Robicelli's

We’re 6 days away from Googa Mooga, which will be all sorts of amazing and will change your life and whatnot. I, of course, will not be posting about that today, because I have an incredibly messed up sense of priorities.

What will we be talking about today?

The Simpsons Tapped Out, a game for iPhone/Android that advertises itself as “Life Ruiningly Fun!”. And you know what? It IS life ruiningly fun. It’s been ruining my life since last October and I can’t stop it.

I’m not really sure how to describe the point of this game as, well, there is no point. You’re building and designing your own Springfield, so it’s sort of like owning a dollhouse. Except less expensive, you can keep it in your pocket, and you never need to dust it. Also unlike a dollhouse, this one has a 24 hour animation of Hans Moleman getting hit by a football in the groin.

Ahhhh! My groin!

This has been the #1 game on iTunes for a while now, so I don’t doubt that many of our readers are also addicted. And that means that you’re all in the same boat as I am- desperately collecting as many eggs as you can before “Whacking Day” ends at some point this Thursday.  

Me, I’m desperate. I had to take a few day off the game to “do my job”, then the developers server problems locked me out for a bit, and there was lots of bad luck with the snake/egg ratio.  Point is, now I’m far behind the pace I need to get the Sleep Eazy Motel and Miss Springfield.  So what can I do about this?

I can intimidate entice you all to give me your snake eggs.

In the event you’re actually still reading what can only be described as the most shameless blog post in the history of this company- remember that bit about Googa Mooga in the beginning? The giant music/food festival which sold out in like 20 seconds? Well guess who has a bunch of free freaking tickets to hold over your head to make you dance like cheese eating surrender monkeys?

My user name is AllisonF718. You give me your eggs, you let me know who you are and how many you have me over on Twitter or Facebook, and whoever gives me the most gets 2 general admission tickets to Saturday’s Googa, featuring Sharon Van Etten, Matt & Kim and more.

“But that’s not fair!” you say! “I was smart enough not to get sucked into that massive timewasting orgy of pointless phone tapping! Where are MY free tickets!” you say! Well don’t worry- I’ve set aside a few for bribes, but I still have more to give away to our devoted fans. You NEED  to pay attention to our Twitter over the next few days, because that’s where I’m going to be doing it. What’s it going to entail? No freaking idea.  I’m doing this the same way I make all my important decisions- I’m downing a few bourbons and then making some crap up. I’ve got a .631 average in good decision making that way, which is WAY better than most!

Now as I didn’t get sent a picture of today’s cupcakes from the kitchen last night, here’s random picture of Phyllis Diller.

Cupcakes would have looked better.

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake made with Pimm’s, lemon ginger buttercream, candied lemon zest

German Chocolate: Chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, roasted coconut

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: Brown sugar oat cake, vanilla buttercream, strawberry rhubarb compote, oat crisp

Hazelnut Kiss: Chocolate hazelnut cake, Nutella buttercream, roasted hazelnuts

Fun fact: I didn’t go to culinary school. In fact, my first major was something altogether far more practical- the theatre. And I didn’t just go to any rinky dink crapshow of a theatre school either! No, I attended the prestigious Conservatory of the Arts at Boston University. And after giving them tens of thousands of dollars to further my abilities as a storyteller, I decided that I needed a more stable career and eventually ended up in the food business.  Because if there’s one thing money can’t buy you, it’s a degree in solid decision making.

After spending years living on it, I haven’t been on the stage in over 12 years. But tonight at 8pm I make my triumphant return! And only one project could be important enough to coax me out of self-imposed retirement…….

A live reading of the original Michael Bay script for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie!

I know almost nothing about the script, because even though it was sent to me last week to begin preparing my role, I totally spazzed on reading it and figured I’d just wing it (just like the actors in real Michael Bay movies do! BOOM! THAT JUST HAPPENED!).  What makes this script notable is not only does it involve turtles who happen to be ninjas, but the original draft was so bad that it was scrapped and the movie had to be pushed back.

Read that again: this script was actually too bad to be made into a Michael Bay movie.

Tidbits I’ve gathered from the internet:

“The film’s villain is named Colonel Schrader, and he’s the head of a secret military operation backed by an army nicknamed “the Foot.” Casey Jones is apparently the main protagonist. He and and April O’Neil are 18-year-olds, dating and in high school. Casey spends his time as a security guard at a furniture factory (he’s also an amateur hockey player). April is getting ready to move to New York for an internship at CBS, where she will meet the turtles who are indeed from outer space. Specifically, Dimension X. The Turtles make Kung Fu Panda jokes and wear color coded masks because, as the script states, it was cool in Reservoir Dogs.”

I can only gather that last bit was written to ensure some sort of Buscemi /ConAir/Armageddon crossover situation.

