Leslie Fiet of Mini’s Cupcakes Wins Cupcake Wars

 Leslie Fiet of Mini’s Cupcakes and her assistant Stephanie Deer won an episode of “Cupcake Wars” tonight.  Fiet received $10,000 and the opportunity to serve her cheerleader-themed cupcakes at a celebration for the country’s best cheerleaders.

“There’s a pep rally going on with this plate,” one of the approving judges told her after tasting her cupcakes.

 “It’s really super exciting to even be asked to be on the show,” said Fiet in an email last week from Paris, where she was taking culinary classes.

When asked what she learned from the competition, she wrote, “First, I am good at what I do regardless of personal tastes. That being said, I’m always really amazed that contestants on the show use fake ingredients. Like a jar of pre-made caramel or lemon curd and shortening in their frosting!  I’m super proud that as a bakery we have taken the stance of never using a cake mix or artificial flavorings in our cupcakes. Not on the show and not at home. Being a true foodie and experimental baker helped me on ‘Cupcake Wars,’ regardless of the outcome.”

She said she was proud of Stephanie Deer, her best friend who served as her assistant. “It took a lot of courage for a non-baker to go on the show, and for me to rely on myself for the success or failure of my choices, and to totally trust Steph on the decorations. It was a lot of pressure on her.”

She has also written a cupcakes cookbook, “Mini’s Cupcakes.”

Utah bakers are gaining a reputation for “Cupcake Wars.” Earlier this year Meagan Faulkner-Brown of The Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakery won a competition with a “Rock of Ages” theme, and Janell Brown of One Sweet Slice won with cupcakes sporting a “Star Wars” theme.