KITCHENER -- If you want to make someone smile, you can't go wrong with a cupcake.

That is what inspired high school student Neha Allim to take her passion for baking from a hobby and turn it into something more.

“I knew that right now was like a really difficult time and I still wanted people to be able to have fun,” said Allim.

Quarantine Cupcakes Kitchener began in June with a post online, offering up her edible creations to people participating in drive by birthday celebrations. They grew in popularity from there.

“So after I started that, my [Instagram] page really blew up really fast which was really crazy. Because right now a lot of people were trying to support local businesses which was really nice,” said Allim.

It also gave her a way to give back she began connecting with other small business like The Bauer Kitchen for a pop up event. For Movember, she connected with a local fundraiser and donated cupcakes to the cause.

“She jumped right in! I promoted it on my Facebook, on my Instagram. She promoted it and forwarded everything and we were able to raise a hundred dollars’ worth of cupcakes,” said Mandy Jo McMurray, a local fundraising team captain for Movember in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Keeping up with the latest holiday trends, the young baker has also added hot chocolate bombs to her repertoire and they have been a huge hit.

"I was surprised she was so young too, like I couldn't believe it just 18 years old. So it's great to see young people getting out there and being entrepreneurs,” said Shandi Raymundo, a Kitchener resident who recently purchased some of the hot chocolate bombs.

Allim said because of the success of quarantine cupcakes, she's now inspired to pursue business and the culinary arts as a career, hoping one day opening up her own cupcake shop.