Buy one cupcake, get one free at Sprinkles Cupcakes today, plus cupcake cart at Dylan's Candy Bar NYC popup shop

Sprinkles Cupcakes, with locations in Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, La Jolla, New York (Manhattan), New Port Beach, Palo Alto, Scottsdale, and Washington, DC, wants to make your Black Friday a sweet one with their buy one cupcake, get one free offer:



Sprinkles' holiday cupcakes, on sale through November 27th:



And in New York City, they've launched a cupcake cart at the Dylan's Candy Bar popup shop at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue, across the street from Bryant Park, through January 7th.



I brought the Sprinkles vegan red velvet cupcake to The Gayle King Show as "best red velvet cupcake" - you can ask for their gluten-free or vegan red velvet cupcakes daily.


Sprinkles New York

Keep up with them at sprinkles.com, their Facebook page and @sprinkles on Twitter.

Magnolia Bakery's red velvet Rockette and truffle chocolate cupcakes

I stopped by Magnolia Bakery in Rockefeller Center and it was so crowded they were only letting in a few people at a time, but once inside, the line moved quickly. I'm bringing some mini cupcakes and some of these red velvet Rockette cupcakes and truffle chocolate cupcakes, along with s'mores (my favorite!) to a friend's Thanksgiving party. Will let you know how they go over! Visit magnoliabakery.com and their Facebook page for more information.

Pool ball cupcakes and Cranberry Lake by Moxie Cupcake

Fun custom cupcake order and seasonal Cranberry Lake, Thanksgiving cupcakes and pretty white cupcakes by New Paltz, located at 215 Main Street, New York bakery Moxie Cupcake, via their Facebook page. They can be reached at 845-255-CAKE (2253).




Cranberry Lake cupcake: Moist Pumpkin cake filled with chunks of cranberries topped with Brown Sugar crumble and Vanilla Bean Buttercream & a Sugared Cranberry.

Groupon gone wrong: UK baker calls using Groupon response "an absolute nightmare" and "worst ever business decision I have made"

Big story making the rounds from the UK about Need a Cake Bakery. From the Daily Mail:

After 25 years in the baking business, Rachel Brown knew her exquisitely decorated cupcakes were popular. She just didn’t realise how popular.

So when she decided to drum up a little extra trade with a discount deal, she bit off more than she could chew.

Swamped by orders, Mrs Brown, who normally makes 100 cupcakes a month, found herself having to bake an astonishing 102,000.

According to Mashable:

“We approach each business with a tailored, individual approach based on the prior history of similar deals,” Groupon’s international communications director Heather Dickinson told the BBC, adding that there was no limit to the number of vouchers that could be sold.

We’ve heard of small businesses having similar experiences before, and many of them aren’t too happy with Groupon. The lesson is clear: Groupon is a business tool like any other. It’s not for everyone, and its use requires careful planning – too large a discount, for example, can have unwanted consequences.

Free pumpkin maple cupcake on Thanksgiving morning with purchase of Stumptown Coffee at Seattle's Cupcake Royale

The latest from Seattle's Cupcake Royale, which is featuring several seasonal cupcake flavors (gingerbread, pumpkin/maple, eggnog, peppermint bark & sweet potato)...is a free cupcake to thank you for supporting them, with a coffee purchase! This Thursday, November 24th, aka Thanksgiving, via @CupcakeRoyale on Twitter:



They also show their Thanksgiving sense of humor:



What else is new? Check out cupcakeroyale.com and Cupcake Royale on Facebook, where these photos are from.


gingerbread cupcake: "Just like the classic cookie, we start with molasses, ginger, spice, and chocolate and mix it into a delicious cupcake. Next, we top it with our classic cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with gingerbread babies."


Limited edition (until November 24th, get yours quick!) toasted candied yam cupcakes


pretty pumpkin sugar

Mondays are for cupcake decorating for kids:

Very cute turkey cupcakes by MyDelight Cupcakery

These extra cute Thanksgiving turkey cupcakes are by MyDelight Cupcakery in Ontario, California, via Flickr. You can also find them on Facebook and @My_Delight on Twitter.



MyDelight Cupcakery
1520 N. Mountain Ave.
Ontario, CA
909-988-4151
info at mydelightcupcakery.com

Inspired by Seattle cupcakeries, Pacetre is a cupcake business success story

I read about Evansville, Indiana's Pacetre in this Evansville Courier & Press article, and was impressed, especially by the Seattle cupcake bakery inspiration in the forms of Trophy Cupcakes and Cupcake Royale, both of which I adore.

That's when Tracy, her sister, Kelly, and her mother, Judy, started hatching a plan. They had all spent time in Seattle together and fallen in love with the cupcakeries, so it seemed a natural fit for a family business. The name, The Pacetre, (pronounced 'pastry') was formed by combining their last name with the Italian word for three.

"I was completely intrigued by the business model of just cupcakes and light beverage fares," says Tracy, who started researching the ins and outs and found that even in a recession, cupcake-only bakeries were a booming business.

