Free cupcakes next Saturday at Customer Appreciation Day today at Swirlz in Chicago

Next Saturday! Heads up for Chicago cupcake lovers from Swirlz Cupcakes, whose cupcakes I've enjoyed and who specialize in gluten-free cupcakes as well as regular ones...Visit their Facebook page as well as @swirlzcupcakes on Twitter and swirlzcupcakes.com for more information.

Free cupcake details for Customer Appreciation Day:



And some of their special flavors of late:


"Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcake for Mexican Independence day anyone? Cayenne chocolate cake with a layer of chocolate ganache and CANDIED JALAPENOS, topped with a cinnamon buttercream." (this was available yesterday, and may be again)



Limited edition creme de menthe cupcake: "Celebrate with this delicious cupcake: chocolate cake filled with mint chocolate ganache, topped with a layer of chocolate ganache and mint buttercream."



Chocolate strawberry truffle cupcake: "Chocolate cake with a strawberry truffle filling, layer of chocolate ganache & fresh strawberry preserve, topped with a bittersweet chocolate buttercream and finished off with a strawberry flower!"



Tailgating cupcakes

Pistachio Ramadan cupcakes and India Day and Pakistan Day cupcakes at New York's Butter Lane

New York City's Butter Lane, with locations in the East Village (Manhattan) and Park Slope (Brooklyn), recently introduced cake pops to its menu, and is going to be serving special pistachio Ramadan cupcakes, per this press release:



For the first time ever, a New York City bakery has created specialty cupcakes to welcome the Muslim holy month known as Ramadan, the thirty days each year in which Muslims all over the globe fast from sunrise to sunset. Teaming with Divanee.com, Butter Lane locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn have designed cupcakes with a half-moon crescent and star.



A dollar of each cupcake purchase will benefit the Save A Mother Foundation, an educational organization aimed at empowering women and connecting them to public health systems in India. Save A Mother’s mission is to develop health care solutions for the poor, with a focus on childcare, nutrition, immunization, and maternal mortality reduction.



“We are pleased to team up with Butter Lane to support a great foundation whose mission is to educate and empower women. That’s part of what we’re all about.” said Miral Sattar, Publisher of Divanee.com.



Customers can order a limited edition Pistachio flavored cupcake or any of the many flavors available at both Butter Lane locations. Made with fresh ingredients including real vanilla beans, pure cocoa, dark chocolate, and both French and American buttercream icing, these cupcakes are both sweet and charitable.



Ramadan-inspired cupcakes are available now through August 29th, and, as an added bonus, Butter Lane will also be selling ‘India Day Cupcakes’ and ‘Pakistan Day Cupcakes’ on Indian and Pakistani national holidays respectively, August 13th and 14th. Stop by Butter Lane or call in to order today.



Visit butterlane.com or their Facebook page for more information. And I'm not sure if I knew this and forgot or it's new, but they also ship their cupcakes to the lower 48 states! They also offer delivery in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Blueberry pie cupcake every day in August at Seattle's Trophy Cupcakes

Seattle bakery Trophy Cupcakes is combining two beloved desserts, pie and cupcakes, into this:



Via Facebook. They say: "Our Blueberry Pie Cupcake is back for the month of August! If you love flakey, buttery pie crust, organic blueberries, real vanilla bean buttercream and moist vanilla cake, you are going to love this Farmer's Market Blueberry Cupcake!"

Visit trophycupcakes.com for locations and more information.

Johnny Cupcakes Martha's Vineyard Popup Shop starts August 12th

Of course it stands to reason that I'm going to Martha's Vineyard this weekend and the Johnny Cupcakes popup shop is happening next weekend, but that's okay. Via the Johnny Cupcakes blog



And for those in LA, there's this special event coming up very soon:

In addition to the couple mystery t-shirts being released with the mystery color changing ink—we’ll be releasing 2 LA exclusives, one in which will be offered in two colorways. The first 100 customers will receive an invite for a get together that will be taking place later on that night.



