Sprinkles has announced the launch of its first ever Female Chef Series featuring a signature baked treat from four game-changing women in the culinary industry, available in March, June and September. In tandem with each run, Sprinkles will make a donation to the chef’s charity of choice.

The series kicks off with Los Angeles’ Brooke Williamson, Top Chef winner and co-chef/co-owner of Playa Provisions, in March and benefits Step Up; followed by Austin’s LeAnn Mueller and Alison Clem of the la Barbecue in June and benefitting Allgo; and finishes up with San Diego’s James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalist Claudette Zepeda of VAGA in September, benefitting the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

“We are using our national platform to spotlight women who are changing the game in the culinary industry,” says Sprinkles chief marketing officer Michelle Wong. “Brooke Williamson is an advocate for saving restaurants during the pandemic. LeAnn Mueller and Alison Clem of la Barbecue continue to revolutionize the male-dominated BBQ industry. Claudette Zepeda proudly weaves her Mexican heritage into cooking celebrated worldwide. It is our honor to feature a personal baked treat on our national platform that captures the creativity and personality of each chef.”

To create each baked treat, Sprinkles’ head of culinary Charles Craig collaborated with each chef to create a dessert representative of their culinary vision. Each chef-designed baked treat ($6) will be unveiled throughout the year in March, June and September, and can be ordered online and in-bakery for pick-up and local delivery as well as at Cupcake ATMs nationwide.

Brooke Williamson

To create the inaugural cupcake, Brooke Williamson drew inspiration for her Dark Chocolate Passion Fruit Cupcake from a calming ritual of pruning passion fruit vines at home and an affinity for a balance between sweet and bitter flavors. The cupcake features a passion fruit curd piped into the center of a rich chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting.

“As someone who started out in the pastry world, it’s an honor to collaborate with a brand like Sprinkles, who has always been committed to giving back and making an impact, not to mention all while making delicious treats,” says Williamson. “It’s been exciting to partner with them for International Women’s Day and celebrate the incredible women in our industry, while inspiring young girls to achieve their dreams—a cause that is near-and-dear to my heart—through the organization StepUp.”

Brooke Williamson’s Dark Chocolate Passion Fruit cupcake is available March 1-13 at all bakeries and ATMs nationwide and in limited quantities at Playa Provisions in Playa del Rey, California.

LeAnn Mueller and Alison Clem

LeAnn Mueller and Alison Clem of la Barbecue drew inspiration for their baked treat from family favorites they grew up enjoying. Their Savory Scone features a scone-like cake filled with bites of bacon, jack cheese and cracked pepper.

“We’re excited to celebrate Pride Month with the launch of our Sprinkles savory scone and appreciate the opportunity to support the LGBTQIA+ community through this collaboration that benefits Allgo, a nonprofit that nurtures and celebrates queer people of color. It is also an honor to be able to share a bit of our unique Texas flare with Sprinkles fans everywhere,” says Mueller and Clem.

LeAnn Mueller and Alison Clem’s Savory Scone is available June 2022, with exact dates to be confirmed.

Claudette Zepeda

The inspiration for Zepeda’s Glorias cupcake is a homage to her childhood. Glorias are a raw milk and pecan-based candy that was invented in Northern Mexico and affectionately known as “grandma’s purse” surprise. Growing up in Mexico, Zepeda spent days rounding up as many coins as possible to buy a gloria at the bodega or curled at her grandma's side enjoying one together. Zepeda approaches her pastry-making with permission to be childlike and whimsical and to evoke the sweet moments in her childhood.

“As a former pastry chef, this is a full circle moment for me in my professional career. I'm honored to be part of this series, representing my country alongside Sprinkles, a company that shook our industry and shows what can be done with a dream and perseverance. The fiercest fuel in my drive is to honor the generational power the women before us gifted us with. I hope to empower the next generation of Latinas, a cause that Hispanic Heritage Foundation takes on every day,” says Zepeda.

Claudette’s Glorias cupcake is available September 2022, with exact dates to be confirmed.