"The failure rate of cupcakeries is 6 percent and that is generally due to poor planning," says Tracy, who considered several different business models before opening her locale at 2734 Mount Vernon Ave. Finding the right spot had its own set of challenges. She knew she wanted to be on the west side, close to home, and not in the university district so it would retain a "neighborhood coffee shop feel."

The location opened in early April after 14 months of searching. It is nestled next to GoodFella's Barber Shop, The Furniture Trauma Center and Beyond the Veil Fellowship and near The Haircut, the Quilter's Nest and Teresa Haller Photography. Tracy considers it an ideal spot, especially since it had once housed The Depot and Annie Mae's cafes. The location's former café status helped eliminate much red tape in getting the green light for their project.


Movember (for only 50 cents you can add a moustache to your cupcake!)




Halloween


Butter Maple Bacon


S'mores: Graham cracker cupcake with chocolate ganache awesomesauce topped with a toasted marshmallow and Hershey piece.


Neopolitan


Icicles


Lemonade and flowers



The Pacetre
2734 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Evansville, Indiana 47712
812-402-6005
pacetre at gmail.com

Cupcake jobs at Sprinkles, Baked by Melissa and Crumbs: Help wanted ads from Craigslist

Our occasional series of cupcake help wanted ads from Craigslist. Always check with the bakery first to make sure they're still hiring; we reprint these verbatim and link to Craigslist.

Los Angeles

Sprinkles Cupcakes is hiring Part-Time Cupcake Associates! (Beverly Hills)
Date: 2011-10-26, 10:10AM PDT
Reply to: job-dnwme-2670004990@craigslist.org http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/fbh/2670004990.html
Since we opened the world's first cupcake bakery in Beverly Hills, our freshly baked treats have inspired long lines of devoted Hollywood stars and serious epicureans alike. Sprinkles Cupcakes are handcrafted from the finest ingredients and baked in small batches throughout the day. Topped with Sprinkles trademark modern dots or rich sprinkles from France, Sprinkles Cupcakes are a deliciously sophisticated update on an American classic.

Are you a fan of Candace Nelson, our founder and judge on Food Network Channel's Cupcake Wars? Or are you a devoted Sprinkles fan who has stood in lines outside our bustling bakery since we opened in 2005? Or maybe you just love gourmet cupcakes and think that Sprinkles sounds like a fun place to work? We are hiring part-time Cupcake Associates in our flagship bakery in Beverly Hills! If you are a team player with a positive attitude, and thrive in a fast-paced work environment, then we would love to meet you!

• The Position: Cupcake Associate
• The Qualifications: 5-Star customer service finesse, keen attention to detail, boundless energy and enthusiasm, experience or interest in the food services/hospitality industry
• The Benefits: competitive pay, daily rewards for outstanding performance, annual bonuses, 401(K) plan and paid time off for tenured associates, and a FREE cupcake everyday!!!

We promote from within and have many opportunities to grow with the company, so if you are seeking a long-term career in hospitality, we would love to hear from you!

Not familiar with us yet? Check us out at: www.sprinkles.com

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to the address listed above, and write "Beverly Hills" in the subject line of your email. Please include your availability to work during the holidays in your cover letter as this is a major plus. Must be able to work Christmas Eve 12/24/11 and New Years Eve 12/31/11.

Sprinkles is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

* Location: Beverly Hills


New York

Seeking Cupcake Rockstars for Baked by Melissa!
Date: 2011-11-15, 12:08PM EST
Reply to: job-zwrkh-2703665203@craigslist.org
Cupcake Bakery is seeking CUPCAKE ROCKSTARS for our Manhattan locations!!
Love delicious cupcakes? Awesome at customer service??? Apply to join our amazing team!!!

Counterperson responsibilities include:
• greeting customers with a smile
• neatly boxing cupcakes
• handling register transactions
• maintaining a sparkling clean store


A positive, up-beat attitude is a must! Please send us:
• An up-to-date resume
• A recent photo is appreciated not required
• If you have a NY State Food Handler's License, definitely let us know!!!


***We are also looking to hire counter employees who may have the potential to be moved into a supervisory/management position quickly***
***Please indicate in the email if you have any past supervisory or management experience***

Thank you for your interest! We look forward to hearing from you!!!

* Compensation: $12.00/hour


Washington, DC

Store Associates ( Crumbs Bake Shop) (Washington, DC) (click through for application link)Date: 2011-11-17, 12:55PM EST
Reply to: see below
If you love cupcakes (and other yummy desserts) AND making people happy this is the place for you! We are looking for super-friendly, punctual, responsible, hard working individuals who know how to have FUN at work!!!

We are seeking some amazing people to join our DC CRUMBS team! We are a newly public company that is rapidly expanding, so there's a huge growth potential for the right person. We are looking for dedicated people with a strong sense of stability for our new stores opening soon! We do not bake on site, so a pastry background isn't necessary; but EXPERIENCE IN RETAIL (and love of sweets) IS A MUST!

