Today my local news paper, The News and Observer had an article titled Cupcakes for Grown-up Tastes.  For the article the author taste tested 9 cupcake proprietors in the triangle, the name given to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Out of the 9 cupcake stores and online shops, I am pleased to say I have tried  5 including The Cupcake Shoppe, Bliss, Kelly G’s Cupcakes, Sugar Land, and The Cupcake Bar.  The ones that I have not had a chance to try are the online order sites and I have to admit I have never ordered cupcakes online.

Out of the 5 which I have tried I would have to say that The Cupcake Bar is my favorite.  On Single’s Night they ways have fun flavors like apple cider or Mexican chocolate.  I have had The Cupcake Shoppe’s cupcakes on several occasions and found sometimes they can be a bit dry and have a little too much frosting for my preferences.  I still like them and would never pass up the chance to have one of their cupcakes.  Kelly G’s cupcakes are also really good and I enjoy going to Open Eye Cafe to do homework and have a cupcake! The article goes into detail with Valentine’s Day options and Tasting Notes for each cupcake company.

If you’ve had the opportunity to try one of the cupcake bakeries from the article be sure to leave a comment to let us know what you thought!

As the recession stretches on and jobs stay hard to find, more people are turning to self-employment to pay the bills.   The name of the game is to use your pre-existing skills in a venture with a low start-up cost.  Like, say, using your many years of cupcake-baking experience to start a business selling cupcakes.

Carrie Spindler of Hudson County, New Jersey did just that when she started GoodieBox Bakeshop.  After losing her job, Spindler decided to take the leap and put her fifteen years of baking experience to entrepreneurial use. Spindler started her business online and created a dedicated following (especially for her signature red velvet cupcakes) before moving into her own retail space.

Mini Empire Bakery of Seattle, Washington has much the same business plan. Christy Beaver and Morgan Greenseth started their cupcakes and more concern online this last December and have just started selling their goods in local cafes as well.  Just as Spindler did with GoodieBox, Beaver and Greenseth plan on building a following before setting up a brick and mortar shop.

Besides the relative ease and low-cost of starting up an online catering company, these cupcake entrepreneurs have one more thing on their side: the robustness of the small luxuries market. While many of us can no longer afford big luxuries,  we still have money for little luxuries like cupcakes. Thus cupcake-making is a potential source of jobs as well as sweetness, even in tough economic times like these.

Sometimes dietary restrictions can make it hard to enjoy the finer things in life…like cupcakes. But in LA, things became just a little bit easier for the dietarily-restricted cupcake lover with the opening of Babycakes earlier this month. This New York transplant serves up the sweets with the health and allergy-conscious in mind – all of their offerings are egg, soy and dairy-free, and many are refined sugar and gluten-free as well. While their ingredients are restricted, their menu has plenty of options. Babycakes features red velvet, vanilla, carrot and chocolate cupcakes along with a plethora of cookies, crumb cakes, muffins and other delicious baked goods.

Just this last Friday, Beverly Hills’ haute-cupcake bakery Sprinkles jumped into the game with the introduction of their vegan and gluten-free red velvet cupcake.  Is this the start of a health-conscious cupcake war in LA?  If so, I can tell you right now: the cupcake lovers will be the winners.

Cupcake Royale's "cupcake fit for The King"

Seattle is a big cupcake town, so it’s no surprise that new styles and flavors show up all the time. Nor is it too surprising to have a flavor named after a celebrity. But Elvis’ famous favorite snack, the banana and peanut butter sandwich, transformed into a cupcake in celebration of The King’s 75th birthday? That’s original. And that’s the Velvet Elvis, Cupcake Royale‘s newest creation and present cupcake of the month.

I stopped by Cupcake Royale’s Capitol Hill location to try a bite-sized version of the banana bread cupcake with peanut butter and chocolate frosting a few days ago. It was sweet, but also rich, with a depth of flavor that is often lacking in cupcakes. If you’re a cupcake fan swinging through Emerald City, I recommend giving it a try – it’s well worth the stop.

