Batter Chatter: Interview with Rita Halkias of Simply Rita (Athens, Greece)

Everyone's buzzing about cupcakes and globalization this week--what better way to feed your interest than an interview with Rita Halkias, proprietress of Simply Rita, an Athens, Greece-based cupcake business? If you're curious about cupcake culture in Greece, search no further! Here goes:

CakeSpy: Can you tell a bit more about what made you decide to start a cupcake business?
Rita Halkias: When I moved to Greece around 2 years ago there were so many things that I missed from back home, my family and friends, Dunkin Donuts coffee, diner food (yes, although all Greeks in American own diners there is not one diner in the city of Athens) and cupcakes of course. I started experimenting in the kitchen to try and create the perfect cupcake. I then began to bring these cupcakes to various events and people would go crazy! Everyone started raving about these American cupcakes, one thing lead to another and things have really been great ever since.

CS: Are you formally trained as a baker?
RH: I am self taught. I received my bachelor’s degree in Special Education and my master’s degree in Assistive Technology. When I lived in America I taught in a maximum security prison as a State School Teacher for several years. My father however, coincidently owned a restaurant that was located a few miles away from the prison. After my teaching job I would go help out at the family restaurant. I was in charge of the dessert menu; this is when my love/obsession for baking began!

CS: I feel as if I haven't ever heard of a cupcake business in Greece before! Are cupcakes very popular there, or are you starting the trend?
RH: No, cupcakes are not popular here in Athens. I guess you can say I am the first to start the trend!

CS: What sets apart your cupcakes from others?
RH: My cupcakes are baked to order; always ensuring that they’re fresh. Being a compulsive perfectionist can be a bit exhausting at times, but it seems to work in my favor, since my cupcakes end up being one of a kind. When customers contact me for an order, my primary objective is to accommodate their ideas and needs. The cake itself is always super moist and fluffy.. My frosting is sweet, but not toothache sweet like some other cupcakes I’ve tried in the past. Also, most of the cupcakes on my menu are musically inspired, with “Hollaback Girl” and “Sweet Thang” being some of them. It’s amazing how the sweet sound of a melody can inspire me to create something that satisfies my palette!

CS: How is your blog going to play a role in your business?
RH: My blog will definitely help my business because it’ll help my customers to get to know me at a more personal level. Forming lasting relationships with my customers is essential to running a successful business. Like my dad used to say in his heavy Greek accent, “here our customers have names; they are not just another number”!
Writing a blog is more interactive than a website, which makes it great for networking. Following other peoples’ blogs helps me keep up to date on the latest cupcake trends.

CS: What are your most popular flavors?
RH: Apple pie cupcake with cinnamon buttercream frosting; Nutella stuffed chocolate chip with hazelnut frosting; Peanut butter stuffed banana cupcake with chocolate frosting (my favorite).

CS: Are you selling only cupcakes, or other baked goods as well?
RH: Mostly cupcakes but I also do cheesecakes, chocolate dipped cheesecake lollipops, and custom made cookie lollipops.

CS: Stepping away from cupcakes for a moment, I'm curious about baked goods in Athens. What other types of sweets or desserts are popular where you live?
RH: Where do I start? I guess the easiest way would be to make a list:

• Loukoumades: Fried dough in the shape of a ball traditionally topped with honey, walnuts and cinnamon, but recently a shop has started filling them with Nutella!! YUM!
  
• Baklava: Walnuts, cinnamon, and sugar layered in between phyllo dough then drenched with gooey sugar syrup.
  
• Galaktobouriko: Custard filling layered in between phyllo dough and topped with simple syrup.
  
• Ekmek Kataifi: Layered kataifi, custard, whipped topping and walnuts topped with simply syrup.
  
• Kourabiedes: butter cookie dipped in confectioners sugar
  
• Poungi: Pastry dough stuffed with ricotta, cinnamon. and sugar that is deep fried then topped with honey and walnuts.
  

There are so many others but those have to be my favorite!

CS: What are your goals for the future?
RH: I have so many personal goals set for myself, but as far as my business goes my goals would be to continue to run a successful business where my customers are truly valued, and to possibly expand in the future!

Want more? Stay updated with what's going on in Rita's sweet world via her blog, cupcakesathens.blogspot.com.

Drunken Cookies: The Hot Cookie Presents the Jagerdoodle

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest blog post from Sarah of The Hot Cookie. Looking for a creative new cookie idea? Look no further:

What in the devil is a Jägerdoodle?

Well dear, when a Snickerdoodle and a shot of Jagermeister fall in love...umm...uh, I'll tell you when you're older.

Now, this is not necessarily an easy sell of a cookie. When I told my mom that I made a Jäger-y cookie, she asked me twice if I really put Jäger in the cookies. The answer was yes both times. Hence the name, ma. (Don't hate me for teasing you. Remember, you love me very much.)

Here the doodles are all dressed up in sugar and anise. Yes, anise. It enhances the Jageriness. Brace yourselves...bold flavor straight ahead. These spicy morsels can trick the eye, but definitely not the nose. You can smell that licorice-y goodness a mile away. It was torture for cookie-taster Karli, who is no fan of black licorice. What Jägermeister blasphemy!

Want to make your own Drunken Snickerdoodles or Jägerdoodles? Here is a basic field guide:

• Prepare your favorite Snickerdoodle dough, using Jägermeister in place of the vanilla extract and anise in place of cinnamon. 
  
• Eat them heartily with a tall glass of Jager...I mean milk...with a chaser of Jager...or...nevermind. 
  
• You can also experiment with your favorite liquors and make an assortment of Drunken Snickerdoodles! Sounds like a party to me!
  

