SugarDaze Has a Home in Paris! Plus, Free Cupcake Alert!

Please join all of us at Cupcakes Take the Cake in congratulating Cat Beurnier of Sugar Daze Bake Shop on opening her shop in Paris!

If you know Cat (formerly Little Miss Cupcake, Paris), you know what an incredibly hard worker she is and how she does it all while raising kids in a foreign (to her) land. Not to mention she's a lovely person inside and out. So drop her a line and say Bonne Chance! (or whatever it is that the French say to one another) as she opens her shop.

The grand opening is scheduled for June 23, 2012.  The shop will be giving away one free cupcake to the first 100 people to arrive.  No purchase required!

TheSugar Daze Bake Shop

20 rue Henri Monnier, 75009 Paris

Metro: St-Georges, Pigalle

Hours of operation:

Tuesday - Friday 11:30 am -6:30 pm

Saturday 12-6 pm

Closed Sundays & Mondays

 From the PR sheet:

"The Sugar Daze Bake Shop will feature a daily rotating selection of the over 30 cupcake and cake flavors available on the current menu as well as limited-time only special flavors and other American baked goods like brownies, bars and pies. All Sugar Daze sweet treats are baked fresh daily from scratch on-site using the highest quality, natural ingredients such as free-range chicken eggs, Nielsen-Massey Bourbon Vanilla from Madagascar and fresh fruit. The cupcakes, prepared using traditional American recipes, come in a variety of original and delicious flavors such as "Lucky Star" (chocolate cupcake with whipped peanut butter frosting), "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (the classic Red Velvet) and "Cookie Monster" (an Oreo cookie-speculoos cream signature creation)."  

Review: very crumbly but delicious chocolate red velvet cupcake at Crumbs

Today I passed by a Crumbs Bake Shop I hadn't seen before, even though it's been in Chelsea on 6th Avenue for 6 months. It was very clean and while they didn't have the candy that other Crumbs are offering, they had an array of cupcakes. I bought 2 cupcakes for a total of $7.90, the 550 calorie chocolate red velvet cupcake and the cherry blossom cupcake. I'll review the cherry blossom separately in a comparison post, but I liked the idea of chocolate red velvet because I'm not a cream cheese frosting fan, and usually that's what's paired with red velvet.







This red velvet cake was very moist and taste, and went well with the sweet and chooclatey-frosting. I'd say it's among my favorites at Crumbs, however, it was very crumbly, as evidenced below. I used the stirrer to scoop up some frosting (I didn't see any knives out) and the red velvet cake got all over my table, my hand and my Nook! Visit crumbs.com for location and cupcake information.

Free record cupcake for Record Store Day at Trophy Cupcakes

Today is Record Store Day, celebrating independent record stores, and if you bring in your receipt from one, Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle will give you a free record cupcake! How cool is that? Find out more about their locations at trophycupcakes.com.

Cupcake Wars Companion iTunes app features 177 cupcakeries

Cupcake Wars on the Food Network is so popular that there's an app for that! From the Times Union, which also reports that a Droid version is on its way:

MapMuse today announced the release of a Season 4 data update to Cupcake Wars Companion, an iPhone app that serves as a mobile guide of bakeshops featured on the hit Food Network show, Cupcake Wars. The app now features 177 Cupcake Wars cupcakeries that users can locate, contact, and visit in real life.

“The competitors on Cupcake Wars have captivated viewers with their edible creations,” says Mike Pilon, owner of MapMuse. “With Cupcake Wars Companion in their app library, viewers can find out where to buy these creations for themselves.” The app is composed of an interactive map of competitors' bakeshops across the country, each of which has a dedicated profile with contact details, background information, web links, photos, and more. Users can navigate to a shop’s cupcake menu and call in their order with the touch a button, then get driving directions there via in-app GPS navigation. Afterward, they can share photos and reviews of the cupcakes they ordered with other users. “Cupcake Wars Companion is more than just a directory,” says Pilon. “It’s a review platform too.”

Not surprisingly, some of the app’s biggest fans have been the Cupcake Wars competitors themselves. According to Pilon, “feedback has been very positive from the featured bakers…the app helps bring in more customers and orders.” Several of the bakers have helped promote the app by publicizing it on their Facebook pages and in their stores. “Naturally, we love any publicity we can get,” says Pilon.

I'm officially a fan of the compost cupcake (and a hint on how to enjoy it best)

I made it over to Cupcake Royale in Capitol Hill the other day, though I'm hoping when I go back to Seattle I will get to visit another of their stores just for some variety. Reminder, Seattle, Sunday from 11-2 is CupcakeCamp Seattle.


mini compost cupcake and whiskey maple bacon cupcake

Anyway, I was excited to try the compost cupcake with coconut, coffee grounds, oats, potato chips and more at Cupcake Royale, which comes in big and mini sizes. I chose the mini and I also bought a whiskey maple bacon cupcake. [Official description: "Moist vanilla butter cake, hand-frosted with Irish Whiskey Maple Buttercream. Made with Jameson Irish Whiskey and real maple syrup, this malted maple swirl truly takes the edge off…a sweet tooth, that is. Dusted with or without bacon crumbles from Zoe's Meats, it's true to its Irish heritage down to the tiniest tasty detail."] Sad story: I was full from my coffee and mini compost cupcake so got a to go box for the maple cupcake and a coconut one and...managed to leave them somewhere. So those I will also have to try again.


mini compost cupcake, post-bite





The compost cupcake is great for chocolate and salt lovers. There's a hint of saltiness from the potato chips that worked really well and I did sneak a little piece of bacon off of my maple bacon cupcake and that really upped the saltiness. I liked the texture on top and have to say I might go back and get a big one and just eat the top off. The cake was delicious too and the mini compost cupcake was perfect in every way and more than satisfying, though it did make me want more. I find that with any kind of cupcake that's a little less sweet, whether because it has salt or maybe fruit or whatever, I have the capacity to eat more of them versus something that's just pure buttercream or sugar overload.

