CakeWalk: How to put on your city's very own CupcakeCamp, Part 6

CakeWalk is a weekly column by Mary Ann Porch dedicated to every baker who has ever struggled to achieve the right consistency with their icing, unsuccessfully searched for the perfect cupcake topper or just wants to learn something new. Because with a few helpful tips, cupcakes are a cakewalk.


For the past five weeks, we have discussed the initial steps of planning your city's very first CupcakeCamp - laying the groundwork, finding a venue, lining up a graphic designer, recruiting bakers, and signing up volunteers. Now, let's chat about how to publicize your event.

CupcakeCamp NYC used traditional public relations, social media, and grassroots efforts to get the word out. Whether it was me walking to what felt like every bakery in New York City to distribute fliers or building up enough courage to e-mail Florence Fabricant at the New York Times, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of getting the word out about CupcakeCamp.

Social media was the biggest driver behind RSVPs for the event. If you don't already have a Facebook or Twitter account, it's really not negotiable - you have to get one. Both are platforms that lend themselves to the sense of community that CupcakeCamp is all about. Also, both serve as a great way to disseminate information quickly and efficiently.

As far as traditional public relations goes, this can entail anything from outreach to your local newspaper to getting to know local food bloggers in your area and asking them to write about your event. You'll find that most local journalists like the CupcakeCamp story, so feel encouraged to contact them.

You'll also find that word-of-mouth is a strong asset to your event. I mean c'mon - when people hear about free cupcakes, they kind of like to talk about it. In fact, they like to tell everyone they know. Trust me - once the RSVPs starat to roll in, you'll notice themes in the e-mails like "My best friend told me about this event!" and "My sister's boyfriend's mother's brother's grad school teacher told me about CupcakeCamp - can't wait to attend!"

At this point, your event is probably only a couple of weeks away, and you've finally hit the point where you can sit back and relax. Of course you'll probably be nervous - any good event planner is. You want nothing more than your first CupcakeCamp to be successful. But take a breather - you've got a big event to look forward to!


Mary Ann is the founder of the New York City chapter of CupcakeCamp NYC, an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and eat cupcakes in an open environment. She is also the founder of Puff and Choux, a blog dedicated to the pastry and dessert arts. You can contact her at mary_ann_porch@hotmail.com with any questions, ideas or just to chit chat. You can also follow her on Twitter at @MaryAPorch.

Live from our Minneapolis cupcake meetup

Live from our Minneapolis cupcake meetup
Originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

Fun crowd, cool cupcakes at Cupcake in Minneapolis. More later on
cupcake jewelry from The Glass Chef, edible images from Ticings and
more!

Sunday Mimosa Mini Cupcake from Cupcakes Couture

My boyfriend saw this cupcake last week at the LA Cupcake Challenge and said it looked very Lady GaGa-esque. It is a sweet champagne cake with orange curd baked by Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach.

Cupcake meetup 3-5 today at Cupcake, Minneapolis

I tried to blog from the plane, got a post almost dine but then couldn't seem to get it posted.

Just a reminder that there's a Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup today from 3-5 at Cupcake, 3338 University Avenue Southeast, Minneapolis. I dream about their s'mores cupcake. www.cup-cake.com

I'm sad I won't be around for the opening of Cake Eater Bakery but hear that a very cool artist is doing art for them and look forward to holding a meetup there this summer.

See
www.cakeeaterbakery.con for the latest news.

Cupcake nighlight at New York Cupcakes, Bellevue, Washington

Cupcake nighlight at New York Cupcakes, Bellevue, Washington
Originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

New York Cupcakes in Bellevue, Washington had more cupcake merchandise
than I think I've ever seen in one bakery!

Tabasco sauce at a cupcake bakery

Tabasco sauce at a cupcake bakery
Originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

I snapped this at The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. in Seattle but didn't
get to ask the owners what the Tabasco is for!