What separates the great actors from ones who didn’t spend a small fortune on acting classes is research, research, research. Now I will pull back the proverbial curtain and bring you all face to face with the very soul of an actor!

I will be playing Shredder…..ahem, Colonel Schrader. And I would be remiss to be playing a Colonel without taking the chance to hat tip to the greatest Colonel of all time. Which is why, much like Captain Jack Sparrow was a spiritual cousin to Keith Richards, my Colonel Schrader will be a spiritual cousin of:

In the three paragraphs I read, I learned that the center of Colonel Schrader’s evil activities is an area that’s dark and industrial, so inconspicuous, and so just goshdarn evil that no one notices thousands of masked foot shoulders trafficking in giant containers of contraband weapons and convention produce in the middle of the night: The Brooklyn Navy Yard.  Twenty five seconds of Googling taught me that the Navy Yard is filled with such ruffians as scenery designers, a “knitting mill” (sounds dubious), a bunch of hippie artists working out their feelings, more than several “construction companies” (we all know what “construction company” is code for), an artisinal spirits company, and a company specializing in “leather goods and accessories”.  Meaning my colonel will be a dandy of a man with powerful ties across the velvet mafia, fabulous accessories, and a thirst for cocktails infused with locally-sourced wood smoke.

THAT is what a professional looks like. And you can come experience the magic too at 8pm tonight at Union Hall in Brooklyn.  Check out the Facebook listing for more information.  I have no idea who the hell else is in this, but they were also probably randomly asked by my friend who recently quit his job to pursue his dreams of becoming a sideshow freak, so I’m sure they’re cool.

Now, this week’s cupcakes! We’ve got to Spring/Summer flavors that came back- the McFadden, and Horchata! YAY!h

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake made with Pimm’s, lemon ginger buttercream, candied lemon zest

The Siobhan: Chocolate cake, bourbon butterscotch buttercream, chocolate chips

Horchata: Horchata cake, pudding and buttercream, cinnamon sugar rice crisp

Kahlua Banana: Chocolate banana cake, kahlua coffee buttercream, kahlua chocolate sauce

Thank you, Francis Lam, for going on the record and standing up for my personal fight against the tyranny of traditional pants, and in that, my unending love of my precious  Pajama Jeans.

If you’re still one of those people who scoffs at Pajama Jeans, I’ll have you know that not only are they the best fitting, most comfortable pair of pants that I have ever owned in my entire life, but I actually did a photoshoot for a fancy ladies magazine this past week, and no one knew that I was wearing Pajama Jeans until I mentioned it at the end of the shoot. Seriously, the infomercial does not lie- I constantly get complimented on these damn things.

You know what happened next, right? EVERYONE in the studio had to come and touch my pants. People want to touch my pants, like, all the time.

If you are curvy and want your ass to look spectacular (really- these pants have the ass-magic), want to be ridiculously comfortable, and constantly have strangers petting your pants like you’re some sort of adorable dog, then you should go down to Walgreens or wherever they sell pants in a box next to the Shamwows and Oxiclean, and change your freaking life.

(Before I continue, I have to stress that I am NOT on the Pajama Jeans payroll, nor have I ever received anything from them for being their biggest cheerleader on the planet. THOUGH I CAN BE BOUGHT, PAJAMA JEANS PEOPLE!)

Anyway, after walking around in last nights one billion percent humidity and staying completely cool and comfortable from the waist down, I decided that it was time to invest in several more pairs. And that is when Matt tells me that if I buy more Pajama Jeans, he’s going to go back to wearing Hawaiian shirts all the time. Because Jerkface McGoo obviously never wants me to be happy again.

You may remember how this spitefest began last October when I first bought the pants.  And yet while I have managed to wear the Pajama Jeans only when I’m writing or on days where it was too unbearably hot for real jeans, wouldn’t you know Mr. Too-Good-For-Boxed-Pants wears basketball shorts ALL THE TIME! And guess how many times he’s played basketball since last October? ZERO, that’s how many! 

So now we’re upping the threat level to Hawaiian shirts, buddy?  Well, winter’s just around the corner, and THESE are happening:

Yeah, that’s right Matt- SWEATER PANTS. And unlike Pajama Jeans that are obviously just for moms like me that have given up on life and are 6 minutes away from having a complete collection of seasonally-themed vests, these sweater pants are high fashion! Yup, they’re made by Charlotte Ronson for Free People, and start at $200! I mean, why would I want to stick with dumb old Pajama Jeans that cling to my every curve in the best possible way, when I could be like all the cool girls online who are wearing Hammer Pants and sweaters on their legs!

So it’s your call, Matt. I’ve got $200 and my Sicilian stubborn streak all ready to go. Just say the word and it’s Hammertime.

And for the rest of you, you should also know that Pajama Jeans are the perfect pants for foodies.  Really- as much as you stuff yourself, the pants will continually contour to your expanding belly and move easily as you walk it off. And while you’re laying back, feeling the freedom of a life without oppressive pants, and eating some of these bad boys, you’ll always be able to think of me, and how devastatingly awesome I am.  You’re welcome, America.

