There'll be 1,144 cupcakes at CupcakeCamp DC!

Get all the details on their Facebook page. Here's the official site; you can also follow them @dc_cupcakecamp on Twitter. To organize your own or find out about other CupcakeCamps, see cupcakecamp.org.





CupcakeCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and eat cupcakes in an open environment. Every CupcakeCamp raises awareness about and funds for a charity of that city's choosing. CupcakeCampDC 2011 is benefiting DC Candlelighters Child Cancer Foundation.

Georgetown Cupcake owners: "Our business plan was obsolete on day one"

From a U.S. News & World Report interview with Georgetown Cupcake Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne, whose cookbook The Cupcake Diaries comes out in November.

Did you make any financial mistakes along the way?

Tons. We probably started way too small, but that was all we could afford at the time. We spent a lot of money rebuilding things. We were undershooting every single time. We did our kitchen three or four times in the first location, and finally moved to M Street, trying to keep up with demand. If we had planned that from the get-go, we wouldn’t have wasted all that money.

Did you create an official business plan before launching?

We did. I used to work in venture capital, so I’m used to working with start-ups and know the importance of a business plan. We drew up a rough business plan. But I also learned that your business plan goes out the window and doesn’t necessarily go how you think it will. So we drew one up for initial planning. We were very conservative in our projections, and we thought our business would be mostly special event orders, for baby showers and weddings, with little walk-in traffic. We didn’t plan on the walk-in traffic.

On the first day, we said, ‘We’ll bake 500 cupcakes.’ We ended up selling out in a couple hours, and now we bake 10,000 cupcakes a day. We couldn’t have predicted that. Our business plan became obsolete on day one. So it’s not about planning but about how you adjust to changes. The people who do well are the ones who will adjust.

Guest Blog Post by Paige and Julie

Our friend Paige and her daughter Julie went to cupcakery Baked & Wired in Washington, D.C. and sent us this great review:

"Another fabulous day at Baked & Wired in Georgetown; a big-city bakery with a small-town atmosphere. Their cupcakes are creatively traditional. Always fresh, moist and crazy delicious.



We got a four-top box with red velvet, vanilla/vanilla, just peachy and a pretty bitchin'.













The red velvet: A dense, moist cake that is not at all heavy. Chocolate and vanilla all at the same time. And oh yeah, it was RED. Cream cheese frosting that was sweet but not too sweet.



The vanilla/vanilla: Such an incredibly deep, yet not overwhelming vanilla cake. It can't be as simple as adding lots of quality vanilla. We think there might be a little magic involved.



The pretty bitchin': Traditional chocolate cake with crunchy peanut-butter frosting. A perfect balance between chocolate and PB. The name really captures its essence.



The just peachy: Almond and peach cake that wasn't overpowered by flavor. Light and moist...so yummy. Almond frosting that was delicate. Tastes just like summer."

Review and photos by Paige. Thanks Paige and Julie, keep on cupcaking! I can't wait to get to try Baked & Wired for myself, but there's been such a long line the two times I was nearby. Perhaps I can schedule something next time I plan to be in D.C.



And confidential to Paige -- I am already done with that entire bag of White Lily Self-Rising Flour you ferried up north for me. Can you believe that?! My hips don't lie...





;)

CupcakeCamp Washington DC scheduled for September 24th

CupcakeCamp DC 2011 has been scheduled for September 24th. Registration is now open; click here to register. You can also follow them on Facebook and @dc_cucpakecamp on Twitter.



The event will benefit DC Candlelighters. From their site:

DC Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit support group for families with children diagnosed with cancer in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (including Northern Virginia and Maryland ) and consists of volunteer parents who have had a child with cancer, and others who have an interest and a passion for childhood cancer issues. We believe no family should have to face the uncertain world of cancer alone, and therefore we provide emotional and educational support to families. We are affiliated with the National Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Cover of Georgetown Cupcake cookbook revealed

Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne, the sisters behind Washington, DC bakery Georgetown Cupcake and the reality show DC Cupcakes have a cookbook coming out November 8th: The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake. Here's the cover:



From the publisher, HarperOne:

When sisters Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, laid it all on the line, quit their secure jobs in fashion and finance, and opened their cupcakery together, they knew the risks of failure were high. But from an early age, their Greek grandmother had instilled in them a love of baking and a willingness to follow their dreams. And when they opened the doors to Georgetown Cupcake on Valentine’s Day 2008, their gumption, smarts and energy led them to success beyond their wildest expectations. Three years later, the sisters have a second location, a nationwide shipping operation, and a hit TV series—DC Cupcakes, on cable network TLC.

Georgetown Cupcake’s meteoric rise is the realization of a dream rooted in the special bond that Sophie and Katherine formed with each other and their grandmother from childhood. The Cupcake Diaries is a tribute to that bond, the memories they share, and the important lessons they learned, both about baking and about life. The book will follow their personal journey, starting from their childhood where their Greek grandmother taught them, at a young age, to bake and cook. It will tell the story of their business, and how it grew from concept to reality. And of course, if will contain numerous recipes so readers can recreate the magic of the sisters’ cupcake delicacies in their own homes. The Cupcake Diaries celebrates what it takes - luck, courage, family support, and determination - to go from dreaming to doing.

And their flavor of the month for July is strawberry (via their Facebook page):

Meet Sprinkles Cupcakes co-founder and Cupcake Wars judge Candace Nelson July 13, 14, 15 at Washington, DC bakery and at Congress!

Washington, DC: This week is your chance to meet Candace Nelson, Cupcake Wars (airs tonight with a Tony Award bakeoff!) judge and co-founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, which opened recently in Georgetown!



And a very special event on July 15:



To celebrate Sprinkles Cupcakes new Georgetown bakery, founder Candace Nelson is bringing a cupcake showdown to The Hill to benefit military families at Fisher House.

Sprinkles First Annual Congressional Cupcake Wars will be held on Thursday, July 14 from 5-7pm in Raybuyn Foyer. Seven teams will compete to create their very own stars and stripes-themed cupcakes and participate in a variety of tasty challenge.

Visit Sprinkles.com and @sprinkles on Twitter and Sprinkles' Facebook page for the latest news.

And for those in other cities where there's a Sprinkles, they are selling key lime cupcakes through September 5th!



And a heads up: from July 15-31, they'll be selling summer cherry and salty caramel cupcakes!