In wake of the recent earthquake in Haiti there are tons of worthy charities to donate to.  As mentioned with a post last week about Bleeding Heart Bakery, cupcakes are helping raise donations. In case you missed this past weekends event, another cupcake charity event is being held this Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 9am-1pm.  Cupcakes for Haiti in will be hosting a cupcake stand in Toronto, ON where sales from the bake sale will go to MSF/Doctors without Borders.

Additional events that  have already occurred but are still worth mentioning include the Bake Sale held in Ashburn, Virginai where the proceeds went to Food For the Poor.   Additionally Foiled Cupcakes which delivers to Chicago and surrounding cities created a sweet deal: 2 dozen cupcakes were given to the first 5 people who donated $100 to the Haitian relief via the Red Cross.

Ready for the cupcake explosion?  Each year in the months of January, May and October, the Taylor’s Bakery in Auburn, Alabama creates 20 distinct flavors of cupcakes. The bakery bakes about 50 dozens of cupcakes for the January explosion, but for the other two months, the scale is increased to 120 dozens.

The event in January is celebrated to welcome the students back in the town.  Jan Taylor, who is the founder of the bakery says that through this event, they want to show the people that their bakery is much more than just a bake shop.

She says, “It’s about a three day event in the kitchen. This morning, when we put them in the case it was like, ‘Whew, we can breathe!’” The thirteen year old event has been a part of the bakery’s calendar ever since it opened. Taylor says that even though she loves the classic cupcakes flavors, but she also likes to add innovative tastes to the menu.

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Deanna and Phil Watkins started a small bakery in their hometown, St. Charles four years ago. It started as very small establishment, but slowly the craze started to rise and has now reached a height that even the Watkins can’t believe.

The craze for their cupcakes has made them reach a milestone that most bakeries in the world would envy.
The Sweet Dream Desserts bakery has now officially sold one million cupcakes. Their cupcakes are so popular that they have now opened a branch at Route 64 in a town called Wasco which is near St. Charles.

Even Deanna Watkins can’t believe her own success. She says, “People have gone crazy for our cupcakes. I knew cupcakes were trendy but I had no idea.” They sell many varieties of cupcakes including vanilla, chocolate, red velvet and chocolate ganache among others. All cupcakes are baked by Watkins herself from scratch.

Sugar Mountain and La-Tea-Da Owners

My friend in Rochester, NY sent me this news paper article and I thought I would share it.  Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe was originally a virtual bakery that operated out of other place’s commercial kitchens.  When the owners of Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe were considering closing, out of fear of losing her cupcake supplier, Maureen Becker, owner of La-Tea-Da Tea Room and Parlor offered Sugar Mountain the use of her space.  Now the two operate under the same roof only, with La-Tea-Da Tea taking the day shift and Sugar Mountain operating during the evenings.

My friend said she tried Sugar Mountain’s cupcakes, all of which are filled.  Her most recent cupcake try was Pumpkin Spice which she said was good but noted that there is a lot of frosting on these cupcakes.  She also mentioned that the unique flavors like The Elvis, a banana spice cake filled with chocolate hazelnut ganache, topped with a chocolate peanut buttercream and a banana chip, tend to sell out quickly.

My mom shared with me last week’s issue of Parade featured an article titled Five Unexpected Food Trends.  According to Joanna Prisco wedding cupcakes are the number one unexpected food trend.  Red velvet and chocolate cupcakes are among the most popular but crazy flavors like Twinkies, s’mores, and doughnuts are showing up at weddings.  I liked that the actual, physical article claimed “Cupcakes are the new wedding cake.”

A couple weeks ago we reported rumors of a giant 7,000 lb cupcake being planned.  The initial plan was an unveiling event that included breaking the Guinness record as well as selling each 1 lb cupcake “slice” for $5 to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.  If successful, a single cupcake would net a cool $35,000 for charity!

Instead of putting a 7,000 lb of cupcake batter inside an oven, an oven was constructed and hoisted on top of the batter.   During an all-night baking process, the bakers were horrified to find that a heating element had dislodged in the middle of the night and had split the massive cupcake in half.  Scrambling to bake a new cupcake in time for the event, they rallied to make a smaller cupcake through the night.

The new cupcake took 12 hours to fully bake and weighs in at a record setting 1,224 lb, still shattering the old record by a massive margin.

