Wicked Good Cupcakes
Wicked Good Cupcakes is a United States cupcake bakery known for packaging cupcakes in jars for retail sale and shipment.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Wicked Good Cupcakes is a United States bakery brand specializing in cupcakes packaged in jars. The company was created by mother and daughter Tracey Noonan and Danielle Desroches after Noonan took a cake-decorating class and the pair began sharing photographs of their baking online. Interest from friends and family encouraged them to turn the hobby into a business. Their distinctive packaging concept emerged from a practical shipping problem: cupcakes placed in jars could be transported more reliably than conventionally decorated cupcakes while preserving the cake, frosting, and layered presentation. The business opened a store in Cohasset, Massachusetts, in 2011 and developed both an in-store and online sales model. Its jar format became the central feature of the brand, differentiating it from traditional cupcake shops and making the products suitable for gifting, delivery, and shipment. The packaging also helped the company address the logistical difficulties associated with mailing a fragile, frosting-heavy baked good. Wicked Good Cupcakes attracted wider public attention in 2011 after a customer traveling through Boston Logan International Airport was stopped by the Transportation Security Administration. The cupcake was confiscated because the amount of icing was treated as exceeding the airport security limit for liquids. Although the incident was not a formal company campaign, the resulting publicity was associated with increased consumer interest and sales. The founders later appeared on the fourth season of the television investment program Shark Tank. The company accepted an investment from Kevin O'Leary consisting of $75,000 in exchange for a royalty arrangement. Under the reported terms, O'Leary was to receive $1 for every cupcake sold until the investment was repaid, followed by $0.45 per cupcake thereafter. The appearance raised the brand's profile and gave it exposure beyond its Massachusetts retail base. In 2021, Wicked Good Cupcakes was acquired by the Hickory Farms family of gourmet food-gift businesses. The transaction placed the cupcake brand within a broader gifting-oriented portfolio and aligned its shippable product format with a company known for packaged specialty foods. Publicly available reference material provides limited detail about subsequent ownership structure, management, financial performance, and geographic expansion. The brand is principally associated with jarred cupcakes sold through retail and online channels.
History
Wicked Good Cupcakes originated as a mother-and-daughter baking venture involving Tracey Noonan and Danielle Desroches. Noonan first became interested in cake decorating after taking a class, and the pair began posting images of their work online. Their baking attracted requests from friends and relatives, prompting them to consider a commercial model. The founders developed the brand's signature jar packaging in response to the difficulty of shipping conventional cupcakes. A cupcake enclosed in a jar could retain its structure during transportation and could be presented as a layered dessert combining cake and frosting. This approach also made the product suitable for online ordering and gifting, rather than limiting sales to customers visiting a bakery in person. The company opened a store in Cohasset, Massachusetts, in 2011. From the beginning, it combined a physical retail presence with online sales and shipment. The jar format became both a practical fulfillment solution and the brand's primary point of differentiation in the crowded bakery and cupcake category. Later in 2011, an airport-security incident brought the company unexpected attention. A traveler carrying one of its cupcakes through Boston was stopped by the Transportation Security Administration, which considered the quantity of icing to exceed the applicable three-ounce liquid restriction. The cupcake was confiscated. The episode circulated publicly and helped drive additional publicity, sales, and awareness for the young company. Wicked Good Cupcakes subsequently appeared on the fourth season of Shark Tank. The founders reached an agreement with investor Kevin O'Leary for $75,000 in exchange for royalties. The reported arrangement provided O'Leary with $1 for each cupcake sold until the investment had been recovered, after which the royalty changed to $0.45 per cupcake. The television appearance gave the business national exposure and reinforced its identity as a scalable, ship-friendly food-gift company. In 2021, the business was purchased by the Hickory Farms family of gourmet food gifts. The acquisition connected Wicked Good Cupcakes with a larger specialty-food and gifting organization. Available reference material does not establish detailed post-acquisition management, revenue, store count, or later product developments. The brand remains identified primarily with cupcakes sold in jars through retail and online channels.
- 2021
Acquisition by Hickory Farms family
[1]Wicked Good Cupcakes was purchased by the Hickory Farms family of gourmet food-gift businesses.
- 2011
Company formed and first store opened
[1]Tracey Noonan and Danielle Desroches formed Wicked Good Cupcakes and opened a store in Cohasset, Massachusetts.
- 2011
Airport-security incident generates publicity
[1]A cupcake was confiscated at Boston airport because its icing was treated as exceeding the applicable liquid restriction, bringing the company increased publicity and sales.
Shark Tank investment
[1]The company appeared on the fourth season of Shark Tank and accepted a $75,000 investment from Kevin O'Leary in exchange for royalties.
Products and positioning
A gift-oriented bakery brand built around portable, shippable cupcakes presented in jars.
Bakery desserts · 2011
Cupcakes in jars
The brand's signature product places a cupcake or cupcake-style layered dessert inside a jar. The format combines cake and frosting in a sealed, portable presentation designed to protect the dessert during handling and shipment. It serves both as a retail product and as a gift-friendly online offering.
Food gifts · 2011
Packaged cupcake gifts
Wicked Good Cupcakes packages its jarred desserts for direct purchase and delivery. The products are positioned for gifting as well as personal consumption, with packaging that allows a traditionally fragile bakery item to be distributed beyond the immediate area of a physical store.
Brand decisions
2021
Joined the Hickory Farms familyM&ABackground
Wicked Good Cupcakes had developed a business around packaged, shippable bakery gifts.
Action taken
The brand was purchased by the Hickory Farms family of gourmet food-gift businesses.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed Wicked Good Cupcakes within a broader specialty-food and gifting portfolio. Detailed transaction terms were not provided in the reference material.
- Adopted jar packaging for shippable cupcakesStrategy
Background
The founders needed a way to transport cupcakes without the damage commonly associated with shipping conventionally decorated bakery products.
Action taken
They placed cupcakes in jars, creating a portable format that became the brand's defining product and enabled online sales and shipment.
Aftermath
The jar format differentiated the company from conventional cupcake shops and supported its food-gifting model.
- Accepted Shark Tank royalty investmentOther
Background
The company sought investment and national exposure through an appearance on the fourth season of Shark Tank.
Action taken
Wicked Good Cupcakes accepted $75,000 from Kevin O'Leary in exchange for $1 per cupcake until repayment of the investment, followed by $0.45 per cupcake thereafter.
Aftermath
The agreement and television appearance increased the brand's public visibility.
Investment and royalty. $75,000 investment; $1 per cupcake until repayment, then $0.45 per cupcake (Shark Tank season 4)
Recent events
Hickory Farms announces acquisition of Wicked Good Cupcakes[2]
Reported:
Hickory Farms announced that it had acquired Wicked Good Cupcakes.
Sources2 sources
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