Have you made a cupcake-related resolution?
Blogger Miss Couturable has:
I, Miss Couturable, will become a cupcake connoisseur by the end of 2008. I will buy cupcake cookbooks and make the delicious masterpieces for my friends and family, sample cupcakes from far and wide (Magnolia Bakery in New York is on my list for next summer!), and become an absolute master in the art of cupcaketry.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Fun with cupcake cakes
I think cupcake cakes, meaning those that look like cakes but are made with cupcakes underneath that can be pulled apart and eaten, are a really clever trick and serve a dual purpose, allowing cupcake bakers to get extra creative. Here are some fun ones we've found:
From Flickr user jennykm
Spongebob cupcake cake from Flickr user ladycake17
Curious George cupcake cake from Flickr user Kyrie416
Palm tree cupcake cake also from Flickr user Kyrie416
Ghost and graveyard cupcake cake from Flickr user madichan
Soccer-themed birthday cupcake cake from Flickr user thecakespot
24 yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Balls (soccer, basketball, baseball, golf and bowling) are gumballs covered with fondant.
And I can't copy it, but here's a link to a very cool anniversary cupcake cake
Cupcakes in Philadelphia: Velvet Sky Bakery
s'mores cupcakes
We just discovered (virtually) Philadelphia's Velvet Sky Bakery, which says about their cupcakes:
red velvet cupcakes
Cupcakes you say? Aren’t they for like my 5 year olds birthday party? Sure, but they are also for a wedding of a 55 year old, and a bachelorette party for a 25 year old, and a lunchtime upper with coffee for a 35 year old. You see, my friend, the cupcake is actually the perfect addition to the cake family. Small, yet fulfilling, it appeals to the personality who wants a little of everything.
Our Cupcakes are freshly baked. Only the highest quality ingredients are used including Belgian Chocolate, European Style Butter, and fresh fruits. We use a modern approach to baking where less is more and taste is always paramount. You will find our cupcakes are elegantly simple and the most delicious baked goods in the area.
Cupcakes are offered in over forty different varieties. We make at least twenty of those varieties every day, usually by 10 am. Any variety can be ordered in advance, and we always carry our most popular selections. Our cupcakes leave the store in custom made carriers so that they remain unaltered on the ride home.
raspberry cupcakes
peanut butter cupcakes
Parisian cupcakes
A post from Incredible Foods about cupcakes in Paris:
"I used to make all the traditional cakes, like the croquembouche (choux pastries filled with pastry cream and topped with caramel)," she told me. "But at a certain point I started to have doubts about using so much cream. So many people have intolerances to dairy products or health problems that can be aggravated by cream. I decided to work on replacing it with fruit purées."
Hence her unusual line of cakes. Orange was the first, followed by a multitude of variations such as sweet chili, black sesame and spinach-mint (one of many savory versions). The weirder the flavor the more her customers like it, she says, which shows that Parisian tastes really are growing more adventurous. Her ideas often come directly from her customers, who suggest new combinations. At her stand you'll also find fiadone, a Corsican take on cheesecake made with brocciu (a kind of Corsican ricotta), eggs, sugar and lemon zest.
I chose three cakes - orange, black sesame and pistachio-raspberry - and ate half of each for breakfast this morning. Orange was the most classic, while black sesame had a slightly disconcerting coal-black color all the way through but just the right touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. Pistachio-raspberry was already a favorite, and I'm a sucker for anything with pistachio.
And here's a cute Paris cupcake tree from Flickr user 
Wedding cupcakes
Reader and baker Lori Malloy sent us this photo of wedding cupcakes she made and wrote:
I wanted to share a pic of some cupcakes I made for a friend's wedding over the weekend. They chose vanilla, red velvet, gingerbread and mocha, all with a European style meringue buttercream. Each cupcake has a poinsettia on top, with gold dragees in the center. The pannettone cups really made them look extra special!
Cupcake apologies and London cupcake meetup on 1/4
Hi, this is Rachel, blogging from London (where on Friday, January 4th at around 3 pm, we're going to have a little cupcake meetup - more details soon once I figure out where we are meeting, but email cupcakestakethecake at yahoo.com if you want to join us - I'll be meeting with Rebecca of Rebecca's Cakes and some other cupcake-loving folks). Suggestions on which London cupcakery to meet at are most welcome. I'd also like to check out Crumbs and Doilies at Partridges Food Market on Saturday at some point if anyone is interested.
I wanted to apologing for that other post that I've now taken down - it obviously wasn't meant for the cupcake blog, and in my jetlagged state I accidentally posted it. Not a great way to end the year, but I promise to be more careful in the future. Thanks for understanding and again, my apologies.
Happy New Year from Cupcakes Take the Cake
We want to wish all our readers a very happy, cupcake-filled New Year! 2008 promises to have much to offer cupcake-wise. Recap of the year in cupcakes coming soon. THANK YOU for reading, sending us photos, cupcakes, t-shirts, recipes and most of all for sharing our love of cupcakes.
From Flickr user Bombass
From Flickr user abbietabbie
From Flickr user SweetBabyG
Eyeball cupcakes
Via Flickr user megpi - cupcakes from Silverlake, California's Backdoor Bakery and Cafe
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Garden cupcake
From Flickr user show and tell
Chocolate cupcake with mint leaves, chocolate pebbles, and an edible rose. 
London cupcakes - Peyton and Byrne
I'm (Rachel) heading to London for New Year's for a week, and plan to taste as many cupcakes as I can. If any London-ers are interested in getting together for an impromptu cupcake meetup, write me at cupcakestakethecake at yahoo.com - maybe Wednesday or Thursday. Here's a photo of two cupcakes with lots of frosting from London bakery Peyton & Byrne. from Flickr user shigatsuhana.
Cupcake interview with Happy Cakes Denver
Here's our final cupcake interview of 2007...many more to come in 2008! Also note that Happy Cakes is offering champagne cupcakes for New Year's on a limited basis - see their site for details and also check out their cupcake photo gallery for gummi bear cupcakes and more!
L to R: Sara Bencomo, Laura Reynolds, Lisa Herman
Name: Sara Bencomo, Lisa Herman, Laura Reynolds
Age: 34, 29, 36
Location: 3815 W. 32nd Avenue Denver, CO 80211
Occupation: bakers/owners
URL: www.happycakesdenver.com
How and when did you come up with the idea for Happy Cakes, and how long after that did it take for you to
open? Why did you decide to focus exclusively on cupcakes?
Sara and Laura came up with the idea in August 2006 after visiting other cities that had cupcake bakeries that were wildly successful. Meanwhile, Lisa was working on a cupcake bakery business plan for her MBA at that very same time. We all met (via our hairstylist) in December 2006 and decided to form a partnership. Our first paid party was January 2007 and we launched our virtual bakeshop in March 2007. Our bake-to-order business grew and grew via word of mouth driving us to look into a retail location. Finally on December 7, 2007 we opened Happy Cakes Bakeshop. Cupcakes only because it works, right?! People go nuts for them, and so did we.
Did you get your recipes from family or friends, or did you start from scratch?
We started with recipes from family & friends, old cookbook recipes we loved, some we found online...now that we've been doing it a while, many are our own creation born of random inspirations! And every recipe we have has been adjusted for the altitude...that was our biggest challenge in our test kitchen.
You just had your official grand opening; what’s been the reaction so far?
Amazing...we're in a great neighborhood who has really embraced us. People squeal when they walk in, they're so excited. Denver doesn't have anything like us...a dedicated cupcake bakery. And they're loving it! We've had a lot of press coverage and are excited to see what's next!
What was the cupcake scene in Denver like before you opened?
Pretty nonexistent. Some larger bakeries do offer cupcakes, but it's not their specialty.
You offer all sorts of flavor combinations, from Orange Creamsicle to Jack and Coke to Strawberry Pretzel and Caramel Apple, offered on a rotating basis (with a few daily mainstays). Which flavor(s) seem to be the most popular so far? Which did you have the most fun creating?
While the fun flavors are intriguing to people, and they do sell, the classics are the most popular - Happy Together (vanilla on chocolate) is our best seller. Red Velvet is a hot number two. We'd have to say the most fun we had creating a flavor was the Jack & Coke. We were going to a Kentucky Derby party and Sara came up with the Bourbon buttercream as a fun adult treat. We topped a simple vanilla cupcake with it and people devoured it. We started thinking about what would be a perfect pairing to better set off the yummy frosting and the Jack & Coke (chocolate Coca-Cola cupcake) was born.
Some of your flavors, such as the Cosmo and Jack and Coke, involve alcohol (vodka-soaked cranberry cupcake for the Cosmo and bourbon buttercream for the Jack and Coke). What prompted these adults-only treats?
See above... :)
We like to drink, and eat cupcakes.
Do you have plans to introduce any new flavors?
Yup! We have so many great ideas and recipes in our 2008 recipe book. Our plan is to change our menu seasonally or even monthly to offer new flavors. We've had 6 holiday flavors on the menu for December, and in January we'll be unveiling our New Year's flavors.
For the Trendy Cupcake Sale and Contest for Charity on December 13th, you selected your French Toast cupcake
as the one to enter. Why did you pick this one, and is it your favorite?
We love this flavor! It's an unexpected flavor in a cupcake, one that we haven't seen any other bakeries doing. The French Toast cupcake has been a bit of a sleeper hit, people are now coming in on Thursdays specifically to get a French Toast (or 12). We chose to submit it for the contest because we wanted to put something out there people could come get in the shop, not something elaborate created just one time for a contest. It's hard to say that we have a favorite...we really love them all!
Your bakery got its name from Sara’s 2-year-old son Alden calling cupcakes “Happy Cakes.” Do you think
kids react differently to or appreciate cupcakes in a different way than adults?
Yes. Adults are charmed because they have the fond nostalgic memory of cupcakes...there's a giddiness about them when they check out all the flavors.
