Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 8: Not Martha Loves My Book

Image of my book: Not MarthaCakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Marking stop 8 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour is Not Martha, who clearly loves me and my book (with good reason):

Today I’m happy to be a stop on the blog book tour for CakeSpy‘s new book: CakeSpyPresents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life. Yay Jessie! I live in Seattle and feel very lucky to know Jessie and see how she has grown her business into a real life shop how she manages to spread bits of joy wherever she goes. The book is filled with her sometimes silly and always awesome baked goods reflect her certain style. Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict? S’moreos? Cupcake stuffed cupcakes? Deep-fried cupcakes on a stick? All these wonders can be found inside along with her illustrations. It’s more awesome in one place than you could hope for.

For the full entry visit Not Martha!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy's Book Launch Party Totally Ruled

Photo: Dennis ChaoLike, OMG. If you missed the official CakeSpy Book Launch Party, there's not much to say other than "dude. You missed out." 

I was amazed (and rather humbled) to find that at about 5.30, people started forming a line outside. A freaking line! To buy my book! OMG! 

It was a star-studded affair, with attendees ranging from neighborhood folk, friends, fans, and even some celebrities, including, oh, the editor of Edible Seattle to Cake Central staffers to celebrity pastry chef Neil Robertson to writer and Spilled Milk podcaster Matthew Amster-Burton...as well as my parents and my little sister.

There was also rainbow cake, as well as several other sweets from the book; and New York Cupcakes provided a lovely display of cupcakes, dressed up in Bella Cupcake Couture wrappers--some of which were decorated to look like my Cuppie character!

Cupcakes made by New York CupcakesOh, and there was champagne too, to put people in a book-buyin' mood (it worked).

Here's a slideshow of some highlights from a totally sweet evening! But don't panic too much if you missed it: I have a whole book tour ahead.

Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 7: Homemade Candy Corn by Shauna Sever

Image: Shauna Sever

CakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Marking stop 5 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour is Shauna of Piece of Cake, who tried her hand at those tricolor delights, homemade candy corn! As she puts it:

Oh, hey, speaking of crazy, I made my own candy corn the other day. I know, right? What could be more ridiculous and yet so totally perfect right now? In the midst of deadlines and website blah-blah-blahs, I still couldn’t help but get inspired to try this insane culinary experiment. And, as usual, it’s the fabulous Jessie Oleson (you may know her as CakeSpy) who put such an adorably whackadoodle idea in my head. We can all rejoice that the Queen of Sweet Teeth has just released her first cookbook, and if ever there was a compilation of recipes that so perfectly encompassed the persona of its author, its this one. I dare you to read this book and not crack a smile. Can’t be done, people. This book is a stack of sugary joy, plain and simple.

For the full entry visit Shauna's website!

Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 6: Candy Dreidels For a Pro Wrestler by Bake and Destroy

Image: Bake and DestroyCakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Marking stop 5 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour is Natalie of Bake + Destroy!, who in addition to being awesome is also the only other member of the only club I'm in: Team Little. She made some dreidels dedicated to a pro wrestler - awesome. As she says:

When CakeSpy Head Spy and co-founder of Team Little (members: me and her) Jessie Oleson asked me to take part in her Tour de Sweet I knew I was going to have a tough choice ahead. For years I’ve been following her cray-cray creative baking experiments, wishing I had the guts to stuff cinnamon rolls with cookie dough or to try mailing a cupcake in an envelope. So with her new book CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life in hand, I did what any rational food blogger would do. I took it into the bathtub with me.

Forty five minutes and a nice, bubbly soak later, I emerged wrinkly and inspired. With easy, but wildly creative directions for making such items as candy salad, Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict and Pop Rocks cookies I can tell this book will be my go-to when Teno and I want to make something fun. But the recipe I chose to share with you all today actually comes not only from my love of CakeSpy, but also from my love of pro-wrestler Colt Cabana. See, when I got to page 139 and spotted a plate full of blue marshmallow dreidels, I immediately thought of Colt.

...Anyway, whether you’re a fan of Colt’s, a CakeSpy follower or just in favor of eating religious imagery, these marshmallow dreidels are sure to please.

For the full post and recipe, visit Bake and Destroy!

Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 5: Toaster Pastry Ice Cream Sandwiches by Cookie Madness

Photo: Cookie MadnessCakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Marking stop 5 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour is one of my favorite people and coincidentally the writer of one of my favorite blogs--Anna of Cookie Madness! Channeling the also-awesome Peabody she zeroed right in on the Toaster Pastry ice cream sandwiches. Anna had some sweet things to say about the book, and here's a preview:

While Jessie signs copies of her book at bakeries across the country, some of her biggest fans are writing posts on why they like the book and mentioning recipes. As it happens, Peabody and I both went straight to the Toaster Pastry Ice Cream Sandwiches.

For the full entry, visit Cookie Madness!

Cake Byte: Awesomeness at Cupcake Royale

Check it out! I'll be at two different Cupcake Royale locations for book events in the next few days! Check out the facebook event pages for the events here: Capitol Hill and Bellevue.

Find out more and find directions at Cupcakeroyale.com!

Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 4: Blondie-Topped Brownies by Dessert First

Image: Dessert FirstCakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Marking stop 4 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour is Anita of Dessert First! She made a totally sweet version of my Blondie-topped Brownies!

