Robicelli's

We have the best fans in the world, you know that?

Since we launched the IndieGoGo campaign about 10 days ago, we’ve been overcome with emotion every time someone donates, and get all misty eyed reading some of your comments.  Even more amazing to me us is that people actually read this blog or our Twitter and pay attention to all the crap that’s coming out of my mouth.  After only a few days of our campaign, I get an email from another girl named Alison who says she’s a big fan and knows how hopeless I am with technology (it’s true! I so crazy!).  Anyhow, said Ms. Alison is a professional film editing and post-production type person, and offers out of the goodness of her heart to come to our kitchen to shoot a video for our IndieGoGo! SERIOUSLY!!

Ms. Alison Grasso has totally blown a hole in my whole “Alisons who spell their name with only ONE ‘L’ are inherently evil-that’s how you tell them apart from us normal, two “L” Allisons. Like how if you’re talkng to twins and you’re trying to figure out which one is evil, you go with the one that has a goatee” theory.

That random act of kindness alone would normally be enough to make my heart swell up with so much joy that I feel it could burst, but yet there’s more!!!  Let me introduce you to Mr. Steven Cobb.  Steve is one of our fans who reached out to us over Twitter last year, and since then we’ve become friends in the “Tweeting back and forth and seeing each other at events” sort of way (which, sadly, constitutes 90% of all of my adult relationships).  He’s also one of the most altruistic and generous people I’ve ever met.  So of course, when we announced that we’re donating 25% of all private deliveries this week to help Japan, I wasn’t surprised at all to hear that he wanted to order cupcakes. 

However, what DID surprise me was that he wanted to buy two dozen, but DIDN’T personally want the cupcakes.  In fact, he doesn’t even have anyone in particular he wants to send them to.  He just wants to be able to contribute to the cause in some way, and be able to send cupcakes to whomever wants them to brighten up their day.  Now how amazing is that?!!?!?! (And YES ladies, he’s single!)

Now the inevitable question: who should these two dozen cupcakes go to?  Join the discussion on Facebook- make the case for yourself or nominate someone you think who deserves it.  We’ll pick two lucky people by the end of the week to receive a little ray of sunshine from our good friend Steve.

Best fans ever. For real.

Now…….flavors!!!

Clockwise from front: The Hinsch, Abuelita, Banana Cashew, PB & Grape J

NEW!!!!  THE HINSCH:  Chocolate malted cake, vanilla buttercream, malted chocolate sauce, homemade chocolate malted milk balls

ABUELITA:  Mexican chocolate cake, cajeta buttercream, ground Abuelita chocolate

BANANA CASHEW:  Banana cake, cashew buttercream, cashew brittle

PB & GRAPE J:  Vanilla cake, grape jelly, peanut butter buttercream, roasted peanuts

____________________________________

Available at:

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

HOM- Third Avenue & 88th Street, Bay Ridge

TAZZA CAFES- Clark St off Henry AND Henry St off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

CRESPELLA-7th Ave off 9th St, Park Slope

BLUE APRON FOODS-  Union St. off 7th Ave, Park Slope

JOE: GRAND CENTRAL STATION-  44 Grand Central Terminal

        *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.

When you own your own business, there’s no such thing as “time-off”.  Sure, I’m not always baking in the kitchen, but in my downtime I’m doing paperwork, running social media, or being summoned by my Blackberry.  In fact, the only downtime I really feel like I have is the time I get to spend with our two little boys, just being a wife and mother.

So GUESS what the new favorite game is in our house?!?!?! That’s right, BAKERY! Our sons have opened up a shop called “Thomas Jefferson” in the middle of our aparment, where they are serving cannolis, spaghetti and meatballs, and the house special: “Barbecued Kwanzaa Cake”. I honestly didn’t think I had watched that Sandra Lee episode that many times, but apparently I did just enough to burn the imagery into my boys’ impressionable minds. Putting this one in my “Mother-of-the-Year” nomination packet!

I’m going to be working on the April schedule over the next few days, so if you want any input, go and “Like” us on Facebook, and hop into the discussion- we’re letting you guys help determine the schedule and taking flavor requests.  And now to the flavors at hand- our Monday deliveries!

Clockwise from front: PB& Grape J, The Bluth, Tres Leches, Tiramisu

PB & GRAPE J:  Vanilla cake, grape jelly, peanut butter buttercream, roasted peanuts

THE BLUTH:  Chocolate banana cake, chocolate buttercream, ganache, roasted walnuts

TRES LECHES:  Three milk soaked brown butter cake, dulce de leche buttercream, caramel shards

TIRAMISU:  Espresso soaked cake, espresso ganache, mascarpone, cocoa powder

_______________________________

AVAILABLE AT:

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

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

Radish:  N8th & Bedford Ave, Williamsburg

Cake Shop:  152 Ludlow St, Lower East Side

Lily O’Brien’s at Bryant Park:  E. 40th St btwn 5th & 6th Ave, Midtown Manhattan

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 wonderful New Year’s, and that you’re already succeeding at your resolutions!  Except if that resolution was to eat fewer sweets, in which case we hope you fail miserably, or at least make an exception for our cupcakes. 

On the topic of weight loss and cupcakes, here’s a totally true story.  One of our oldest customers happens to a regional director for Weight Watchers, and used to come into our old store every weekend with her family for a cupcake.  We were actually really surprised when we found out where she worked, because quite frankly, she was one of our best customers and most enthusiastic supporters when we began to do cupcakes.  Then she shared something we found quite suprising- our cupcakes helped keep her ON her diet.  It was a treat she looked forward to every week, and knowing that our flavors changed every week, she had to come in and try each one when it was released.  Any time she’d be tempted to eat mindlessly- a few packaged cookies or a cheap packaged cake- she’d remind herself that she could either eat those or save the “points” for one of our cupcakes that weekend.  And she said that the wait every week was totally worth it.

