"[Partner, Aunt Butchie's Cupcakes, Sean] Rich says he's hoping to open the store, located in a former Yolato outpost, by February 1. "We're trying to bring a little bit of Brooklyn to Manhattan," he says. As to how one makes cupcakes more Brooklyn, Rich says that flavors like cannoli, zeppole, and cheesecake will "focus in on the Brooklyn lifestyle."After more than 15 years in the cake business, why venture into the increasingly crowded cupcake field?
"We've always been known for our cakes, but we're really focusing on what the people want," says Rich. "We've seen over the last year or so that more and more customers were requesting that we do some cupcakes; less people were taking pieces of cake. It's the next best thing, really." When they introduced their cupcake line eight months ago, he continues, they started with three flavors, and expanded to 15. Last week, one of the bakery's locations turned out 90 dozen; over Christmas, they did 5,000. "You put some cupcakes out and people go crazy," Rich says.
So crazy, that the company is planning to open a couple more cupcake shops in Manhattan over the next 18 months or so; Rich says that while they haven't yet picked locations, Midtown seems a likely destination."
I am eager to try them! More to come, I'm sure.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Via the Voice
SNAFU with the deep-fried cupcakes (updated!)
Edit/Update: From Allison of Robicelli's:
"I really don't know what to say -- I don't know what's going on on their end, so I can't comment for ChipShop. I made a ton of these cupcakes that are sitting in my fridge now (which I scrambled to make when I found it went viral), so I'm out some good money too.
What I can say is that once we deliver the cupcakes, what these shops do with them is out of our hands. We put our heart and soul into these things, so we hope that our retailers will give the cupcakes the respect they deserve. I am sure that whatever went down this weekend at ChipShop was not done in any sort of malicious manner, but was either the result of a technical malfunction that could not be remedied or by simply selling out. It is possible that the weekend staff was unaware of the special because the entire stock had been sold out Friday night. The people at ChipShop are fantastic individuals and consummate professionals, so I'm sure that any confusion was probably the result of good, old-fashioned misunderstanding.
In the interim, I have spoken to the writers of the blog "Fucked In Park Slope," who also went down this weekend only to have their cupcake request denied, and will be arranging an Elvis cupcake giveaway with them over the weekend. If ChipShop isn't hooking the people up with their cupcakes, then I'm giving them away for free!"
Rock on, Allison. Hope this makes FiPS feel better, I know I'd be mollified.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Saint Cupcake in DailyCandy
This came in today from DailyCandy:
January 8, 2010
Give Saints
Saint Cupcake Delivers Nationwide
Sorry to break the news: You’re not God.
But people will sing your praises when you serve them Saint Cupcakes. The Portland-based bakery’s goodies are now taking flight.
Just head to the site and specify the amount (in multiples of three), flavors, and toppings. Soon you’ll receive a kit that includes the moist baked plain cuppies, frosting, and sprinkles, along with an icing wand and decorating tips. So it wouldn’t really be a sin to claim them as your own.
Favorite combos include carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut, vanilla chocolate chip with hot fudge icing and rainbow quinns, and chocolate with mint buttercream and white jimmies. For the vegans: chocolate or vanilla cake and frosting.
Of course, such heavenly treats are chockful of calories.
But even you only live once.
Available online at saintcupcake.com. To see the goods up close, check out our gallery.
I had to look up quinns (M-W came up empty), I can't lie.