Cake Byte: CakeSpy Coming to Chicago for the Renegade Craft Fair, September 10 and 11, 2011

Get excited, Chicago. Get VERY excited. For a few reasons.

For one thing, I'm coming your way for the Renegade Craft Fair next weekend, September 10 and 11! And I will have onesies, socks, original art, prints, and a ton of cards (among other products) to sell to you. Oh, and--just saying--I'll have my book, too. And I will totally sign it for you, after you pay for it.

You'll find me and my crafty BFF AbbeyChristine cute-ing it up at the fair...come say hi! 

But before the Renegade Craft fair, there's also a totally sweet event on September 9 at Busy Beaver Buttons: the Superhero Button Release Party. I designed some buttons for the series! Read more about my button designs here.

For details on the Renegade Craft Fair, visit the official site! But I'll tell you right now, it's both days next weekend, September 10 and 11, 2011, from 11-7 both days.

But wait, there's more! I will be staying a day or two extra in the Chicagoland area so that I can do a mural at Bleeding Heart Bakery! Yeah! (as you know, I have done murals in Minneapolis and Seattle!)

Oh, and did I mention the most important part? I will actually be driving to the fair from Seattle...making a pastry road trip of the journey! Look out for updates on sweets from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Minnesota and more while I work my way over to Chicago! And of course, feel free to pass on any suggestions along the way.

Sweet News: Ice Cream Social at Seattle's Palace Kitchen

Wow, isn't that some cute ice cream artwork?

Well, it gets even better: I created the art for a very special event: the Ice Cream Social Happy Hour, coming up on August 31st at the Palace Ballroom in Seattle!

Here are the details:

Date: Wednesday, August 31^st

Time: 5:30-7:30 pm

Location: The Palace Ballroom, 2100 5^th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Join us at the Palace Ballroom to sample some of the best ice cream that Seattle has to offer!  On hand will be delicious cold treats from ice cream superstars like:

·         Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream

·         Parfait

·         Full Tilt

·         D’Ambrosia Gelateria Arigianale

·         Old School Frozen Custard

·         Fainting Goat Gelato

·         Procopio

As well as a treat from the Tom Douglas pastry kitchen!

The cost of admission gets you a sample from every vendor, entertainment and access to a full bar.  We’ll also have a specialty ice cream cocktail available for purchase for those who want a little bit of booze with their chilly treat (for 21 and over folks only of course)!

Tickets are $15 (tax included); learn more and buy tickets online here.

Cake Byte: Pie Stand Featuring Kate Lebo at CakeSpy Shop on August 6

Pie Stand returns! This time, the famous pie-maker Kate Lebo is selling pies by the slice at CakeSpy, the sweetest space in Seattle. She'll have slices and hand pies for sale, including a couple fresh fruit and gluten free pies. Pay no attention to that "end at 4" time listed--she'll be open until she sells out (which she will!), so come sooner rather than later. Kids and small dogs welcome. We'll also have her book of pie lore and poetry, A Commonplace Book of Pie, for sale at the shop.

Kate's note: This is a good time to get your whole pie orders in, so let me know now if you'd like to take a whole pie home.

The Menu:

Peach Bourbon hand pies
Vanilla Cherry hand pies
Mumbleberry Pie
Rhubarb Ginger Pie
Peach Cherry Galette
Fresh Fruit & Marscapone Pie
Lemon Shaker Pie
Apple Bacon Roquefort Pie
Asparagus Chevre & Thyme Pie

Fresh slices are $3-5, whole frozen pies are $35 for one, $60 for two. Cash only for the pie, please!

Details: Saturday, August 6 at CakeSpy Shop; 12pm Til we sell out.

CakeSpy Shop is located at 415 E. Pine Street (at Summit) in Capitol Hill, Seattle; cakespyshop.com. Please note the shop is not a bakery, it's a space for people who love baked goods. See you there!

Sweet Art: Baltimore-themed Art by CakeSpy!

So...not long ago at the Wilton Workshop, I got to meet Rachel of Coconut & Lime for the first time. This was a pretty big deal for me as I am a pretty big fan of hers. AND! She asked me if I might be interested in creating some artwork for Baltimore's first CupcakeCamp!

Well, needless to say "YES" was the rapid and assured answer, and here's the result: a sweet Baltimore-themed piece featuring Baltimore architecture and characters (fictional and factual!).

Oh, and speaking of Baltimore, have I mentioned lately that I will be stopping there on my book tour? Yep, November 14 we'll be having an event at Dangerously Delicious Pies. Details TBA!

For more about the upcoming event, stay tuned via coconutandlime.com.

Cake Byte: Many Baking Contests at the Puyallup Fair!