Clockwise from front: North Fork, Kahlua Banana, Horchata, McFadden

NEW! Kahlua Banana: Chocolate Kahlua banana cake, Kahlua coffee buttercream, Kahlua chocolate sauce

North Fork: Chocolate cabernet cake, blackberry cabernet buttercream and compote

Horchata: Horchata cake, pudding and buttercream, cinnamon sugar rice krispies

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake made with Pimm’s, lemon ginger buttercream, hand candied lemon peel

Well, we had some bad news yesterday (which was up on our Facebook page- with Internet Week I’ve had no time to update this site from 82 Mercer, because I own a Blackberry and can’t do jack squat with my stupid jerk-face phone).

As you may know, we share a kitchen with several other companies, and on Monday night one of those companies accidentally destroyed nearly our entire inventory for our shop at DeKalb Market. Meaning we had absolutely no choice but to close yesterday, meaning we had to cancel “Two for Five Tuesday”.

No one was more upset about this than me- trust me.

But to make it up to all of you, we’re bucking the trend and saying to hell with alliteration! For this week only, Two for Five Dollar Wednesday Is ON!!!! Get any two regularly priced cupcakes (3.50) for only $5!

Because we love you all longs time. Smooches.

Now quick to the photo, because I’ve been waking up every morning at 5am for this Internet Week stuff and feel like I’m going to die. We’ll talk all about that and other good stuff later this week- but as of now, my face is going into the pillow.

Clockwise from front: McFadden, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel, Butterbeer

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel: Chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream, crushed peanuts and pretzels

Butterbeer: Butterscotch soaked cake, butterscotch buttercream, edible gold dust

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake made with a splash of Pimm’s, lemon ginger buttercream, candied lemon zest

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: Brown sugar oat cake, vanilla buttercream, strawberry rhubarb compote

Today is the first day of Robicelli’s at Internet Week, meaning that “Allison Getting No Sleep Week” is officially underway! We also have our normal wholesale orders, the shop at DeKalb Market, whoopie pies for Madison Square Eats via Red Hook Lobster Pound, Rooftop Films, Techmunch AND Roller Disco this week.  All part of the territory as a small business owners, but this week is just a tad more crowded than most.

Fortunately, looking at your calendar and getting a stabbing pain in your eyeball is nothing that the internet can’t cure! (or properly diagnose- according to WebMD I either am stressed, or I have a bleeding brain tumor. Either or.)

Yesterday was the third Mother’s Day in a row that I wasn’t with my kids because I was working, and to put it mildly, I was devestated. And then it was like an angel came down from the heavens and squeezed it’s etheral little body into my laptop because THIS appeared in my Facebook feed, which I can only describe as the single greatest thing I have ever seen on the Internet (this week at least):

How great was that?!?!?!? SERIOUSLY, how great was that!!!!

I at once reposted, mentioning that it made my day. And for the second time that day, Internet Jesus decided to get involved. Robicelli’s superfan Tom Sullivan, who not only has been shopping at our store regularly for a while but also makes me smile a mile wide whenever I see him, happened to see my post. AND Mr. Tom Sullivan happens to have in his possession THE ENTIRE MR. T VIDEO. Sixty glorious minutes of Mr. T cavorting in camo booty shorts and tube socks, “rapping” about things like remembering to drink your milk, and throwing down some truth about growing up on the wrong side of the tracks and climbing your way out of the hood!

So what does the lovely Mr. Sullivan do? He puts it on a thumb drive, takes the train aaaallllll the way to DeKalb Market, grabs my laptop and puts it on for me to watch whenever I get stressed out.

But wait, there’s more! Not two days before that, I get an email from a woman named Danielle who writes:

“I’ve been debating on sending you an e-mail for what seems like more than a year now.  I’ve been trying to think of a way to word it, so that I don’t sound like some creepy stranger.  Besides, I am not sure there is a way to send a fan e-mail without coming across as a creepy stranger.  I just wanted to say that I just love your cupcakes, your blog and your twitter account…....I just love what Robicelli’s stands for and what you do……..In summary, I just wanted to say thank you for making the best cupcakes in the world!  Please keep doing what you’re doing!”

!!! 

How sweet is that!

Really guys, I just need to thank you all. Because when I have crazy weeks like the one that’s coming up, and I wonder why we do it, you remind me- because we’re making tons of people happy, and those people happen to be the greatest people in the world. You make us smile every single day, whether or not you bring us semi-educational videos with D-list celebrities from the 80s. Though that ALWAYS helps.

We’re lucky that we don’t just have customers- we have fans. And our fans become our friends, and some have even become our family. I hope we get to keep making you guys happy for the rest of our lives.