Plus some of their new shirts, available in their shops (Boston, Los Angeles, London) and their online store:

4 Smurfs cupcakes plus Smurfs cupcake toppers on Etsy

Smurfs cupcakes to celebrate Friday's opening of the Smurfs movie!


Blue velvet cake with marshmallow topping by Heavenly Cake Shop via Flickr





Grouchy Smurf and Smurfette cupcakes and Happy and Grouchy smurf by Mick Robson on Flickr



Frostings in Glen Allen, Virginia, is selling these blue velvet Smurfs cupcakes, via Facebook, where they write: "It's official! Smurf cupcakes are coming to Frostings this Friday and Saturday!! Stop by to get your yummy blue vanilla bean cupcake topped with a delicious marshmallow buttercream to celebrate the Smurfs movie premiere!!!"


And on Etsy, you can buy Smurfs cupcake toppers from seller ileana909!

Sunday in Austin: one day only special cupcake flavors at Sugadeaux Guest Bake at Sugar Mama's

From Australia's Sugadeaux Cupcakes comes this special annual limited edition cupcake event, this Sunday!

Plus your chance to win a $50 Sugar Mama's Bake Shop gift card! The 8-course cupcake tasting sold out too fast for us to get a post up, though more info and a link are below (another reminder to follow your favorite cupcake bakeries on Twitter and Facebook!) but this event is open to the public and we encourage you to check it out (and if you do and want to write about it for us, email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com). In this case, follow them @sugarmamas and @Sugadeaux and find out more about Sugadeaux on their website.





Full details about the Guest Bake are on Facebook and below.

Sunday, July 31, 11 am - 4 pm
Sugar Mama's Bakeshop
1905 S 1st St
Austin, TX
512-448-3727

Come on down to Sugar Mama's Bakeshop where we'll be guest baking for the day! We're featuring two brand new Sugadeaux cupcake flavours (one classic Aussie, one Texan inspired) alongside the awesome Sugar Mama's menu, plus everyone who makes a purchase gets a bonus Aussie treat.

Jess will be working the counter all day, so come on in and say howdy!

Google Places will also be handing out free swag from 12-2.30, and giving you the chance to win a $50 Sugar Mama's gift card!

And from CultureMap Austin (typos theirs), info on "Dessert for Dinner," the 8-course cupcake tasting, which sold out in three days:

The two soon set about launching an event Pryles had dreamed up weeks before, a “cupcake residency” so to speak, where the two ladies could try out flavors new and old on fans. Now three years running, “Dessert for Dinner” is an eight-course cupcake tasting, with four flavors each prepared by Sugar Mama’s and Sugadeux. At $18 per ticket, today’s tasting sold out in three days.

“Before we went to press really, Olivia and I just got online and started Tweeting it, and it immediately went crazy,” Pryles says. It’s no wonder: Both Sugar Mama’s and Sugadeux will be debuting two brand new flavors, and Pryles has a particularly Texas twist.

“Texas Pink Grapefruit, which is made with a grapefruit curd, from local grapefruits,” explains Pryles. “I’m also making a Sweet Tea cupcake, which is so very Southern, and reminds me of my adopted Texas.”

Ramadan cupcakes in Turkish Delight, Sticky Date and Pistachio Praline from Kitsch

Al Bawawa writes about cupcakes in the United Arab Emerates in "Ramadan delicacies from Kitsch Cupcakes" and says:

Kitsch will be introducing a Pistachio Praline cupcake, a vanilla base cupcake topped with vanilla icing and a hint of pistachio praline. If you are one of those who love pistachio ice cream, this cupcake is a must-try! “Pistachio is a traditional ingredient found in most desserts that originate from the Arab world and people love it. A Pistachio cupcake has been long-due!” claims Dogmoch.