YOU GUYS. If you've never been to the Puyallup Fair, this is the year to go. Just take a gander at all of the baking (and, ok, one Spam)-related contests! As the press release goes,

Taking home the coveted blue ribbon is the dream of cooks and bakers who enter their creations at the Puyallup Fair, and this year is no exception. A NEW online registration is required in advance if culinary artists want to vie to make their dream a reality. The Puyallup Fair runs Sept. 9-25.

Here are the contests; rules can be found at the bottom of the post.

Dillanos Coffee Biscotti Contest

Online Registration By:  Thursday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

If your friends love to come over and enjoy your just-baked biscotti with a hot cup of Dillanos coffee, then you may be a step away from winning a blue ribbon. The first place receives $100, second place $50, and third place $25.

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Dillanos Best Quick Bread Coffee Cake Contest

Online Registration By:  Thursday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

If your family or friends love to wake up to a piece of your quick bread coffee cake with their cup of Dillanos coffee, then you’ll want to enter this competition. The blue ribbon first place brings home $100, second place $50, and third place $25.

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Fleischmann’s Yeast Bake For the Cure® Contest

Online Registration By:  Thursday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

If you bake a first place recipe in the yeast bread or whole grain bread category, your recipe will advance for a possible $1,000 grand prize national award! For every entry, Fleischmann’s Yeast (ACH Food Companies) will contribute $10 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Themes and decorations are encouraged for your recipe using Fleischmann’s Yeast.

1^st Category: Yeast Bread of Any Type or Flavor - First place receives $150, second place receives $75, and third place $50. All three winners also receive a ribbon, an award certificate and an apron.

2^nd Category:  Whole Grain Bread –Any type of recipe with yeast may be submitted from bread or rolls to pizza or cakes. Recipes should contain at least 50 percent whole grains, such as whole wheat flour, rye flours, and/or other whole grain ingredients (oatmeal, flax seed, bran cereals, bulgur, etc). All-purpose or bread flour should be limited to 50 percent or less of the flour in the recipe. The first place honoree receives $100, and second place $50, and both receive a ribbon, an award certificate and an apron.

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King Arthur Flour “Great Cake Contest”

Online Registration By:  Thursday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

This year King Arthur Flour Company is hosting the “Great Cake Contest”! All entries must use King Arthur Flour. The first place winner takes home a $200 gift card, second place is a $150 gift card and third place wins a $100 gift card. King Arthur Flour Company will also choose a grand prize winning cake out of 15 blue ribbon cakes at official host fairs, offering the grand prize winner the choice of either a $500 shopping spree online at www.KingArthurFlour.com or a complimentary trip to Vermont for a one-day class at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center.

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Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust “Dessert Pie” Championship Contest

Online Registration By:  Thursday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Got a great pie? Pillsbury® invites pie lovers to enter their best dessert pie made with Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (one or two crusts).  Make a pie to marvel at with meringue, cream, custard or fruit.

The first place winner will also be in the running to receive a $5,000 award selected from all the first place winning recipes from Pillsbury’s contestants nationwide. Last year’s Puyallup Fair blue ribbon winner, Angie Battle won the online voting contest choosing “America’s Favorite Pie” from all first place winners for her recipe, Triple-Threat Coconut Cream Pie.

The Puyallup Fair first place winner receives $200, a commemorative gift, ribbon, award certificate and Pillsbury apron, and a chance to win the national prize. Second place receives $100, and third place $50, and both receive a ribbon, certificate and apron.

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Wilton Decorated Cake and Cupcake Contests (Amateur)

Online Registration By:  Thursday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

If your friends tell you that your cake and cupcake decorating rival that of a professional, then, you should enter this contest. The first place decorated cakewinner takes home $100, second place $50, and third place $25. The first place decorated cupcake winner takes home $50, second place $30, and third place $20.The best of class winner will receive a choice of one of the following:  Pops! Sweets on a Stick! (book), Cookie Exchange (book), or Cake Decorating Basics (DVD).

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Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship

Online Registration By:  Sunday, Sept. 11, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Monday, Sept. 12, 5 - 7 p.m.

Calling all chocolate bakers of treats, snacks, cake, candy, cookies or desserts! Create your mouthwatering recipe using at least one of Ghiradelli’s premium baking products (chocolate chips, bars, and/or cocoa). First place is $150 and a Ghirardelli chocolate gift basket, $50 for second place, or a gift basket for third place. Judging:  7:30 p.m

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The Great American Spam Championship

Online Registration By:  Monday, Sept. 12, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. – noon

The first meal of the day is the most important one. Let your culinary creativity soar with the Great American SPAM® Championship. Enter your best breakfast entry using at least one 12-ounce can of any variety of SPAM product. There are two categories in this creative Spam contest:  Adults (ages 18 and up) and Kids (ages 7-17). First place honor in each category is $150, second place in both categories is $50, and third place is $25. Judging:  1 p.m.