Now go get a tissue, wipe your eyes, then go out and make sweet love to one of these puppies and you’ll feel extra warm and cuddly inside.

***Note: I mean “make love” in the metaphorical sense- not the literal sense. Just needed to clarify so I don’t get sued if there’s some sort of mishap***

Clockwise from front: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, German Chocolate, McFadden, Liddabit

German Chocolate: Chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, roasted coconut

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: Brown sugar oat cake, strawberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, strawberry rhubarb* compote, oat crisp

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cupcake with a splash of Pimm’s, lemon-ginger buttercream, hand candied lemon peel

Liddabit: Chocolate cake, salted caramel nougat buttercream, roasted peanuts, ganache, caramel

*our rhubarb is from our neighbors at DeKalb Market- Nextdorganics, our on-site CSA/produce market. Make sure you visit them next time you’re visiting us!

Yesterday was one of those days where I figured I’d go into DeKalb, spend some of the day chatting pleasantly with some of our regular customers and some newbies strolling in, and then spending the rest of the day sitting down with my laptop and get some work done on the cookbook. But then “2 for $5 Tuesday” kicked. My. Ass. 

You didn’t know about 2 for $5 Tuesday? If you followed us on Facebook or Twitter, you would have known. You’d also know about any other special deals we have, secret sales, or just keep up with general goings on at the shop.

And if you feel you just can’t wait til Tuesday to get a deal on cupcakes, today is the absolute, final day to purchase our InBundles deal- 6 cupcakes for half price. We are NOT signing up with another deal site in the forseeable future, you will NOT be able to purchase a comparable deal directly from us- this was sort of a “thank you” to everyone for being patient as DeKalb was closed for construction for three months (and just how sexy are those brand spanking new decks, huh? I wish you all could see the new drainage water pumping system- hoo boy it’s beautiful!).  The deal disappears at midnight, so get it now before it’s too late!

Now for some excellent cupcake news- The Aris is back from cupcake vacation! For some reason we decided to make this a seasonal spring cupcake- why, I don’t really remember. It’s insanely popular, only available once in a blue moon, and unbelievably delicious. If you guys like it enough, you may be able to convince me to keep it around all year round- go buy one and let me know what you’re thinking!

Clockwise from front: McFadden, Sixpoint Brownstone, Aris, Liddabit

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake made with Pimm’s, lemon-ginger buttercream, candied lemon zest

Sixpoint Brownstone: Sixpoint Brownstone ale cake, Brownstone ale toffee buttercream, crushed chocolate espresso beans

Aris: Walnut cake, honey butter, Greek yogurt buttercream with cinnamon & orange zest, honey spice glazed walnuts

Liddabit: Chocolate cake, salted caramel nougat buttercream, roasted peanuts, ganche, salted caramel

___________________________________

Cupcakes Available at:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn 

Hom: Third Avenue and 88th Street, Bay Ridge

Blue Apron Foods: Union Street off 7th Avenue, Park Slope

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Battery Place Market: 240 Murray Street, Goldman Sachs Building

Joe Columbia University: West 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

_______________________

Whoopie Pies Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn 

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry, AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

_____________________

Brownies Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn 

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan; 48 Greenwich Avenue, West Village, Manhattan

It’s now finally, officially time for me to make my big announcement regarding our May schedule…..

We are the official dessert sponsor of Internet Week!

This is perfect, because I LOVE the internet! And I KNOW the internet loves us- and loves cupcakes, brownies, and more. LOTS more.

What is this more, you ask? I really really really really want to tell you, but I’m saving that for a blog post later this week.

Why? Possibly because this announcement is going to be so big that the presses will need to be stopped and all activities will come to a screeching halt once I drop it. OR is it because I have really no content this week and am trying to stretch this? Let’s say “little of column A, little of column B”.

Back to the point, from Monday May 14th through Thursday May 17th, we’ll have a teensy little shop set up in 82 Mercer Street selling baked goods and coffee provided by Birch Coffee. To close out Internet Week, we’ll be sponsoring Techmunch for the third year in a row. 

Rest of May? We’re helping put together a metric crapton of events at DeKalb Market, including something so incredible for Mother’s Day that you’re going to start sobbing uncontrollably when I tell you. You’ll definitely be able to guess what it is by taking a peek at the newly posted May schedule. Why not go take a peek and fantasize about which ones you’re going to come buy with your InBundles deal (which is on sale until Wednesday, so buy ASAP!).

