Exercise Your American Right to Vote...on Cupcakes!

I speak a lot about the greatness of this land we live in. Between our inalienable rights, our rich history of technological advancements, and the very artistes upon which all of this is possible, America is really all about freedom and self expression (and knocking everyone down who stands in your way).

And that's why voting is important. There's probably other reasons, but they're not as relevant/I needed to transition.

If you're a decent person who appreciates their rights to bear arms and plead the fifth, then it's really only fitting that you vote in NBC DC's Golden Local award for best cupcake.

Granted, your choices are between Baked and Wired and Georgetown Cupcake, but then again, isn't that the framework of most elections (two candidates that may not even be qualified enough to be in the running, but hey, you've gotta work with what you've got, kind of thing?). You know what I mean.

I've already voted, but I won't share my thoughts given my highly visible, strongly influential public persona.

You've got a week to vote, so there's plenty of time, but let's face it, you really wouldn't be a true American if you didn't wait until the last minute. Mark your calendar to vote next Wednesday!

Finally, a Creme Brulee Cupcake!

Y'all have no reason to know this, but I've been searching a long time for this:

Photo via Woman with a Whisk

It's a creme brulee cupcake. Yeah, I know, right? It's a cupcake. And it's bruleed!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME, RIGHT NOW?!?!

But unfortunately, in the cupcake-iverse, there really hadn't existed a creme brulee cupcake...not like this one anyway. Until this woman, this woman with a whisk, somehow concocted this elusive cupcake treat.

You've got a fluffy vanilla caramel cupcake, topped with a brown sugar meringue frosting, sprinkled with sugar, then bruleed to perfection.

Wait, do you hear that? No, it's not the cracking of the burnt sugar on top as I take a (virtual) bite; it's the sound of the single tear of joy I shed, hitting the table, as I praise the cupcake heavens for bestowing this gift upon me, and the world.

When Obsessions Collide: Lady Gaga Cupcakes

If you've been reading this site for any period of time, then you already know about my obsession with cupcakes. I mean, right?

Incidentally, if you know about my obsession with cupcakes, you might also know about my obsession with Lady Gaga.

THANK GOD someone has finally merged the two together...and the world didn't implode from an overload of straight up fierceness.

Image via GoldDust12

These vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were inspired by the Lady's epic video for "Papparazzi."

I have no idea if the stones on here are edible, but so what if they aren't?? Now you have gorgeousness AND glitter in your belly!!! You're better for it!!!!!!

Cupcakes = World Peace

See?? I'm right. I mean, what's new, really, but this time there's substantive proof.

Photo by Simon Milne-Day

The New York Times ran an article today about a string of cupcake shops opening in the Middle East/unifying the world one cupcake at a time.

Granted, I didn't read the article, because I have more important things to do (like reapply my lipgloss) but that's DEFINITELY what the article was about.

Fadi Jaber is owner of Sugar Daddy's, the first American-style cupcake shop in the Middle East. He discovered his real passion for cupcakes during a stint in New York at Billy's Bakery...and for those of you who, I dunno, DON'T have a 2 o'clock touch-up to tend to, then you should g'head and read it.

I, on the other hand, will g'head and continue to be omnipentent cupcake blogger that I am.

Cupcake Flowers Prove You're Special

There's really only one way to know you're special.

You wanna know how you can tell?

It's when you get a flower delivery of a cupcake shaped arrangement, like this:

Yeah, it's just one (of many) indicators that you're kind of a big deal.

And that you have a really sweet BF. winkyfaceemoticon

Like I Said, BLT Cupcakes and MORE at More Cupcakes

Like my hair color, it's no secret that I've been realllll lazy on here this month. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say, I've been travelling and started a new job. You can read about it here (just scroll down to "MHeraldo") and here.

But like I said, I've been travelling and last weekend I was in Chicago, home of deep dish pizza, Oprah, and da' Bears. Oh, and More Cupcakes, right off the Magnificent Mile:

Yep, that's it. It's a small place, a quiet place, tucked right off of bustling Michigan Avenue. Seriously, there's a lot of bustle going on there.

But when you walk inside of More Cupcakes, this wall of cupcakes awaits you:

 Cupcakes as far as the eye can see, I tell you!! Like chocolate hazelnut brittle:

...or their signature More cupcake (chocolate cupcake with a cream filling topped with chocolate ganache--a fancy ho-ho or ding-dong, if you will):

...or their flavor of the day, Salted Caramel:

Yes, they're all there, like old friends awaiting your arrival, in sweet anticipation of bringing cupcake bliss to your windy city voyage. And, much like I pick my favorite old friends, I had to narrow down the many flavor options to a box of six:

Starting at the top from left to right, yes, that's the chocolate hazelnut brittle, then the salted caramel, and a red velvet cupcake. The bottom row starts with a key lime pie cupcake, then the valrhona chocolate cupcakes (adorned with a gold leaf), and a s'mores cupcake.