Kids are just fascinated to see this whole counter full of so many different kinds of cupcakes. They can't believe their eyes! And we have little step stools down in front of the counter for them to get up close for a peek. They are way into the sprinkles, too. If we have the time, we'll often let the kiddos pick their own sprinkles and top their own cupcake. We have little ones at home and know what they like, so we've brought it here.
You also do catering for weddings, parties, book clubs, corporate functions, etc. How long in advance should someone place an order? Do you prefer to get their input on flavors and arrangements, or be given free reign?
We ask for at least a couple weeks for large events, though approaching wedding season more time will be required to secure dates, as we'll book up. For smaller events, 72 hours should be enough notice. In planning an event, we like to set up a consultation with the the hosts to determine their tastes and discuss what kind of customization they want for their cupcakes. We'd love to go free reign, but typically people know what they want. We'll offer suggestions to make every event special!
What’s the most fun event you’ve catered so far?
We love doing weddings and other larger events, but the most fun was a sweet 16 party we did in November. Ever seen My Super Sweet 16 on MTV? Yeah. It was that.
What’s your favorite and least favorite part about running Happy Cakes?
Favorite...people's reactions, creating new treats, the decorating, having our very own place!
Least Favorite...early mornings/late evenings, we miss our kids, husbands and dogs!
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Not as often as everyone thinks.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
Really? You have to ask?
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
We truly have a hard time answering that. Today, I'll say Peanut Butter Cup, but really they're all super delicious!
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
We're huge fans of baked goods, of course. But not much can top the cupcake.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
Heck no. (Unless it could bake itself at 5am.)
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
For now, we bake ourselves. We're hiring though! Send us an email if you are interested, and a morning person.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
School cake walks...the cupcakes always went first!
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
My husband would be mad if I shared that. Sorry.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Australia's Le Cupcake
I'm drooling over all the cupcakes Australian bakery Le Cupcake has up on Flickr. They specialize in custom cupcakes that are all very carefully crafted, and have lots of beautiful wedding cupcake photos up.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Ms. Pac Man cupcakes and cat and dog cupcakes
As both a Jersey girl (I grew up in Teaneck, but now all of us Cupcakes Take the Cake bloggers live in various parts of Brooklyn) and confirmed Ms. Pac Man lover, I am all about these cupcakes from Montclair, New Jersey's Flour Patch Bakery. They even sell ice cream cone cupcakes!
Sweet-n-Sassy Cupcake Visit!
When I was home for Christmas in Newark, DE, I got my first chance to stop in and visit Sweet-n-Sassy Cupcakes, who we've written about previously on the blog. (They even sent us t-shirts and panties before!)
They were so welcoming to me that they made me feel like an old friend. They insisted on giving me a dozen sampler of the various holiday cupcakes they were whipping up (everything from red velvet, to double chocolate to eggnog frosting) as well as new blinged-out t-shirts for Rachel, Nichelle and I.
The cupcakes were so delicious and I shared them with family on Christmas Day.
Their shop is adorable (as you can see in the photo below) and sells all kinds of stuff from margarita mix to cute aprons and martini glasses. So if you're ever in Newark, Delaware, do stop in!
They were so welcoming to me that they made me feel like an old friend. They insisted on giving me a dozen sampler of the various holiday cupcakes they were whipping up (everything from red velvet, to double chocolate to eggnog frosting) as well as new blinged-out t-shirts for Rachel, Nichelle and I.
The cupcakes were so delicious and I shared them with family on Christmas Day.
Their shop is adorable (as you can see in the photo below) and sells all kinds of stuff from margarita mix to cute aprons and martini glasses. So if you're ever in Newark, Delaware, do stop in!
My Little Kettle cupcakes
Cupcakes from My Little Kettle via Flickr 
Vanilla Cupcakes swirled with Nutella frosted with White Chocolate Buttercream topped with Fondant Hearts.
Flowers over white chocolate strawberry ganache and rich chocolate cupcake.
Vanilla Cupcake with Caramel Filling topped with Vanilla Buttercream.
Cute Christmas cupcakes
Because even though Christmas is over, the cute cupcakes continue to roll in...
These are from Flickr user Cupcakes 'n Things, who's got a whole lot more cupcake cuteness right here
Cupcakes in Manila
Big article from Philippinne Daily Inquirer on cupcakes in Manila:
While brownies and cookies (and the occasional unfortunate fruitcake) remain the top giveaways, cupcakes are quickly becoming popular edible gifts this season. The cupcake craze, which hit Manila nearly two years ago, has spawned dozens of businesses that offer cupcakes in all sizes and flavors. However, of all the cupcake bakers in the country, two stand out: Sonja Ocampo of Sonja’s Cupcakes, and Yumi Castrillo of Yummy Piece of Cake.
Ocampo is often credited as the one responsible for the cupcake craze; her store, Sonja’s Cupcakes (located in Serendra) is often filled with customers who buy them by the dozen. The cupcakes are light, sweet and easy on the eyes, which explains why Ocampo’s offerings are popular among the young set.
For the holidays, Sonja’s Cupcakes is offering decorated cupcakes. Regular flavors (popular ones include chocolate, red velvet cake, lemon, vanilla and strawberry) are topped with brightly colored icing, candy canes, sugar stars, and sprinkles. Kids will love the Frosty the Snowman decorations, while more subdued—but no less playful—adults might want to take home cupcakes topped with snowflakes, wreaths and trees.
And here's a photo from the shoot - see more from Yummy Piece of Cake
Trophy Cupcakes up for Best of Daily Candy 2007
From Flickr user razzleswirl
Daily Candy can't seem to make up its mind whether it loves or hates cupcakes, but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt since their various city sites do post quite often about cupcakes. And now, Seattle bakery Trophy Cupcakes founder/owner Jennifer Shea has been nominated for one of Daily Candy's Favorites of 2007 in the Taste category. Daily Candy says:
Jennifer Shea's darling cupcake and vintage party shop breathed new life into both Wallingford Center and the national cupcake craze, drawing legions of fans with scrumptious buttercream confections. 
Trophy Cupcakes photo from Flickr user PunkJr
So if you've tried Trophy Cupcakes, vote for Jennifer and let's see cupcakes win!
Here's a little Trophy Cupcakes gallery for you:
Trophy Cupcakes with toppers from Flickr user arielmeadow
Trophy Cupcakes hi hat from Flckr user raiophi
From Flickr user Nick Sherman
From Flickr user moothepoo
From Flickr user moothepoo (which happens to also be run by some of the staff of Trophy Cupcakes, also known as the bloggers Girls Who Sell Cupcakes - visit them and peruse their photos for some behind the scenes looks at running a cupcake bakery!
Right now when you search "Trophy Cupcakes" on Flickr, you get a whopping 643 results, so you know they must be popular!
Sacramento loves cupcakes!
From Kate Washington's Sacramento News & Review Year in review:
2. The subtle infusion of fresh chocolate and mint in the frosting on the chocolate-mint cupcakes at Babycakes Bakery. Wait, make that the fresh raspberry frosting on the chocolate cupcakes at Capital Cupcakes. I can’t decide!
Here's what she wrote about Babycakes earlier this year:
In case you haven’t noticed, the cupcake trend has hit Sacramento hard. Last week, the most dangerous cupcake shop yet—for me, at least—opened on J Street. I say “dangerous” because the cupcakes are fabulous; the shop is a 10-minute walk from my house, and my frosting-loving 2-year-old knows about it. Babycakes Bakery, the offspring of partners Teresa Urkofsky and Kristine Bertram, has luscious flavors like caramel apple (stuffed with chunks of apples); chocolate mint, with pale green frosting infused with fresh chocolate mint leaves from Del Rio Farm; pretty, simple vanilla (with icing that really tastes like vanilla); and many more—they offer different flavors on alternating days.
SN&R illustration by Mark Stivers
And here's what she wrote about Capital Cupcakes:
Tiny cakes with plenty of frosting are always welcome. But what about when they are delivered to your door? Look out. That’s the mission of Capital Cupcakes, which will bring a dozen (or two) sweet little gems to you. That’s how I found myself staring down a set of sprinkles on a recent Friday morning: I had moist devil's food cupcakes, half with a sweet, pretty-in-pink raspberry buttercream, the other half with a swirl of mild chocolate buttercream. (More flavors—all with first names like the Lucy: lemon cake with lemon curd and toasted meringue; or the Allison, a s'mores theme—are on the Web site.) What’s a girl to do? Eat a cupcake at 9 a.m., that’s what—they go awfully well with coffee. I saved the rest for my birthday the next day, but was that first cupcake ever sweet.
SN&R illustration by Mark Stivers
And here are the respective websites with a photo from each site:
Babycakes Sacramento
Capital Cupcakes (they're selling a giant cupcake cake!)
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Mint chocolate cupcakes
From Flickr user dsylxeic_lj who says:
These milk chocolate cupcakes with peppermint extract, and mint buttercream went poof within a day. The orange frosting is actually melted butterscotch chips, while the dark brown ones are obviously chocolate. Much yums.
Mini candied cranberry chocolate cupcakes
Mini candied cranberry chocolate cupcakes - get the recipe from The Olympian
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Ferrero Rocher cupcakes!
Wow. Stef of the blog Cupcake Project made Ferrero Rocher cupcakes, which she calls "23-Karat Goodness." These look totally rich and totally delicious (I happen to love Ferrero Rocher chocolates). She's got the recipe (which she based on this one) and the story behind them on her blog. She used gold! If you ask me, that's cupcake dedication.
Her'es the verdict:
My husband: "Wow! These are just like the chocolate!"
My friend: "These are some of your best ones yet."
My Mother-In-Law: "These are good, but not as good as the caviar cheesecake ones." (She is alone in this line of thinking.)
My blogging friend: Said nothing at the time, but mentioned them on her blog.
Me: I thought they were perfect. They were a rich, moist chocolate with great hazelnut undertones - but not too sweet. The gooey surprise inside worked really well, as did the ganache. It all just came together.
Also be sure to check out her Save the Cupcake Apron available at Zazzle.com.
