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Whipped is a new Student Union eatery that offers dozens of ways to build a cupcake.

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
January 15, 2008

These aren't your mother's chocolate frosted cupcakes. Unless, of course, you want them to be.

The Student Union Memorial Center's newest eatery, Whipped, lets your imagination run wild when it comes to creating your ideal cupcake.

Maybe a chocolate-covered, chocolate-filled cupcake slathered with strawberry and mango peach icing?

Perhaps a cherry-flavored cupcake with blueberry icing topped off with Red Hots?

Or you can always order off the menu, which offers four signature combinations, including the “Chile Chocolate.” This confection is made out of red chili pepper-infused chocolate batter – a “salute to Tucson’s heritage,” said Victoria Christie, assistant director of dining services at the UA.

The three other other mainstay cupcakes are Butterfinger, Reese’s Bomb and Fresh Strawberry. Those cupcakes will be filled to the hilt with their namesake goodies.

And with several cake flavors, icings, fillings and toppings to choose from, the huge number of possible combinations is sweet indeed.

“The only limitation is our imagination,” said Christie, whose unit handles the University’s food services.

Whipped carries a variety of cupcakes, icings and toppings with the basic cake costing $2.49. Cakes can be upgraded with stuffings, toppings or by being dipped.

Among the cake flavors are chocolate, vanilla, banana, spice and carrot, with peanut butter, blueberry, milk chocolate, strawberry, mango peace, dark chocolate, orange cream cheese and regular cream cheese icings. The toppings include chocolate chips, peanuts, cherries, strawberries, sprinkles, Oreo cookies, macadamia nuts, crushed peppermint and toasted almonds.

New additions will be added periodically, Christie said.

“We’ve obviously had a lot of fun with this and have eaten a lot of cupcakes,” she said. “We’re hoping to generate excitement so that people will say, ‘I wonder what they’ll have today.’ You’ll never know.”

UA students and staff created Whipped just like they came up with ideas for CORE and IQ Fresh – other restaurants at the Student Union. Whipped, located inside Cactus Grill on the union’s third floor, will open Jan. 16.

Melissa Vito, the UA’s vice president for student affairs, grew up in the restaurant business and suggested the idea of having a cupcake shop, said Nick Adamakis, Arizona Student Unions marketing director.

“We thought we would try something different," Adamakis said.

“We wanted a name that really resonated with students,” he said. “We know it’s going to be popular Feb. 14.”