so it was easy to dismiss 2009 UCLA alumna Dorothy Tong, the self-proclaimed “Cupcake Princess,” when she competed on season two of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” After all, the final competitor standing between her and victory was Bruce Zipes, a gruff New Yorker who wore camouflage and called himself “The General.”
Tong opened Cupcake and Cookie, an online bakery specializing in her trademark cookie-filled cupcakes and cupcake-filled cookies, only a month before appearing on the show.
And as dessert royalty, Tong delivers her cupcakes dressed as a princess.
Zipes, on the other hand, has maintained the Bruce’s Bakery chain in New York since 1970. Zipes employs more than 40 people, compared to Tong’s solo venture.
But on “Cupcake Wars,” Princess Tong beat General Zipes for $10,000 and the title of “Cupcake Wars” winner.
Tong had a long history with desserts prior to her win.
“Ever since I was born, I didn’t like to eat normal food,” Tong said.
When her parents saw that she didn’t eat meat or vegetables, they told her to make her own food. She did.
“I would make cakes and cookies,” Tong said, “And so ever since I can remember, I’ve been baking.”
To this day, Tong said she prefers to order ice cream in lieu of a main course.
Tong’s friend Deann Chan worked as her assistant for the episode. Tong met Chan, a dental hygienist by day, when Chan made especially delicious cupcakes for a mutual friend’s baby shower.
Chan credits Tong’s win on her creativity and diligent research watching previous episodes of “Cupcake Wars.”
“(I felt) more like a big sister,” Chan said. “The person that calms you down and (says), “˜Okay, come on, let’s just get everything done.'”
The night the episode aired, Tong invited friends for a viewing party at her home in Thousand Oaks and baked the same cupcakes she created for each challenge.
For Stacy Schroeder, a friend of Tong’s through high school and a fellow UCLA graduate, the Elvis cupcake earns top marks for its sumptuous mix of peanut butter, chocolate and banana.
Schroeder has enjoyed Tong’s baked goods for years, both outside of school and also in the Cooking Club that Tong started in high school. Tong decided that this cooking club’s proceeds would all go to charity.
“You can’t say no to a cooking club that saves the world,” Schroeder said.
Though Tong now delivers treats to the community dressed as Snow White and Alice in Wonderland, the fairy tale character she relates to most is not a princess.
“I love Peter Pan. I think I relate to (him) the most because he never wants to grow up. I don’t ever want to grow up,” Tong said with a laugh. “I make cupcakes and dress as a princess.”