Juicy Couture cupcake charm bracelet and other cupcake treats
(via VieCouture)
Juicy Couture cupcake charm bracelet, $75, available at Neiman Marcus
• 14-karat yellow gold plate.
• Link chain; bow charm link with Swarovski® crystal in center.
• Hanging Swarovski® crystal accent chain.
• Three attached charms; pink "Eat Candy" heart charm, Brown/red/white cupcake charm, and blue "Juicy" heart charm with Swarovski® crystals.
• Lobster clasp with "J" crest embossing; dangle crystal charm.
• Imported.
Juicy Couture also has this necklace and earring set, also for $75 from Neiman Marcus
• Cupcake Earrings: Pink/white/red enamel cupcakes. Studs; pierced backs.
• Cupcake Necklace: Five attached charms; brown/white/red cupcake charm, pink "Juicy" heart charm with Swarovski® crystals, sterling silver bow charm with faux-pearl center, dangling ring and faux-pearl charm, and clear candy roll charm. Adjustable length chain with crown-embossed tag. Lobster clasp.
Both, 14-karat yellow gold-plate. Imported.
And here's something extra fancy - a sapphire cupcake necklace for $500!
• Pink sapphires, 0.32 total carat weight.
• 14-karat yellow gold.
• Cupcake pendant, 3/8"H x 1/4"W.
• Bead chain; 16"L.
• Lobster claw closure.
• Imported. 
And lastly, Neiman Marcus sells these cupcake pajamas (and yes, they are outrageously priced at $100!):
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Cupcakes in Denver: Happy Cakes and Yum Yums Delights
The Rocky Mountain News has an article about Daddy Cakes and a new bakery to us, one that opened in October, Yum Yums Delights.
"People come into our store and, seriously, stand in front of our display cabinet jumping up and down," Maiurro said. "We smile and know we did the right thing."
Both Yum Yums and Happy Cakes think there's enough room in Denver's waistline to accommodate more than one cupcake shop, and a bake sale held earlier this month appears to buttress that view.
Marketing firm Amelie Co. set out 1,500 cupcakes on Dec. 13 for its first-ever "Trendy Cupcake Sale for Charity." Within less than two hours, all the cupcakes were sold out - ending the sale three hours earlier than planned, said Annie Coghill, Amelie's media director. The event raised $2,700 for Operation Frontline.
Happy Cakes' Reynolds chalks up cupcakes' popularity to childhood nostalgia and their simple democratic appeal.
"Everyone gets their own," she said. "And you don't have to share."
Look for interviews here with both bakeries soon!
White chocolate sour cream cupcakes
White chocolate sour cream cupcakes from the blog The Daily Cookie, made with this recipe from Couture Cupcakes
L.A. Times on cupcakes
Photo of Mrs. Beasley's cupcakes from Flickr user jleighb
The L.A. Times ran a story today on cupcakes, largely focusing on Mrs. Beasley's, that has a few quotes from me as well:
Few details of Paris Hilton's jailhouse drama enraptured the media as much as the imprisoned celebutante's oft-described craving for Mrs. Beasley's gourmet cupcakes.
It was another high-profile shout-out for the Los Angeles purveyor of high-end baked goods, which has been collecting celebrity endorsements since Barbra Streisand walked into the original Mrs. Beasley's in Tarzana almost 20 years ago.
Cupcakegate also illustrated how a once-humble bakery product has gone upscale, morphing from a homemade staple at children's birthday parties into a pricey custom-made comestible boasting its own bakeries, mail-order sites and, inevitably, blogs. Consider: Gourmet cupcakes from Williams-Sonoma made Oprah's 2007 "favorite things" list.
"In the last three years it has really exploded; at least every two weeks I'm hearing about a new cupcake bakery opening somewhere," said New Yorker Rachel Kramer Bussel, who helps run a blog called Cupcakes Take the Cake...
Read the rest of the article
If anyone has a paper copy and could cut out the article for me, I'd love that - drop me a line at cupcakestakethecake@yahoo.com
Snowflake cupcakes and Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating...and if you bring or bake cupcakes for your family gatherings, please send us photos!
Both photos from Flickr user paulahennig
Monday, December 24, 2007
Say it ain't so!
I would have to wholeheartedly disagree with Tanya Wenman Steel, editor of Epicurious.com, who just told the New York Daily News:
Of course, there is one Big Apple-based fad Wenman Steel will be glad to see finally gather dust. "Everybody and their sister has a cupcake store," she says. "The designer cupcake thing is done."
We here at Cupcakes Take the Cake are seeing cupcake bakeries open all the time, in the United States and around the world, and field numerous emails from people asking for advice on opening a bakery (before you go sending one, since we are a blog, not a bakery, you'd best be advised to talk to an actual baker!).
I think we will see more innovations in cupcake flavors and packaging as well as more places doing mail order cupcakes to keep up with the market.
What do YOU think will happen in the cupcake world in 2008?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Holiday cupcake roundup
From Cupcake Berlin - red velvet cupcakes with peppermint cream cheese frosting
French toast cupcake from Flickr user Bake & Destroy!
From Flickr user freakgirl
Snowman cupcakes from Flickr user ohhh_yeah808
Christmas tree cupcakes from Flickr user bookgrl
Carousels Cupcakery, Austin, Texas
There's a new bakery in Austin, Texas called Carousels Cupackery - here's some photos from their MySpace page:
The one below is a mocha chocolate chip cupcake with homemade peppermint cream cheese frosting.
Monster cupcake cake for Schuyler
From Central Market in Plano, Texas, from Flickr user Citizen Rob, aka my friend Rob Rummel-Hudson, for his daughter Schuyler, seen below about to eat her cupcake
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Crushcakes Cupcakery opening soon in Santa Barbara, CA
Via the blog Cookies in Heaven, we just got word that Crushcakes Cupcakery is opening soon in Santa Barbara, California. Here's what they say about their cupcakes:
Cupcakes are the world’s most perfect dessert. It’s just enough cake to satisfy but if you are still hungry, they’re not so huge that you can’t eat two…or maybe even three. They are completely portable, no fork, knife or plate necessary. And if you don’t mind licking the frosting off your fingers, you don’t even need a napkin.
Crushcakes is proud to be the first cupcakery in Santa Barbara serving our scratch made gourmet cupcakes, specialty bottled drinks and fine coffee and teas.
Crushcakes uses only premium ingredients when baking their cupcakes including Scharffen Berger chocolate, Nielsen-Massey vanilla, and the freshest butter, eggs, milk and hand selected fruit.
Their flavors include:
buttermilk crumb cake
moist buttermilk cake with cinnamon brown sugar crumble and caramel swirls
peanut butter cup
tasty chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups
peace cake
make cupcakes not war with this cool vanilla bean cake topped with wild tie-dye frosting and a chocolate peace sign
bananas foster
crushed banana cake topped with vanilla frosting and rum caramel swirls
mocha bean
mochalicious chocolate cake topped with mocha-espresso frosting
cherry sundae
black cherry cake topped with vanilla frosting, rich chocolate sauce and don’t forget the cherry
cookies and cream
sweet vanilla cake, creamy vanilla frosting and crushed Oreo cookies
turtle
delicious chocolate cake topped with chocolate frosting, caramel swirls and crushed pecans
1 girl, 10 cup...cakes
Speaking of eating cupcakes on camera, Gregg Araki's hilarious stoner flick Smiley Face finally got a theatrical release in New York, for the week of December 26th - there is an awesome scene with Anna Faris eating her roommates cupcakes. I wish I had a photo or video clip to share, cause it's priceless. It's available on DVD January 8th:
Winter cupcakes
Made for a potluck by Flickr user victoria1212
Chocolate with Vanilla bean buttercream, Coconut with Coconut buttercream and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. 
Friday, December 21, 2007
Molly's Cupcakes, Chicago
Chicagoist reports on new Chicago bakery Molly's Cupcakes:
Molly's Cupcakes, located at 2536 N. Clark (between Wrightwood and Deming), opened just a week ago. Combining the right blend of food, hospitality, and kitsch, we don't envision it having any trouble finding a warm spot in the hearts of Lakeview denizens. Although they also offer brownies, mini-pies, and other baked goods, cupcakes are obviously Molly's prime offering, coming with a decades-long history of popularity. The namesake of the restaurant is owner John Nicolades' grade school teacher, who used to bake cupcakes on her students' birthdays, passing the recipe onto her student.
We've never really gotten the fuss about some of the other cupcake standards (Alliance, Cupcakes, etc.), always finding the frosting too heavy or the cake too dry, but the cupcakes at Molly's taste like upscale versions of ones we used to get at home. Moist, sweet (but not too sweet), and flavorful, we particularly enjoyed the lemon cupcake, topped with a candied fruit slice and filled with a gooey core of lemon curd, serve on one of assorted china plates, many of which were gifted to the bakery upon opening. Everything is made from scratch daily, including fresh apple cider, and as such, treats may be running low if you stop in late at night. If you're like us and need some caffeine with any baked good, a full range of Intelligentsia products are up for grabs.
Here's more info:
Yelp
Cupcake interview: Icing on the Cupcake
Name: Christee Owens
Age: 35
Location: 5065 Pacific Street, Rocklin, CA
Occupation: Head Cupcake
URL: www.icingonthecupcake.com
How long have you been baking, and when did you come up with the idea for Icing on the Cupcake? Why did you decide to focus on cupcakes?
It all started 30 years ago with my Easy Bake Oven….My mom started teaching me to bake when I was about 5 and then it just progressed from there. I am not a chef, nor do I aspire to be; I just love to bake. I came up with Icing on the Cupcake about a year ago. My mom and I were actually in the process of opening a party shop that specialized in "old-school" children's birthday parties and the name of the shop was "Icing on the Cake.” We were going to make cupcakes for all the parties and focus some of the party themes around cupcakes. Well, the party shop ended up evolving into a cupcakery and "Icing on the Cupcake" was born. There are three owners: me, my mom, Shirley Nagasawa, and a longtime friend, Chuck Meridith.