One Saturday, she walked in with her husband and daughters, sat at a table and watched them all buy cupcakes while she just scowled.  Then her family proceeded to eat them in front of her, exclaiming “Oh my God!  This is the best flavor ever! ” while she began to scowl even more (I think it actually went from scowling to full-on glowering).  We asked her where her cupcake was, she looked at us with the most pathetic puppy dog eyes we’d ever seen, and said “I had a handful of chips on Tuesday!”. 

From then on, we saw her every weekend with cupcake in hand, and then once the store closed she’s been getting a cupcake at Hom every Thursday.  And she’s lost 20 lbs and kept it off.  I never thought we’d be part of someone’s diet regiment, but there you are.  It fits perfectly into our philosophy- all good things, but in moderation.  And if you are going to invest the calories into a dessert, that dessert better be worth it.  Do you really want to spend your calories on something reduced fat that you’re going to forget you ate in five minutes, or want to forget you ate?  If you’re bothering going in, go ALL IN.

Now-flavors!  Fall and holiday flavors have returned to the vault for another year, so we’re back to classics!

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

PB & Grape J:  Vanilla cake, grape jelly, peanut butter buttercream, roasted peanuts

Bananas Foster:  Banana cake, rum-salted caramel buttercream & drizzle

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

AVAILABLE MONDAY AT:

Market:  1211 Cortelyou Roast, Ditmas Park

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

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

Radish:  N8th & Bedford Ave, Williamsburg

Cake Shop:  152 Ludlow St, Lower East Side

Lily O’Brien’s at Bryant Park:  E. 40th St btwn 5th & 6th Ave, Midtown Manhattan

I hope you’ve all had a spectacular weekend- personally I’m over the moon that fall is finally here!  It’s by far my favorite season for many reasons, but mostly because cooler temps mean that it’s finally bearable in the kitchen after many months of standing in front of an oven in hotter-than-hell temperatures.  Thank you global warming!  Much appreciated!

Decided to start off this week with some different flavors than last week.  Hope you guys enjoy them!

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PRETZEL: chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream rolled in crushed pretzels, drizzled with ganache and salted caramel

PB & GRAPE J:  Vanilla cake with peanut butter buttercream, grape jelly and crushed roasted peanutsBANANAS FOSTER:  Banana rum cake with rum spiked salted caramel buttercream & caramel drizzle

TRES LECHES:  Three milk soaked brown butter cake with dulce de leche buttercream and caramel shards

AVAILABLE STARTING MONDAY AT:

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

Market:  1211 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park

Tazza:  Clarke St off Henry AND Henry St off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Radish:  N8th & Bedford Ave, Williamsburg

Cakeshop:  152 Ludlow St, LES

Lily O’Brien’s at Bryant Park:  E40th Street btwn 5th & 6th Ave, Midtown

Hello everyone!  Hope you’ve all had a wonderful week.  We’re going back to a rotation of four flavors this week, plus plain chocolate and vanilla.  And here they are!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel:  chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream, rolled in crushed pretzels, and drizzled with ganache and salted caramel

Toasted Almond:  Almond cake with vanilla buttercream rolled in toasted almonds

The Bluth:  Chocolate banana cake with chocolate buttercream, roasted walnuts and ganache

PB & Grape J:  Vanilla cake with peanut butter buttercream, grape jelly and roasted peanuts

Plain Old Chocolate

Tahitian Vanilla

Available Thursday at:

HOM- 88th St and 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

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

BLUE APRON FOODS- Union St. off 7th Ave, Park Slope

CAFE 474- 4th Ave off 11th St, Park Slope

FARMACY- Corner of Henry and Sackett, Carroll Gardens

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

FLYING SAUCER CAFE- Atlantic Ave btwn 3rd Ave and Nevins, Boerum Hill

MARKET- Cortelyou Road btwn Westminster & Argyle, Ditmas Park

Available Friday at:

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side

LILY O’BRIEN’S AT BRYANT PARK-  E40th btwn 5th and 6th, Midtown

Holy crap it’s September already!  How did this happen?  Onto cupcakes!

NEW FLAVOR! Chocolate Strawberry:  Chocolate cake with strawberry buttercream, ground chocolate and strawberry reduction

PB & Grape J:  Vanilla cake with peanut butter buttercream, grape jelly and chopped roasted peanuts

The Bluth:  Chocolate banana cake with chocolate buttercream, roasted walnuts and ganache

Creamsicle:  Orange cake with vanilla buttercream and candied orange peel

Available Thursday at:

NEW LOCATION!!!! 

Cafe at Sam’s Bakery- Bay Ridge (94th Street off 3rd Avenue)

Hom- Bay Ridge (88th st and 3rd ave)

Blue Apron Foods- Park Slope (Union st off 7th ave)

Cafe 474- Park Slope (4th ave btwn 10th & 11th st)

Farmacy- Carroll Gardens (corner of Henry & Sackett st)

Market- Ditmas Park (Cortelyou road btwn Westminster & Argyle)

Tazza Cafes- Brooklyn Heights (Clark & Henry and Henry & Atlantic)

Available Friday at:

Radish- Williamsburg (Bedford ave and N8th)

Cakeshop- Lower East Side (152 Ludlow)

Lily O’Brien’s- Midtown at Bryant Park (E40th btwn 5th & 6th aves)