Other photos from Cupcake Royale, which now sells vegan and gluten-free cupcakes daily. Visit cupcakeroyale.com for more information.

A little red velvet cake heart goes a long way as a cupcake topper

All of these cupcakes are by Taste Love Cupcakes in Royal Oak, Michigan, via their Facebook page. I love how the tiny red hearts pop and make these cupcakes extra special. Find out more at tastelovecupcakes.com and contact them at eat at tastelovecupcakes.com or 248-543-2253.

Chocolate egg, jelly bean and Easter bunny cupcakes at Crumbs

I snapped these yesterday at Crumbs Bakeshop on 8th Street in Manhattan; I bought a Peeps cupcake but haven't had a chance to try it yet! Visit crumbs.com t see what else they're baking, for the holidays and otherwise.

Cupcake flavor adventures: Cotton candy, Pink Snowball, blueberry Earl Grey

Look what new vegan cupcake flavors Sweet Avenue Bake Shop in Rutherford, New Jersey has in store for you. They are always cooking up fun flavors and designs and mixing things up so you can never get bored, and as a blogger and customer, I appreciate that! They've also set the date of June 23rd for their annual Cupcakefest event, featuring bands and cupcakes and much more. Get all the details and keep up with them on Facebook and at sweetavenuebakeshop.com.


Cotton Candy: vanilla cake filled and topped with cotton candy marshmallow fluff (available Wednesday & Saturday)

Pink Snowball: chocolate cake filled and topped with coconut marshmallow fluff (available Wednesday & Friday)

Blueberry Earl Grey: earl grey tea-infused cake filled with blueberry preserves and topped with brown sugar frosting (available Wednesday & Friday)



From their Facebook page:

Sweet Avenue offers a daily selection of 12 to 14 different flavors of vegan cupcakes, with gluten-free cupcakes also being offered daily. We also make a variety of cheesecakes, brownies, cake balls, cookies, etc. Everything is 100% vegan, dairy- and egg-free.

Watch Candace Nelson demonstrate how the Sprinkles 24-Hour Cupcake ATM works

The Sprinkles Cupcakes' 24-hour cupcake ATM officially launched in Beverly Hills on March 6th, with three more planned for New York City this summer and cupcake ATMs in other cities where Sprinkles operates bakeries in the next year. Candace Nelson, co-owner of Sprinkles and Cupcake Wars judge, demonstrates how it works! (See Lucy Blodgett's Huffington Post video here).



Here's what the cupcake ATM looks like:



And here are Sprinkles' Easter cupcakes:



Visit sprinkles.com and Sprinkles on Facebook and @CupcakeATM and @sprinkles on Twitter for more information.

What happens when you cross a muffin and a cupcake? You get muffincakes!

That's what OMG Baked Goodness in Toronto, Ontario is calling these muffin cupcake concoctions! They've also got new art going up on their walls. Check out more photos at their Facebook page. They can be reached at info at omgbakedgoodness.com or 647-348-5664. You can follow them @omgbakedgood on Twitter and find out more at omgbakedgoodness.com.


Banana choco muffincake with peanut butter icing


Apple cinnamon muffincake with brown sugar icing


Blueberry buttermilk muffincake with brown sugar icing


cupcake art on their wall

Tonight: Learn how to make hi hat cupcakes at Trophy Cupcakes

There are a few spots left in this Easter cupcake decorating class at Seattle's Trophy Cupcakes tonight at 1814 N. 45th Street (Wallingford)! And don't forget: join Rachel on Saturday, April 7th from 11:30-1 at Trophy's Wallingford Center Party Room for a very special Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup and the annual debut of Trophy Cupcakes' hi hat cupcakes! Visit trophycupcakes.com and Trophy Cupcakes on Facebook for more information.

Each year on Easter weekend we offer our Hi-Hat cupcake; a Valrhona chocolate cake topped with a sky-hi swirl of pastel marshmallow meringue frosting that is dipped in Belgian chocolate ganache. This coveted cupcake is gorgeous and delicious, but a bit tricky, so we only offer it for 2 days a year! Now, you can learn how to make Hi-Hats at home with our founder, baker and party-maker Jennifer Shea and Trophy's head decorator, Nicole Familetti.

Join us for a night of marshmallow meringue, dipping ganache and hands on decorating instruction in a party atmosphere that will include Trophy cupcakes, prosecco, yummy hors d'oeuvres and lots of fun!

Guests of this special class will learn how to make Trophy's marshmallow frosting and dipping ganache as well as all of the tips and tricks for making beautiful Hi-Hat Cupcakes. Guest will also learn the basics of using pastry bags and tips, how to hand-frost with an offset spatula, how to create professional looking cupcakes, how to make custom colors of sparkly sanding sugar and the tricks of the trade that make Trophy’s Cupcakes so beautiful. In addition to receiving cupcake-decorating instruction, Jennifer and her team will also share recipes and their favorite Easter decorating ideas.

Each guest will take home the two Hi-Hat Cupcakes and the two Easter decorated cupcakes that they create in a signature Trophy box. This class is appropriate for intermediate (and above) bakers/decorators.

The class is $65 per student. To sign up please call our party line at 206-390-0900. Please note *Our class size is limited and we tend to sell out quickly.