Name: Jessie Oleson
Age: 26
Location: Seattle, WA
Occupation: Magnet Magnate by day (I am a product manager at a refrigerator magnet company called ipopshop.com); Dessert Detective by night.
URL: www.cakespy.com / jessieoleson.etsy.com (store)
Please give us an overview of your blog Cakespy. When and how did you get the idea for it?
It happened this past May, when I had taken the day off of work to obtain a marriage license for my upcoming nuptials to Mr. Cakespy. So as you can see, there were already big things on my mind that day. I was also extremely busy at that point, working on various (separate) projects: designing magnets for iPop, doing freelance writing for DailyCandy Seattle, picking out a cake for my wedding. Walking home from operation Marriage License, I purchased a cupcake at Macrina and sat in the Olympic Sculpture park for several minutes in an existential (and sugary) haze, wondering if there could possibly be a way to combine all of my biggest passions (drawing, writing, pastries) in one place. That's when the concept for Cakespy came to me.
You focus on all kinds of cake and treats like doughnuts, not just cupcakes, on Cakespy. How do cupcakes fit into the rest of the Cakespy universe?
We don't discriminate in terms of dessert--doughnuts, pie, cookies, However, for me, cupcakes have a very special place in my heart. I think that everyone has that one special cake from childhood that serves as a marker for all cakes after. For me, it was the three-tiered pink buttercream frosted cake that my mother would make for me every year. With the extra batter, she would make pink-frosted cupcakes. Whereas the cake was a special occasion only thing, the cupcakes were that extra, accessible bonus. And in life, isn't that what cupcakes are? A happy little bonus.
Actually, these little pink frosted cupcakes, made with extra cake batter, are the inspiration for the little cupcake character that you see all around Cakespy.com.
A photo of said three tier cake can be found here. The little girl is Cake Gumshoe Bridget.
You run Cakespy with a team of correspondents. Where did you find your fellow Cake-spyers and what do they each contribute to the blog?
The motley crew of Cake Gumshoes consists mostly of family, friends, co-workers, and people who have stumbled upon Cakespy and want to contribute. Everyone has something unique to contribute. Geographically, Cake Gumshoe Bridget (OK, also my sister) gives us the scoop on what's going on dessert-wise in the SF Bay area; Cake Gumshoe Margie (OK, also my mom), who lives in NJ, is constantly spying out sweet leads in the NY/NJ area. Locally, Mr. Cakespy, Allison, and several others are always on hand to take part in dessert experiments or help out with tastings.
You also make beautiful cupcake-themed art, which you sell on Etsy. What kinds of materials do you use, and how long does it take you to complete a piece?
Thanks for your kind words! I do all of the artwork, and use a Micron 03 pen for the line and then color it in with Windsor-Newton watercolors (in cake form, naturally, rather than from the tube), usually on either cold-press watercolor paper or Bristol board. As for the time spent? Well, I suppose that can be either an easy or complex question. I read an interview with a New Yorker artist once where they asked "How long did it really take you to do this drawing?" which was just a simple line drawing. He replied something to the tone of "Physically? Thirty seconds. Mentally? Ten years." Mine probably take about an hour start to finish (between letting the paint dry etc), but I feel like it's taken a lot of practice and work to get the lines just-so.
Why are cupcakes fun to draw?
Why not? Cupcakes are one of those things that is just inherently good. It makes me feel good drawing them, and I think that shows. I love adding an aspect of mischief to a lot of the work, and am thrilled that people seem to respond to this and "get" my sense of humor.
What's your favorite cupcake-drawing you've made?
That is a very hard question! I love the "versus" series, where I have done a cupcake vs. a muffin, a cupcake vs. pie, etc.
I also seriously love this cupcake baking image which recently sold on Etsy.
I plan on doing more like this!
You cover the Seattle cupcake scene extensively for your blog at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. How did that gig come about, and what are the latest trends you've seen?
I love the Seattle PI! They have this great little section called "What's Online" that showcases cool websites and finds on the internet, and they featured Cakespy.com a while back, and it was then that I found out about their Reader Blog program. When I inquired they responded enthusiastically, and Cakespy Seattle was born. It's a great way to feature local news while keeping the main Cakespy site a little more universal. As for trends? Well, probably not a big surprise for you, but I am just seeing more and more conscious and restricted baking cropping up: vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, etc. Happily, the trend seems to be going toward making these restricted recipes actually taste good.