How about a close up of the key lime, eh?:

Oh yeah, now we're talkin'! 

Oh, and I also got one of the "flights" of cupcakes. They had two varieties, I got the chocolate flight:

They're basically just sample sizes or mini cupcakes in three different flavors, including their signature cupcake:

OMG, it's so tiny in my hand!!!!

And for the piece de resistance, a savory cupcake (cue the "Hallelujah" choir):

Ah, the savory cupcake. For so long you did elude me, much like some phantom being I would never truly encounter. Thank the cupcake gods though, for the woman so graciously helping me from behind the counter said they had BLT cupcakes on this fateful day.

"BLT cupcakes?!!" I thought. "No, it can't be. I've only ever read about them. You know, like Bigfoot or universal health care. It can't really be..."

Well, little ones, they do exist. And it was BANANAS.

Actually, it was bacon. A sweet bacon cupcake topped with a ranch frosting and sliced cherry tomatoes:

And it was delicious. Dare I say, life changing??!! I can hear the sceptics scoffing at this very moment, but trust me on this--you MUST try one of these.

If you live in/visit/go out of your way to Chicago simply for a bite of heaven, please, please go to More Cupcakes. You'll fall in love with something there, whether it's the flight of mini cupcakes, the savory cupcake selection or this salted caramel beauty:

Because while some dreams only deign to come true, these do, and after all, isn't that what this country is really all about: contributing to the obesity problem and not worrying about how we'll pay for the health implications?

Two Words: BLT Cupcake

Yeah, uh huh, check it:

That's a BLT Cupcake. And it's amazingly delicious!! AND it's the first savory cupcake I've ever had. Can you believe that?!?!

Ugh, I can't even talk about it:

I'm salivating over the idea of it RIGHT NOW.

But you'll have to wait for more later. As you may or may not have noticed, depending on how loyal a reader you are (hi, Jim Cook!), I've been pretty MIA on here lately. See, I've just started a new job and there's a lot going on, but this weekend I'll be back and better than ever!

Well, I can't guarantee "better than ever"...have you read some of these posts? I'm a literary genius. GENIUS I tell you!!!!!!!

So yeah, check back for more, and in the mean time, take a guess at the frosting...what do you think it is?

Sugarbaby's Cupcakes Review

I spent my Labor Day like any true American--eating. And in Texas.

Though I haven't lived in Houston for 7 years now, I still consider it home. Maybe that's 'cus my parents live there, maybe it's 'cus I want to be affiliated with the plethora of cupcake shops that have opened over the past couple years. The point is, cupcakes have swept the nation, mmkay? And Texas is no exception.

I know of two shops in Houston currently (Sugarbaby's and the new Crave Cupcakes), and there's more on the way, including the West Coast phenom Sprinkles Cupcakes, which will debut a new shop in the shwanky Highland Village area this fall.

So, if you had one guess, what do you think we did as soon as I got off the plane? ONE. GUESS.

We got barbeque, duh!

Okay, then what? Alright, yes, then we went for cupcakes at Sugarbaby's, y'all!!

The inside of the shop looks like Paris Hilton and Marie Antoinett's love child threw up. Translation: it's haute.

These plastic cupcake-shaped thingies are cupcake holders. They're meant to hold your cupcake in place whilst en route from one place where you'd eat a cupcake to another. As cute (and realistic) as these are, they actually destroy your pretty cupcake by piercing them directly through the middle. But they're cute and let's face it, looks are really all that matter, so I took a picture.

This case was filled with their chocolate-covered-cherry-topped Velvet Rouge cupcake, chocolate espresso cupcakes, and carrot cupcakes (they're riiiiiiight there in the lower corner. Hello carrot!)

What you see here is the Dippity Do Da cupcake, a chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla icing, dunked in chocolate ganache and topped yet again with a star of vanilla icing.

I'm having dreams about these white chocolate macadamia nut cupcakes. The "I'm flying and just won a million dollars and Don Draper is in love with me!!" kinds of dreams...

They dress up boring vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with fun colors and sprinkles. It's really just the right thing to do.

 

Should they not allocate enough sprinkles to your cupcake, then you can sprinkle your greedy little heart out at the sprinkle bar:

I'm seriously considering getting one of these for my apartment. Every corner of my apartment.

Noticeably absent from their selection were gluten free and vegan options. I suppose I'm a spoiled city slicker, as almost every dining/cupcake establishment in the DC area has at least one special diet option on the menu. I find this a severe oversight, seeing as my mom has a gluten allergy.

So as not to embarass my family, I won't get into how rude I thought the girl working the counter was when I asked if they had a gluten free cupcake. I especially won't get into the snarl that so readily appeared on her face when I deigned to ask about a vegan cupcake option. Oh, and I should probably leave out that they snapped at us when we were making up our minds whether it was for here or to go. Yeah, I'll just leave that part out.

