City Pulse

Feed the Beat: Sweet Treats Play Headliners at Confections of a Rock $tar

By Kate Harvie

Asbury Park, NJ has always been, for me, a two place destination: The Stone Pony, a terrific bar where noted musicians appear and have for decades, and Silver Ball Museum, an arcade which houses playable(!) vintage pinball machines. And now there’s a trifecta of spots: Confections of a Rock $tar is the place for original and custom cupcakes, cakes, and cake pops.

Kimmee Masi, cake artist and drummer/manager of hard rock band Our Last Sin, opened Confections in August last year after leaving her insurance job. She has combined her two loves: music and baking. I asked Kimmee what baked goods and music have in common. Besides “me,” Kimmee stated, “How do you know what you’re tasting when you’re tasting?” She has made food experiential by doing – through baking – what happens when you hear amazing tunes: “ makes you feel everything.”

Like music, her treats conjure memories and dreams. Each one is named for a song or a musician. Among my favorite cupcakes is S’more Than a Feeling (chocolate chip graham cracker cake with bruléed marshmallow frosting). Everything is made fresh daily in house with organic ingredients and without preservatives.

Confections is rooted in love. Kimmee’s father, a known baker with two bakeries, taught her to bake. She picked up her passion and skills for drumming from her maternal grandfather. She has identified seven cities known for music where Confections will be once it expands. Committed to service and community, Kimmee also plans to open a place dedicated to children and senior citizens. She dreams big and is already bringing big dreams to life.

To take a tour, taste and see how it rocks, stop by Confections of a Rock $star in Asbury Park at 550 Cookman Avenue, online (http://CoaRock.com), on Facebook, and Twitter.

***All photography courtesy of Kate Harvie***

Originally published February 2013