How much time per week do you spend scoping out bakeries?
A lot, actually! I walk 3 miles to work every day, and frequently try to alter my route to include bakeries; I try to make a trek every weekend to a new bakery I have never tried out, which is cool because I get to explore new neighborhoods as well and spend quality time with Mr. Cakespy, who frequently goes on these adventures too. Recently, I took a trip to Portland, OR just to check out bakeries too.
Cupcake from Portland's Saint Cupcake by Jessie Oleson
Along the same lines, since Christmas is upon us, what would you recommend for Seattle residents looking to bring cupcakes to their holiday gatherings? Which of the holiday-themed cupcakes you've sampled are your favorite?
I think I am going to have to say I've found Trophy Cupcakes' offerings to be the most inspired this holiday season. They came out with a candied yam cupcake for Thanksgiving that got such wonderful reviews that happily, they're keeping it around through Christmas. This is my pick:
Where is your favorite place to get cupcakes in Seattle? Do you have a sense of which bakery is the most poplar generally?
I would have to say that in terms of cupcake shops, Trophy Cupcakes and Cupcake Royale are probably the most popular.
I like both, but think that they're both rather different; whereas Trophy is a little bit more of a culinary experience for me, Cupcake Royale has a great ambiance and "bake sale but better" type of cupcake. Metropolitan Market (who buys them from a wholesaler though I don't know who) has some really great cupcakes too.
And the cupcakes at the Dahlia Bakery are really great, as are the red velvet cupcakes at Café Sweet Posie.
As more cupcake bakeries open in Seattle, do you think the market will become oversaturated?
Interesting question. You know, it is kind of funny for me because I moved to Seattle 3 years ago from New York, where the cupcake trend had already been happening for several years, and it was just starting here. While at this point oversaturation isn't a huge worry, sometimes I do worry about the cupcake quality as more places open. Places like New York Cupcakes (2 locations in the Seattle area) to me seem very contrived, like they're just jumping on the trend bandwagon and don't really have a product to back it up.
You recently recommended Colombian-style cocoa from The Confectional and the Ovaltine latte at Top Pot Doughnuts. What's your favorite beverage to drink with cupcakes?
Those are wonderful beverages, but I think that sweet beverages are best alone. With cupcakes, my beverage accompaniments of choice are warm milk or strong coffee (milk, no sugar).
What's your fantasy cupcake that you'd love to see/eat, but nobody's made yet?
"Pie is the new cake" seems to be the mantra, but what I would really love to see is a pie cupcake. CupPIEcake?
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Probably once or twice a week. Although I'll go on jags where I have to have them every day. One such occurrence was when I recently had my wisdom teeth out. I was supposed to be avoiding solid foods, but I just had to have a cupcake so I mashed it in a bowl with milk, for kind of a makeshift cupcake meusli. Is that gross? Well, it was delicious.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
Peeling off the wrapper, and that delicious moment of anticipation just before taking the first bite.
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
I guess at heart I'm a purist: vanilla (white) cake with pink buttercream frosting. I know that pink isn't a flavor per se, but it just tastes different to me. Of course I'm willing to give anything a try.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
Put it this way: if I am presented with a buffet of dessert choices that includes cupcakes, I'm probably going to hit the cupcakes first.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
I'm intrigued with cupcake transit, so a way to transport or ship them that doesn't crush the frosting is probably first on my list. I see developments happening (the cupcake courier, custom-made shipping boxes, the cup-a-cake) but am excited to see even more solutions.
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
I do bake cupcakes! Most recently I made some lovely hummingbird cupcakes which made me a hero at work. However I do enjoy it even more when someone else bakes them for me. As previously mentioned, my mom makes a killer batch.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
Watching my mother frost a batch while sitting at the kitchen table, with eyes like little saucers. Completely rapt.
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
Once, when I was in college in Brooklyn, a friend and I decided to get cupcakes for my roommate's birthday. Naturally, not just any cupcake would do so we took the train up to the Cupcake Café on 39th and 9th (it's moved since then I believe). With an amazing lack of forethought, we made this trek at rush hour, carefully guarding our cupcakes on the packed A train, on a voyage not unlike dodging land mines, back to Brooklyn. I guess at the time it wasn't cupcake fun, but in retrospect it was a great adventure.
Do you have anything else to add?
I'll be putting up a bunch of new artwork on Etsy tomorrow!
Comments
Great job and lovely cupcakes!