I’m combining several celebrations into one this National Vanilla Cupcake Day. As a cupcakologist, I conducted thematic research earlier this week at Sprinkles and Georgetown Cupcake. Informative, if predictably so. It was useful to get reacquainted and to overhear the preceding customer actually order a vanilla cupcake on a Tuesday, unrelated to any promotions for… Continue reading Patriotic pride on National Vanilla Cupcake Day

I object to the notion of National Doughnut Day singular. (Today). I worship at the house of doughnut with religious fervor and my pilgrimages are ... more than annual. This week alone, I’ve expressed my faith by communing with these sacred creations. B Doughnut vanilla and everything bagel with lox

I’ll see your National Oatmeal Day and raise you a Sprinkles cookie. Sweetening the pot and whatnot.

It’s National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. As always, I’ll take mine in cupcake form. Yes, it’s cheesecake in there and quite well executed. I wish I knew why the simple addition of maple syrup turns cream cheese frosting into something irresistibly more lush.

The cupcakologist’s definition of Friday night thrills: go to cupcake school. Tonight I performed legitimate research without the single quotes. It was instructive.

It’s National Chocolate Cupcake Day. Well, then, my agenda is set. To Sprinkles I go for a black velvet cupcake. Truth be told, I’m not wild about chocolate. I happily make exceptions under exceptional circumstances.

Up early to claim my free Sprinkles cupcake for National Dessert Day. Duty calls.

Two weeks ago, I was browsing a bookstore in Portsmouth, N.H., trying mightily not to load myself down with things to carry back. I restricted myself to one book, Judith Jones’ memoir. It was a satisfying souvenir of a memorable trip. Then I interviewed an author named in the jacket copy. Then I made plans… Continue reading Sweet serendipity

Just because it’s National Taco Day doesn’t mean the topic is inherently savory. Behold the sweet corn ice cream taco I had in July 2016 at Dominique Ansel Kitchen. Multifaceted thrills with sweet, savory, acidic, soft and crunchy layers. What memories. Le sigh.

If you tell me yesterday was National Coffee Day, I think Sprinkles Cuban coffee cupcake. It’s my preferred way to consume coffee.

Yesterday was the first National Bakery Day, a marketing exercise by the Retail Bakers of America. Sure, I’ll take the bait. Like any good patriot, I felt duty bound to observe the occasion. My celebration coincided with a trip to New England. To warm up for the big day, I started on Wednesday, when I… Continue reading Hooray for National Bakery Day

The skilled craftswomen behind Buttercream Bakeshop devised a tasty pay-it-forward scheme to spread kindness. The #RememberToBeKind campaign invites customers to buy baked goods for one another. Gifts are affixed to a board behind the register and given to customers upon request. If you’re having a bad day, you can ask for a little piece of kindness… Continue reading Sharing sweetly

It was a pleasure to attend my first Association of Food Journalists conference in mid-September. We ate, drank, socialized and learned abundantly in Philadelphia. If I were thirsty for new inspiration before this trip, my thirst has been quenched. I probably ate two weeks of calories in three days. One such crime scene was the… Continue reading Thirsty

Hello, autumn (a.k.a. pumpkin spice season). New paper notebooks, new computers. I’m slowly filling in the gaps and catching up. Stay tuned for more blog posts.

I went to the Museum of Food and Drink for today’s book event starring Stella Parks and her new BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts. Of which I ate many during a one-day trip to NYC. Occupational hazard.

Sprinkles baked a “black velvet” dark chocolate cupcake for today’s eclipse. It inspired me to write an acrostic poem.

I’m cleaning up archival files and backdating a post. As I write this in December 2018, I find record of a July 2017 lemon blueberry cupcake at each of the Big Three Cupcakeries I cover. https://twitter.com/GTownCupcake/status/885287996597161985 https://twitter.com/magnoliabakery/status/886606037217943552 https://twitter.com/sprinkles/status/890290183421272064 I’m not sure why this matters, but I’m preserving the record just in case. I’m reasonably sure… Continue reading All in for blueberries

It’s a thing. This critic approves.

    I’m taking a food writing class from Aaron Hamburger, who included this quote in the course materials. To borrow from fangirl parlance, “I can’t ...”