So soon after the Sponge Bob cupcake broke the Guinness record last month, There are rumors of a new giant cupcake in the works. This new behemoth is planned to be a whopping 7,000 pounds and stand 7 feet tall.  This easily trumps the 150 lb Sponge Bob by a wide margin.

The Detroit news reports the following:

Rather than placing the cupcake into the oven, the oven will be placed upon the cupcake — by a crane.

The baking will take 24 hours.

Hylen wasn’t sure how many pounds of flour, eggs, milk and sugar will be used. The short answer: a lot. It will cost $10,000.

Maybe this record will remain standing for awhile.

Who knew cupcakes have even made its way into the national health care debate? Oh the power of the simple cupcake.

Seattle’s Cupcake Royale owner, Jody Hall, has weighed in with her thoughts on the effect of rising health care costs on her small business.

… Hall says something has to be done about the expense of providing health coverage. She says her premiums have increased 20 percent in each of the past few years, and a couple of years ago, they went up 40 percent.

“It’s unsustainable to manage that kind of expense hike, so we are forced to cut our quality of coverage to make it more affordable, and that doesn’t do much for society,” she says.” A lot of small businesses are doing that or cutting insurance altogether.”

Additionally, Jody took part in a White House discussion and gave her perspective about the challenges of health care costs for small businesses.

In a speech given in North Carolina, President Obama pronounced cupcakes to be good for your life.   :)  Watch the speech below, it happens within the first two minutes of the video.

A fairytale story may start and end as simply as this.

Boy meets Girl. Boy designs T-shirts. Girl designs wedding cakes.

They start a business and live happily ever after…in the middle of several thousand cupcakes and racks of custom-designed T-shirts.  (Full Article Here)

Except this story is true.  A tale of following your own dreams, taking a chance, and working on what you love the most.  Another inspirational true cupcake store story at the Huffington Post.

This store pairing concept seems to be gaining steam.  By sharing a retail storefront and marrying two individual retail concepts together, the owners can share space and share marketing power by attracting different spheres of audiences.

In the San Mateo, CA area, I saw a retail concept that married an eyeglass store with a frozen yogurt/dessert store.  It was refreshing and fun.  Have you seen other store pairings in your local area?

Guinness World Records  certified a 150+lb cupcake made by JodiLee Knops, cakes.com pastry chef, as the world’s largest cupcake at an event at Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The cupcake measured one foot by two feet and weighed in at 150.7lb. Filled with fudge and topped with SpongeBob yellow icing, the cake contained 1500 servings.

The giant cupcake was made as part of a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Nickelodeon character SpongeBob SquarePants held at Mall of America’s Nickelodeon Universe. The creators of the record breaking cupcake is DecoPac, which is promoted as “the world’s largest cake decoration supplier and marketer.”

Ladies and gentlemen, behold!  The mother of all cupcakes.  Measuring 1.25 m by 1.2 m (4.1 feet by 3.9 feet) and weighing in at 150kg (330 pounds).  This cupcake was painstakingly baked and assembled with 50 hours worth of labor by Michelle Wibowo from Michellcakes.co.uk.  Although this cake is a wonder to behold, I can’t imagine it being a wonder to taste!  50 hours of assembly can ruin the moistness and texture of any cupcake.  More details about the event and opinions about the cupcake at the guardian.co.uk.

Unfortunately, it seems like this giant cupcake may not meet the Guinness World Record qualifications which require that the entire cupcake be baked in one piece.  This quote from the Guardian confirms this:

Michelle said it took her five days to complete her masterpiece. “I used easily over 50kgs of sugar. I dread to think how many calories it has.” For want of an oven large enough, she whipped up batches and batches of smaller sponges and then layered and carved them into a cupcake shape. “The decorating is the fun part. The more icing the better.”

Following on the heels of this British story, an announcement by the Mall of America that they will be displaying a 100 lb cupcake with judges from Guinesss book of world records.   A mere 1/3 of its British counterpart in weight and size, this US cupcake seems poised to officially take the record.  It has already been announced that after the showing at the Mall of America, this 100 lb cupcake, all 131,000 calories, will be shipped to a local hog farm for consumption and digestion.