Winning recipes will go on to nationals, where the National Spam Grand Champion Prize is a trip to Waikiki Spam Jam, valued at $3,000. The National “Spam Kid Chef of the Year” grand prize is $2,000.

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C&H Sugar Parent-Child Christmas Decorated Cookie Contest

Online Registration By:  Wednesday, Sept. 14, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Friday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. – noon

It’s not too early to think about creating a Christmas cooking with your child. A parent (mother, father, grandparent, legal guardian or step-parent) and child (6-16 years) will compete for the best Christmas decorated cookies using C&H Sugar. Parents may enter two different recipes with two different children. The first place team wins $100, second place $50, and third place $25. Judging: 1 p.m.

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Salsa Showdown

Online Registration By:  Wednesday, Sept. 14, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Thursday, Sept. 15, 5 – 7 p.m.

Wake up the judges taste buds with your special salsa recipe. It can be any fresh, healthful, easy to prepare, intensely flavored mixture of vegetables or fruits, herbs and spices. First place is $100, second place $50, and third place $25. Judging: 7:30 p.m.

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Puyallup Fair Peach Pie Contest

Online Registration By:  Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Monday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m. – noon

Sweet and juicy peaches come alive when made into a tempting pie. Bakers will compete for the blue ribbon in the Puyallup Fair Peach Pie Cecipe.  First place winners receive a $100 cash prize, second place receives $50, and third place receives $25. Judging: 1 p.m.

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The Original Famous Fair Scone Contest

Online Registration By:  Monday, Sept. 19, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Wednesday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. – noon

This is the 100^th anniversary of Fair Scones, so winning this recipe contest using the Original Famous Fair Scone and Shortcake Mix as part of the recipe would be especially memborable. The first place winner receives $125, second place receives $75 and third place receives $50. Each winner receives a ribbon and a gift basket. Judging: 1 p.m.

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Puyallup Fair’s Best Jam and Jelly Contest

Online Registration By:  Wednesday, Sept. 21, 10 p.m.

Bring Your Entry:  Friday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. – noon

Whether you like to make jam or jelly, you’re in luck. We’ve got just the contest for you. The first place winner in each category receives a $75 cash prize, second place winner receives a $50 cash prize, and the third place winner receives a $25 cash prize. Judging: 1 p.m.

To obtain the list of conditions of entry and awards and to register online, visit www.thefair.com, and select Exhibit Entries. To review contest rules in the premium book, click on the desired contest. Or, to enter, click On-Line Entries. Then click Login/Logoff and choose your Type (Exhibitor), then Create Entries. You will select the department and division. For further questions, contact the Puyallup Fair Entry Office at (253) 841-5074, M-F, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or CompExhibits@thefair.com.

Cake Byte: CakeSpy and Bake It In A Cake Bake Sale on August 20!

That's right. It's happening. Again. Save the date for Saturday, August 20th, 2011, because...

CakeSpy and Bake It in a Cake are having another sweet-filled bake sale! Come buy an assortment of stuffed treats, from pumpkin pie-filled cupcakes to Twix-filled brownies! Those Nerds cupcakes might make an appearance, too.

Bring cash for the 'cakes (they'll be cheap, just a $2-$3 donation to cover the cost of ingredients) and stay to shop! CakeSpy has TONS of great stuff in the shop, including new baby onesies and cupcake underpants! CUPCAKE UNDERPANTS!

The bake sale will start at noon and go until 5 pm, or until the cupcakes run out. (Last time, they sold out before 2 pm, but don't worry, I plan on baking even more this time around.)

Details: Saturday, August 20 · 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Location: 415 E. Pine Street, Seattle WA 98122

www.bakeitinacake.com
www.cakespy.com

Cake Byte: The Second Annual Whoopie Pie Bake-Off At Oddfellows Ruled

Fact: The second annual Whoopie Pie Bake-Off at Oddfellows Cafe in Seattle totally ruled.

Don't believe me? Well, tough, because I have photo evidence. Here are just a few snapshots from a very sweet afternoon:

Judge Michael Wells takes his job very seriously.Celebrity judges. Megan Seling of The Stranger and Bake it in a Cake, Michael Wells of the Chamber of Commerce (also, Capitol Hill's premier bon vivant), Jennifer Shea of Trophy Cupcakes, just to name a few--plus, members of The Presidents of the United States of America and more!

There were so many delicious whoopie pies, and so beautifully presented. They were delicately sliced into fourths so that everyone could sample multiple types.

Rainbow whoopie pies, made by staffers at Linda's Tavern. Now, if this isn't my soul in Whoopie Pie form, I don't know what is.

Whoopie pie meets strawberry shortcake: a delectable strawberries and cream specimen.

So many flavor varieties. Here's a sampling of what you might have had on your plate had you been there. Not just chocolate whoopie pies here!

