Cake Byte: CakeSpy Products Now Available at Teacake Bake Shop!

Teacake Bake Shop, a Bay Area bakery which boasts three adorable retail locations and a wonderful online store, is definitely a CakeSpy favorite (they've been mentioned a few times in the past!). Why? Well, just take a look at what they sell. Cupcakes! Cookies! More cookies! Brownies!

And now, if you're in California, you can also get CakeSpy notecards, pins and bookmarks at all three retail locations! We're also working on a custom notecard design (shown top) which will be available in the next few weeks.

Yup, it's for sure: the Bay Area just got even sweeter!

Teacake Bake Shop has locations in Emeryville, Lafayette and Corte Madera; for directions and addresses, click here.

Sweet Times at Trophy Cupcakes: Art and Cake in June!

There are so many reasons to be excited about Seattle's Trophy Cupcakes during the month of June.

First: they're multiplying! Their second location, which is a small but sweet space in the University Village, is slated to open either this Friday or next monday. Having attended a preview soiree last weekend (jealous?), we can attest that it's gonna be awesome.

Second: they've got a sweet new suite of artwork for sale! The CakeSpy show has ended (if you'd like to shop for some of the items from the show, visit the CakeSpy shop!), but there is a new batch of cupcake art up by another awesome Seattle artist, Jessixa Bagley. Cupcakes and Robots are her game (you may remember the CakeSpy feature on her a while back); the artist reception will be this Wednesday, June 3 at 6:00 p.m. at the flagship Wallingford location.

Third: They've got a sweet new summer flavor! It's a summery and nostalgic take on a classic: Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes w/ Brown Sugar Buttercream. When you peel off the wrapper, you'll find the pineapple lurking at the bottom of the cake as a little sweet surprise! It will be on show at the artwalk, and regularly available on Fridays.

For more information, visit trophycupcakes.com; for up-to-the-moment info, follow them on twitter!

Very Cherry: Cupcake Royale Debuts the Rainier Cherry Cupcake

The month of June effing rules. School's out, the weather is warm, and there are all sorts of delicious fruits and veggies coming into season. Happily, Cupcake Royale is reaping the benefits of the cherry harvest by making them into sweet cake. Here's the lowdown on their newest flavor of the month, the Rainier Cherry Cupcake:

We top our delicious NEW vanilla buttercake with tangy cream cheese frosting, made with chunks of sweet Rainier cherries from Olmsted Orchards, and a little splash of cherry liqueur from Clear Creek Distillery.

Then we top the whole thing off with a sprinkling of organic roasted cocoa nibs from our pals at Theo Chocolate.

Available at Cupcake Royale; for more information and locations, visit cupcakeroyale.com.

CakeSpy Note: You should also check out their new blog for the latest and greatest cupcake news, including updates on their new location in Capitol Hill, set to open in July! Here's the url: legalizefrostitution.blogspot.com!

Sweet in the City: CakeSpy Artwork at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn!

What's awesomer than hanging out in über-hip McCarren Park in Brooklyn on the weekend?

How 'bout hanging out in uber-awesome McCarren Park with a professional Cake Gumshoe?

I (Head Spy Jessie) will be taking part in the annual Renegade Craft Fair this coming weekend in Brooklyn; I hope that I'll see some of your smiling faces! I will be sharing a booth with the awesome Ivey of Bombalurina while I sell some super-sweet artwork, stationery and gift items--and even debut a few new products which I did in collaboration with Eleven Eleven Industries, including CakeSpy checkbook holders, passport covers and more!

Here are the details:

Renegade Craft Fair
June 6 +7 (Saturday and Sunday)
McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn, New York

For directions and more information, visit the official website!

Cake Byte: Stanley CupCakes!

Here's some sweet news for lovers of cupcakes and sports:

Detroit’s Cupcake Station and Pittsburgh’s CoCo’s Cupcake Café Compete for the Stanley Cup(cake)!

The Cupcake Station in Birmingham is in their own Stanley Cup(cake) competition with Pittsburgh-based CoCo’s Cupcake Café to see who has the most cupcake loving fans in hockey.

For every Wings or Pens cupcake purchased, a goal is added to the Goals Chalkboard located in each store. At the end of the series, one cupcake bakery will be able to claim the highest scoring, most d edicated, cupcake loving fans in hockey, and will be the rightful winner of The Stanley Cup(cake). Each location will be updating the “opposing” team’s score daily. Plus, the Cupcake Station will be donating a portion of their proceeds to a Red Wings charity!

From now until the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Cupcake Station will be offering special Red Wing cupcakes. Choose from an Octopus cupcake, a “Go Red Wings” cupcake or one in the team colors of Red and White. Why not score a hat trick and try all three?!

CoCo’s custo mers can choose between black and gold cupcakes, ones that spell out “Let’s Go Pens,” or those that show their support for a favorite player.

For more information, check out cupcakestation.com or call 248-593-1903 in Detroit; in Pittsburgh, please visit cocoscupcakecafe.com or 412-361-2625.

Cake Byte: Sweet New Additions to the Seattle Bakery Scene

Sweetless in Seattle? Not on your life, jerk. Here's just a brief roundup of all of the sugary magic on the horizon:

Cupcake Royale: Seattle's first cupcake shop is opening their fourth retail location in Capitol Hill. Combined with the added deliciousness of Oddfellows' bakery case and the newly opened Molly Moon Ice Cream a block away, Cupcake Royale's entrance on the scene is really establishing Capitol Hill as a sweet mecca. Coming this summer; online at cupcakeroyale.com (you can also keep updated via their blog).

