Archive for the 'Press' Category

Easter Egg Cupcakes

By on Saturday, March 31st, 2012

Easter is my favorite cupcake holiday. You can do anything you want with pastels and you’re good to go–so many options! Plus, I’m kind of obsessed with bunnies. Anyway, here is my first attempt this year. (For the grass, I used Wilton tip 233.) If you try this, I HIGHLY recommend Starburst jelly beans. I don’t even like candy, and these are delicious!

New Cupcake Magazine!

By on Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

There’s a new cupcake magazine in town! Cake Decorating magazine has just launched in Great Britain and Ireland. Don’t live there? Don’t panic–you can subscribe!

This weekly publication will help beginners learn to decorate like the pros. And each issue comes with decorating tools! Issue #1 comes with a set of butterfly cutters, pink decorating glitter, and a gingham cupcake stand. And subscribers receive additional free gifts including a portable cake caddy, a set of silicone bakeware, and a biscuit and sugar craft gun.

Learn more at the Cake Decorating website. You can also follow the new pub on Twitter and Facebook!

 

Our Cupcake Fad Grows

By on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Are cupcakes a fad? Duncan Bloor recently posted some illuminating visuals on his Search Insights blog that show the cupcake trend sweeping the globe.  The deep blue represents strong cupcake interest, see how the deep blue is spreading across nations.

As Mark Twain has declared when confronted with news of his own death in newspapers, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”   By the looks of it, the cupcake trend continues to strengthen.

More visuals and data on the cupcake trend at the David’s Search Insights blog.

What is it about Hostess cupcakes?

By on Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Hostess Snack Cakes.  Gotta love their cupcakes.  Golden.  Chocolate.  Orange.  Fondant-y icing.  Seven, white squiggles down the middle.  Vanilla creme frosting in the middle.  Wrapped in plastic.  Mass producted.

Hostess is big business.  Hostess Brands, which owns Hostess Snack Cakes, employs 21,000 people in 39 bakeries in 41 states across the U.S.A.  (In case you’re interested:  they’re hiring.)

Hostess is still celebrating its February 2011 launch of the strawberry cupcake, so it’s not too late for you to vote for your favorite Hostess cupcake and get a chance to win $25,000 and other, daily prizes.

According to the Hostess Director of Marketing, “Hostess sets the standard for timeless treats that are loved from generation to generation.”  So just how many Hostess cupcakes do Americans eat every year?  600,000,000.  And it’s Memphis, Tennessee that’s the Hostess cupcake eating capital of the Hostess empire.

 

Anti-Cupcake News Article

By on Thursday, June 9th, 2011

This week my local newspaper, The News and Observer featured an article by a cupcake critic.  I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion and as a cupcake lover I am biased to support cupcakes and be upset upon reading anything that says the cupcake trend is over.  The newspaper article, titled Keep Your Cupcakes; Cute Doesn’t Cut It, was written by Debbie Moose who states that she “doesn’t like cupcakes.  They’re so 2009.  They’re done.”  She goes on to say that her issue with cupcakes is that they are cute and that is what people are concerned with rather than caring what they taste like.  As a baker myself I will admit that I like it when people compliment my baked goods appearance but the highest compliment is when they tell me how good it tasted or go back for a second serving.  It’s not merely what the cupcake looks like, although it has to look good to make you want to eat it.

Moose goes on to argue that cupcakes are time consuming and impractical claiming that they go stale too quickly and frosting cupcakes takes too long.  I feel that cupcakes are individual cake saving you from having to cut a cake at a party.  I also feel that with all good baked goods  you need to consume them quickly or they will go bad.  Fresh bread from a bakery will go stale quickly.  If you use a little planning and bake the cupcakes within an appropriate time frame they will be fresh for your celebration.  Read the rest of this entry »

Magnolia Bakery vs Georgetown Cupcake

By on Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Magnolia Bakery (c Sam Dow)

Let the cupcake wars begin!

Magnolia Bakery – of Sarah Jessica Parker fame – is about to face some serious competition from Georgetown Cupcake – of DC Cupcake fame.  The official announcement, made June 7, forecasts the opening of the NYC store in winter 2011.

Can anyone weigh in on who will win this war?

Will it be Magnolia with their “delicately textured lemon cupcake filled with a tart lemon cream and topped with lemon meringue buttercream,” now on its second owner, having already been sold once since its 1996 opening in Greenich Village?  Or will it be sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne with their “Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a whipped Callebaut chocolate frosting topped with a fondant flower” at the shop in SoHo?

If the yumminess of website photographs is factor to handicap this competition, my money is on Katherine & Sophie.

Are you the next Cupcake Wars baker?

By on Thursday, January 13th, 2011

It appears the Food Network have just commenced casting for Season 3 of Cupcake Wars.  With two seasons down, you have no doubt seen the show, and if you have ever wondered… hey I could do that, well now is your chance.

The call has come through Reality Wanted and has a closing date of the 28th February 2011, so you don’t have long.  Casting is open to every city, nationwide. Here’s what they say:

If you think you and your cupcakes have what it takes to compete against the best bakers in the country, then we want to hear from YOU! The winner of the show will have their cupcakes featured at a HOLLYWOOD EVENT and receive WORLDWIDE PRESS!  The winner of each episode also wins $10,000!!!

So for more information check out the details at Reality Wanted above or on the Food Network website here.