Sweet December: Cupcake Royale Debuts the Boozy Rumball Cupcake

Don't fall into a holi-daze.

Rather, eat a boozy cake and stay in sweet spirits!

Totally sweet news: Cupcake Royale has debuted a new flavor, the "Boozy Rumball", for December. Described as "a cupcake that takes the edge off...we add a generous pour of Meyer's Dark Rum into our rich and spicy frosting and then roll it in a streusel of walnuts and cinnamon atop our delicious chocolate cake." 

One is inclined, as they advise, to "think of it as holiday's little helper!".

This cupcake will be available daily (while supplies last, of course) all November long at Cupcake Royale locations (where you can also buy my book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life , btw). For directions and more info, visitcupcakeroyale.com.

CakeSpy Featured on Joy The Baker's Podcast!

Now here's some exciting news. Joy The Baker has a new podcast, and I've been featured on it!

Please, allow me to introduce it to you by quoting what she said on her website:

I host a new podcast too!  It’s called We’re About to Be Friends.  Every episode I talk to someone that I admire and adore.  I call up people I’m obsessed with, I ask them all the nosey questions I can think of, and by the end of the podcast I hope to call them my friend.

I’ve chatted with Jessie Oleson from Cakespy!

Aarti Sequeira from The Food Netowrk’s Aarti Party is a sparkle pony (that’s totally a good thing!).

And Sara Kate, founding editor of The Kitchn, is a total inspiration.  There’s lots of big personalities and dear hearts in the future so please please please get your listen on… especially if you’re as nosey as me.

We have big guests coming up.  Heck yes… I got to chat with Bakerella!  It was awesome.  I don’t want you to miss this stuff.  Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe on iTunes to stay up on all of the good!

We also have a new podcast called The Because Show.   Jerilyn, Susan, and Amy are three working moms that don’t talk about work or momming.  It’s straightforward lady talk.  I dig it and I hope you do too!

For the podcast featuring me, click here.

CakeSpy's Book is Going To Be on the Today Show!

Because I kind of feel like showing off at this moment, I'd like to tell you the following:

My book is totally going to be on the TODAY Show.

While I myself will not be eating deep-fried cupcakes on a stick with Matt, Ann, Al, and Natalie, my book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, WILL be appearing as part of a holiday book round-up in a segment by John Searles. The segment has already taped and is scheduled to air on 12/3/11. 

As my bloggy BFF Jennifer Pooley (who is also the one who suggested my book to Mr. Searles! I love this girl.) says:

Thrilled that John Searles fell in love with my favorite spy & her book!  The Today Show holiday gift round up for books taped today and will air on December 3rd. Meanwhile check out this flashback post from November 24, 2010 on “the book I want to give as holiday gifts.” Wishes keep coming true every. single. day.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my book already, and here's to sweet holiday tidings for all! This is truly like Christmas coming early for me.

Cake Byte: Trophy Cupcakes Debuts Candied Yam Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow for November

Image: Trophy CupcakesYou know why November rules? Because that means that Trophy Cupcakes brings out one of their most amazing seasonal specials: the Candied Yam with Toasted Marshmallow cupcake! Here's what they have to say:

Our most beloved Fall tradition is back for it's 4th year, Candied Yam with Toasted Marshmallow! This flavor has a special place in our hearts because Jennifer created the unique recipe with inspiration from her childhood Thanksgiving table...it's also her mom's all time favorite Trophy flavor (thanks mom!). If that weren't enough...this is the flavor that Martha Stewart was most intrigued with when Jennifer baked up samples for her in 2008 and the reason that the Chocolate Graham Cracker with Toasted Marshmallow was on the Martha Stewart Show! Of course it's made with local organic Garnet Yams, toasted pecans, organic cane sugar, local butter and eggs, you know, all the good stuff we are known for.

Om nom nom! Stop by a Trophy Cupcakes location all November long to get your fix; for more information, visit trophycupcakes.com.

Cake Byte: Cupcake Royale Debuts Toasted Candied Yam Cupcakes for November

Image: Cupcake RoyaleSweet, sweet, totally sweet November! Cupcake Royale is bringing in this crisp and cool month with a sweet treat: the Toasted Candied Yam Cupcake!

It's a change: traditionally, they offer a Pumpkin Pie cupcake in November. But times change! As they say on their Facebook page,

Yeah, you've been on top for a long time, Pumpkin Pie, with your delicious pumpkin-y flavor and whipped cream goodness. But that's all about to change, we'd like you to meet Toasted Candied Yam Cupcake! We start with a moist spicy cake and fill it with a cornucopia of tasty ingredients like candied ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon, and of course, roasted and pureed yams. Then we top it with a swirl of light and fluffy cinnamon meringue, torched to a golden perfection. Re-think Thanksgiving; eat a cupcake!

Like, whoa! This cupcake will be available daily (while supplies last, of course) all November long at Cupcake Royale locations (where you can also buy my book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life , btw). For directions and more info, visit cupcakeroyale.com.

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Featured in Edible Seattle!

Well, excuse me while I go ahead and feel like a big, famous person: my book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, was featured in the November-December Edible Seattle! My sincere thanks for the feature.

Check out Edible Seattle here!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy on TV in San Francisco!

Guess what? I was totally on TV talking about my favorite type of corn aside from unicorns: CANDY CORN! Yes, that's right: I was on KGO-TV's 7Live.

You can watch the video online here, if it isn't loading above.

But wait, there's more! I was amazed and delighted to find that Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes were also guests on the show--directly before my segment! Now, you probably already think this is awesome, but considering that they are from the same area of New Jersey as me, it was practically cause for a heart attack of happiness. 