Clockwise from front: Liddabit, Speculoos, McFadden, Horchata

Liddabit: Chocolate cake, salted caramel nougat buttercream, roasted peanuts, caramel & ganache drizzle

Speculoos: Brown sugar cake, speculoos buttercream, crushed Good Batch stroopwafel & candied ginger

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake made with a splash of Pimm’s, lemon-ginger buttercream, candied lemon peel

Horchata: Horchata cake, pudding and buttercream, cinnamon sugar rice krispies

__________________________________________

Cupcakes Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn (CLOSED MONDAYS UNTIL THE SUMMER- OPEN TUESDAY AT NOON)

Aloha Grinds: 77th & 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Avenue off 9th Street, Park Slope

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Cake Shop: 152 Ludlow St, Lower East Side

Battery Place Markets: 240 Murray Street, Goldman Sachs Building, Financial District

Joe Columbia University: West 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

___________________________________

Whoopie Pies Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

___________________________________

Brownies:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan; 48 Greenwich Avenue, West Village Manhattan

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Ok, remember how I was a total jerk on Friday saying I had news that I couldn’t tell you? Well I can finally start telling you a bit of it……….

Image courtesy of Free Food Boston

…..BROWNIES! You know- the ones that we kept selling out of like crazy at DeKalb and Madison Square Eats and Union Square…..as of this very second, we’re finally wholesaling them!  (We hired more people to keep up with demand) WOOT WOOT!  

If you haven’t had the opportunity to try them yet, you need to get to this.  Brownies were one of the top sellers at our original store before we closed it to go wholesale over 2 years ago, and were the #1 most requested item from all our original fans.  As you might have noticed, Matt and I are perfectionists when it comes to what we do, and we have no desire to release a product unless we can consider it as one of the absolute best that we have ever tasted (and trust me, we’ve tasted a LOT of brownies.  For, um, research. Yeah….that’s it….research). So until we had enough hands on deck to make sure we could produce these in large enough quantities where the quality would be flawless and none of our other products would suffer- they were left on the back burner.  And now, their day has come! Huzzah to that! 

What differentiates our brownies from the rest of the pack? Ultra chocolatey Valrhona cocoa, plenty of eggs and butter, and copious amounts of melted chocolate.  It’s not cakey, and not exactly fudgy- it’s just wrong, in a very, very right way.

You can find them at current Robicelli’s retail partners Crespella (Park Slope) and Queen City Cupcakes (Patchogue Long Island), and our NEW LOCATION:

Oaxaca Tacos!  With three locations in Brooklyn, and one on Extra Place in Manhattan (you know, that alley behind CB’s. And YES, it will always be CB’s, and I will acknowledge it as the John Varvartous whatever store over my cold dead body).  You can get our “Fany” brownie on their dessert menu: rich chocolate swirled with cinnamon and cajeta from Fat Toad Farms in Vermont.  And if you’re curious about the name, it’s names for one of my best friends and the grand dame of Mexican pastry- Fany Gerson.  And if someone I admire as much as Fany loves them, I know they’re good!

We’re going to start pounding the pavement and trying to bring these brownies to more shops around NYC soon- if there’s a place near you that you’d like us to hit, let us know!  And I am swearing in front of you all at this very moment- these brownies WILL SHIP IN 2012.  Super-duper-ultra-infinity promise.  

Even though we’re letting brownies finally have their moment in the sun after playing third fiddle to our other products, there are still cupcakes that are going to stores and need to be eaten to fulfill their cupcakey destiny.  Back from the vault today- The McFadden! Lemony delicious with just a splash of Pimm’s- this one’s a huge cult classic, and worth searching out.

Clockwise from front: S’Mores, McFadden, Hazelnut Kiss, Pecan French Toast

S’Mores: Chocolate cake, speculoos pudding, toasted marshmallow buttercream, ganache, graham cracker crumbs

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake and buttercream with lemon, ginger and a splash of Pimm’s, candied lemon peel

Hazelnut Kiss: Chocolate hazelnut cake, Nutella buttercream, roasted hazelnuts

Pecan French Toast: Maple custard soaked cinnamon cake, maple-cinnamon buttercream, maple glazed pecans

______________________________

Cupcakes Available at:

Cafe at Sam’s Bakery:  94th off 3rd, Bay Ridge

Aloha Grinds: 77th and 3rd, Bay Ridge

Bagel Schmagel: 76th and 3rd, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Ave off 9th Street, Park Slope

Tazza Cafes: Clark off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Cake Shop: Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, LES

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Whoopie Pies Available At:

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Tazza Cafes: Clark off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Brownies Available At:

Crespella: 7th Ave off 9th Street, Park Slope

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan

We’ve been too caught up in crazy-ass jibba jabba lately- it’s time for a news update!

Things have been going great at our new shop at DeKalb Market, and things are about to get even freaking better. Beginning this weekend, in addition to all the cupcakes, brownies and whoopie pies, we’ll also have candy from Liddabit Sweets, stroopwaffels from The Good Batch, and more of the best marshmallows on Earth from Kitty Lee Thomas Sweets.  We’ve introduced our new L’Orange Noir brownie- made with dark and white chocolate, candied orange peel and Grand Mariner. We’re making new bourbon caramel pecan whoopies for the weekend.  And if that wasn’t enough, thanks to the torrential rain storms earlier this week we ended up with a surplus of inventory at the kitchen, meaning we’ve been letting lots of cupcakes go at wholesale prices all week.  

