Sweet Art: CakeSpy and Rampage Toys Show at CakeSpy Shop

Are you ready for some totally sweet and awesome art, friends?

Well, get ready. Because CakeSpy and Rampage Toys are collaborating again, with the best art show ever at CakeSpy Shop! Here's the shop release on it:

Last year, we hosted a show featuring paintings and toys from Seattle based character designer Jon Malmstedt - RAMPAGE TOYS! Jon is known for his cupcake monsters running through towns destroying all that they find, flying to space, and traveling undersea. You may have heard, but our founder, Ms. CakeSpy, is pretty well-known for her OWN cupcake-themed artwork, so obviously, a collaboration was bound to happen! Come and see all of their AWESOME collaborative works for yourself Thursday, May 10th from 5-8pm--you can expect tattooed unicorns, dinosaurs chasing treats, and more!

Here are the details:

Opening reception: Thursday, May 10th, 5-8 p.m. Facebook event page here.

Location: CakeSpy Shop, 415 East Pine Street, Seattle WA 98122

Don't panic if you can't make the opening; the art will be up all month, and very soon the art and prints will be available at CakeSpyShop.com. 

Cake Byte: Crumble and Flake Now Open in Seattle

Now, it's always cause for celebration when a new bakery opens.

But when that bakery is opened by famed pastry chef Neil Robertson, it's cause for bells, whistles, and a unicorn parade.

This talented and adorable fellow, who has honed his pastry skills at the likes of fancy restaurants such Canlis and Mistral Kitchen, is now operating his own retail space, called (love it) Crumble & Flake. 

While not all of us might be able to afford the likes of the fancy restaurants which featured his desserts previously, Crumble & Flake offers an affordable taste of this pastry chef's fine work, including croissants, cream puffs, and macarons.

As a TastingTable article puts it,

It’s hard to imagine what territory might be left for Neil Robertson to cover. But after having led the pastry departments of some of Seattle’s best restaurants, he’s renewed his career once again with his first solo venture, a bakery called Crumble & Flake that will open in April. The focus here is classic French pastry, executed with precision and a bit of whimsy. Expect cream puffs filled to order with pastry creams in flavors such as chocolate, goat's milk and bourbon, as well as that current darling of the pastry menu, kouign-amann.

A word for the wise? Do not miss the basics, such as croissants and kouign-amann (which, roughly translated, means "fulla butter and love"). 

Visit Crumble & Flake at 1500 Olive E; online here. 

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Shop Re-Opens!

Here's a sweet dispatch from CakeSpy Shop in Seattle!

Alright, friends! After a short stint of closure due to flood damage...We are OFFICIALLY re-opened for business!! The shop is looking awesome, and we are even introducing a few new items!! Check these out:

Magnets with Ryan Berkley art!

Hamster Pillows!BFF necklaces!

Anyway, don't take our word for it--come in and check it out for yourself!

Also, we will be celebrating all of this awesomeness at our 2nd Thursday Art Walk this month, and you can RSVP here: http://www.facebook.com/events/326964947352233/. The store is located at 415 East Pine Street, Seattle WA 98122.

Cake Byte: Sweet News from Cupcake Royale!

How sweet is April at Seattle's Cupcake Royale?

Well, pretty sweet, judging by their newsletter! They're debuting some sweet new stuff.

First, the cupcake of the month: Compost Cupcake! Like a good Seattleite, this cupcake uses up all the excess stuff, making for a wonderful result: a chocolate cake filled with chips, oats, chocolate, coconut, cake crumble, and maybe a few more secrets too! It's all topped with chocolate frosting which is then rolled in coffee, more chips, and more chocolate. Like whoa!

But wait...there's more! Cupcake Royale is at long last debuting a vegan cupcake, too! Here's what they have to say about it:

To get these sweet treats, hit up a Cupcake Royale location in Seattle! For more information, visit cupcakeroyale.com.

Cake Byte: Hi-Hat Cupcakes at Trophy Cupcakes

Dudes. Dudettes. I love this time of year.

The cherry blossoms are in bloom, Creme Eggs are in abundance...and in Seattle, Trophy Cupcakes' most anticipated cupcake of the year is returning Easter weekend: The Marshmallow Hi-Hat!

 Appearing just two days per year, the Hi-Hat Cupcake is made by "topping Trophy’s decadent Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a sky-high swirl of pastel-tinted marshmallow frosting, and then they are hand-dipped in semi-sweet Callebaut chocolate! Pretty pastel marshmallow, rich Belgian chocolate, and moist Valrhona cake all rolled into one amazing confection."

This epic sweet will be available at all Trophy locations on Saturday, April 7, and at the University Village and Pacific Place locations on Sunday, April 8! 

The treats can be ordered in advance. For those interested in a Saturday, April 7 delivery, orders must be confirmed by Friday, April 6. Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/trophy.cupcakes and Twitter at @trophycupcakes for delivery specials! 

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Featured on Martha Stewart's Website

Curious about the life of a Spy? Well, you can find some sweet details--including the secrets of my sweet life, including my baking essentials, secret wish list, and the guilty-pleasure ingredients I cannot live without! 

Hint: the color hot pink, and rainbow-hued food, are included.

To get the full story, check out the sweet interview I did on the Martha Stewart website. Martha and I, by the way, will be hanging out (because obviously we're BFF) at the upcoming Pillsbury Bake-off.

Check out the interview here!

Cake Byte: Girl Scout Cookie-Inspired Cupcakes at Trophy Cupcakes

Trophy Cupcakes are made of awesome this month, as proven by their March newsletter:

Governor Gregoire declared 2012 The Year of the Girl. Yesterday, March 9,  we celebrated International Women's Day, and next Monday, March 12 we're celebrating Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary! In true Trophy Cupcakes and Party fashion, we've created a limited edition "Scout" cupcake series; each delicious cupcake is inspired by our favorite Girl Scout Cookies! 

Here are the flavors, in their words:

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter – our Valhrona chocolate cake set atop a chocolate cookie crust, filled with peanut butter buttercream, dipped in dark chocolaty ganache, and topped with a sprinkling of fleur de sel and peanuts – is an ode to Tagalongs.

Samoas – Valhrona chocolate cake, filled with caramel cream, and topped with coconut buttercream, toasted coconut, and a drizzle of house-made caramel sauce – pays homage to the caramelly, deliciousness that are Samoas. 

Thin Mint - our dark, chocolate cookie crust cupcake, filled with mint buttercream, dipped in dark chocolate ganache, and topped with a cute, green buttercream leaf.

These "Scout" cakes are perfect for every Girl Scout celebration! Pick them up at any of the four Trophy Cupcakes and Party shops from March 12-18! Locations here. For everyday updates, check them out at facebook.com/trophy.cupcakes and Twitter at @trophycupcakes for delivery specials! To schedule a Trophy Mobile cupcake delivery, please call 206.632.7020! 

Sweet March: Irish Cake Bomb Cupcakes from Cupcake Royale

Get ready for some sweet, boozy awesomeness this March at Cupcake Royale!

They're bringing on the sweet season with "Irish Cake Bomb"...and it's pretty amazing!

Luck of the Irish is coming early with our booziest cupcake yet! Introducing the Irish Cake Bomb. Chocolate cake made with Elliot Bay No Doubt Stout, filled with a Jameson Whiskey buttercream frosting and kissed with an Irish Cream whipped frosting. Get ready to do an Irish jig!

But wait, there's more:

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Come by and enjoy our Whiskey Maple Bacon, made with Jameson's Whiskey or a Peppermint Party- Our cupcakes will be dressed up for the occasion

For more information or to order these cakes, visit the Cupcake Royale website.

Book. Number. Two.

I'd like to make a very happy, sweet, and sugar-and-love-coated announcement.

The announcement is that I have a book deal.

My second book deal.

That's right: CakeSpy's second book is in the works!

I know, I know. You're still reeling from the awesomeness of book one, published through Sasquatch Books and entitled CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life , which was featured on the Today Show, and which LA Weekly dubbed one of the "best 2011 baking books for those in need of a Martha Stewart Detox".

Gosh, maybe you haven't even bought the book yet. But it's totally ok, because you can still purchase the book here, here, and here. Go ahead and do that now.

But I digress. Back to book #2!

This one, also published through Sasquatch Books, is going to be super-special to me, as it is going to delve into the interesting history and back-stories behind many of my favorite sweet treats. It's going to be totally intellectual. And totally amusing. Perfect for the baked-goods buff, exploring the lure and lore of your favorite treats!

Now, don't start holding your breath for it *quite* yet, as its scheduled publication isn't til 2013 (that's after this year)...but I know you're going to be giving me e-high fives and cyber-hugs and keeping me motivated and on deadline til then! Right? Right?

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me and my work--I couldn't have gotten book deal #2 without YOU!

And the Winner Is...

OK, sweeties. I know you've been just dying to hear the results of our totally sweet "So You Wanna Be a CakeSpy?" contest! 

To remind you, this contest is inspired by my awesome book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life (October 2011). And the prizes were incredible--winner receives an all expenses paid trip to Seattle to hang out and eat cake with ME!

And I want you to know why it's taken such a long time to decide.

Because first, there were hundreds of entries. And we (a committee of me, trusted baker friends, and Sasquatch Books staffers) had to narrow it down to just 30 finalists. Man, that was hard!

And then, I opened it up to readers to vote for their favorite in whatever they'd like--facebook likes, Flickr likes, comments on the site, and even in email or Twitter form. Sheesh! Were they ever difficult to count up!

And then, after they were counted up, I said "I simply cannot do this anymore! How can I decide!" and took the pressure off of myself by taking myself out of the final voting process, instead passing on the top 5 based on votes, and had the committee to the final voting for me.

The finalists were judged on creativity, craveability, and overall embodiment of the CakeSpy spirit.

And, without further delay, here are the three winners.

Grand Prize: Neapolitan Blondie Bars by Molly Allen! Per committee input: "not rainbow but multi-hued, and certainly whimsical and rich and delicious in the CakeSpy tradition." Molly wins: The Grand Prize, provided in partnership with Sasquatch Books--a trip for two to CakeSpy headquarters in Seattle and a visit to one of MY favorite bakeries for an afternoon of sweet treats. Other prizes include original signed CakeSpy artwork, CakeSpy goodies such as unicorn socks, and signed copies of CakeSpy Presents.

Prize 2: The "Veruca" by Mary P.! (finalist 28). Per committee input: "Brownie GOOD marshmallow GOOD choc Rice Crispy treat GOOD". Mary wins a copy of my book and a gift certificate to CakeSpy Shop!

Prize 3: Frau Brownies by Linda H.! Per committee input: "I think I just gained 20 pounds. In the best way possible." Linda wins a copy of the book and a gift certificate to CakeSpy Shop!

But even after taking myself out of the voting, I've decided that I simply couldn't ignore the awesome factor and am therefore assigning two more "Honarable Awesome" prizes--each will get a signed copy of the CakeSpy book, AND a pair of cupcake unicorn robot socks! These will go to:

Cookie Time! By Blondie & Brownie

Agent Oink's Funfetti Cake Balls (Finalist 19)

If you're a winner, congratulations! We'll get in contact over the weekend for your deets. Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the contest - you are all truly an inspiration and have made me feel so sweet indeed.