Turkish Delight, a cupcake with a chocolate base and a combo of vanilla and chocolate icing finished with fine traditional Turkish ingredients is the other addition to Kitsch’s menu for this month. “The Turks are known for their unique desserts so we’ve borrowed some ingredients from them and mixed it with our secret recipe,” adds Dogmoch. Kitsch will also be recalling its famous Sticky Date cupcake, a moist date cupcake with butterscotch icing for Ramadan.

A percentage of the sales of the Ramadan range of cupcakes will be donated to one of the local charities. “Ramadan is the month of giving and baking smiles on the faces of innocent children is the least we can do during this month,” explains Dogmoch. Kitsch will also be surprising children with special needs with its mouth-watering delights throughout the month.

Find out more about Kitsch Cupcakes by calling 04-395 6963 or at their website (music will play, fyi) and Facebook page.

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):

Harry Potter cupcakes at Boston and Cambridge, MA bakery Sweet

These Harry Potter cupcakes are all available all weekend at Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts bakery Sweet! Via Sweet's Facebook page, where they write: "A Dark Chocolate cupcake from Sweet is the perfect antidote to the effects of a Dementor." Visit sweetcupcakes.com for more information.

7 Harry Potter cupcakes to celebrate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Happy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II release day! Here are some cupcakes to help you celebrate:


Snitch cupcakes via Hoosier Homemade, where you can find more Harry Potter cupcake and cake pop fun


via The Pastry Affair, where you can get the recipe. From the post:

The butterbeer cupcake is essentially a brown sugar cupcake infused with cream soda and butter flavors. If that isn't good enough, the cupcakes are then filled with a butterscotch ganache, topped with a rich butterscotch buttercream, and drizzled with more butterscotch ganache. I'm not typically a fan of butterscotch, but these cupcakes absolutely changed my mind. The cupcake itself leans more on the denser side, but it still manages to feel light. The butterscotch buttercream is sweet, but not teeth-fall-out sweet (I don't typically like sweet frostings, but I ate this one by the spoonful. So good). Don't even get me started on the butterscotch ganache...


Harry Potter Three Broomsticks Butterbeer Cupcakes by Sugarbaby's Cake Boutique, via Flickr, see ilovesugarbabys.com for more information. Via Flickr:
Our special edition Three Broomsticks Butterbeer cupcakes offered for the movie release. Flavor to be continued through July only (edible Deathly Hallows decoration for premiere only.) Butterscotch vanilla cream soda cake with butterscotch cream frosting.


Harry Potter cupcake by Little Cakes Cupcake Kitchen in Vista, California, via Facebook. "Our chocolate cake is filled with vanilla buttercream then topped with chocolate ganache and royal icing. We'll be making these all weekend and pre-orders are available." Visit littlecakeskitchen.com for more information.


The Snitch


Firebolt


Butterbeer

And cupcake bakery The Crazy Cupcake in Jonesborough, Tennessee has 9 (!!) kinds of Harry Potter cupcakes for sale! Via Facebook. Visit www.the-crazy-cupcake.com for more information.

$2 Butterbeer cupcakes Friday and Saturday in Royal Oak, Michigan with your Harry Potter ticket stub

Cool promotion by Royal Oak, Michigan bakery Taste Love Cupcakes: see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, get a $2 butterbeer cupcake! Via Flickr. Visit tastelovecupcakes.com for more information.

Butterbeer cream soda butterscotch Harry Potter cupcakes for sale at Sweet Avenue Bake Shop this week!

To celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, Rutherford, New Jersey cupcakery Sweet Avenue Bake Shop, known for their pop culture cupcakes featuring the likes of Twilight and others, is selling a special limited edition cupcake, the butterbeer! From their Facebook page:

Presenting our newest flavor - BUTTERBEER. We wholeheartedly admit that we are huge Harry Potter nerds, and are more than a little excited about the release of the final Harry Potter movie this Friday. It's the end of an era, so we needed to celebrate.

Butterbeer is a cream soda cake filled with butterscotch syrup and topped with butterscotch frosting and a Hogwarts house ring. Which house will you be sorted into?



Get more information at sweetavenuebakeshop.com and make sure you get there quick for these!