Cora Lee Cupcakes welcomes customers with desserts everyone can enjoy

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Not all sweets are, well, sweet.

Some can be scary.

Recently, Courtney Smith Kobelenske and Kylie Smith Lash were asked to make a cake in the shape of the demonic doll Chucky from the movie “Child’s Play.” It was for a 7-year-old boy’s birthday.

“Dad asked specifically for something that was scary, but not too scary — no knives or anything, but a couple of scars would be pretty cool,” Lash said. “It was interesting. It wasn’t my prettiest work — on purpose.”

Lash and Kobelenske are the owners of Cora Lee Cupcakes. Other cakes the sisters have made include Poppy from the movie “Trolls” and Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons from “Game of Thrones.”

“The kids seem to like it. As long as we can get it past the kids, and they can tell what it is, we’re in business,” Lash said.

The pair opened the shop six years ago in honor of Kobelenske’s daughter, Cora, who has autism. They wanted a place where people from all walks of life could feel welcome.

Cora, 13, works at the New Kensington bake shop with them, talking with customers and taking their money. Their mom, Melissa Smith, and their husbands help out, too.

“No one can say no to Cora,” Kobelenske said.

Lash is in charge of cake design and decorating. She draws all of the designs free hand on paper before putting them on the cakes. Because of that, all the cakes made at the shop are unique.

“It will look similar, but we’ve never made the same cake twice,” Lash said.

Most of the cakes are made by placing cupcakes next to each other and frosting over them, but the sisters also make regular cakes and wedding cakes.

The sisters started in Lower Burrell, but eventually moved to Feldarelli Square in New Kensington. The two still have the same yellow mixer from when they first started the venture.

“We started with that and hoped for the best,” Kobelenske said. “Now we have a client base, customers, friends that are now family.”

Kobelenske helps her sister with cakes when needed, but said she would rather make cookies, cupcakes and icing.

The shop once made 800 cookies for a Christmas in July party — its largest order to date.

“That took probably a good four days,” Kobelenske said.

“We were overcome with cookies,” Melissa Smith said.

In addition to baked goods, the shop has a lunch menu that includes paninis and soups. They also have gluten-free options.

Everything the sisters make is edible.

“We’re real big on if you can’t eat it, we don’t put it in there,” Kobelenske said.

All the cupcakes are made without seeds or nuts unless requested, Kobelenske said. The desserts are also separated so there’s no chance for contamination.

“That’s the stuff we’re super careful with,” Kobelenske said. “We don’t want anyone to ever get sick.”