Where do your recipes come from, and how much testing goes into each one before it's unveiled?
Most of our recipes are old family recipes. In fact, some are a combination of two or three family recipes. I read several books on the science of baking and started developing our old family recipes into even better, more stable/reliable cakes. Needless to say, much testing goes into every flavor before its unveiling. We also have a group of taste testers that gather to taste and critique every creation.
What was the scene like for cupcakes in your area before you opened?
What scene? LOL! We opened in a suburban city northeast of Sacramento where cupcakes were non-existent. We rolled into town and gave new vitality to the street we opened on. It's been really fun to hear the comments from our customers about how long the area has needed something new and fresh and how we fit the bill perfectly!
You say on your site that part of your motivation was to build a better cupcake. How have you done that? What makes your cupcakes special?
As we are noticing, the primary element that sets us apart is so simple…we bake everything from scratch and use such simple but good ingredients. I think it really all comes down to our core ingredients. You will not find a single "mix" in our shop. People know the difference and it’s really paid off for us. We get comments like, "your frosting is just dreamy," "your cake tastes like my Grandma's scratch cake," etc.
Which flavor(s) are the most popular?
As many flavors as we have, it always surprises me that chocolate with vanilla frosting is still number one best seller. Number 2 is chocolate/chocolate and number 3 is red velvet.
What are your busiest times of the day/week?
Business days of the week are always Friday and Saturday. Saturdays are a zoo with countless orders going out the door, plus all the deliveries and our walk-in traffic. It's a beehive of action here on Saturdays!
Is there a typical Icing on the Cupcake customer?
No real "typical" customer. Our customers run the gambit. Everyone from the UPS man to Santa Claus (a recent visit in December). We have fabulous customers that have embraced our little bakery in a big way.
Do you also do catering and special events, and if so, how far in advance should people book you?
Yes, we do catering and special events. We have gorgeous custom towers that are covered in fabrics chosen by the client. Our tower books up fast so we have two more being built at the moment. We are overwhelmed with the number of weddings and events being booked, so the sooner you book the better. We need at least a week's notice for large special events requiring a custom tower.
Do you plan to introduce new and/or seasonal flavors?
We are always working on new flavors, seasonal or otherwise. For December, we introduced gingerbread, chocolate peppermint, raspberry bliss, to name a few. We also change some of our decorations according to seasons or events. We also do specialty cupcakes for different ad campaigns. For instance, we have a program where if a student brings in a straight "A" report card, they receive a free "smarty-pants" cupcake as a reward.
seasonal cupcakes
Why do you think there's been so much interest recently in cupcakes?
I think society has gone so over the top with technology, fast food, hurry up, better/faster/more that we are starting to look back for better times. It boils down to nostalgia, comfort food, a small indulgence…who doesn't like cupcakes?
And now for some personal questions…
How often do you eat cupcakes?
About once a week I splurge on a cupcake.
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
The instant flashback I get to my childhood birthday parties and total innocent bliss. They just make me smile every time I eat one!!
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
"Old School"…chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
There is no comparison. Cupcakes first…everything else comes second. They are the perfect treat. If I had to choose a "second," it would be blackberry pie!
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
If there was only a way to ship them…They are just too delicate. The only way to ship them is unfrosted or frozen, and neither is appealing if you ask me.
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
I started out the shop being the butcher, baker and candlestick maker. We now have a full time baker who is an absolute godsend!
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
The smell of mom baking yellow cupcakes for an after school treat for me and my friends.
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
I would have to say getting to participate in the creation of all of our marketing and advertising around cupcakes has been so much fun. My background and degree are in marketing so getting to actually market something so close to my heart has been really exciting. Cupcakes all day, every day! Gotta love it!
Do you have anything else to add?
I really enjoy your website and find myself visiting often. I appreciate your interest in Icing on the Cupcake and hope that you three cupcake cuties will stop in if you are ever in the area.
signature cupcake
Peace, love and cupcake t-shirts
Cupcake Clothing is the name of a t-shirt company based in Santa Fe, NM, and they've just introduced this cute Peace, Love and Cupcake shirt, and it's for a good cause:
100% of the proceeds from this year's "Cupcake for a Cause" Tee will benefit No More Victims
www.nomorevictims.org
No More Victims works to obtain medical sponsorships for war-injured Iraqi children and to forge ties between the children, their families and communities in the United States.
Giant chocolate cupcake
It's equal to 24 cupcakes, and is chocolate peppermint flavored. From Flickr user malteserus - see more photos of the giant cupcake here
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes give cupcakes for Christmas
(Getty Images)
From OK! magazine:
Christmas came early for a couple hundred friends and associates of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise in L.A. who have just received a very special holiday gift package. So what's inside? A gold watch? Gift certificates for their favorite spa? Signed copies of Dianetics? Not quite — instead of the usual A-list swag, TomKat packed up dozens of their favorite treats — cupcakes from Sprinkles!
Katie personally designed the gift box in a rich shade of brown and selected a chocolate-brown satin ribbon and faux burgundy cranberries to complete the packages, which each contained a dozen of the tasty treats, including milk chocolate, orange, strawberry and pumpkin.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Chocolate mocha cupcake
From Flickr user maitaimai99, from Lark Cake Shop in Silverlake, California
chocolate cake, whipped cream filling, mocha italian butter cream icing decorated with toffee chips
New bakery in Hingham, Massachusetts
From the Boston Globe - I don't see a website yet, but if anyone tries this place, let us know what the cupcakes are like!
HINGHAM
CUPCAKES, NO BAGELS - Cupcakes and pastry have come to Hingham Center. Karma Cafe and Cakes opened last week, filling the space formerly occupied by a toy shop before it moved to Hingham Square. "We've had an absolutely wonderful response," said co-owner Nancy Gould. "Cupcakes were the big seller our first day." The baked goods - including cakes, muffins, pastries, brownies, and Yule logs - are delivered daily from baker Gerry DuPont of Fall River. Gould met him when he was catering director at MIT and she was in the college's catering sales department. She met co-owner Debra Lally when their daughters, now 13, were in nursery school. The shop also will sell soup and coffee, and 10 percent of the coffee sales will go toward local charities and Alzheimer's and cancer research, Gould said. The shop, which will have 12 seats, will not sell bagels, since they're readily available around the corner at Atlantic Bagel. - Johanna Seltz
Cupcakes from Wholesome Cakes/My Mixer Speaks
The owner of Wholesome Cakes also has a great blog called My Mixer Speaks. And...a fabulous Flickr set of cupcakes, where these are from. Here's what the Wholesome Cakes site says:
Wholesome Cakes specializes in made to order 100% whole grain organic quality cupcakes. All ingredients used are guaranteed fresh, organic and fair trade certified. Creams and butters are from hormone-free cows not treated with rbST. Fresh eggs are from cage & antibiotic free, vegetarian fed hens. Raw organic sugars, fresh & locally produced organic fruit in season, real fruit oils and extracts are used. Premium quality Green & Black's organic chocolate products and pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans and extracts are also used. Sprinkles? Yes. They are all organic, dyed with natural food coloring. NO preservatives. NO trans fat. NO artificial flavors and colors. NO high fructose corn syrup. ONLY wholesome stuff.
tropical cuppies with cream cheese frosting sprinkled with india tree sanding sugar 
A Christmas tree cupcake forest
all organic whole wheat butterscotch cupcake with raw coconut iced with fudge chocolate
Perfect for kids - Fairies Cookbook
I stumbled upon the Fairies Cookbook by Barbara Beery at Barnes & Noble last night - it's adorable! It says ages 4-8, but I'm sending it to my cousins who are (I think) ages 8 and 16, and both like to bake. A great gift for a young baker. The only one I remember is snowball cupcakes, but they were adorable looking, and there were several cupcake recipes.
Here's what Amazon says:
From bestselling children's cookbook author Barbara Beery comes a delightful new cookbook created just for aspiring sprites, elves, gnomes and nymphs! Fairies Cookbook brings a bit of fantasy and magic to everyday snacks and treats, while teaching valuable cooking skills and encouraging kids to develope a love for creating their own food. Fairies Cookbook transforms everyday fare into mystical treats for birthday parties, sleepovers, and special occasions-and these recipes are easy enough to use everyday!Fairies Cookbook offers recipes such as Cookie Fairie Masks, Fairie Fruit Wands, Sugar Cone Fairie Hats, Fruity Fairie Castles, Raindrop Punch, and many more. Children's cooking expert Beery also includes dozens of tips and ideas for creating a variety of enchanting Fairie-themed parties.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Cupcake Cafe and Bakery in Beverly, MA
There's a Cupcake Cafe and Bakery in Beverly, Massachusetts - photo from Carissa's Creativity Space
She says:
Reviewer #1 (Carissa)
As far as first impressions go, the cupcake is adorable! What a cute little flower. Second, the paper peeled off very nicely (you may be laughing but it's really annoying when the papers stick too much to the cupcakes).
Then the first bite......the cake was SUPER moist and was my own little slice of chocolate heaven. The cupcake to frosting ratio was good. I give it 2 thumbs up!!
Reviewer #2 (Husband)
I didn't know cupcakes could be so moist. It wasn't heavy like a Starbucks pastry but it was massive. I felt like I was eating a slice of a much larger cake rather than simply a bite-sized cupcake. It was the kind of cupcake you bite into and say "wow."
Also, see "Meet Beverly's cupcake queen" from Wickedlocal.com
For starters, the cupcakes are about the size of a muffin, although Hatherley will make smaller cupcakes for special orders. She then cuts them in half horizontally and fills them with flavored butter creams, chocolate mousse or chocolate ganache, what she calls, a “chocolate and cream, fudgey mix.”
The fillings and flavors like lemon chiffon, strawberry, chocolate peanut butter, Oreo, toffee, banana, raspberry — Hatherley makes 60 different varieties she’s developed over her three years in business — exist a few steps along the road to full cupcake appreciation.