Sarah Richcreek and Karli Kujawa are the co-owners of The Hot Cookie. The two bake tiny, all-natural artisan cookies by hand for the good of humanity in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can keep updated on their goings-on via their blog, or (better yet!) buy their cookies online here.

Cakespy Undercover: A Cake Gumshoe's Thoughts on Retro Bakery, Las Vegas NV

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest blog post from Betsy of Java Cupcake. To get the scoop on what sweet stuff she's been sampling, be sure to visit her site, and keep updated with her twitter feed!

When I spent last week in Las Vegas, NV with my husband, I knew that we needed to stop at Retro Bakery. Boy, it did not disappoint!

Just about 20 minutes from The Strip in Vegas, Retro Bakery is located just off the highway in a quaint little shopping center. I was greeted by a super cute, super friendly bundle of joy named Kari, whom I had messaged via twitter earlier that day to let her know I was coming.

Most importantly though: on to the cupcakes. There were so many delicious cupcakes to choose from--it was very hard to pick. My husband and I decided we'd each pick two.

I chose the Peanut Butter Cup (chocolate cake topped with peanut butter buttercream and dark chocolate shavings) and the Cinnamon Toast (vanilla cake topped with cinnamon buttercream dusted with cinnamon and sugar) while my husband chose the Cotton Candy (vanilla cake topped with pink cotton candy buttercream and blue glitter sugar) and the Creamsicle (vanilla cake topped with a vanilla/orange swirl buttercream).

The tag line on the bakery's business card is "It's All About the Buttercream" and they aren't kidding! The buttercream on these cupcakes was absolutely to die for. Creamy, flavorful, smooth... it just rolled across my tongue with each bite. Each buttercream flavor was distinctly the flavor it said it was going to be--so, for instance, when I bit into the peanut butter, it actually tasted like peanut butter, and surprisingly, the cotton candy buttercream tasted exactly like cotton candy!

As I look back, I wish I had tried one more cupcake with a different base flavor. We had three with vanilla and one chocolate. The chocolate was so delicious... moist and chocolatey; however, I have got to give it to the vanilla because it was by far the best vanilla cupcake I have ever tasted! It was dense, but not mushy, springy and moist, full of flavor and baked to perfection. I could have eaten those vanilla cupcakes alone if the buttercream had not been so heavenly!

So thank you to Kari for being so sweet when we came to visit! And thank you to Retro Bakery for making such delicious cupcakes! I can't wait to get back to Las Vegas to try four more flavors.

Retro Bakery, 7785 N. Durango Dr. #130, Las Vegas (702)586-3740; online at retrobakerylv.com. You can also follow them on Twitter, and if you want more of the inside scoop be sure to read the CakeSpy interview with owner Kari!

Sweet Harvest: Cupcake Royale Debuts their Fall 2009 Flavors

There's some serious autumn sweetness coming to Seattle for the next few months, as I learned from my sweet friends at Cupcake Royale. Here's what they've got to say:

Fresh from the Northwest fields, Cupcake Royale has connected to its local farming friends to bring bounteous regional flavors, cupcake style. All cupcakes use Shepherd’s Grain flour and local dairy products for a cupcake that’s no less than 66 percent local! Come get some Harvest Cupcake love throughout October and November.

October Harvest featured cupcakes: Pumpkin, Carrot, and Caramel-Apple cupcakes

November Harvest featured cupcakes: Pumpkin, Carrot, and Cranberry-Orange cupcakes

Delicious details:

Pumpkin is pumpkin spice cake featuring organic pumpkin from Stahlbush Farms in Corvalis, Ore., crowned with maple-cream cheese frosting.
Carrot features walnut cake and organic local carrots from Ralph’s Organics, topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting.
Caramel Apple highlights apple cake containing apple butter made especially for us by Woodburn Farms and features local Honey Crisp apples from Tiny’s Organic Farm, topped with caramel frosting and served with a small stick.
Cranberry Orange is a cranberry-orange cake, topped with cranberry-cream cheese frosting, both featuring Pacific Northwest cranberries.

Of course, if you get thirsty, they will also be offering Hot Apple Cider and Caramel Apple Cider.

Available all autumn long at the four Cupcake Royale locations; for directions and contact info, visit www.cupcakeroyale.com. Of course, you can keep up to date with their goings-on at legalizefrostitution.blogspot.com.

Cake Byte: Brand New CakeSpy Felt Ornaments, and a Giveaway!

I'm so excited about these new Cuppie ornaments that I can't even come up with a dessert-related pun!

This is a sweet ornament version of Cuppie the Cupcake! This felt puffy ornament is made of layered pink, grey and red felt, finished with embroidery for the eyes and cupcake cup detailing, and of course the pink frosting has some shimmery glittery finish! It measures 3.5" tall. This ornament isn't just for Christmas--it will add sweetness when hung from a window or keep you inspired if hung in your cubicle!

And, happily, they were made in collaboration with local company Party Partners! To purchase, visit cakespyshop.com.

Sweet Giveaway!

Now, this awesome is too good to be contained, so here's a little cake poll to enter to win one of five giveaway Cuppie ornaments! Just answer the following question:

What was the last baked good or dessert you ate?

Just leave your answer in the comment section below before the cutoff of 12 p.m. PST on Friday, 9.25.09; the winners will be chosen at random and announced shortly thereafter. Sorry, US entrants only this time!

UPDATE: THE WINNERS! Five winners have been chosen at random, and have been contacted for the correct addresses to send their prize. Congratulations winners, and til the next giveaway, stay sweet!

Winners:

1. Allie from
2. Sara from Berkeley
3. Julie
4. Cake For Breakfast
5. Kristine from Chicago!

If you are listed here and have not claimed your prize, please email me at jessieoleson@gmail.com.