I just blew your mind, didn’t I.  Why don’t you go take a break for a minute- maybe click over here and learn about unicorns or something to calm yourself down, like a sorbet for your brain.  It’s cool- I’ll wait right here.

Always bringing it.

Done with the unicorns?  Ok, back to us.

We’ve got a brand spanking new location in Bay Ridge! You can now grab a cupcake at Aloha Grinds on 77th and 3rd Avenue, either as an accompaniment to a freshly brewed cup of Kona coffee (roasted by local guys Brewklyn Grind), or as a dessert after some Hawaiian BBQ.  

Now onto weekend plans for those of you who won’t be hitting up DeKalb Market to get diabetes and play some ping pong.  This Saturday is the Delicious Sandwich Social in Prospect Park, which is sort of like a “Secret Santa” for sandwiches……pretty much, you make a sandwich, cut it in half, put it in a bag and then pick out half a “mystery sandwich” to eat.  You have to eat half the sandwich you brought as well, so don’t think of being that jerk who brings a peanut butter, anchovy and Lego sandwich just to watch some poor schmuck have to eat it.  But if by chance you do get a peanut butter, anchovy and Lego sandwich and survive, you’ll be rewarded dearly since Cupcakes Take the Cake is supplying the event with a whole bunch of our cupcakes for your desserting pleasure.

And finally, we’ve got two new events to announce: 

We are honored to have been asked to participate in City Harvest’s Brooklyn Local Fundraiser on September 17th, and will also be parking ourselves in the middle of Manhattan for an ENTIRE MONTH for this fall’s Madison Square Eats!  Because I’ve decided the three hours of sleep a night I’m currently getting is FAR TOO MUCH!!!

I just gave you a lot to take in- you’re probably already wiped.  Maybe you should go out and get a cupcake and relax?

Clockwise from front: Lime in da Coconut, Romeo y Juliet, Hot Sunday, McFadden

NEW!!! Lime in da Coconut: Lime and coconut rum cake & buttercream, roasted coconut and lime zest

Romeo y Juliet: Guava cake, cream cheese buttercream, guava puree

Hot Sunday:  Chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream, chocolate fudge, maraschino cherry

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake and buttercream made with a splash of Pimm’s, hand candied lemon peel

Available at:

ROBICELLI’S AT DEKALB MARKET: Flatbush Ave Extension & Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

ALOHA GRINDS: Third Avenue and 77th Street, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321 7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

COURT STREET GROCERS: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

EASTERN DISTRICT- Manhattan Ave off Eagle St, Greenpoint

BROOKLYN STANDARD:  Nassau Ave & Jewel St, Greenpoint

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: West 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Today is the day, folks!  Today I am going down to the DeKalb site to begin the buildout on our new shop!  Ninety degree weather and paint fumes- here I come!!!!

I’ll do a little photo montage of what’s going on midweek to keep you guys in the loop, but not today.  Why?  Because it’s Monday, and that means we’re only thinking about one thing.  That’s right………YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT WEEKEND. The weather’s going to be gorgeous (haven’t actually looked this up, but I think it’s a fair guess and as accurate as any freaking weather report).  You need something awesome to do, and we’re making it happen.

“But Allison!”, you say. “You and Matt will be so busy building out the store all week, not to mention all the baking you do normally- how will you ever be able to help us?!?!?!”.  Well we CAN help, because thanks to Matt’s Scotch-Irish background, he’s 13% leprechaun, meaning we can do anything and everything, all at the same time.  Or it means we’re insane and partially drunk- you guys can interpret it anyway you want.

THIS SATURDAY. TWO EVENTS. BRINGING IT.

Burlesque, Dixieland jazz, mimes, us, and $2 tickets.  It’s also a stop on Brooklyn Based’s Total 4th Avenue Immersion.  It’s stuff like this that makes this the greatest city in the entire world.

But perhaps you’d rather spend the day wandering around Williamsburg checking out all their new flea market offerings.  Well, we’re making a one-day-only appearance at

Northside Market has been enticing us for months with their promise of “air conditioning”, which is perfect for cupcakes and whoopie pies who really don’t like temperatures close to 100 degrees.  And it’s also perfect for us, since seriously, being hot is gross. Try as we might, we’ll just never be those people- give us a balmy 73 degrees and the wonders of indoor plumbing.  If you’re at any of the other fleas in the area, taking a nice stroll down Bedford or playing Extreme Steal the Bacon in MacCarren, swing over to North 6th and Kent to say hi and enjoy the A/C with us.