That road starts with the eyes and only then moves on to taste and texture.
The display case shows off a variety of elaborately decorated cupcakes. Some punctuated with a fresh strawberry on top. Others finished with a plastic ghost ring in celebration of the season. Others sport flowers, a quartered peanut butter cup, others flow with orange, yellow and brown butter cream frosting in keeping with autumn colors.
More cupcakeries opening in Pittsburgh
image via Coco's Cupcake Cafe website
Or rather, more branches of existing ones. From the Pittsburgh Business Times:
The calorie-laden trail of the cupcake trend is ready to extend to Lawrenceville and perhaps Oakland.
James Gray, the owner of Dozen Cupcakes in Squirrel Hill, will open a new location on Butler Street in a move he expects will triple his baking capacity, expand his catering business, and broaden his walk-in trade with other offerings such as quiche, strata, pies, tarts, waffles, and coffee. At the same time, CoCo Cupcake Cafe in Shadyside is working on developing a new cupcake bakery in Oakland, said owner Shea Mullen, who offered only limited details because she and partner Ananda Cynovich have yet to reach a final agreement on their new location.
Gray said strong demand is forcing expansion.
"We were at various times completely overwhelmed with our demand verses our capabilities due to the limitations of the space," said Gray, who opened his first Squirrel Hill location in a 600-square-foot storefront. "We found ourselves having to turn down jobs."
See also: Our interview with James Gray
Allison's photo of Coco's Cupcakes
image via Dozen Cupcakes' Flickr stream
144 mini cupcakes!
Keavy of Kumquat Cupcakery made 144 mini cupcakes last Friday for my book party! Crazy...they were SOOOO good too. I totally encourage you to visit her on weekends at Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Artists and Fleas flea market. Here's a photo before almost all of the cupcakes got snapped up:
Photos from the LA Holiday Cupcake Swap
The Los Angeles Cupcake Meetup had a holiday cupcake swap. Here are some photos: (more here)
"Tara's Christmas Wreath Red Velvet Cupcakes"
"Shari's colorful chocolate filled garden cupcakes"
"Chocolate cherry cupcakes from Charity at Wholesome Cakes"
FREE cupcakes for Santa at Magnolia Bakery, Christmas Eve
From The New York Sun:
For full-gluten, high-dairy, sugary treats, there's Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker St. at 11th Street, 212-462-2572). On the day before Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the bakery is offering individually wrapped cupcakes for Santa Claus. These treats —free for children 10 or younger — come with a note for the jolly gift-giver. Youngsters must be present to receive the free cupcake, and the offer is limited to one cupcake a child.
Cupcakes of love
This is from last year, but I just dicovered it and couldn't resist posting...
From the blog Dessert First - click through for more info and recipe
These cupcakes were born of serendipity in my pastry school days, when I would go through my refrigerator and find containers full of leftover pastry cream, tart dough, and other things from class that I was sure I could find a use for. I had some hazelnut mousseline left over from a cake, some coffee buttercream from an opera cake, and decided on the spur of the moment to combine the two into a decadent cupcake. The result has become a favorite of my boyfriend, which is why they are called Cupcakes of Love, and a reminder of the unexpected happiness you can find when you appreciate the good things you've already got.
Trendy cupcake contest winners in Denver
This article from the Denver Post is even called..."Cupcakes Take the Cake." Love it! The reporter visited the trendy cupcake contest and had this to say:
Until I tasted Gateaux's white mojito — delicate lime-zested white cake with a fine crumb, frosted with buttercream made tangy with lime juice and rum and topped with a blue sugar snowflake and a white chocolate straw sparkling with edible glitter.
This little cake towered over its competitors, combining the best of all elements: beauty, flavor and texture. And it was the creation of a 21-year-old student, Rachel Wille, who started as an intern at Gateaux and now manages the bakery while fininshing culinary school. Inspired by the popular mint-lime-rum cocktail, the mojito cupcakes, $4, are available by special order at Gateaux.
Sure enough, this exquisite cake won the contest. Second place went to Katherine's French Bakery, Cafe & Catering for its Moulin Rouge red velvet cupcake with a white chocolate windmill topper. Littleton restaurant Cafe Terracotta took third with its chocolate mint cake topped with a sugared mint leaf.
They've even printed the recipe for the winning mojito cupcake.
Photo via Denver Post
And the winner is Gateaux's mojito cupcake, above with blue star. Second place: red velvet with white chocolate windmill, Katherine's French Bakery. Third: chocolate mint, Cafe Terracotta (lower right). ( Karl Gehring, The Denver Post )
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Cupcake BricaBox Project
Question: "What's the best place to find a cupcake in the city?"
Answer: It depends on where you are, what flavors you like and how much you love frosting.:)
There's a need for a guide of cupcake places. Last week I started working on a directory of cupcake places here in New York City using Bricabox. This gives the cupcake place, URL, address and Google Map. I have entered 22 places so far from our sidebar, and I can tell that will be an evolving project. Eventually, cupcake places in other cities will also be added, and the goal is for the Cupcakes Bricabox to be like a Yelp just for cupcakes. So this is where our readers can help. Join our Bricabox and contribute comments to the cupcake places in New York I have added and/or add new entries. Then we'll proceed to other cities and other countries because "Once when take Manhattan, then we take Berlin".
Cupcake Meetup Alliance Update
Cupcake Piggy
Originally uploaded by cakespy.
We're growing in numbers and there are little dots popping all over the map.
First, I want to let people know that they do not have to create a local Meetup.com group. It can be a local Yahoo group, Google group or Facebook group and still join the Alliance.
Secondly, I want to welcome new groups in Seattle, run by Jessie Oleson, a cupcake business group based in Salt Lake City run by Beckie Winston and a local group in Austin run by Kelly Fuller.
Third, once you join the alliance, I ask that you link to the Alliance URL and our blog on your group's site/blog .
Thanks!
Nichelle
NJ cupcake bakery "smackdown" and more Johnny Cupcakes drama
Food blog Second Helpings (of northern New Jersey newspaper The Record), where we first learned about the New Jersey bakery Johnny Cupcakes, (an updated website would be nice!) now compares two NJ bakeries, Sweet Avenue Bake Shop and Johnny Cupcakes in a taste test based on various criteria. Who won? Read their verdicts.
What's also interesting is that in the previous thread, Lorraine Earle, mother of Boston's Johnny Cupcakes, left a comment that kicked off a bunch of responses:
Hi. I am an officer of Johnny Cupcakes, my son's clothing line. We own the name Johnny Cupcakes and have had it trademarked for a few years now. I have contacted our attorneys to see if there is something we can do. Our customers are calling us to say that they are confused. You should have searched the name prior to opening a store with that name. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.
And then the blog's editors dissected the IP addresses of the correspondents.
We totally value all of your comments and opinions about various bakeries, including the much-hyped ones like Sprinkles and Magnolia, and we try not to take sides. Personally, I've had cupcakes that weren't that great, but I can't say I've ever had a really awful cupcake. (Have you? Tell us about it!) We link to all bakeries that primarily produce cupcakes or are known for their cupcakes, we love Cupcake Fetish and its numerous bakery writeups, all the cupcake crawls you've done, and leave it up to you to taste and try them (or form Meetups and do so en masse). But this kind of "my bakery is better than your bakery" sniping, personally, I find a bit offensive. If cities like New York and Los Angeles can sustain more and more cupcake bakeries, I'm sure there's room for plenty of them in many other cities and states. In fact, as an observer of the cupcake industry, it seems that the more, the merrier, when it comes to demand for cupcakes. We encourage you to keep eating cupcakes and finding the ones that you love best! (And, of course, to make your own and send in your photos.)
Photo from Flickr user Zesmerelda from the Chicago Bites Cupcake Crawl
Touchdown cupcake and vanilla flowered cupcake from Sensational Bites, 3751 N Southport Ave., Chicago.
reviewed on this podcast
The Cupcake Cottage tests all-natural sweeteners
Speaking of cupcakes and health, Fort Worth, Texas's The Cupcake Cottage recently tested out an all-natural sweetener:
NBC 5 asked owner Sandra Bradshaw to substitute sugar for Swerve in her cupcakes and creamy frosting.
"The consistency, how it feels, I like it. I really wouldn't know the difference,” she said. "It is an incredibly moist cake."
"Looks, tastes, bakes and measures and cooks just like sugar,” naturopathic Dr. Catherine Wilbert said.
With no calories, Wilbert said her all-natural product beats all other sugar substitutes.
"Not only do you significantly reduce the calories, you also reduce the blood sugar impact of it, so you can help with weight management, blood sugar and energy level," she said.
But what about taste? Cupcake cottage customers put their taste buds to work.
"It's good," said Krista Sleeper. "I think it's so close you would never tell a difference."
Photos via The Cupcake Cottage's Flickr set
A real Save the Cupcake campaign
We posted the video of a satirical Save the Cupcake campaign, but now from ABC7Chicago comes news of a real Save the Cupcake campaign (albeit one sponsored by a sweetener company). We're saddened by all the school cupcake bannings (as are many others, some of whom are calling those doing the banning "food nannies"), and maintain that moderation is best. Anyone who followed the "how many cupcakes have you eaten at one time" thread knows that there IS such a thing as too many cupcakes! But never too many photos of cupcakes, right?
8 year old actress Tiffany Espensen is touring the country to help the national Save the Cupcake! campaign. It's a movement to encourage parents to involve their children in holiday baking, as well as to draw attention to the problem of childhood obesity. Tiffany has appeared as Samantha on the hit Disney show Hannah Montana, and has just finished filming her first feature film for Universal Pictures - Repossession Mambo with Jude Law and Forest Whitaker scheduled to hit theatres in 2009...