Cupcake onesies from Cupcake Royale

Cupcake onesies from Cupcake Royale
Originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

On a plane to Minneapolis, much more to post soon but wanted to share
these adorable cupcake onesies. I bought my new baby cousin a t-shirt
at Cupcake Royale that says "Rock Out With Your Cupcake Out."

They also gave us some cute shirts, including "These Cupcakes Are
Taken," which you can get if you meet with them for a wedding tasting.
Seattle, various locations. www.cupcakeroyale.com

Kitteh.

Meow.


Shot by lolbrandon.

Guitars, flowers, numbers and more...

These fun, colorful cupcakes are by MilysCupcakes on Flickr.

Hello Kitty cupcake pops!

Who can resist this? Hello Kitty cupcake pops from Vail, Colorado's Lollicake Bakeshop.

More cupcakes in SoHo: Stuffed cupcakes at Cafe Angelique

These are on the fly photos, so sorry about the quality, I was surprised to see cupcakes on Prince Street in SoHo. Will buy some ($2.95 each) and report on them later. They're by New Jersey's The Petite Cafe, but located at Cafe Angelique.









And look at this! Cupcake pops...

Flower birthday cupcakes

These are by Daisy Cakes in Newton Abbot (UK), via Flickr. Birthday cupcakes for a 19-year-old.

Eiffel Tower engagement cupcakes

I love this Eiffel Tower cupcake, for a couple who got engaged at the Eiffel Tower! By pink4roxy2 on Flickr

Turkey cupcake with extra candy corn

I know Thanksgiving is long over but how cute is this turkey cupcake? It's by ashkani on Flickr.

Cupcake makeup bag and cupcake girly t-shirt

Both available from Pinup Girl Clothing.


Faux Leather Makeup Bag in "Forever Sweet" by Fluff


Skull Cupcakes V-Neck Girly Tee from Sourpuss

Cute Easter cupcakes and hundreds of Portland and Seattle cupcake photos

I flew home on the redye so my cupcake blogging will have to resume once I've had some sleep.

I did want to let you know that I'm working on the videos but hundreds of Portland and Seattle cupcake photos are now in my my Flickr account, organized by bakery (Saint Cupcake, Cupcake Jones, New York Cupcakes, The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co., Wink Cupcakes, Cupcake Royale and Trophy Cupcakes). Enjoy!

I found the cupcakes below by New York Cupcakes (who are @NewYorkCupcakes on Twitter but businesses, if you want people to see your Tweets, don't lock them!) in Bellevue, Washington. The Easter cupcakes are available for pre-order and the others were red velvet cupcakes gone awry that they playfully turned into little cupcake characters. More on one of my favorite cupcakes I've had in a long time there later, it surprised me that the flavor was so appealing cause it's not usually my thing. More in my New York Cupcakes Flickr set (my sleep-deprived self accidentally tagged these "Wink Cupcakes" but that is wrong, will fix soon).







And a little message in their shop:

House cupcakes

I think these house cupcakes (made for a realtor) are so fun - I'd definitely give them to the people I knew who've just moved into a new place. They're by Cakes by Shara of Nashville, Tennessee (via Flickr, and you can get ordering information at cakesbyshara.net and you can also become a fan on Facebook and follow her on Twitter (@Cakesbyshara).

Hello Kitty and other Sanrio character cupcakes

I don't know all their names but I think these Hello Kitty and Sanrio character cupcakes are adorable! They're by gabby cupcakes on Flickr, as are the kawaii cupcakes below.

Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake bookmark, journal, bag

I found a bunch of Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake merchandise on Amazon...click on images to order/get more info.


beaded bookmark - 2-1/2'' wide by 7-1/8'' high


Tote bag


Journal


Stationery

Mint julep cupcakes at The Cupcake Bar

These mint julep cupcakes are new from custom cupcake company The Cupcake Bar in North Carolina, and consist of a fresh mint cupcake and buttercream with a splash of Kentucky bourbon. Visit acupcakebar.com for ordering information.