But wait, there's even more! After the segment, I got to meet these two fellows, and found them to be extremely sweet, and delighted to accept my offering of Candy Corn Nanaimo Bars. That's right: Jay and Silent Bob ate my candy corn Nanaimo bars. Famous Nanaimo Bars! One of the producers took a picture, which I will share as soon as it's sent to me, OK?

Best day ever. Make the good times last--come to one of my book signings this weekend, at Teacake Bake Shop and Omnivore Books, respectively!

CakeSpy Official Book Launch on October 13 in Seattle!

OK, sweeties. Consider this your official reminder: this Thursday is the Official CakeSpy Book Launch Party at CakeSpy Shop in Seattle!

I will be there. My parents (from NJ) will be there. I will have books to sell you. And there will be cake.

Here are the details.

What to expect: an informal open-house type setting where we will have cake and treats (I will have 4-5 types of sweets made from recipes in the book!), alcohol (woooo!), original artwork as featured in the book on sale in the gallery, and my lovely little self on hand to sign the books which you should plan on buying. 

• Date: Thursday, October 13 (this is also the night of the Cap. Hill art walk!)
• Time: 6pm-9pm
• Location: CakeSpy Shop, 415 E. Pine Street, Seattle, WA; online at cakespyshop.com

But wait, there's more! Because I hate being at an event and waiting for people to arrive fashionably late (don't make me wait all alone in my party dress, people!), I would like to give you an incentive to come early: the first three guests will receive a FREE copy of the book!! That's right. You just mention this post and if you're one of the first three, you'll get the book at NO COST. And I will still sign it for you.

But even if you can't make it to this awesome event of the century, there are more chances to get your hands on my book over the next few days in Seattle:

• Friday, October 14: Book Larder in Fremont, details TBA
• Saturday, October 15: Sweet Meet-Up at Cupcake Royale of Capitol Hill, 1111 E. Pike, 7-9 pm - more details here!
• Monday, October 17: Cupcake Royale of Bellevue, 3-5 pm! More details here.

For the rest of the tour dates, click here! To purchase the book in advance, visit cakespyshop.com or hit up Elliott Bay Books. Or win a copy here.

Sweet Feature by Bakerella: About This Time Last Year...

Photo of my book by BakerellaAbout this time last year, I had one of the sweetest days of my life while working at CakeSpy Shop, my retail store in Seattle.

First, a friend surprised me by sending me a pie. Now, if you ask me, this is a much sweeter gesture than sending flowers. It's like sending flour!

Then, my friend Rebekah Denn came to interview me for what would eventually be this article.

And then--OMG--my longtime baking and blogging BFF, Bakerella, and her sweet friend Julie, came to visit. Bakerella, who is kind of a big deal in case you didn't know, happened to be in town for her book tour (a book which has proven so successful, by the way, that there are now notecards and cake pop kits to accompany it!).

Bakerella is the one who made this little video for me--and after that we waged a little bit of sweet warfare. (Check out our other sweet exchanges here.)

And now, she has stirred up that sweet warfare again with this make-me-blush feature on me and my work and my book. It makes me so happy to see how much can happen in a year, but how no matter what changes, our friendship--the sweetest part of the whole thing-- is for keeps. 

Check out Bakerella's sweet writeup here!

77 Reasons to Buy My Book

I know, I know. Not that you needed a reason to buy my book, but I'll give you one. No, I'll give you 77, one a day, because that's how many shopping days you have til Christmas Eve. Instead of obnoxiously doing a new post every day (though I had considered it), I will update this post each day with a different reason, so that by Christmas Eve, this will be a monster-post!

Reason 1: It has a Unicorn on the cover! That unicorn is saying "OMG! This book has everything!". Now that's cute. 

And, as a bonus, if you look at the back cover...there's another unicorn! So actually, there are two unicorns on the cover. Forget double rainbows, that's what double happiness truly is, friends.

Reason 2: It is Bakerella-blurbed! That's right. You know how big famous books have a quote on the back from someone else big and famous? Well, the quote on the back of my book is from none other than Bakerella! She says "Jessie's recipes inspire sugary-coated adventures in the kitchen. CakeSpy is a treat for the curious and kid at heart."

Reason 3: It Has Very Witty Cartoons. See cover for evidence, buy the book for more.

Sweet! And while you're at it, check out her new notecards and cake pop kits for Chronicle Books. Awesome!

Reason 4: I am going on a bakery book tour, entitled Tour De Sweet. And one of my first stops (on October 20) is Saint Cupcake in Portland, where they have--get this--a bike rack shaped like a whisk. Best book tour ever!

Reason 5: Awesome people buy my book. Most recently, I sold a signed copy to Jenn of JustJenn Designs, who happened to be in Seattle for Geekgirlcon!

Reason 6: The book contains a revamped and better than ever version of my all-time most popular recipe: Cookie Cake Pie!

Reason 7: Serious Eats Loves it.

Reason 8: I look adorable while signing my book.

Reason 9: It has a recipe for marshmallow dreidels.

Reason 10: There are illustrations of, and recipes including, BACON.

Reason 11: It has a recipe for blondie-topped brownies.

Reason 12: Homemade candy corn!!!

Reason 13: Ice cream lovers love it.

Reason 14: It has a recipe for candy salad.

Reason 15: You can buy it at Urban Outfitters!

Reason 16: Saint Cupcake in Portland loves my book.

Reason 17: My mom says it's a good idea.

Buy the book here. Or enter to win a copy here! Or come see me on book tour at one of these places!