Natur Research Foods, Inc., a natural based sweetener company located in Los Angeles launched the SAVE THE CUPCAKES! to bring more awareness to child obesity and diabetes. "We feel that there are healthful and sensible alternatives in allowing children to experience cupcakes and other baked treats without banning them entirely," said Loren Miles, Chief Executive Officer of Natur Research Foods, Inc. "Eating sensibly, getting plenty of exercise and limiting consumption of sugar are the first steps to a healthy lifestyle."
According to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the past three decades the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years. There are over 176,500 who are under 20-years of age who have diabetes and two million adolescents aged 12-19 have pre-diabetes. The CDC recommends that parents limit sugar-sweetened beverages and foods to their children for a more healthful lifestyle.
Natur Baker's Blend Natural Sweetener has 40% fewer calories than sugar and has been tested as low-glycemic. Natur Baker's Blend Natural Sweetener, bakes, rises, caramelizes, provides a crust and preserves similar to cane sugar.
There are also recipes by chef June Pagan for vanilla/vanilla cupcakes, dark devil's food ganache cupcakes, and pumpkin spice cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes.
Christmas candy cane cupcakes
From Flickr user uberannie who writes:
chocolate cupcakes drizzled with fruit cake vodka and swiss meringue buttercream (and a candy cane because it's christmas!) 
Tall birthday cupcake
I think the frosting here is almost as tall as the cake! From Flickr user Leesamaree
Lots of purple cupcakes
Part of an order of 160 cupcakes, from Flickr user My Sugar Creations, - click through for a whole cupcake photo set
Monday, December 17, 2007
Cute Santa cupcake
I like this Santa cupcake a lot...From Flickr user alykat. I love looking at the ultra beautiful cupcakes people post on Flickr and that bakeries make, but sometimes I, a rather amateur baker, feel like "I could never make that." Here's one I think anyone could make, and have a lot of fun doing it! Plus, coconut=yum!
Save the cupcake!
This video is hilarious. Especially in light of this Chicago Tribune story detailing, yet again, another assault on cupcakes in schools.
The once ubiquitous cupcake, iced to perfection and colorfully sprinkled, may be slowly fading from the school landscape.
As elementary classrooms prepare for holiday parties this week, some schools plan to ban the treat in the steady push to improve nutrition with in schools statewide.
What began with strict dietary guidelines for cafeteria food and a soda pop-ban in grade school vending machines increasingly extends to the last beachhead for sugar-laden food in schools: classroom parties and holiday treats.
Is Sprinkles worth the wait?
That's what the blog LAist asked today, concluding...not so much.
I've never tried Sprinkles Cupcakes before, but I'd heard they were the cupcake shit, and I was hoping to send them to my mom for her birthday (happy birthday Mom!) as kind of a "love from LA" type of gift. So I get to the cupcake place, and lo and behold, there is a line. Out the door. 30 people deep. For CUPCAKES.
I'm just saying--really--a line?! The sad thing is, people, full disclosure: I waited. I couldn't help it. I had driven all the way out to Beverly Hills, figured out how the hell to get onto Little Santa Monica coming from the east, and I knew that after the whole line debacle I would never be back. So yes, there it is. I waited, and I bought a cupcake, and I ate it. And you know what? It was good. But no cupcake is good enough to wait 20 minutes for...sorry Sprinkles. It's just the truth.
The Urban Housewife's investigates New York's cupcakes
Blogger The Urban Housewife recently visited New York and tried out some cupcakes.
The one below is from S'Nice, and here's what she says:
Chocolate cupcake with Vanilla frosting- The 1st bite in to the cake seemed to have a nice chocolate flavor, but then it started to taste salty & it’s quite dense. Luckily, the frosting was thick & almost like Oreo cream filling, yum! 3 stars
S'nice: 45 8th Avenue between Jane and Horatio, NYC.
She also tried cupcakes from Babycakes and Lucky's Cafe at Bowery Poetry Club.
Purse cupcake
So pretty! I adore this one, even though my "purse" is many, many times the size of this one. From Studio Cake, via Flickr
1,400 Football champion cupcakes!
From Flickr user brophy_prep, which has a whole set of more cupcake photos - they say:
Michael's made 1,400 cupcakes in honor of the Broncos winning the 5A-I State Championship
Announcing: Cupcakes Take The Cake Meetup Alliance
We are thrilled to announce that Cupcakes Take The Cake is one the charter members of the brand new Meetup Alliance! Meetup Alliance is where local groups with similar interests connect. Also it is a easy way for us to "clone" our local New York Cupcake Meetup in other cities.
Now we are looking for cupcake lovers to organize monthly meetups in the following cities:
Atlanta
Austin
Boston
Chicago
Phoenix
San Francisco
Seattle
Toronto
Click through to our Cupcakes Take The Meetup Alliance to apply. Please read the FAQs for organizing a Cupcakes Take The Cake Meetup Group which includes the request that you start the group with one other people to assist/co-lead the group with you. Then we can post recaps and pictures from your meetups on the blog.
Please direct any alliance-related questions to me (Nichelle) at Cupcakes_Take_The_Cake@meetupalliance.com. Thanks!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Red swirls and chocolate drizzle cupcakes
Both from Flickr user grrl and a camera - see more in her Flickr set "Cupcakes make me happy."
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A 12-year-old sells her cupcakes
"Leah Gallagher's cupcake obsession is a boon to Union Street shoppers," San Francisco Chronicle
Illustration of Leah Gallagher by Joshua Gorchov, via San Francisco Chronicle
"My mom owns a store called Wee Scotty, and it is a retail boutique for children's clothing. Everything is made in-house. I will be out front selling cupcakes around Dec. 16, and I will be selling them for a good two weeks. My hours are 10:30 to 2 or 3. Usually I bake on a Saturday night and sell on Sunday to catch all the church folks. Around Christmas time I sell candy cane twists and gingerbread cookies. Regular spring and summer I will sell shortbread, brownies and my favorite chocolate chip cookies. I bake it all myself.
I'm a cupcake-obsessed person. I have a bunch of cupcake pins all over my backpack and I have a cupcake jacket and a lot of cupcake stuff. It's not even funny. My favorite would have to be the original Wee Scotty Cupcake. It's a confetti cupcake with little balls of color inside and pink strawberry frosting.
I don't have a name for the cupcakes and cookie business. I never really thought about that. I just say, 'I'm selling cupcakes and cookies.' I put out a big table and have fuzzy tablecloths and a bunch of balloons. I'll have 'decorate your own cupcakes,' where you can put your own sprinkles on. There is a cupcake store across the street. I had to try them. They're really good, so I'm working on my recipes. I make dog treats ('beefy bacon' was recently on special) hanging off of a chain with little clothespins. A few people have asked me if I have a health permit or use rubber gloves and stuff. But I'm pretty good with that. I use tongs.
Toronto's Eini & Co.
Eini & Co. is based in Toronto, Ontario. Here's what they say about themselves:
Our goal is to create the perfect gift for any occasion that is bound to render some Wows! By combining unique flavours with a breathtaking visual presentation, we hope to inspire you to send a message to someone… and to say it with a cupcake.
Whether the occasion is fun or formal, personal or professional, just give us a call and your Eini & Co. cupcakes will be delivered directly to the recipient.
Your Eini & Co. cupcakes (or "cupcake-gram" if you will) will arrive in a basket wrapped with a luxurious baby blue and chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon, customized with your message attached for that special someone.
We believe that the gift of giving does not end here, which is why we would like to offer you a means to take part in deciding which charity is dear to you, and a portion of Eini & Co. profits will be donated to the charity of your choice.
Their forget-me-not cupcakes
Chocolate rose gumpaste cupcake
Assorted flowers
Chicks cupcakes
More vegan cupcakes
From the customer images at the Amazon listing for Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. See more vegan cupcakes in the Vegan Cupcakes Pool on Flickr.
From Gina Guillotine, these are gingerbread cupcakes with lemon cream "cheese" frosting
And also from Gina Guillotine, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate mousse
From R. Wade "darumah" - Green tea cupcakes with green tea glaze and marzipan flowers
From Amanda Raney, a lowfat vanilla cupcake with fresh berries
Apple spice cupcakes with caramel penuche frosting
From the blog bjorkedoff, made from a recipe from Veganomicon. One of the best things I've ever read about cupcakes is from this post:
"it would be nice to have a cement truck pouring this frosting down my throat."
Veganomicon is the massive new vegan cookbook from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero of the Post Punk Kitchen, who also brought you Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. It also has a recipe for jelly donut cupcakes! You can see a few vegan cupcake recipes, such as chai latte cupcakes, gingerbread cupcakes with lemony frosting, and chocolate garama masala cupcakes, at The Post Punk Kitchen.
Marriage proposal cupcake!
And underneath it says:
Chocolate cupcake with a beautiful ring sitting atop a daisy, guarded by a bee. Used for a marriage proposal *fingers crossed*
I hope Flickr user The Ladygloom will keep us posted!
Chocolate cupcake with a beautiful ring sitting atop a daisy, guarded by a bee. Used for a marriage proposal *fingers crossed*
I hope Flickr user The Ladygloom will keep us posted!
Gun club cupcakes
From Flickr user City the NZ Cupcake Queen, made for her gun club; see more photos in her Flickr set
Friday, December 14, 2007
Carrot and ginger cupcakes
From blogger A La Galadrielle via Flickr - click through for more info, photos and recipe
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Cupcake interview with Jessie Oleson of Cakespy
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!
Vanilla/chocolate and chocolate/peppermint buttercream cupcakes
From Flickr user lemonholistic
vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting
chocolate cupcakes with peppermint buttercream frosting (frosting coloured with beet and topped with crushed naturally coloured candy cane)
cupcake ingredients: milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, cane sugar, sunflower oil, unbleached flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, arrowroot, cocoa
frosting ingredients: icing sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint, cocoa, beet powder
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Vegan chocolate Kahlua mini cupcakes
Vegan chocolate Kahlua mini cupcakes from Flickr user sock buttons, click through for recipe
Copyright, Bakery Names, and Johnny Cupcakes
A quick perusal of our links at right will let you know that it's a crowded market when it comes to bakery names. There are multiple Babycakes (which prompted Portland's Cupcake Jones to change its name from Babycakes to avoid confusion) and there are many similarities.
