Cake Byte: CakeSpy on TV in San Francisco!

Guess what? I was totally on TV talking about my favorite type of corn aside from unicorns: CANDY CORN! Yes, that's right: I was on KGO-TV's 7Live.

You can watch the video online here, if it isn't loading above.

But wait, there's more! I was amazed and delighted to find that Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes were also guests on the show--directly before my segment! Now, you probably already think this is awesome, but considering that they are from the same area of New Jersey as me, it was practically cause for a heart attack of happiness. 

But wait, there's even more! After the segment, I got to meet these two fellows, and found them to be extremely sweet, and delighted to accept my offering of Candy Corn Nanaimo Bars. That's right: Jay and Silent Bob ate my candy corn Nanaimo bars. Famous Nanaimo Bars! One of the producers took a picture, which I will share as soon as it's sent to me, OK?

Best day ever. Make the good times last--come to one of my book signings this weekend, at Teacake Bake Shop and Omnivore Books, respectively!

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.

Sweet Feature by Bakerella: About This Time Last Year...

Photo of my book by BakerellaAbout this time last year, I had one of the sweetest days of my life while working at CakeSpy Shop, my retail store in Seattle.

First, a friend surprised me by sending me a pie. Now, if you ask me, this is a much sweeter gesture than sending flowers. It's like sending flour!

Then, my friend Rebekah Denn came to interview me for what would eventually be this article.

And then--OMG--my longtime baking and blogging BFF, Bakerella, and her sweet friend Julie, came to visit. Bakerella, who is kind of a big deal in case you didn't know, happened to be in town for her book tour (a book which has proven so successful, by the way, that there are now notecards and cake pop kits to accompany it!).

Bakerella is the one who made this little video for me--and after that we waged a little bit of sweet warfare. (Check out our other sweet exchanges here.)

And now, she has stirred up that sweet warfare again with this make-me-blush feature on me and my work and my book. It makes me so happy to see how much can happen in a year, but how no matter what changes, our friendship--the sweetest part of the whole thing-- is for keeps. 

Check out Bakerella's sweet writeup here!

77 Reasons to Buy My Book

I know, I know. Not that you needed a reason to buy my book, but I'll give you one. No, I'll give you 77, one a day, because that's how many shopping days you have til Christmas Eve. Instead of obnoxiously doing a new post every day (though I had considered it), I will update this post each day with a different reason, so that by Christmas Eve, this will be a monster-post!

Reason 1: It has a Unicorn on the cover! That unicorn is saying "OMG! This book has everything!". Now that's cute. 

And, as a bonus, if you look at the back cover...there's another unicorn! So actually, there are two unicorns on the cover. Forget double rainbows, that's what double happiness truly is, friends.

Reason 2: It is Bakerella-blurbed! That's right. You know how big famous books have a quote on the back from someone else big and famous? Well, the quote on the back of my book is from none other than Bakerella! She says "Jessie's recipes inspire sugary-coated adventures in the kitchen. CakeSpy is a treat for the curious and kid at heart."

Reason 3: It Has Very Witty Cartoons. See cover for evidence, buy the book for more.

Sweet! And while you're at it, check out her new notecards and cake pop kits for Chronicle Books. Awesome!

Reason 4: I am going on a bakery book tour, entitled Tour De Sweet. And one of my first stops (on October 20) is Saint Cupcake in Portland, where they have--get this--a bike rack shaped like a whisk. Best book tour ever!

Reason 5: Awesome people buy my book. Most recently, I sold a signed copy to Jenn of JustJenn Designs, who happened to be in Seattle for Geekgirlcon!

Reason 6: The book contains a revamped and better than ever version of my all-time most popular recipe: Cookie Cake Pie!

Reason 7: Serious Eats Loves it.

Reason 8: I look adorable while signing my book.

Reason 9: It has a recipe for marshmallow dreidels.

Reason 10: There are illustrations of, and recipes including, BACON.

Reason 11: It has a recipe for blondie-topped brownies.

Reason 12: Homemade candy corn!!!

Reason 13: Ice cream lovers love it.

Reason 14: It has a recipe for candy salad.

Reason 15: You can buy it at Urban Outfitters!

Reason 16: Saint Cupcake in Portland loves my book.

Reason 17: My mom says it's a good idea.

Buy the book here. Or enter to win a copy here! Or come see me on book tour at one of these places!