Can't you see how excited he is to try a German Chocolate cupcake for the first time? He must not be from the south, otherwise this would have been a staple of his diet from birth. I forget where he's from. We're dating, but I mean, I really don't pay attention to the details of his life.

Brace yourself, as these are the people who make all this possible:

I made my dad show off his white chocolate macadamia nut cupcake, which disappeared mere moments after I snapped the shot.

And here's my beautiful mom, enjoying a nice big dallop of the only gluten free option on the menu: Cream Cheese frosting. She was pleased.

And here's me, in all my post-3-hour-plane-ride glory. I still posed for the papparazzi. After all, any press is good press.

And finally, my cupcake of choice: white chocolate chip cupcake, topped with white chocolate buttercream and crushed macadamie nuts.

It was fantastic. Overly sweet, yes, but that's how I like it.

The cake was flawless--no air pockets, lots of white chocolate chips. Schedule your dentist appointment now, because that icing will rot your teeth, but hey, cavities are like, totally in for the fall. I do wish the macadamia nuts had been saltier, it would have made a nice combination with the cupcake, but that's the only thing I'd change.

Well, that and the impatient help behind the counter.

I will definitely go back, but I think southern hospitality has gone the way of the north at Sugarbaby's, at least the day we went. If the cashiers would just step back, take a look at where they work, a place of magic, endless possibilities, and free from diets, then they would realize how lucky they are to be alive!! Embrace it my Sugarbaby's.

Be free!!!!! Be gluten free even, and ye shall prosper!!

Lavender Moon Cupcakes Review

I know what you're thinking: it's been a while.

I know, I know. But I've had a lot going on, okay? I'm allowed to have a life, aren't I? Even if it is almost entirely dedicated to the pursuit of happiness cupcakes, but still!

I suppose I do owe you an explanation. You see, I got a car. I got a car because I got a new job. Anway, long story short, I've been busy.

But like I said, I got a car. And in case you didn't know, getting to Alexandria from Dupont Circle sans car had proven difficult over the past two years (read: I never went to Alexandria). So, with my new car, what do you think I did first? I took my friends Georgia and Julia to Lavender Moon Cupcakes, obvi. (I'd include a link, but it seems they don't have a website...wtf?)

I'd heard quite a lot about this place before going. After all, they made it to the final round of The Washington Post's Cupcake Wars, so I figured there was at least good reason to give it a go.

In  apropriate group-of-girls fashion, we promptly asked a very confused and rather snippy group of ladies to take our picture outside the establishment:

Next, I proceeded to document all the photogenic cupcakes. These were vanilla and vanilla raspberry:

Why hello, carrot cupcakes, chocolate high hats, and Georgia peach cupcake:

Oh, and I'd be remiss to leave out the blackberry and strawberry-frosted guys:

For all you visual types, this is the interior of the store. Are you surprised that the main color scheme is pink? Are you?? And how 'bout that chandalieir, eh?:

Tell me, have you every seen a happier person? I got a vanilla cupcake to try and the chocolate covered cherry (chocolate cupcake with cherry buttercream dipped in chocolate ganache) for us to split:

Okay, so I really just wanted two cupcakes, but do you see this thing??

Georgia, my sweet, southern Georgia, of course ordered the Georgia Peach Cupcake, a peach-studded cupcake topped with whipped cream:

The cake had a good solid crumb with a cool whipped cream frosting. Ultimately, it was the group favorite for a warm end-of-summer day:

Julia, my hippie, California girl, chose the chocolate salted cupcake: 

The chocolate cake was dense yet moist, and they doled out a generous amount of frosting. It was delicious, but you'll need to brace yourself--there was a lot of chocolate. In retrospect, the box of chocolate milk I imbibed with this goody was just a tad too much, well, chocolate:

Here's where I told them to take a bite. What I failed to mention was so that I could put it on my blog. Say hi, ladies!:

Alright, here's one of me enjoying the vanilla cupcake:

The cake was good overall. A few air pockets, but great flavor and light. The cream cheese frosting was perfect with the cake, too. Not too sweet, a little tangy from the cream cheese, and a fair amount of it too. It pleased me:

And finally, as the grand finale, the chocolate covered cherry cupcake. So glisteny, so chocolatey, so...caloric:

By now, we were feeling about 9 months preggers, so we just quartered the thing and called it a day. It was the first time I had a really good cherry buttercream. I don't know how they did it, but it had a bright cherry flavor without being runny from the juice:

Lavendar Moon Cupcakes lived up to the hype, and thank God because after a couple other unmentionable disappointments, it was about time I found an alternative to my ol' standbys. The generous flavor selection is good for all tastes, minus a gluten-free option for those with food allergies, and the icing to cupcake ratio is applaudable.

Ah, I almost failed to mention that they only take cash or check, and there's no ATM in the shop so be sure to come prepared. Otherwise, be ready to grab your cupcakes and run for it!!

Will I go back? You betchyer sweet a**, I will. Did you forget? I have a car, people--a car!! I'm going wherever the cupcakes take me now.