Michelle Spell is the owner, pastry chef and recipe inventor at Ava’s Cupcakes, a premier bakery offering gourmet and seasonal ingredient combinations. Named after her youngest daughter, Ava’s Cupcakes opened its doors in 2011 and has proudly been serving complex cupcake flavor profiles and award-winning baked desserts. Ava’s Cupcakes and compotes are baked fresh daily and only feature fresh, seasonal ingredients. With more than two decades of culinary experience and ServSafe certified, Michelle prides herself in introducing consumers to a world of new and exotic flavor combinations, as well as providing signature nostalgic cupcakes for any occasion or celebration. In 2012, Michelle competed and won season 4 “Food Network Cupcake Wars: I Love Lucy 60th Anniversary” and was recently voted as one of the best cupcakes in America by The Daily Meal. Ava’s Cupcakes have been featured in publications and programs such as NBC’s TODAY Show, The Wall Street Journal, The Knot, The Boomer & Carlton Show, Better Nutrition, METRO New York, The Huffington Post, ESSENCE, and BAKE. Michelle currently resides in North Carolina. On her spare time, you’ll find her in the kitchen with her four children and husband cooking Sunday dinner or volunteering at their local church.