So what’s on tap for this weekend?  We don’t know yet.  I know for certain that our Liddabit Whoopie Pies will be back, and there’s a 96% we’ll be debuting our new brownie “The Moverly” a week ahead of schedule (dark chocolate, scotch, espresso and walnuts).  I’m also working on bringing back some favorites from last summer like “The Yvonne” provided I can find a good affordable late harvest Reisling to work with.  As for the rest?  Taking requests.  Head over to Facebook and let us know what you want, and we’ll do our best to make it happen.

But say you don’t want to wait until Saturday- say you want a cupcake RIGHT NOW.  Well lucky for you, we’ve got fresh cupcakes in stores today!  Hell of a way to start the week, no?

Clockwise from front: CPB, Tres Leches, McFadden, Creamsicle

CPB: Chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream, ganache, roasted peanuts

Tres Leches: Three milk soaked brown butter cake, dulce de leche buttercream, caramel shards

McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake and buttercream made with a splash of Pimm’s, candied lemon peel

Creamsicle: Orange cake, vanilla buttercream, candied orange peel

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

Ok Internets- I need some answers here.  In the past two weeks, our Tumblr followers have increased by like a million billion percent (which is AWESOME, btw).  Thing is, stuff like this usually happens when you get an amazing piece of press, or you’re on tv or something like that.  My Google alerts are turning up nothing, and I’ve been working so hard these past few weeks that I really have almost no idea what’s going on in the outside world (though I have heard about this whole “Weiner” thing- boy oh boy how about that!  It’s funny, you know, because his name is WEINER!!!  What a doozy!).  

So if anyone can clue me in, head over to Facebook and tell us what’s up.  I don’t have comments on this page because I just can’t deal with the headache of moderating them for trolls and spam and whatnot.  It’s definitely NOT because I have no idea how to set them up.  Yeah…um…yeah.  So just head over to Facebook- we can all chat and screw around.  Oooh- I’ve got an idea what we can do over there!

For ages now we’ve been saying we need a name for all of our fans- something really super cool like “Juggalos”.  Post up in the message thread any ideas you have, we’ll run a poll and announce the winner eventually.  Our suggestion?

STABONES.  What does this have to do with baking? Absolutely nothing.  But “Growing Pains” was awesome, and then we could call you guys “Boners” for short!  Which is totally appropriate, because I’ve decided to start sexting Sarah Palin on Twitter just for laughs….boy, is SHE going to be surprised! 

Clockwise from front: McFadden, Dark Chocolate Dulce, Cherries Jubillee, Triple Chocolate Raspberry

The McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake and buttercream made with a splash of Pimm’s, hand candied lemon peel

Dark Chocolate Dulce: Dark chocolate cake, dulce de leche buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, Maldon sea salt

Cherries Jubilee: Vanilla cake, brandied cherry syrup, vanilla buttercream, brandy sauteed cherries and reduction

Triple Chocolate Raspberry: Chocolate cake, raspberry jam, chocolate buttercream, fresh raspberry, chocolate raspberry ganache

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

BLUE APRON FOODS- Union Street off 7th Avenue, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

COURT STREET GROCERS: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

EASTERN DISTRICT- Manhattan Ave off Eagle St, Greenpoint

BROOKLYN STANDARD:  Nassau Ave & Jewel St, Greenpoint

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies and Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler cupcakes only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

LINK CAFE @ THE SHERATON TRIBECA: 307 Canal Street, Tribeca

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors recieved are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, let them know directly

Last week we played host to uberphotographer Donny Tsang (Serious Eats, Midtown Lunch, Edible Brooklyn), who in his downtime likes hanging out with the likes of us and taking lots and lots of pictures.  The results are on his site Foodissance, and I hope you’ll take a minute to poke around and enjoy all his work (and remember to leave comments- they’re good for the site! Still don’t know why, but I overheard someone saying something to that effect once and by golly, that’s good enough for me!). 

Note the industrial sized box of Tums that constitutes 90% of our diets.

I’m sort of hoping to see Donny around a lot more since we share our kitchen with lots of great fartisans* and very good friends: La Newyorkina, Good Batch, Macaron Parlour, Lux Sugar, Granola Lab, Brooklyn Cured, Conscious Nosh, Skim Kim, Regal Vegan and of course, Liddabit Sweets, who he’s already photographed.  After a long, long time of it being just Matt and I, it’s nice to finally have coworkers in a way.  That place is like a frat house, but with locally sourced dairy and exotic fruit purees instead of booze and weed.  Same amount of nudity, though.

One thing I appreciated in the piece is that Donny called attention to exactly how much work we do.  I’d say only about half the time we work is actually spent in the kitchen baking.  People don’t see us trying to catch up on emails, writing blogs, doing PR, making phone calls, working on spreadsheets and business plans, Quickbooks, managing inventory, seeking and managing employees, booking events, networking, making deliveries, checking in our our clients, finding new clients, customer service, planning for the future and about a million other things.  And since Matt and I are married, there’s no part of the day where we are ever “off the clock”.  We’ll be in the children’s museum working on our Blackberries and taking meetings over the phone while chasing our kids, desperately trying to get them to put their pants back on.