As a judge in the Gluten-free / vegan category of the bake-off, I was entitled to sit at a reserved table, and the judges all got pink champagne. YES!

Also, as a judge, I got a special name tag.

Some of the whoopie pies were even made with beer in the batter! These ones were made with a porter beer, I believe.

Just one example of a creative flavor: Lemon-coconut whoopie pies. NOM.

Pinkies-out: is that sea salt garnishing this whoopie pie?

There were even whoopie pies made with meringues!

Lucky someone: one of the winners won the original artwork I created for the poster! Sweet!

Thanks to the entire staff at Oddfellows (especially Tallulah!) as well as Audrey at Babeland for making this sweet event happen! For more awesome photos and a roundup including winners, visit Capitol Hill Seattle!

Cake Byte: Cupcake Royale's Gay Cupcakes Raise Money For a Sweet Cause

Yo, sweeties! Remember a while back how I posted about Cupcake Royale's totally gay cupcake for a totally sweet cause? Well, I have an update from the Royale folks:

During the prideful month of June, we wanted to use our super powers for good and we set a goal to raise $5,000 for the It Gets Better Project. Turns out the community went wild for the idea and gobbled up The Gay cupcake so we decided to double our donation.

This Thursday, we'd like to invite you to come celebrate with us as Cupcake Royale founder Jody Hall presents Dan Savage with a check for $10,000 for the It Gets Better Project. Jody, Dan and a Pride Foundation scholar will all say a few words about the personal importance of this project. And if you didn't get a chance to sample The Gay during the month of June, it will be making a limited reappearance for this event.

If you want more information on this effort, please give Amanda a call (206-883-7656) and she can tell you all about it. Jody and company are super proud of the effort and our ability to rally the community around this to make a difference for our young LGBT people.

Here are the details:

Thursday, July 14th at 4:30pm

Cupcake Royale, 1111 E Pike Street

What to expect:

• Welcome and brief remarks
• Jody Hall speaks
• Dan Savage speaks
• Pride Foundation scholar speaks
• Presentation of check
• Q & A

And after, since it is Art Walk night, stick around to enjoy the art of Benjamin Blackletter.

Cake Byte: Artist Reception with Kelly Brownlee at CakeSpy Shop on July 14

What's totally sweet but a little saucy too?

The artwork of Kelly Brownlee, that's what! And (lucky you) this talented Seattle-based illustrator is going to be showing work at CakeSpy Shop in July!

Now...The art will be up all month but the reception (and your chance to meet the awesome artist!) is on the art walk eve of Thursday, July 14th, 2011!

Here's a description of the show, from the artist:

Summer brings sunny days and sweet nothings whispered on a porch as the sun fades after a long and lazy day. Kelly J. Brownlee's original all new works of art for "Sweet Nothings" are inspired by play on words and anthropormorphic sweet and savory treats, this time, with a summer theme sprinkled in! Cakewalks, chicken strips, and unicorns may never again look the same.

And here's the artist's bio: Kelly Brownlee is a local freelance illustrator who balances her time between her clients, making fanciful wearable items and showing her work at local and national venues. She is currently showing artwork in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Come to the artist reception at CakeSpy Shop on Thursday, July 14th from 6-8 p.m.; the artwork will be up from July 5th through the end of the month! To see more of Kelly's work, visit her website here.

Sweet Memories: A Slideshow of Sugar Overload from CupcakeCamp 2011

CupcakeCamp 2010 was totally awesome. Nobody's arguing that.

But if I were to write in the yearbook of this year's followup,  CupcakeCamp Seattle 2011, which took place at The Canal House in Ballard, what I would write would be this: UR 2sweet + 2B = 4GOTTEN. No, really.

Organizer and cupcake genius Carrie Middlemiss of Bella Cupcake Couture couldn't have put on a sweeter event, with proceeds going to HOPE Heart Institute.

I mean, for one thing, New York Cupcakes made a cake tower on which they decorated the cake to look like the artwork I did for the event poster! OMG!

And for another, I got to be a judge in the cupcake competition. I took this job very seriously, as did co-judges Rachel of Cupcakes Take the Cake, Melody Biringer, and Keren Brown (aka Frantic Foodie).

But don't take my word for it alone, because I have plenty of photographic evidence. And to celebrate the sweet memories (or, if you weren't there, make you jealous), here are over 100 sweet snapshots from this amazing event, during which over 800 cupcake enthusiasts ate many thousands of cupcakes (including, notoriously, a Monte Cristo cupcake comprised of french toast cake, swiss cheese buttercream, raspberry preserves, and salty ham; also, a Chicken n Waffles cupcake).

Note: These photos are not listed in any particular order of awesomeness, just sort of as they happened. Here's the slideshow: