The Cupcake Shack now open on Rayford Road

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- With jam-packed schedules, the days of enjoying a good sit down meal seem to be a thing of the past. However, a new business opening Sept. 17 will help make your hectic days a little bit sweeter.

The Cupcake Shack is a drive thru café that offers desserts as well as breakfast and lunch food.

“It's such a fun idea to me to be able to offer a southern hot lunch or a great cupcake or personal pie on the go,” Owner Amber Box said. “We also offer order ahead special occasion cupcakes by the dozen and whole pies for events and holidays.”

The idea for The Cupcake Shack occurred to Box while working at her other business.

“I have always enjoyed baking cupcakes for family and friends,” Box said. “They are just a fun, personal treat that makes everyone smile. I started adding cupcakes to the menu at my food truck, The Haute Frog, several months back and decided it would be fun to expand on this with The Cupcake Shack.”

The popularity of the mini cake has skyrocketed in the past few years with the traditional birthday cake and wedding cake now often being swapped for cupcake towers. They provide a way to eat cake without overindulging and with less fuss since no knives, forks or plates are needed.

“Cupcakes are fun, pretty and have endless flavor combinations to choose from,” Box said. “I don't think anyone can eat a cupcake without a little bit of their inner child coming out. I think cupcakes have caught on because they are like little rays of sunshine - they just make you smile.”

The list of cupcake flavors offered at The Cupcake Shack is endless. From vanilla bean cream, peanut butter cup and Rolo caramel, to old fashioned vanilla with Coca Cola chocolate frosting, lemon icebox, and Dreamsicle, there is a cupcake for everyone’s taste buds.

“You can find daily updates on our Facebook page listing cupcake and pie selections as well as our daily hot lunch choices,” Box said.

Box draws inspiration for her cupcake flavors from her daily life.

“I get inspiration for my cupcakes from everything I eat,” Box said. “Don't get me wrong, I love all of the traditional recipes passed down in my family, but I also love experimenting with different flavors that I love from different foods and desserts. Have you ever dipped your bacon in your pancake syrup? It's yummy; we have a maple bacon cupcake that captures that flavor.”

Along with cupcakes, The Cupcake Shack offers many other options to satisfy everyone.

“We will offer some breakfast selections like our homemade sticky buns and coffees as well as lunch items like our gourmet grilled cheeses, sour pear gouda and the pulled pork grilled cheese,” Box said. “[The Cupcake Shack will also sell] homemade chicken salad and jalapeno pimento, hamburgers, southern hot plate lunches, personal pies, bread pudding [and] banana pudding.”

The Cupcake Shack will also host a grand opening celebration in October with cupcake giveaways and family activities. The exact date of this event will be posted on The Cupcake Shack's Facebook page once determined.

To sample what The Cupcake Shack is baking up, visit them at 1810 Rayford Road.