I have been informed from Sarah Voigt that this plus-sized cupcake will be presented on a tower that will hold 2,500 regular cupcakes.  Additionally, 4,000 FREE cupcakes will be given away during the 10th anniversary celebration of SpongeBob Squarepants.  If I were in the area, I would make some time to check out this fun spectacle.

Although as a country we are knee deep in a recession, cupcake shops are springing up left and right.  Some theories are that we all need affordable comforts during times like these.  Another is that with many skilled people laid off, they are free to pursue their dreams, and some happen to open their own cupcake shop.

Christiana Whitley of Hattiesburg, MS is opening her shop named Cirque du Sweet Day. Her dream of opening a store started back in 2007 while enrolled in Emerson College. 

Rhonda Waller left her executive job in 2008 to start Rhonda’s Cupcakery in the Bethesda, MD area.  Her shop has been doing so well that it has attracted competition from other cupcake stores to her area.  What a good problem to have.

Finally, our friend Dave LaLiberte in Boston is looking to open his cupcake shop in the Boston area in March 2010.  He has an official job opening looking for a Creative Cupcake Baker. If you are interested in getting in touch with Dave, please contact him at:  [email protected]

Follow your dreams not only at night, but also during the day!

Love him or hate him, he was undeniably a genius.  I found it fascinating that people have started to use cupcakes to express their feeling.  Now cupcakes aren’t only found at weddings, but also in mournings.

Here are some photos of Michael Jackson Cupcakes that have appeared nationwide.

Beautiful writeup and photos by the Seattle PI on a local cupcake shop named Trophy Cupcakes.  My Seattle friends tell me that it is worth a second look… and a third.  I am staring at the photos with a little envy.  Where were the cupcake stores when I was growing up in Seattle?

Last month, ATC observed the growing mobile cupcake trend on the east coast.  Just this monday, Sprinkles, the Beverly Hills-based chain, launched its cupcake-shop-on-wheels experiment to serve cupcake goodness to the Orange County.

“Yes, we want to take the Sprinklesmobile to the O.C.,” said Nicole Schwartz, a rep for Sprinkles Cucpakes, which has a shop in Corona del Mar.

Schwartz said “stay tuned” for more details as “we haven’t plotted out our
schedule yet.”

The chain will “Tweet” its Los Angeles locations on its new mobile Twitter account: @sprinklesmobile.

Cupcake are often times used as symbols.  Usually cupcakes symbolize something happy and delightful, but lately it has been invoked in a growing debate regarding school food policies.  There is no doubt that childhood obesity is a growing problem, but is school food to blame?  If it is, what is the necessary reform needed?

In the heated debate, school boards are considering banning some foods from the school entirely including cupcakes.  A board member asks, hopefully rhetorically:

“They can’t have cupcakes? … One birthday party a month?” she said. “…I think it’s better to have happy children. They learn better, it’s pleasant for all. Along with the healthy foods, the kids have to be happy.” – The Evil Cupcake

In another article, a worried pediatrician retorts:

In a typical classroom of 26 children, there are up to 26 days of birthday cupcakes to contend with. Then you add in celebrations for holidays, and many classes have a party every week. There are many healthy birthday options, and we can use them to celebrate our children’s birthdays without sacrificing their health. – NYT Letters

What do our dear ATC readers feel about this issue?  Should cupcakes be banned from schools?  Or is it throwing the baby out with the bath water?

Actress Becki Newton of “Ugly Betty” enjoying some MARTINI & ROSSI Sparkling Rosé, and one of New York’s best cupcakes.