I'm not a bourbon drinker so I don't know if this would be for me, though if I were in town, I'd totally try it.

Other interesting cupcake photos from their Flickr account


flower and butterfly fondant decorations


assorted cupcakes at their monthly singles' night event

Speakeasy Sweets' Cocktail Infused Cupcakes

Before leaving for the LA Cupcake Challenge, we got an email from one of the competitors, Speakeasy Sweets. Curious, I checked out their website and I was amazed to see that all of their cupcakes are infused with alcohol. Their two entries in the cupcake challenge was an Irish Car Bomb (Liam) and an Amaretto Sour (Luigi). I loved almonds, so I really liked the Luigi. The Liam was a little strong for me. Eating the cupcake was like taking a shot. Speakeasy sweets are very creative and would love to try more flavors the next time I am in LA.

Girl Scouts bake cupcakes

Girl Scouts are getting into the cupcake baking scene (which is funny because last night I had a Samoa Girl Scout-inspired cupcake at Trophy Cupcakes!):

A Northwest Daisy troop teamed up with Cupcake Couture to earn its badges through baking and decorating cupcakes under the tutelage of owner Wynette Zamora. Zamora laid out the ingredients for the girls, showing them how to mix and measure ingredients in small groups. While the girls were waiting for the cupcakes to bake, they decorated cookies.

“I thought it was very fun for the girls to have a hands-on experience on creating a recipe from scratch,” Zamora said. “It gave them an experience on what it meant to create that perfect cupcake. They were actually earning a badge, so they paid a lot of attention to detail.”

And even though most children would prefer to eat cupcakes rather than make them, the Girl Scouts were serious about their task.

“It was wonderful, well-organized and planned well. The girls learned how math is involved in cooking, which I thought was cool,” said troop mother Cynthia Elizondo.

“They learned why you have to wait and why it has to be hot. They got to use their creativity and decorate a cookie and cupcake. It was really exciting. They took turns; they were able to follow the recipe. They loved it."

Troop mother Jill Palmer found a listing for Cupcake Couture in an in a Girl Scout publication featuring local businesses willing to work with the Girl Scouts. Unlike the Girl Scouts of the past, current Girl Scouts learn more than just how to pitch a tent or make crafts.

“When you look at the GS program, each badge represents a skill the girls have learned. It's always best to learn the skills from an expert,” said Stephanie Finleon, communications director for Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas.

Thanks Eugene, Portland and Seattle!

I just landed at snowy JFK, and have hundreds of photos to upload over the next few days, plus video interviews, before I fly to Minneapolis Sunday for that meetup.

I wanted to thank all the bakery owners and blog readers I met, and especially Carrie Middlemiss from Bella Cupcake Couture for taking us around yesterday and Jennifer Shea of Trophy Cupcakes for providing such a delicious cupcake feast yesterday (s'mores cupcake = worth flying across the country for!). See writeup by Java Cupcake for now.

Startled.

Brief confusion when I saw this photo of Cupcakes on Pitt Street, as I live near Pitt Street in NYC and would be very surprised to find a new cupcake place there.






But no, it's in Sydney, Australia. Shot courtesy ccyhan.

With peanut butter chips!

NorwichNuts never runs out of vegan cupcake ideas. Ever.


Behold:





"Homestyle Fluffernutter Cupcake."

S'mores cupcake at our Trophy Cupcakes meetup!

S'mores cupcake at our Trophy Cupcakes meetup!
Originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

With Graham cracker on the bottom!

Kids and cupcakes: Cupcake cowboy!

"Bring the sacrificial cupcake" by Micah Taylor.

