People frequently ask me what inspired me to start CakeSpy.com. What in the world could have contributed to such a deep interest (bordering on obsession) in cake that someone would devote their life to eating, researching, writing about, and illustrating it?
Well, as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree--or in this case, the crumb doesn't fall far from the cake.
That is to say--blame it on my mom.
My mother,
Margie Moore, is just about the coolest person there is. Growing up, for every birthday we had an amazing cake. None of this store-bought sheet cake business, no sir--we always had some sort of multi-tiered pink confection that put even wedding cakes to shame--like this one:
Of course, making cakes like this was a time consuming ordeal, and very trying on the rest of the family as we were unable to indulge right away. So to stave off our sticky fingers, she'd always make a little something extra with the leftover cake batter: a batch of festively frosted cupcakes:
...now, don't these look familiar? After all, they're the inspiration for a little cupcake character you've come to know and love.
But wait--there's more. My mom is not merely a sugar enabler--she's also a renowned children's book illustrator. And yes--cake and sweets often play a role in her illustrative work, in books such as Ruby Bakes a Cake
, A Horse's Tale: A Colonial Williamsburg Adventure
, Bear of My Heart
and many more.
Happy Mother's Day to the sweetest mom, like, ever.
For Margie Moore's birthday cake recipe, click here.
Friday, July 3, 2009 
(as well as Jaws 2, 3 and yes, even 4) too many times.
is a book of recipes, but you would be incorrect. You know what it is? 