MARTINI & ROSSI® INTRODUCES  SPARKLING ROSÉ
ENHANCING ITS PORTFOLIO OF ITALIAN  SPARKING WINES
Sip into Summer with Martini & Rossi’s New, Fun and Flirty Rosé

MIAMI (May, 2009) – MARTINI & ROSSI, the leading name in Italian winemaking, proudly announces the addition of its sparkling MARTINI & ROSSI Rosé to its portfolio of fine wines.  Cultivated in the finest growing areas of the Piedmont and Veneto regions in Italy and made with handpicked Moscato Bianco, Malvasia and Brachetto grapes, this delicious, aromatic Sparkling Rosé is the perfect complement to the MARTINI & ROSSI sparkling wine collection. By expanding its portfolio and adding Rosé for the  first time, MARTINI & ROSSI completes its “sparkling trio,” which currently boasts a naturally sweet Asti  (dosage: 90 grams/liter)  and an extra dry Prosecco (dosage: 15 grams/liter),  providing a unique style and taste for every occasion. Light and crisp, the MARTINI & ROSSI Sparkling Rosé (dosage: 49 grams/liter) is flirty and lively enough to get you away from the elements of winter and think of   spring.

Sparkling Rosé wines are taking the nation by storm, gaining in popularity* and showing a growing presence on restaurant wine lists and at home dinner parties nationwide. Available  just in time for spring and  summer when Rosé wines are most fashionable, MARTINI & ROSSI Sparkling Rosé is  perfect for a variety of occasions, from a romantic dinner at home to a celebratory party or a special girls night in, all enjoying  MARTINI & ROSSI Rosé in a responsible manner.

Soft pink in color and fully sparkling,  MARTINI &  ROSSI Sparkling Rosé is characterized by enticing  aromas that blend hints  of citrus, elderflower and soft peach with  delicate notes of wild Rosé. It pairs perfectly with an assortment of foods, especially lighter flavors of fruits, cheeses and fish. MARTINI & ROSSI Sparkling Rosé can be enjoyed in any mood or occasion, whether you are starting off your night, looking to enhance a meal or celebrating with friends.

One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI & ROSSI is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality wines, with MARTINI & ROSSI Asti the number one-selling imported sparkling wine in the United States and MARTINI & ROSSI Vermouth, the number one-selling vermouth brand in United States, and the world. Since its founding in 1863, MARTINI & ROSSI has fostered a pioneering spirit to develop unique products that represent the very best in Italian quality and   style. The winemaker’s dedication and passion for excellence is tasted in every one of its products and the new Sparkling Rosé is no exception.

MARTINI & ROSSI Sparkling Rosé will be available in a 750ml bottle and 187ml 4-packs that are perfect for sharing with friends and make a great addition to picnics or beach parties. MARTINI & ROSSI Sparkling Rosé can be found at fine wine retailers this spring and retails for a suggested price of $12.99.

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*According to Nielsen, volume of sparkling rosé grew   nearly 22% since last year.

ENJOY OUR GOOD TASTE WITH YOUR GOOD JUDGMENT ®  ©2009.  MARTINI & ROSSI AND THE MARTINI & ROSSI BALL AND BAR LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS.   IMPORTED BY MARTINI & ROSSI WINE COMPANY, MIAMI, FL. ITALIAN SPARKLING WINE.

The Cupcake Cram took place this weekend in Boulder Colorado.  Two contestants tied with 34 cupcakes eaten in 10 minutes.  A 3 cupcake overtime was declared, and professional eater Dale Boone emerged the winner.

This event seems to be an official event conducted by the World League of Competitive Eating.  I would love to see world hotdog eating champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, who ate 66 hotdogs and bun in 13 minutes, attack the cupcake record.

Long touted as one of America’s healthiest and fittest cities, Boulder on Saturday will instead play host to a World League of Competitive Eating-sanctioned face-stuffing extravaganza: the inaugural Cupcake Cram at Tee & Cakes, 1932 14th St.

Four local eaters will face off against 24-time world champ Dale “Mouth of the South” Boone to see who can inhale the most cupcakes in 10 minutes.

The funny Colorado Daily article states that the cupcake shop will be preparing 200 cupcakes for the event.  By my calculations, that means 40 cupcakes per contestant.  Since this is a 10 minute event, this comes out to cupcake every 15 seconds.  Impressive and scary at the same time.

Now if they had a cupcake Enjoyment championship, I could have a chance to compete.  I have no problem enjoying a cupcake slowly.

What if you could spend a day touring cupcake shops across New Jersey  in a hotdog shaped van?  I found the journals of these intrepid food explorers describing their Cupcake World Tour.   Hopefully they all  made it back alive and in good health.