Yesterday I came across an item that made me wonder about the legal implications of a bakery which is also changing its name. Second Helpings, the food blog of New Jersey paper The Bergen Record, reported that New Jersey bakery Pane ed Acqua was changing its name to...Johnny Cupcakes. They even have a website.
Pane ed Acqua, the cupcake-centric bakery featured here, in The Record, on Ch. 7 and pretty much everywhere else in its first year, has been sold.
Its new name: Johnny Cupcakes. And its owner: Johnny Manganiotis.
And the creepy looking burger you see above: That's the cupcake mini burger with fries -- a sign that Johnny Cupcakes is daring to be different.
The mini burger with fries has become one of Manganiotis' hallmarks -- three cupcake tops, with lettuce icing, chopped cupcake fries and red icing ketchup. It tastes, well, like cupcakes and icing.
The problem? Well, there already exists a (much-loved) Johnny Cupcakes, the famed Boston clothing company, and John Earle has trademarked Johnny Cupcakes. This Johnny Cupcakes has been featured on NPR, MTV, and in other media, and has been selling t-shirts since 2002.
This is what is seen on the only current page of myjohnnycupcakes.com:
This is a photo of the man who goes by Johnny Cupcakes:
This is what the former sells: (and cupcakes - this image is from Second Helpings)
This is what the latter sells: (the t-shirt, not the man)
I consulted an attorney friend who said:
It strikes me as noteworthy that the second JC firm didn't do a trademark search for the name, sp. since they were going to be at a website. Similar or even identical trademarks existing in geographically discrete or insulated markets-- e.g., a purely local Babycakes store in Pierre SD and one with the same name in Del Rio TX --won't usually give rise to infringement, since there's almost no possibility of confusion. But websites make a difference, since both JC firms are now national and competing in the same market. Moreover, close website names increase the possibility of confusion and for claims of "typosquatting"--- setting up a website designed to harvest hits from misspelled searches for a known site. A trademark search should be almost automatic in any metro market, and all the more so where there's a website involved.
The second firm might be able to insulate itself by having a website name that's very different from its store name-- e.g., jayceegreatcakes.com or something like that.
Update: From a California cupcake-loving attorney friend:
The quick & dirty is this: You can't COPYRIGHT a name. You can only trademark it. Copyright is only for artistic works, not company names and/or logos.
And the basis for TM infringement is always consumer confusion. If the consumer would believe that the dude selling shirts is the same dude who opened an ACTUAL cupcake company inn NJ, you might have a basis for infringement.
The original Johnny Cupcakes DOES indeed have a registered TM with the uspto (since 2006), but it is ONLY in the clothing category. He does NOT own the TM for food. One you register a mark, you don't own it for all time in every possible use. You only own the mark for that sector you have registered it for.
here's the original JC's registration info
Thus...since the owner of the new bakery is technically named "Johnny" and he does, in fact, sell cupcakes, he probably has a pretty good case for being able to register/use the name himself in the food category. Again, the original JC can always "oppose" the TM registration, but he needs to show valid potential for consumer confusion.
That's my 5-min TM information.
*The foregoing is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as legal advice and does not form a legal relationship between any of the parties who access this information.
Johnny Cupcakes emailed me yesterday in response to my query and wrote:
I'm hoping it's a mistake. Although, they must have known about me. People usually research a name before making it your company's name. If the name of their bakery is Johnny Cupcakes, they had to of tried registering for JohnnyCupcakes.com before myjohnnycupcakes.com. I've spent a large portion of my life building up my unique name and brand from scratch. Including paying heaps of hard earned money to protect my name and logos. You can't just go and open up a bakery named Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. It would confuse so many people. In addition to tarnishing someone's name/brand, the new bakery confusion would start making profits too. It's trademark infringement and intellectual property damage. This is a bummer and It leaves me no choice but to forward the website and information of
this New Jersey bakery to my Trademark Attorney.
I later got a phone call from Johnny Cupcakes saying he had spoken with the people behind the New Jersey Johnny Cupcakes, and they are trying to work something out. So stay tuned!
Some of you will recall that in January 2006 Johnny Cupcakes was all over the blogosphere and some newspapers with his claim that Urban Outfitters stole his t-shirt design of a plane dropping cupcake bombs.
And if any other lawyers or legal types want to weigh in in the comments, please do.
As for bakery owners - have you copyrighted your name? Share your story with us!
Face on a cupcake
From our wonderful photographer friend Anya Garrett, via Flickr. She says:
At first I thought it was Jon Lovitz on the cupcake, but I think it might be a latin guy standing on the street... 
Cupcake necklace contest winner!
I know you've all been waiting to find out...the winner of this beautiful cupcake necklace from Rachel of Sugar Toppers is...Clara of the blog I heart cuppycakes! (I swear it was a random drawing.) Congratulations to Clara, and the rest of you, make sure to enter our new contest - the deadline is Friday! And thank you to everyone who entered the last one - we got 115 comments! Expect more contests, for cookbooks and other fun cupcake items, in 2008.
Magnolia Bakery's Christmas cupcakes
(note: this photo is NOT of Magnolia's Christmas cupcakes - we're working on that!)
From the New York Daily News
Magnolia Bakery whips up seasonal sweets through Christmas Eve, capping its famous cupcakes with Christmas decorations for $2.50 apiece, or offering these goodies as gifts in individually packaged, ribbon-wrapped boxes for $3.50 each. Better yet, line up for the six-cupcake boxed set topped with a bow for $18. 9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. 401 Bleecker St., at 11th St. (212) 462-2572.
And...their site says their new location, at 200 Columbus Avenue, is "coming soon." Not sure what that means, but cool anyway, and we can keep our fingers crossed that it won't be as crazy crowded as the downtown one.
From the New York Daily News
Magnolia Bakery whips up seasonal sweets through Christmas Eve, capping its famous cupcakes with Christmas decorations for $2.50 apiece, or offering these goodies as gifts in individually packaged, ribbon-wrapped boxes for $3.50 each. Better yet, line up for the six-cupcake boxed set topped with a bow for $18. 9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. 401 Bleecker St., at 11th St. (212) 462-2572.
And...their site says their new location, at 200 Columbus Avenue, is "coming soon." Not sure what that means, but cool anyway, and we can keep our fingers crossed that it won't be as crazy crowded as the downtown one.
Personalized cupcakes
Flickr user yatt's li'lkitchen has a LOT of beautiful cupcake photos to share with you!
Kumquat Cupcakery Gift Boxes and book party on Friday in NY
We totally heart Kumquat Cupcakery around here. They sponsored our recent anniversary party and make THE MOST yummy mini cupcakes. Now they're offering gift boxes!
These little boxes of goodness are now available for ordering within the New York and Brooklyn areas!
Boxes consist of :
- Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cupcakes
-Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
-Red Velvet Cupcakes
Gift Boxes come in sizes of 6 (as shown above), 12, 24, and 36, and will be available for pick up this Sunday at the Artists and Fleas Market in Williamsburg. Orders must be place no later 12pm on Saturday.
For ordering email: kumquatcupcakery at gmail.com
Also, I know erotica is not everyone's thing, so skip over this next bit if it's not, but...I (Rachel) have edited a book called Sex and Candy: 22 Succulent Stories, which all feature candy, sugar, or baked goods, including cupcakes, and I'm having a party this Friday at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn from 7-9 to celebrate. Click here for party flier with some more info. It's free (21+ only) and Kumquat is making 144 cupcakes in these flavors:
-Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (chocolate cupcake with peanu tbutter filling and a chocolate ganache frosting)
-Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Swirl Frosting
-Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Center and Chocolate Ganache Frosting
-Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting (classic and oh so yummy)
-Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting
-Vanilla Cupcakes with Cherry Center (oh la la) and Vanilla Frosting
We'll be sure to take photos to blog them. All I know is the chocolate peanut butter one I snagged at the party (the last one!) was SOOOOO good - the perfect blend of salty and sweet. Truly.
Cheesecake filled chocolate-chocolate-chip cupcake
From Flickr user aubsgamola - another really beautiful, fancy-looking one!
Inside the cupcake
From Flickr user Flour & Sun, of a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate cookie dough center! Flick on Flour & Sun or visit our Cupcakes Take the Cake Flickr pool to see a few more.
Blueberry mousse = pretty purple frosting
Most purple frosting I've seen has been overly bright, almost garish - pretty sometimes, but too artificial-looking in my opinion. This one, from Flickr user crystalzilla, of chocolate agave cupcakes with not-too-sweet blueberry Mmousse, is simply gorgeous! Recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, more info from her at VeganPr0n.com.
The Cupcake Spot, Tampa, Florida
From The Tampa Tribune comes word of new bakery The Cupcake Spot. Floridians: tell us how their cupcakes are!
CUP THAT CAKE: Cupcakes continue to be the rage in some pastry circles. (Magnolia Bakery and Buttercup Bake Shop continue to slug it out in New York City.) Keep an eye out for the opening of The Cupcake Spot as soon as this week at 2401 S. Dale Mabry in South Tampa. Former PR exec Nicole Rogers plans to offer such delectables as the Chocolate Elvis (banana cake with peanut butter butter-cream frosting and a dollop of chocolate ganache), the Forget Love, I'd Rather Fall in Chocolate (a devil's food cake with a 100-year old butter-cream icing recipe) and Bunny Hops (spiced carrot cake with nuts with traditional cream cheese frosting).
They've got some unique specialty flavors such as:
Autumn Harvest - A pumpkin cupcake with hints of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon combined with real orange-zest cream cheese frosting.
Pomegranate Passion - Pomegranate infused cupcakes with a raspberry and pomegranate frosting.
Lemon Pucker - Lemon cake with lemon icing (a lemon curd filling makes this irresistible!).