You think that we own this business.  It owns us.  But that’s where the passion comes in.  It’s not just about making something really delicious and wanting to share it with the world.  It’s about being willing to sacrifice every shred of normalcy and stability you have because you just love what you do SO MUCH, that letting it consume you is the only option you have to be truly happy.  To be an entrepreneur, you need a lot more than a product or idea- you have to be partially insane. But the honest truth is that if you’re meant to be an entrepreneur, when your business inevitably takes over your entire existence, you’ll love every goddamn minute of it.  This isn’t our job.  This is our life.

On that note, I want to say “Happy Birthday” to our best friend and godfather of our children, who’s surprise 30th birthday party we had to miss tonight because we were working.  We’re also missing his wedding in October because we’ll be, you guessed it, working.  I know our life is hard for a lot of people to understand, and trust us, it does hurt when we miss out on everything.  But we still love you, even though we get to see you 6 minutes a year.

Clockwise from front: The McFadden, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Dark Chocolate Dulce, Toasted Almond

The McFadden: Victorian lemonade cake & buttercream made with a splash of Pimm’s, hand candied lemon peel

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp:  Oat cake, vanilla buttercream, strawberry rhubarb compote, oat crisp

Dark Chocolate Dulce: Dark chocolate cake, dulce de leche buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, sea salt

Toasted Almond: Almond cake, vanilla buttercream, toasted almonds

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

HOM- Third Avenue and 88th Street, Bay Ridge

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

BLUE APRON FOODS- Union Street off 7th Avenue, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

COURT STREET GROCERS: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies and Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler cupcakes only*

BROOKLYNEER: West Houston & Varick St, West Village

LINK CAFE @ THE SHERATON TRIBECA: 307 Canal Street, Tribeca

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors recieved are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, let them know directly

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter! I promise I’m going to post the Easter ordering information up by August, I swear.  In the meantime, just want to remind you all the Mother’s Day is in TWO WEEKS, so you can start shopping for gifts for me now. 

Also, if you’re looking for a lovely gift for your own mom, how about a dozen assorted cupcakes?  Because for reals, mom does not want a plant - I don’t know who the idiot was who thought of starting that tradition.  Like I don’t have enough to do with chasing after two kids all day, running a business and theoretically cleaning my apartment. You know what’s a great way to say “thank you” for all of that?  A freaking PLANT.  And a plant is the gift of more responsibility, which means 10 days after Mother’s Day it will be dead, and my kids will be looking at me with those sad eyes going “What happened to the plant we bought you, Mommy?”.  And that is when the crying will begin for everybody.  Cupcakes, however, cannot be killed- so I think I pretty much solved your whole “What do I get my mom this year” problem.  You’re welcome!

If you’re wondering what flavors will be available for Mother’s Day weekend, we’ve just put up the entire May schedule! We’re also offering our once a year Mint Julep cupcakes that weekend for the Kentucky Derby, so if you’re going to a Derby party you may want to considering bringing a dozen.  Because you know what people who throw Derby parties hate? PLANTS.

But enough about cupcakes of the near-future, onto today’s flavors!  After a years hiatus, The McFadden has returned from the vault!  It’s a Victorian lemonade cupcake made with lemon, a hint of ginger, and and English liquor called Pimm’s.  We designed it after the favorite drink of one of our earliest cheerleaders and just about the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, Jack “Skippy” McFadden.  I think it was another cupcake that was ahead of it’s time- last year when we introduced it a lot of people didn’t know Pimm’s and were scared to try it.  But I think in 2011 it’s time has finally come!  This one is unquestionably one of my favorites in the 150+ flavors we have, so go out and have one- if it has a strong showing we’ll bring it back all summer long. 

Clockwise from front:  Romeo y Juliette, Strawberry Cheesecake, The McFadden, The Hinsch

Romeo y Juliette:  Guava cake, guava paste, cream cheese buttercream, guava puree

Strawberry Cheesecake:  Graham cracker cake, strawberry cheesecake buttercream, strawberry jam, graham cracker crumbs

The McFadden:  Victorian lemonade cake with a splash of Pimm’s, lemon ginger buttercream, hand candied lemon peel

The Hinsch:  Chocolate malt cake, vanilla buttercream, chocolate malt sauce, homemade malted milk balls

Available at:

BROOKLYN

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

QATHRA:  1112 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

MANHATTAN

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

JOE: GRAND CENTRAL STATION-  44 Grand Central Terminal, Near the Graybar Passage

SCHNITZEL & THINGS-  Third Avenue btwn 45th & 46th Streets

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors received are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, please let them know directly