Vanilla Bake Shop's Cupcake Babies

While in Los Angeles, I stopped by Vanilla Bake Shop which was near I was staying in Santa Monica. Since I was in town to judge mini cupcakes, it was fitting that I sampled a trio of Vanilla Bake Shop's minis. I love that they call them "cupcake babies". Plus, you can order three for five dollars which is good way to try different flavors. I ordered the Old Fashion, the Blackberry Passion Fruit, and the Bittersweet Dark Chocolate. I love the fact that Vanilla has daily rotating specials.



I love the three I ordered and I especially liked the Blackberry Passion Fruit because it has passion fruit in the center.

What cupcake people do for fun

Carrie from Bella Cupcake Couture, me and Jody Hall, owner of Cupcake Royale (video interviews with both coming soon!) goofing around at the Capitol Hill branch of Cupcake Royale yesterday.

Double frosted ice cream cone cupcake at Wink Cupcakes

I visited so many cupcake bakeries my teeth hurt by the end of the day (not kidding). I now have to figure out how to eat all the ones I have in my hotel room even though (yes, cupcake blogger blasphemy alert!) I really just want to take a long, long walk and find some veggies, especially because we have a meetup tonight (5-7, Trophy Cupcakes, Wallingford).

For now, some snapshots, when I have some time (I fly back to New York tonight and then fly to Minneapolis Sunday for the cupcake meetup that's 3-5 at Cupcake) I'll do a more thorough critique and get my photos into proper Flickr sets. Follow @cupcakeblog on Twitter for some in-the-moment Tweets.

Here are a few from Wink Cupcakes, whose motto is "Making Seattle Sweeter One Cupcake at a Time." They also sell ice cream and little cupcake items, like cards (which were $3.50 but marked $2.75, oddly enough) and Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers and cupcake bath bombs.

I tried a vanilla/vanilla ice cream cone cupcake (I think it was $2) and found it was tough to eat; I started to take a bite and got frosting on my nose! Then, to my shock, there was frosting in the bottom too! Photo TK because my phone died at that point.

They had mini mini cupcakes:



And giant jumbo cupcakes:



And peanut butter cupcakes with Hershey's Kisses on top:



And, of course, they are @WinkCupcakes on Twitter and are on Facebook.

Results of LA Cupcake Challenge

Last Saturday, forty mini cupcakes were contestants in the Third Annual LA Cupcake Challenge. They were adorned with pretty liners and staged on cupcake tiers like they were contestants in a beauty pageants. The funny thing about mini cupcakes is that they tend to be "top heavy" with more frosting than cake. They were some very good cupcakes with creative pairings of flavors. I was in cupcake heaven seeing all the cupcakes and meeting the bakers.



One of my favorites won best overall. Jus Minis made a delicious Caramel Banana cupcake. The owner of JusMinis is nineteen year old Justin Polacek so I am pleased that his cupcake won.

Best Traditional
1st Place: Big Man Bakes “Red Velvet”
2nd Place: Blue Cupcake “Sweet and Salty Vanilla”
3rd Place: Southern Girl Desserts “Red Velvet”

Best Original
1st Place: My Delight Cupcaker “Breakfast Cake”
2nd Place: Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Best Overall
1st Place: Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
2nd Place: My Delight Cupcaker “Breakfast Cake”
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Cupcake as Icon

Love this. Want it:





"Vintage Wallpaper Cupcake Punches" by Le Petit Poulailler.

floral cupcakes

These pretty flower cupcakes are going-away gifts for Patrick, from (I think) Cupcake Cafe, in NYC.







Courtesy of shell belle.

12 baking cups in 1

One of the the things I love about cupcakes are the endless customizable options. Wrappers, cups, liners, toppers, fillings, frostings, icings, decorations and cake flavors. The permutations are, as I said, endless.


Check out this nice collage of baking cups:






Love those paw prints! Bet Layla, puppy-of-cupcake love would enjoy them too!


Shot courtesy of morganacake.

Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. cupcakes with Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers

Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. cupcakes with Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers
Originally uploaded by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

So pretty!

Me and Cupcake Activist

Here's a picture of me with Elise AKA Cupcake Activist.