Buy My Book! And a Giveaway Too

Dudes and dudettes. You knew this day was coming, and now it is here.

My book is now out--it is in stores, and available online. If I do say so myself, it is a masterpiece of cookbookery, and if you don't trust me, then trust my mom, because she agrees (and she has promised to buy at least three copies at full retail price, although she hasn't paid me yet).

But I digress. Basically what I am saying here is: My book is out, and therefore, It Is Time for You to Buy My Book.

How to buy it? You can purchase a signed copy directly from me here; you can purchase a regular (unsigned) copy from Amazon (be sure to give it a glowing review!) , Barnes and Noble, Elliott Bay Books, Powell's Books, or find a local bookseller here. OR, I find it acceptable to wait if you'd like to buy one from me on my national bakery book tour, Tour De Sweet!

But because you've been so patient, I'm willing to give away one copy of the book per week for the next four weeks. Wow, lucky you! 

How do you put yourself in the running this week? Since it's October and officially Halloween Month, simply leave a comment on this post or on my Facebook page answering this important question: Candy Corn or Mellowcreme Pumpkins? And Why? I'll pick one lucky winner one week from today (10/13) and send them a signed copy of the book! Because I'm feeling generous, this giveaway is open to the US and abroad!

Cake Byte: Cupcake Royale Debuts the Pumpkin Cardamom Cupcake for October

Photo: Cupcake RoyaleThe month of Huckleberry and Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes at Cupcake Royale is over.

But don't cry, because there's a new cupcake in town for October: Pumpkin Cardamom!

Per the sweet folks at Cupcake Royale (did I mention I am having a book signing event there on October 15 in Capitol Hill, and October 17 in Bellevue?):

Our dense pumpkin cake is loaded with pureed pumpkin, locally sourced from Stahlbush Islands Farms. We top each cake with a generous swirl of cardamom cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with tiny, autumn leaves of sugar. It tastes almost like a pumpkin pie. 

But don't take our word for it. Here's what Seattle Weekly had to say in last year's poll for Best Fall Cupcake Frosting Flavors. “Everyone who tried this independently gave the review "Hands down, the winner." (No really, everyone said "hands down." This cupcake is just that good.)” - Seattle Weekly

Dense and creamy; sweet and spicy—this cupcake is the perfect way to welcome autumn.

These sweet treats will be available all October long at Cupcake Royale locations; for directions and more info, visit their website.

Cake Byte: Trophy Cupcakes Debuts Caramel Apple Cupcakes for October

Image: Trophy Cupcakes

Fall in Washington state can be a depressing prospect: the start of our annual 9 months of rainy winter.

But at least the apples are top-notch. And for the month of October, Trophy Cupcakes and Party is going to be offering up a delicious addition to their menu: Caramel Apple Cupcakes!

Per their most recent email,

More importantly, this new Trophy confection is the perfect dessert for all fall parties, including National Caramel Apple Day on Oct. 21. Imagine the smiles on little ones’ faces when these cupcakes are unveiled at their Halloween or harvest celebrations!

Trophy’s newest cake boasts chopped, organic Granny Smith apples from Washington, warm fall spices, organic cane sugar, and of course, local dairy and eggs. The spiced-apple cake is topped with Trophy’s house-made caramel infused buttercream, and is edged in toasted pecans, and finished with a drizzle of more homemade caramel sauce, a pretzel stem and a green wafer leaf.

“Caramel apples are a childhood favorite of mine and I knew the only way I would be happy with it as a cupcake was if I could really taste both the crisp, tart apples and the buttery caramel,” said Trophy Cupcakes and Party owner, Jennifer Shea. “By hand chopping the apples and making our caramel from scratch, we nailed it! This cupcake is my new favorite and I hope everyone who tries it loves it as much as I do!”

Caramel Apple cupcakes debut tomorrow, Sat., Oct 1, at Trophy Cupcakes and Party retail locations at Wallingford Center, University Village and The Bravern, and will be available for purchase for $4 throughout the month of October. To order Trophy’s Caramel Apple cupcakes, please call 206.632.7020; for locations, visit the Trophy Cupcakes website. 

Pie in the Sky: Pie Life in Seattle on October 22, 2011

Cake loves pie!Are you seeking pie perfection in Seattle? Well, lucky you: check out this event coming up on October 22, put together by City Arts and Kate Lebo!