Curio Confections: When a Trophy Cupcakes alum branches out and opens a baking business, you know it's going to be good. No conflict of interest here--there are no cupcakes on the menu at this University District sweetshop, but plenty of pies both sweet and savory, fancy marshmallows, and even goats' milk caramels. Scheduled to open May 23; online at curioconfections.com.

 

Manderin Cookie Co.: A custom-order cookie bakery specializing in decadent cookies and bars. Bacon may have jumped the shark, but just try telling that to devotees of the Bean's Bacon Bar (a heart-attack inducing bar of deliciousness comprised of layers of chocolate, peanut butter, cayenne pepper, caramel, and bacon). They're working on placing the product in retail locations; in the meantime, they can be ordered online at manderincookieco.com.

 

Molly Moon Ice Cream: How did such a cold treat get so hot? Molly Moon is featured in Bon Appetit and all over on the interweb--and now, there's more sweetness to go around. Their second location is now open in Capitol Hill! Online at mollymoonicecream.com.

Old School Frozen Custard: Can you stand it? Yet another place to get a sweet fix on Capitol Hill! This is actually their second location (the first is in Bonney Lake, wherever that may be); they specialize in frozen custard (different than other ice creams you may have tasted--read about it here), and we're so happy that they're coming. Opening this summer; online at oldschoolfrozencustard.com.

Trophy Cupcakes: Martha Stewart's favorite cupcake shop in Seattle has multiplied: their second location will open in the University Village early this summer. Now, all they have to do is open a third location next door to the CakeSpy headquarters and the holy trinityof sweetness will be complete. Scheduled to open either late May or early June; online at trophycupcakes.com.

The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co.: Seattle's newest cupcake shop, located in Belltown, will feature mostly cupcakes but a small array of morning pastries as well; though they will have coffee, fancy tea will be their beverage focus; they'll also have suggested "pairings" for tea and cupcakes. Wonder which tea would go with their much-anticipated signature Tomato Soup cupcake (AnTea Warhol perhaps)? Scheduled for a soft opening on May 15; online at theyellowleafcupcake.com.

Ready for some sweet gossip? In the Central District, a Japanese sweet shop is coming; also, we hear that there's a new gourmet ice cream truck coming later this summer to a neighborhood near you. More info as we receive it!

Cake Byte: Upcoming Art Shows!

This is going to be the sweetest spring and summer...ever! Please come hang out with us at these upcoming events:

Art Show at Trophy Cupcakes: Featuring over 50 paintings of Cuppie the cupcake all around Seattle! Artist reception Wednesday, May 6, 6-8 p.m.; show up all month! For more information visit trophycupcakes.com.

Art Show at Schmancy: Featuring about 30 new CakeSpy painting featuring cupcakes in the cutest situations imaginable! Artist reception Friday, May 8, 6-9 p.m.; show up all month! For more information visit schmancytoys.com.

Crafty Wonderland: CakeSpy Takes Portland on Mother's Day at Portland's premier craft fair! Come buy last minute artwork for mom on May 10, from 11 a.m - 4 p.m. at the Doug Fir Lounge; for more information, visit craftywonderland.com.

Renegade Craft Fair, Brooklyn: CakeSpy is going to be sweeting it up in the Big Apple at the legendary Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn's McCarren Park! It will be going on June 6+7; for more information, visit renegadecraft.com.

Some Like it Hot: Cupcake Royale Debuts the Chocolate Scorcher Cupcake

It's not summer yet, but Cupcake Royale is bringing on the heat with their new flavor of the month for May: the Chocolate Scorcher. Direct from the source, here's the lowdown:

Fiery ghost chiles. Theo chocolate. Fragrant spices. Dark chocolate cake. Rich cream cheese.

These tantalizing ingredients combine to form our newest Cupcake of the Month in all it's magnificent, spicy glory. We're thrilled to partner with our local pals Theo Chocolate to bring you a taste of the world's hottest chile, the Ghost chile. Found primarily in the Assam region of India, we're bringing it to you in combination with warm Indian spices, chocolate cream cheese frosting, and our dark chocolate cake Royale.

The Chocolate Scorcher will be available for the entire month of May at all three locations; for more information, visit cupcakeroyale.com.

Cake Byte: Sweet New Stamps by Taylored Expressions!

Like, totally sweet! It's time for a new batch of rubber stamps created by our own Head Spy Jessie in collaboration with Taylored Expressions! The newest set has a shopping theme, with all sorts of cute Cuppie around town images! 

You can get ideas for projects like the card shown above, here; to buy the stamps, which retail for $21.95, visit tayloredexpressions.com!

Bee Sweet: Cupcake Royale Debuts the Honey Peanut Brittle Cupcake in April

Sounds like Seattle's Cupcake Royale is ready for spring, with their new Honey Peanut Brittle Cupcakes, available starting April 1! Direct from the Cupcake Royale Blog, some musings on this new flavor:

What we've done here is take some delicious Pacific Northwest blackberry honey and transform it into a mouth-watering buttercream.

Then, we took some more of that delicious Pacific Northwest blackberry honey, threw some salted peanuts in there, wiggled our magical cupcake noses, and out came honey peanut brittle.

That's right. Honey. Peanut. Brittle.

Finally, we swirled the honey buttercream onto our vanilla buttercake, and crumbled the honey peanut brittle all over it. Good God y'all!

Maybe April isn't such a cruel month, after all.

For more information, visit the Cupcake Royale website or their blog.