As our AWESOME Associate:
o YOU strive to build lasting customer relations by providing excellent customer service.
o YOU are passionate about cupcakes and you know your stuff inside and out!
o YOU work well by yourself and just as well as in a team.
o YOU are more than happy to represent your store by keeping it shiny and clean (never afraid to get your hands dirty!), meeting sales goals, and completing all necessary tasks

Requirements for this position:

o Must have a flexible schedule ( morning & evening shifts including weekends and holidays.)
o High School diploma or equivalent (GED) education.
o Previous customer service and retail sales experience preferred.
o Ability to learn and cross-sell CRUMBS products and services.
o Excellent verbal, written, telephone and interpersonal communication skills. Must possess a strong service orientation.
o Ability to manage multiple tasks/priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.o Previous cash handling preferred.
o Ability to function in a retail store environment and utilize standard store equipment including but not limited to: electronic cash register, cappuccino/espresso machine, steam wand, telephone, etc.

CRUMBS is an equal opportunity employer.

Brooklyn Cupcake's coconut and pumpkin cupcakes, plus Minnie Mouse, dinosaurs and Legos

I love having a neighborhood cupcake bakery where I can pop in for a cup of coffee, a cupcake and to chat with the owners. That's what Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Brooklyn Cupcake has become for me, especially since I'm now in the neighborhood during the day. A lot of Manhattan bakeries have small spaces and you either can barely get a seat or if you do it's cramped, and while Brooklyn Cupcake isn't huge, it's cozy and comfortable.

Today I bought a coconut frosting and chocolate cake cupcake and their new seasonal pumpkin cupcake. I'd tried the coconut with coconut cake and loved it; I'm a big coconut fan, and they put wide shavings of coconut on top.


coconut frosting on chocolate cake in front; pumpkin cupcake in back

This coconut one was also very good; the frosting is creamy and very sweet, and the chocolate cake is perfectly chocolatey, though if I had to pick one, I'd say the coconut plus coconut is my favorite.


pumpkin cupcake

The cream cheese frosting on the pumpkin cupcake is thick, in a good way. Cream cheese isn't really my thing so I don't like to formally review cream cheese frostings but it went well with the moist, delicious cake.

At a time when I'm seeing rising cupcake prices, I also like that their cupcakes are $2.50 each, and the more you buy, the more you save: 6 cost $13.50, and a dozen are $25.00, and if you buy 3 dozen or more, the price drops to $22.50/dozen. Mini cupcakes are made by special order and are $10/dozen. I'll be back next week to try their holiday flavors, including sweet potato!



Keep up with Brooklyn Cupcake at their blog, as well as @brooklyncupcake on Twitter and on Facebook, where you can catch their custom cupcake towers and special projects. Contact them at info at brooklyncupcake.com or 347-762-2253.


Minnie Mouse cupcakes


dinosaur cupcake tower! My cousin Adam turns 6 today (happy birthday, cuz!) and I'm sure would love something like this - I will keep it in mind for next year.


FDNY cupcake tower




Lego cupcake party

Gorgeous Christmas cupcakes and cake pops by Wir Machen Cupcakes in Munich, Germany

Wir Machen Cupcakes in Munich, Germany is on fire this year - they got a lot of attention for their Princess Eugenie's hat royal wedding cupcakes, and now are selling these Christmas cupcakes! You can find them at wirmachencupcakes.de, on Facebook, and @cupcakesmunich on Twitter, and can reach them at iris at wirmachencupcakes.de +49 176 6685 5258.









And then check out this beautifully arranged tower of cupcakes - I love how the ones facing out just make this such a stunning visual:





And Santa hat, snowman and Christmas tree cake pops!

Cupcake review: Candied sweet potato and pumpkin spice gluten-free cupcakes at Tu-Lu's Gluten-Free Bakery

Tu-Lu's Gluten-Free Bakery in New York's East Village (338 East 11th Street) is an adorable shop, with several stools, beautiful cupcake owl art on the walls, and an assortment of desserts and paninis, all gluten-free. Their cupcake flavor of the week is candied sweet potato, which is candied yam mousseline on sweet potato cake. Their other seasonal flavor is pumpkin, which I think had a cream cheese frosting. I tried each of them ($3.15 per cupcake).



Both were very good, especially the cakes. Moist, sweet, thick but not overly dense. They felt hearty and perfect for fall. I recommend Tu-Lu's all the time to people who can't eat gluten and while I can eat gluten, I go there just because they're delicious. They also offer mini cupcakes, and I love the way the mini candied sweet potato one looks; I don't have a good photo of it, but it's got that same little marshmallow bit on top, just extra tiny. And not a cupcake, but I also highly recommend the Mallomar cookie. They also do delivery, and you can see their full menu on their site and contact them at 212-777-2227. I'd call now for Thanksgiving orders (I'll probably be bringing some of their treats to my gluten-free family members).

You can also find them on Facebook and @tulusbakery on Twitter.














And a little Halloween pumpkin!

Smallcakes is latest cupcake bakery to launch iPhone app

Smallcakes: A Cupcakery, with three locations in Missouri, is the latest cupcake bakery to launch its own iPhone app! (Bakeries: have you launched an iPhone app we haven't covered? Email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "iPhone app" in the subject line.)





Below are some photos from their Facebook page. Aside from the app, you can get more information at smallcakescupcakery.com.








Fruity Pebbles cupcake