Sweet Ups and Down Lows: Lessons Learned at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn

As many of you know, Cakespy recently went on the road--our own Head Spy Jessie went to Brooklyn, New York to vend Cakespy artwork, tees, notecards and more at the Renegade Craft Fair, a highly regarded indie craft and design fair. However, we're far from professionals: it was first time we'd ever done a fair like this, and as such there were naturally definite highs and lows--and some serious lessons learned. And so, in no particular order, here are some of the things we learned, both negative and positive:

People are awesome!: It was a veritable who's who of bloggers, artists, writers and cool dudes who stopped by the Cakespy booth--including (but not limited to!) Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake (who brought us wonderful cupcakes from Kumquat Cupcakery, and did a video interview--check it out here); Robyn from Serious Eats and The Girl Who Ate Everything; Ann and Jack from Redacted Recipes; the cool girls from Bored, Inc.; illustrator Julia Rothman; Grace from Design*Sponge; illustrator David Miller; cool Cakespy customer Kimberly from Staten Island; and so, so many more.

 

Always be prepared for rain (or, don't buy the cheap canopy): When we saw that there was a steep added fee to rent a canopy for the fair, we figured "Pshaw, we'll get the cheaper one...it won't rain!". Well, it did rain--poured, in fact--and our canopy was flat-out destroyed (see above for "before" and "after" pictures). Major thanks to the two kind souls who helped us hold it up in the rain while we frantically packed up our merchandise in plastic, and to the forgiving customers who came back after the storm and bought stuff anyway!

People are Strange: One response to the Cakespy booth? "I like pie better than cake. In fact, I have always preferred pie, even in the womb. I was a pie-gote (ie, a pie-zygote)." You know what though? He still bought a tee shirt. So maybe strange but awesome.

Balthazar doesn't suck: Would you believe that we'd never tried super-famous Balthazar's goodies before this trip? We'd always kind of found them snobby from afar and never given them a fair chance. But we finally broke down with one of their scones, and were pleasantly surprised: this baby was buttery, moist, crumbly and...well, pretty good. 

Don't go for another round: When going for drinks the night before the fair starts, reject the urge to have one final round. Trust us. But if you do, at least in your carbohydrate-starved state the next morning, you can feel comforted by the fact that...

New York Bagels really are the best: They say it's the water, but in our opinion even a Seattle bakery which imported a NY-style water filtration system can't quite create the same deliciousness as a New York bagel. Our all-time NYC favorites? Absolute Bagels, Murray's Bagels (remind us to tell you about the time we saw Tim Robbins there!), Pick-A-Bagel (only the one on 23rd and 3rd), and Bagelsmith in Brooklyn (Cakespy Note: Alas, in spite of every review, like, ever, we only like-don't-love H&H Bagels).

SPF 70 sunblock is opaque: With most sunblocks, you can apply them to your skin, and while white when applied, they will dry clear. Not so with SPF 70. This stuff is more like a shellac--albeit, an opaque white shellac, as our Head Spy Jessie found out the hard way, spending much of day one covered in the white, streaky stuff (apologies to anyone who was frightened off).

 

Change is a good thing: A new bakery opened on Bedford Avenue last year called Sweet Farm. The first time we went, it kind of sucked; the second time we went, they were much better; this time, it was gone entirely, but in its place was the even-better Penny Licks, which was nicely stocked with a variety of cakes and pastries, including a huge variety of delicious vegan options (doesn't Cake Gumshoe Jeffrey's expression say everything? He's not sharing, no way)--though it's worth noting that many of the vegan options apparently come by way of Vegan Treats, and that their hours are weird for a bakery (they open at 11am).

Cupcake (crafts) are taking over the world: At the craft fair, we were in good cupcake company, with talented vendors MetalSugar, who had very cool silver cupcake jewelry for sale, and The Cupcake Girls, who were vending a bevy of cool cupcake crafts, including bulletin boards, paperclips (they say they're mushrooms but they look like cupcakes to us!), and all sorts of other cuteness!

People are so talented: Even if they weren't selling baked good related products, we have a collective design crush on several of the other vendors, including Foxy & Winston, Sian Keegan, My Paper Crane, and so many more! 

Craft Fairs are delicious: This must have been the most delicious craft fair we've ever been to, what with "food court" surroundings provided by Treats Truck (think ice cream truck, but with baked goods!) and Mr. Softee. 

Dressler is delicious: One of the more delicious experiences while in the city was when Head Spy Jessie had dinner with the Redacted Recipes crew; we went to Dressler, a cool Williamsburg restaurant where everything, from the watermelon-ricotta salad to the showstopping Caramel Trio dessert (a trinity of awesome including salted caramel ice cream, caramel panna cotta and a buttery caramel nut tart), was absolutely wonderful. Highly recommended!

Cake Byte: Sweet News from Cakespy

As proven by the below news, June's gonna be, like, the sweetest month ever! Here's some of the hottest news in Cakespy land.

New tees! Our head spy Jessie just collaborated with very cool company, Mailbox Tees--it's a tee shirt subscription service, which we think is far cooler than say, a fruit basket of the month club-- to make a series of two tee shirts for them. One is pictured above! We also have a limited supply of our own which will be for sale soon on Etsy!

Fun stuff! Did you ever see the awesome video Bakerella made, featuring our own mascot L'il Cuppie? Just in case you didn't, here's a link--go watch it now, because it's the best thing ever. Well, we did a counter-attack of cuteness and made her this Barbarella-inspired piece of art. Thanks again Bakerella!

Cadbury Cream Dream: Our friends at Brambleberry were so moved by the recent Cadbury Creme Egg interview that they made us a very special gift: Cadbury Creme soap and lotion! It's a mix of products available on their website: Dark Rich Chocolate, Caramel Lip Butter Flavor and Vanilla Select (links included in case you want to make your own!). Check out their post on it here, it's pretty cool!

So Cool! When recently attending an event at cool Seattle store Velocity, our Head Spy Jessie was able to meet the wonderful Megan of Not Martha. If you haven't visited her site, you've been missing out--it's chock full of wonderful ideas that will make your life a whole lot cooler.

You know you've made it big when...people make stuff inspired by you! Carrie from Fields of Cake recently made these cuppie-inspired cupcakes which look super-delicious (yup--we'd eat them); also, a Cakespy reader made the ultimate leap and got a cuppie tattoo!

Seeking Cuteness in Seattle? If so, come on by this Sunday, June 1 to buy Cakespy art, buttons and cards at I Heart Rummage, an awesome urban craft fair at Chop Suey. in Capitol Hill. Entry is free, and it's on between 12 and 4 p.m. You'll find something cool, guaranteed!

But even if you can't make it on Sunday, don't despair--Cakespy art is also now available at the incredibly cool Bluebottle Art Gallery on Pine Street in Capitol Hill!

For those a little further south of Seattle, a new shipment of artwork just went out to Hello, Cupcake in Tacoma. So, not only can you enjoy extremely delicious cupcakes, but you can also choose from a great new assortment of artwork, including originals from the Cakespy fine art series and some mini originals!

Or perhaps you're in NYC? Well, lucky you! Head Spy Jessie will be heading over to NYC for the Renegade Craft Fair on June 14 and 15 in the über-hip McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where she'll be selling Cakespy art, aforementioned tee shirts, and even a new series of dioramas (pictured left)! Find out more at renegadecraft.com.

Stay Sweet!

Cake Byte: The Results of our Faceoff Giveaway!

At 12pm PST our Faceoff Cake Poll closed...so who wins the prize?

The big winner is Jeannine, an artist and cake enthusiast located in SE Virgina! Jeannine had some pretty strong feelings about our faceoff poll. Let's learn a bit more about her dessert preferences, shall we?

• She prefers muffins to scones
• Don't you dare put pineapple in her carrot cake! 
• She would gladly swipe a spoon across all three flavors in the Neapolitan carton of ice cream
• She prefers Gelato to Panna Cotta
• Making cookies for her? Make 'em soft and gooey, please!
• When dining in a fancy restaurant she gravitates toward the Crème brûlée
• When choosing cupcakes, she'd choose vanilla over chocolate
• Cheese on Pie? She's not scared! Bring it on!
• On her shortcake, make it sponge cakey!
• And in the war between pie and cake? She's on Team Pie! 

Thank you to all 215 (!) entrants in the poll. For those of you who didn't win this time, check back next month for another poll! 

In the meantime, should you decide you can't live without Cakespy art, feel free to shop at jessieoleson.etsy.com or to email jessieoleson@gmail.com for custom orders! 

Stay sweet!

Cake Byte: Sweet Thanks and a Cake Poll and Giveaway!

First off and perhaps most importantly, a big, huge, with whipped cream and cherry on top thank you to all of our readers. Because of you, dear sweet freaks, the illustration and writing opportunities have made it possible for Head Spy Jessie to quit her day job (she was the product manager / art director of a refrigerator magnet company--no joke)! All we can say is brace yourselves--this means that the Cakespy enterprise is about to get even sweeter! Thank you all so much for your support. 

But of course, we know what speaks louder than any words: free stuff! So, without further ado, our second Cake Poll and Giveaway! This time, in keeping with the item being given away, the theme is Faceoffs!!

How can you put your name in the running? It's easy! All you need to do is this:

• To satisfy our nosy tendencies (we are spies, after all), fill out the below Cake Poll! You can leave your responses in the comment section, or send your responses via email to jessieoleson@gmail.com.
• At 12pm PST on Friday, April 25, the Cake Poll will be closed. The winner will be chosen at random, not based on their responses. The original will then be shipped to the lucky winner within 48 hours, via the most economical method.
• As for our fine print: The results of this poll will be used for entertainment and Cake Gumshoeing purposes only; we may summarize the results of this poll in upcoming posts. Your private information will not be shared with any outside parties. Also, we've elected to leave the cake poll open to all US Territories, Canada and abroad--so even overseas cake enthusiasts can take part! *As for the prize itself, it is the miniature framed painting pictured at the top and to the left; no substitutions are allowed.

FACEOFFS! If the following pairings were put in a boxing match or found themselves in a dark alley vying for your sweet love, which would win? Which do you prefer? Feel free to expound on your reasoning if you'd like!

In the Morning: Scones or muffins?
Carrot Cake: With or without pineapple?
Neapolitan Roulette: Strawberry, chocolate or vanilla?
Mambo Italiano: Gelato or Panna Cotta?
Cookies: Soft and gooey or crisp and crunchy?
Fancy Restaurant Desserts: Tiramisu or Crème brûlée?
Cupcakes: Vanilla or Chocolate?
Apple Pie with Cheese: Delicious or disgusting?

Strawberry Shortcake: Biscuit-style or Sponge Cake Style?

Ultimate Faceoff: Pie or cake?

But wait, there's more! There's another giveaway going on over at Cupcakes Take the Cake--enter before April 30 to win CBGB notecards! 

Cake Byte Addendum: Trophy Cupcakes, Martha, and Cakespy: BFF

Many of you got to see firsthand the magic of Seattle's own Trophy Cupcakes today on the Martha Stewart Show, wherein owner Jennifer Shea demonstrated how to make the newest exciting addition to their beautiful line of cupcakes: the Chocolate-Graham-Cracker Cupcake, topped with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue Frosting (a much prettier way of saying "S'more Cupcake", we think).  

However, unlike many of you, we got to go to the store after the segment and try it for ourselves.

Yup--Trophy Cupcakes hosted a little to-do in celebration of their fifteen minutes, featuring mini samples of the cupcake in question, punch (alas, not spiked) and a TV set up to air the segment. And what a to-do it was: the locals came out en masse, and those cupcakes disappeared so quickly that the staff hastily (and kindly) brought out several additional trays of vanilla-chocolate cakes to quiet the masses (it worked). Of course (as if you ever had a doubt), the Cakespy crew managed to elbow past the children in the room to secure our own samples of the coveted brand-new cake before it disappeared.

But OK, the new flavor was on TV. Was it really gonna be good? Or was it all pomp and circumstance, little more than marshmallow fluff?

Well, friends and bakers, in the opinion of these humble Cake Gumshoes, this one is worth seeking out. If you're in Seattle, it's worth trekking over to the Wallingford Center; if not in Seattle, it's worth breaking out the blowtorch: you can find the recipe here. The dense yet soft chocolate cake was beautifully offset by the crunchiness and slightly salted graham bottom layer, which had a flavor deepened yet more by an almost-secret sprinkling of bittersweet chocolate in the center. The marshmallow meringue frosting was the perfect contrast to the dense cake, offering a sweet flavor and light-as-air texture. Indeed, upon eating this cake, it became exceedingly evident why they didn't simply call it a S'more Cupcake--it was so, so much more. (Pause as the Cakespy crew collectively gets a bit misty recalling the experience).

A sweet experience, indeed.

Cake Byte: Sweet News from Cakespy

We're pretty excited about some sweet stuff today:

First off, did you see our friends on Martha Stewart's Cupcake Week? Cupcakes Take the Cake, a fab threesome of sugar-loving girls from NYC, kicked off the week on Monday--check out their segment here. And today our friends Bakerella and Jennifer Shea (of Seattle's own Trophy Cupcakes--read our interview with her here!) will appear on the show. Fantastic! 

As a bonus, if you're in Seattle, Trophy will be having a little to-do to celebrate their fifteen minutes--it's an open house, TONIGHT, Thursday, April 3, from 5-8 p.m. --did we mention there will be free cupcakes?! We're so there. Read more about it here!

Finally, will you be around the Capitol Hill area of Seattle this Sunday? Well, why not stop by and see Head Spy Jessie at I Heart Rummage? IHR is one of the premier indie craft fairs in the area, and there will be lots of great vendors selling stuff that you might not need, but you sure want. We'll have original art pieces, buttons, and more for sale! So stop by! Here are the location and details: 

Sunday, April 6th

CHOP SUEY

1325 E. Madison
Seattle, WA 98122
12-4pm

Have a sweet weekend!

Cake Byte: Sweet News from Cakespy

What an incredibly sweet week! Here's some of the stuff going on at Cakespy:

Whoa! Our Soda Bread Smackdown was featured as the Photo of the Day on Serious Eats. It was also remarked upon at Green Gourmet Giraffe, Cookies in Heaven, and the wonderful Walking the Vegan Line. Some were disgusted, some were amused, but it seems that overall many feel passionately about Irish Soda Bread. Cool!

Seems you liked our interview with (and later, devouring of) the Cadbury Creme Egg (this means either you really get our sense of humor, or you're really some sick puppies)--it got shout-outs on ReTorte, Bathbodysupply.com, The Girl Tastes! (So much sugar, so little time!), Soap Queen, and Ruth's Kitchen Experiments. Sweet!

Finally, Head Spy Jessie just enjoyed a wonderfully sweet art opening at hello, cupcake in Tacoma. It was a sweet event indeed, not only marking their first time participating in the Tacoma Artwalk (and becoming part of Tacoma's wonderful developing art scene), with over 20 new original Cakespy paintings on show, but also a moment to unveil their newest sweet creation, the Almond Roca Cupcake. Having tasted said new flavor, perhaps they should change their name to hello, delicious, we wonder?

Mini Cake Byte: A Bit of Sweet News From Cakespy

Some say that pie is the new cake--and while we do love cake, we must admit those mini pies sure are cute! Why not see what all this revolution is about at the Mini Pie Revolution Headquarters--featuring a new logo designed by our own Head Spy Jessie!

Cake Byte: Sweet News from Cakespy

They say that when it rains it pours, and certainly there's a lot of sweetness in our world these days at Cakespy. Here's an update on some sweet things that we just had to share:

First, the BIG HUGE NEWS: our Head Spy Jessie has a grand new illustration gig! Starting in the April 2008 issue, you'll be seeing Cakespy illustrations in...Taste of Home! Taste of Home is a pretty awesome publication--they just joined the ranks of nationally audited magazines, entering at #9 – one step AHEAD of OPRAH and one step behind SPORTS ILLUSTRATED--this ranking officially makes them the #1 Cooking Magazine in the World, with over 3.2 million (no, we did not stutter) subscribers, and 250K copies of it on the newsstand each issue. Holy sweetness! But don't buy it solely for the Cakespy artwork--they also have some pretty awesome recipes, which come from a pool of over 90,000 reader submissions each year, and which are all tested in their in-house kitchen. And, did we mention they also have the coolest art director ever, who just so happens to be a cupcake lover in her own right, and author of the awesome Milkwaukee Cupcake Queen blog?

• Press/Praise: What sweet times! Cakespy was recently featured on some great sites: Bakerella, a wonderful blog by an incredibly talented and artistic baker, featured Cakespy artwork; the Seattle Times mentioned the "groovy" Cakespy artwork shown in Sugar Bakery+Cafe; Chicago-based Hungrymag.com featured our interview with Claudia Saraniecki of Babushka Bakery; Seattlest, a cool media and pop culture blog, featured our writeup on the Pink Frosted Cookie; Culinate called out our Sweet Sandwiches Project; and don't forget to check out the interview with Head Spy Jessie on Cherry Runway. Like Whoa!

** Addendum: But wait, there's more! Bakerella (mentioned above) also went above andbeyond and created the MOST amazing video featuring our own L'il Cuppie Character, rendered in fondant and having an adventure! It's amazing; watch it below, or here:

• New Bakeries! We've recently been tipped off to the opening of a few new bakeries; let us know if you've tried 'em! First, Cake Gumshoe Matt informs us that Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington, DC has just opened its doors; Sprinkles Cupcakes continues to spread sweetness with two new locations: a new store in Scottsdale, AZ is scheduled to open later this month, and a new Palo Alto location is slated to open up later this spring or early in the summer (for more information or precise locations, visit sprinklescupcakes.com). Out of Chicago, Whole Bakers is taking their gluten-free goodies nationwide with a newly-launched website full of shippable treats; the lemon shorties caught our eye. In Los Angeles, while Cake Monkey still hasn't found quite the right retail space yet, they are currently available for custom orders of darling little cakes (and homemade pop-tarts!!) from their commercial kitchen space. Or perhaps you're in Dubai, you jetsetter, you? Well, they're not brand-new, but they were new to us: Cake Gumshoe Kristin spied Scrumptious, a cupcake bakery whose wares are available by special order and at the Dubai Marina Market every Friday. So you don't have to go cupcake-free in Dubai! Whew! Cakespy Note: While some are opening, some are closing: New York Cupcakes in the Westlake Center in Seattle appears to have closed its doors, at least at this location. Judging by our last experience there, we say good riddance.

• Perhaps you're looking to buy Cakespy artwork? Happily, there are now several spots to buy: if you're in Seattle, Venue now carries Cakespy original artwork and buttons, and original paintings are for sale at Sugar Bakery+Cafe. In the Midwest? Happily, a new shipment will be heading out soon to the Renegade Handmade Store in Chicago! If you're in NYC, don't explode with pleasure, but rumor is that we'll be showing at the Renegade Craft Fair this coming June. Of course, artwork and custom work is always available through jessieoleson.etsy.com. Cakespy Note: Additionally, if you were one of the many disappointed parties who wanted to buy the original Valley of the Cupcakes painting, cry no more: a limited edition of prints is available!

• Finally, if you've ever visited one of the Sweet Melissa Pâtisseries in Brooklyn, you'll know why we're so excited about their brand-new cookbook! If you haven't had the chance to visit one of their three adorable Brooklyn locations, make sure to put it on your agenda for your next trip to the city; in the meantime, the nice people at the Penguin Group were nice enough to share a recipe to whet our appetites for what promises to be a delicious book (available at amazon.com):

Chocolate Orange Macaroons

Makes 2 dozen cookies

• 6 ounces best-quality solid semisweet (58%) chocolate
  
  
• One 14-oz. bag sweetened coconut
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites

Before you start: Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.



1. Using a serrated bread knife, finely chop the chocolate. Set aside.



2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut and zest, and rub together with your hands. (This will break up the coconut and release the orange oils.)



3. Stir in the sugar and chocolate to the coconut and mix to combine. Add the egg whites. Use your hands to mix until everything is coated and the egg whites are distributed evenly.



4. Using a 1-oz cookie scoop, firmly pack the dough into the scoop and unmold about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.



The foregoing is excerpted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy. All rights reserved. Copyright © Melissa Murphy, 2008.

Cake Byte: A Super Sweet Giveaway and Cake Poll from Cakespy!

If you read this site, it's likely you're already living the sweet life; but today, life is about to get sweeter still. Why so? Well, we've decided to give away a Cakespy original mini watercolor painting to one lucky reader! Like whoa!

How can you put your name in the running? It's easy! All you need to do is this:

• To satisfy our nosy tendencies (we are spies, after all), fill out the below Cake Poll! You can leave your responses in the comment section, or send your responses via email to jessieoleson@gmail.com.
• At 12pm PST on Sunday, February 24, the Cake Poll will be closed. The winner will be chosen at random, not based on their responses. The original will then be shipped to the lucky winner within 48 hours, via the most economical method.

As for our fine print: The results of this poll will be used for entertainment and Cake Gumshoeing purposes only; we may summarize the results of this poll in upcoming posts. Your private information will not be shared with any outside parties. Also, we've elected to leave the cake poll open to all US Territories, Canada and abroad--so even overseas cake enthusiasts can take part! *As for the prize itself, it is the miniature framed painting pictured at the top and to the left; no substitutions are allowed.

And so, without further ado, let us poke at your most intimate cake details (if emailing your answers, please include your name and the best way to contact you if you win!):

1. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
2. What were some of the special cakes from your childhood (a Birthday cake? Grandma's German Chocolate? Or perhaps something from the local bakery or supermarket? Anything goes for us as long as it was special to you.)?
3. Presently, how often do you eat cake or cupcakes? No judgments, we promise.
4. If you were stranded on a desert island and had to live on one type of cake or cupcake for the rest of your life...what type would it be?
5. On cupcakes, what is your ideal ratio of cake to frosting? 50/50? 2/3 cake, 1/3 frosting? 3/4 cake, 1/4 frosting? Other?
6. How do you feel about cakes or cupcakes from mixes?
7. What's the best thing about eating cake or cupcakes?
8. Is there a such thing as a bad cake? If so, what makes it bad?

In the meantime, have a very sweet weekend!