It was hard to choose which recipe to make first, but I tried out her Blondie-Topped Brownies, because I’m always a fan of not having to choose. This recipe is exactly as described: a moist fudgy brownie layer topped with a sweet, butterscotch-y blondie layer. It’s quick to make, and the flavors mix together surprisingly well. And it’s certainly a conversation starter, like most the other recipes in the cookbook. 

Congrats on a great first cookbook, Jessie! As part of her book launch, Jessie will be touring several cities, and she’ll be in the Bay Area next week at two great foodie locations: Teacake Bake Shop and Omnivore Books. I’m looking forward to meeting her and if any of you are local, I hope you’ll come too!

For Anita's full entry and the recipe, visit Dessert First!

Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 3: Pop Tarts Ice Cream Sandwiches by Peabody

Photo: Culinary Concoctions by PeabodyCakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Marking stop 3 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour is Peabody (my baking hero and fellow unicorn lover), who has managed to make my Pop-Tarts Ice Cream Sandwiches even awesomer. Here's Peabody's writeup, but visit her blog for the recipe and an interview with me!

So most of you know my buddy Jessie from Cakespy, but you might not know she came out with a whimsical and fun cookbook as well! It’s just quirky and magical, just like her. I was asked to join her Tour de Sweet and jumped at the chance!

Jessie and I think a lot alike and without every discussing what the other one is making we literally will have often made almost the same thing…great minds. Minus the fact that she can also draw and well…I make some really lovely blobs and squiggles that I call drawings. Just like most artist, my art won’t be appreciated until I’m dead, or so I keep telling myself.

If you love Jessie you will love her book. If you don’t know Jessie, head over to her blog and take a look. Her book is of course somewhat like her blog…but a little more unicorn action (not that action) and who can’t use that?

Thanks, Peabody. Just for you, here's a special Halloween drawing:

For the full entry, recipe, and a scintillating interview, visit Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

Virtual Tour de Sweet, Stop 2: Nanaimo Bar Awakening by Bake it in a Cake

Photo: Bake it in a CakeCakeSpy Note: My book tour has already begun--online, that is! Bake it in a Cake marks stop 2 for the virtual Tour de Sweet blog tour. And this one's a true victory: I have made Megan Seling a True Believer in the mighty Nanaimo Bar! Here's what she has to say:

I had the perfect plan. To celebrate the release of CakeSpy’s new book, CakeSpy: Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, I was going to bake Nanaimo Bars into a cupcake! They’re one of CakeSpy’s favorite treats, after all, and I wouldn’t know about their magical existence without her introducing me to them.

But last night, when I made Nanaimo bars for the first time (can you believe I’ve never had one until yesterday??), I realized the bars, as dense as they are, are about 80% butter (no wonder CakeSpy loves them so much). I can’t bake these into a cupcake! The fluffy, custardy, buttery center would just melt away into nothing. What kind of Nanaimo bar has no fluffy middle layer? So instead of baking these treats into a cupcake, I simply made them and enjoyed them the way CakeSpy meant for them to be enjoyed. They’re every bit as delectable as she says they are—a co-worker even declared that they were “The best treat ever brought into the office.”

CakeSpy’s adorable new book also has some suggestions for variations—eggnog Nanaimo bars, peppermint Nanaimo bars, even boozy Nanaimo bars! Click here to buy the new CakeSpy book—you Bake It in a Cake fans will be happy to know, contains a recipe for cupcakes baked into cupcakes! 

Read the full entry on Bake it in a Cake. 

CakeSpy Official Book Launch on October 13 in Seattle!

OK, sweeties. Consider this your official reminder: this Thursday is the Official CakeSpy Book Launch Party at CakeSpy Shop in Seattle!

I will be there. My parents (from NJ) will be there. I will have books to sell you. And there will be cake.

Here are the details.

What to expect: an informal open-house type setting where we will have cake and treats (I will have 4-5 types of sweets made from recipes in the book!), alcohol (woooo!), original artwork as featured in the book on sale in the gallery, and my lovely little self on hand to sign the books which you should plan on buying. 

• Date: Thursday, October 13 (this is also the night of the Cap. Hill art walk!)
• Time: 6pm-9pm
• Location: CakeSpy Shop, 415 E. Pine Street, Seattle, WA; online at cakespyshop.com

But wait, there's more! Because I hate being at an event and waiting for people to arrive fashionably late (don't make me wait all alone in my party dress, people!), I would like to give you an incentive to come early: the first three guests will receive a FREE copy of the book!! That's right. You just mention this post and if you're one of the first three, you'll get the book at NO COST. And I will still sign it for you.

But even if you can't make it to this awesome event of the century, there are more chances to get your hands on my book over the next few days in Seattle:

• Friday, October 14: Book Larder in Fremont, details TBA
• Saturday, October 15: Sweet Meet-Up at Cupcake Royale of Capitol Hill, 1111 E. Pike, 7-9 pm - more details here!
• Monday, October 17: Cupcake Royale of Bellevue, 3-5 pm! More details here.

For the rest of the tour dates, click here! To purchase the book in advance, visit cakespyshop.com or hit up Elliott Bay Books. Or win a copy here.