Livin’ on SpongeCake - A Florida favorite, especially for spring time: Key Lime cake smothered in orange cream cheese frosting.
Tuxedo Bites - Just like the Black and White “cookie” these cupcakes marry vanilla and chocolate cakes with their frosting flavored counterparts.
Kentucky Derby Pie - A cupcake version of this Old South tradition: bourbon, chocolate and pecans topped with vanilla cream icing in a pastry shell.
Butterscotch Babies - Delectably buttery toffee cakes with butterscotch icing.
Hot Cha Cha Cha’s - The rich taste of devil’s food cake accentuated with a spicy curry chocolate frosting.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
2nd Cake Fetish in Albuquerque; Sprinkles to Scottsdale
2 bakeries in the news:
Cake Fetish is opening a second location, in downtown Albuquerque.
The owners of Albuquerque gourmet cupcake bakery Cake Fetish are set to open a second location, at 20 First Plaza on the northeast corner of 3rd and Copper. The grand opening is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 17.
The baking will still be done at the original Uptown location, 2665 Louisiana Blvd. NE, which opened in March 2006. The new store also will feature a coffee bar.
"The new location makes it more accessible for busy professionals in the Downtown area to pick up cupcakes for office meetings, parties and all other occasions," said co-owner Caryn Koerner.
And Sprinkles is coming to Scottsdale, Arizona:
After replicating their successful formula in Newport Beach, CA in August 2006 and Dallas, TX in March 2007, the Nelson’s set their sights on Arizona. “Scottsdale is a sophisticated market that we believe will appreciate our product,” says Charles, a University of Arizona grad with family in Scottsdale. “Many Phoenicians have been to our Beverly Hills and Dallas stores and asked for a location of their own.”
Candace eschews traditional cake recipes, carefully developing each recipe specifically for the delicate nature of cupcakes. The result? A deliciously sophisticated spin on an American classic. Handcrafted from the highest quality ingredients and baked fresh throughout the day, Sprinkles cupcakes are available in more than 20 flavors and contain no trans fats, preservatives or additives of any kind...
Sprinkles Cupcakes newest location will be located at 4501 N. Scottsdale Road at Camelback Road across from Fashion Square.
A beautiful cupcake poem
From blogger Pixel Bailey
Cupcake Anticipation
That creamy, silky goodness
That's swirled all on top
I just can't wait to put my tongue
Inside
And lick it up
So so sweet like candy
And dripping down the sides
One little taste is all it takes
To feel that cupcake high
So hard to keep from tasting it
So close and yet so far
Sitting on that counter
Next to the cookie jar
That zig-zag silver wrapper
Holds all that yum inside
If I peel it back, just a little teeny bit
I'll have to make it mine
I can't just let it sit there
That would just be wrong
Someone else might take it
When I've waited so long
C'mere you little trollop
Our time has come at last
I'm peeling back that silver
But I won't eat you fast
I'll wrap my teeth around you
And sink my teeth in slow
Icing all over my lips
And on the tip of my nose
Dear God it tastes like heaven
Each delicious bite
I think I need a cigarette
And more cupcakes for tonight.
- 8/22/06
"LA to NYC: Keep Your Cupcakes"
I wonder what Tara, who organizes the LA Cupcake Meetup, thinks of this! (via Grub Street)
From Zagat's Buzz blog, "LA to NYC: Keep Your Cupcakes!"
We're drowning in a sea of Magnolia Bakery clones (Sprinkles, Susiecakes, etc.). And we're also being inundated with branches of New York cupcakeries – Babycakes is set to open on Beverly Boulevard in a few months, and Crumbs just opened in Beverly Hills. Yes, the Reese's Peanut Butter cupcake is awfully good, even sinfully so. But please – we don't have the streets of New York on which to walk off our cupcakes. Our exercise consists of walking from the bakery to our cars parked next door. Feed us cupcakes and we'll look like floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (another import that we could use, though it probably doesn't travel all that well from coast to coast).
Cupcakes Take The Cake Third Anniversary Party Pictures
Thanks to everyone who came, ate and baked cupcakes! See the full Flickr set.
Emma Watson eats a cupcake
Emma Watson eats a cupcake - from the hilarious site Celebrities Eating (via Gawker)
Rave for Sacramento Babycakes
From The State Hornet on Babycakes Bakery in Sacramento:
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays include the lemon meringue; which is a sour cream-vanilla cake, filled with lemon curd and burnt Swiss meringue. Chocolate mint and caramel apple are also included on those days. Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays include the rocky road; which is a dark chocolate cake, glossy fudge frosting with roasted almonds, toasted with house-made marshmallows. Coconut-lime and banana split are also included on those days.
Part of what makes the cupcakes special is the unique ingredients that go into every cupcake. Sprinkles on the chocolate cupcakes are imported from France. The chocolates and marshmallows used in the cupcakes are made from scratch. The raspberry and lemon meringue have real raspberry and lemon curd injected into them...
Taste
I had the banana split and the raspberry vanilla and to say that they were delicious is an understatement. After taking a couple of bites of my banana split cupcake I got light-headed and dizzy. I don't know if that's a testament to the deliciousness of the cupcake or if there was something wrong with me that day. But every part of that cupcake was delicious. Even the bread had its own unique flavor and that's without the help of the icing or filling. 
Monday, December 10, 2007
New bakery in Sarasota, FL: Cupcakes-a-Go-Go
Cupcakes a go-go is a brand-new bakery in Sarasota, Florida. They specialize in custom cupcakes like these:
A cupcake plate
Litte cupcake birthday plate and pen (DIY)
From Wrapables.com, $37.95, description from their site:
Have fun and celebrate birthdays with this Do-It-Yourself Little Cupcake Birthday Plate and Pen. This ceramic plate, designed by Our Name Is Mud, features an image of a small cupcake with a candle and text that reads "Happy Birthday!" The circumference of the plate features pink, green, blue, and purple pastel-colored polka dots. This do-it-yourself plate comes with a ceramic pen that can be used to personalize the plate, making the plate truly one-of-a-kind. The revolutionary ceramic-specific pen works just like a marker but, once fired in your home oven, it becomes dishwasher, microwave safe, and lasts a lifetime. Individually hand painted and lead free. Instructions included with the set.
Cupcake ornaments
Here are a few cupcake ornaments we've seen that you can use to decorate your trees, there are many more out there...if you see others out there, send them in!
Old World Cupcake Yummy Glitter Cupcake Glass Ornament, Amazon.com, $6.99
Handmade chocolate cupcake ornament, Sur La Table, $9.95
Sweet cupcake decoration ornament, Etsy.com, felt, $8.50
Here's one from Flickr user messaround, not sure where it's from:
From Flickr user Whosat (maybe homemade?)
Sadly, this one is no longer available, but it is pretty!
Should cupcakes be sweet or is savory okay too?
From the Palm Beach Post, news of new cupcake bakeries opening December 26th. And check it out - cupcakes with chicken and broccoili, and others with pancake and sausage! Now, we've already posted about meatloaf cupcakes, before, but those were homemade! What do you think? Should cupcakes be strictly sweet, or ar savory cupakes still allowed to be called cupcakes?
Speaking of which, check out these meat cupcakes (with recipe and oodles of photos!):
Meet A.J. Hurwitz: the man behind the cupcake.
The foodie co-founder of Whats4Dinnerfamily.com and wife Abby are going beyond entrees and straight to dessert. Their 50-flavor cupcake bakery - What A Cupcake LLC - will open in Wellington, Boca Raton and PGA Commons in Palm Beach Gardens, sharing space with Whats 4 Dinner, which cooks and delivers family meals.
What A Cupcake flavors will include sweets such as Boston cream pie and fudge pecan, but it's the food-cakes that surprise. Think entree cupcakes with chicken and broccoli, or morning cupcakes of pancake and sausage.
"It may sound a little gross if you are thinking of a sweet cupcake, but it is more of a breadier texture," says Hurwitz, who tried out all recipes on the couple's three sons.
Cupcake statistics are hard to come by, but the couple is clearly onto something.
Over the span of four weeks in 2001, U.S. supermarket sales of cupcakes and brownies totaled $825 million, according to Baking Trend, a national trade magazine.
Manhattan's Magnolia Bakery cupcakes were regulars on the HBO series Sex and the City. On the West Coast, talk show goddess Oprah Winfrey raved over Beverly Hills' Sprinkles cupcakes. Jessica Simpson perfume includes a whiff of cupcake. Cupcake-only bakeries are popping up in Houston, Arizona, the Midwest - and now, here.
While dieters shun cakes and pies, cupcakes tend to be seen as smaller, less weighty alternatives. "Americans, especially females, are getting used to the idea that small indulgences do not have to come with a dollop of guilt," June Jo and Melissa Heffernan write on Wellness Interactive.com, a consumer-oriented Web site.
Look for the first joint cupcakery and Whats 4 Dinner to debut the day after Christmas in Wellington Plaza at Forest Hill and Wellington Trace. Next up will be a store at Boca Greens Plaza west of Boca Raton and a third at PGA Commons.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Blue cupcakes in LA for Blue: Transit Store
LA Times blogger Siel (of Green LA Girl) blogged about these blue cupakes in celebration of the new Blue: The Transit Store.
Divvies delivers nut-free, dairy-free, and egg-free cupcakes
Divvies, based in South Salem, New York, makes nut- and dairy-free cupcakes and ships them. Click here for details on ordering.
Here's their press release
Due to great customer demand, Divvies now ships their nut- and dairy-free bakery cupcakes anywhere in the continental United States in wonderfully clever packaging -- that does double duty as a cupcake "kit" as well as a gift box. You can decorate your Divvies cupcakes with creamy chocolate and vanilla frosting that comes in the traditional colors as well as this season's festive green, blue and red. The most satisfying element of these gourmet cupcakes is that everyone, with or without food allergies to nuts and dairy, loves Divvies cupcakes and can gather around to join in the celebration with no worries of adverse allergic reactions.