As I learned in an email from Kate,

Pie Life (Sat Oct 22 at 1p.m. at Fred Wildlife Refuge) asks a local writer (David Schmader), food critic (Sara Dickerman), blogger (Shauna James Ahern) and musician (Tilson) to tell us their favorite pie stories. Once storytime is over, we’ll fill our pie holes with fresh-baked treats from the best pie-makers in Seattle--you! Pie banquet and ambient twang from the band Tall Boys to follow. Hosted by yours truly (City Arts just called me an "extreme pie enthusiast," which might be the best appositive ever appended to my name) and KUOW’s Jeannie Yandel.

Will you do it? If you enter the pie contest, you get into the event for free. Otherwise it's just $5, not much at all to  come and cheer on other pie bakers and dance your pants off.  (You can read more about the event, get directions, buy tickets here.)

To enter the pie contest, send your full name and e-mail to pie@cityartsfest.com and bring your made-from-scratch pie to Fred Wildlife Refuge between noon and 1 pm on October 22. Prizes will be awarded based on taste, appearance, nostalgia, and overall awesomeness.

But wait, there's more! IN ADDITION TO FAME AND GLORY, HERE ARE SOME OF THE FABULOUS PRIZES YOU COULD WIN:

Pastry Print from Cakespy.com's Jessie Oleson
Three Tallboys CDs
Three gift certificates for 2 tubs each of lard from Dietrich's Meats in Krumsville, PA (best lard EVER)
A pie class and pastry cloth from Four and 20 Blackbirds
Coffee and conversation with Art of the Pie's Kate McDermott
High Five Pie gift pack
a subscription to Edible Seattle 
a Hugo House membership

For more information, click here.

Seeking Sweetness: The Most Awesome, Magical, and Sweet Cake Ever

Dear Readers,

There was a time when I thought I had (along with my friends Rachel and Kristan) created the most magical cake in the world.

But now, I know I am wrong. And the proof is in the photo evidence above. Now that cake is magical, people. It was the winning entry in Cake Central's Awesome! Magical! Sweet! cake decorating contest...the prize of which was, well, a signed copy of my newly-released book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life!

I, for one, could not imagine a more worthy winner. Here's her description of the cake: 

The cake is inspired by beautiful illustrations of Jessie Oleson. My daughter loved them so much that I had no choice but to make this cake. The first to be eaten was CCoggie (Cuppie Doggie), there are also Cuppie Boss, Cuppie Fairy, Player, Fitness Fanatic, Photographer, Pets and Sweets Lover, Decorator, Baseball Player and Awesome Cuppie Boss Worshhipper. The cake is vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cake, filling vanilla and cocconut IMBC, covered in fondant. Decorations fondant, gumpaste, marzipan, marshmallows and liquorice. Everything is edible (except wires and Rainbow Dust). 

...now, I may be biased, but that's pretty darn sweet. Let's have a look at some detail shots of the cake, ok?

Congratulations to the winner! Check out details of this magical cake, and browse through the other entries, on the Cake Central website!

Affogato Get One: Cupcake Royale Introduces the Stumptown Tiramisu Cupcake

Images: Cupcake RoyaleFile under "things that make me want to die from happiness overload": the brand-new Stumptown Tiramisu Cupcake from Seattle's own Cupcake Royale.

Here's their official announcement:

Cupcake Royale is proud to debut our latest cupcake, the Stumptown Tiramisu Cupcake. We start with our delicious vanilla buttercake and top it with a mascarpone frosting made with Stumptown Coffee then finish by dusting with cocoa powder. 

If you haven't had mascarpone before, it's a creamy and mild Italian cheese that goes perfectly with our Stumptown Coffee reduticon. It's delicious by itself but even better affagato'ized.

Yes, you heard that last part right: you can also order it affogato'ed. Perfect for a grown-up treat, or if you've just had tooth surgery and can only gum rather than chew your cake (trust me, I've been there). Also per Cupcake Royale:

What is affagato? It means "to drown" in Italian. If you've ever had ice cream (or gelatto) with a shot of espresso on top, you've had affagato. If you want your cupcake affagato'ized, we'll pull 2 shots, unwrap your cake and drop it in. Watch it soak up the espresso as your mouth begins to watch. 

Oh my. For availability, call your closest Cupcake Royale location; you can find them online here. By the way, I will also be having two book events at Cupcake Royale locations in October; I'll be announcing those soon!