Win A Dozen Cupcakes From CakeLove & an Autographed Copy of Their Book- Contest Closed

         ******Congratulations to the Winner Sarah Parnass*******

Enter to win a dozen cupcakes from CakeLove AND a signed copy of Warren Brown's new book, CakeLove in The Morning! Try their new and improved red velvet, banana or my favorite the vanilla-based strawberry cheesecake cupcake. Or you could fill up on the toffee crunch- the Cupcake Critic's official Cupcake Boo! 

To Enter:

1. Subscribe to the Cupcake Critic's blog

2. Leave a comment below with your e-mail address  

(To contact you about your winnings) 

3. Subscribe to my YouTube page (Optional)

4. Follow me on Twitter  (Optional)

5. Follow me on Facebook (Optional)

And just for kicks, check out my pinterest page! The more "likes" or entries, the better your chances of winning! Contest ends Friday, March 1, 2013.  But don't worry, you can also buy all of Warren Brown's books below! 

Good Luck Cupcake Lovers!

                                   

Cool Cupcake Stuff: American Cake Decorating Magazine

American Cake Decorating magazine is a bi-monthly magazine that gives cake designers, pastry chefs, sugar-artists and regular joe's cake design techniques and ideas from the masters (like this pillow wedding cake, hubba hubba). They also feature products and ingredients like cream cheese flavoring which gives the flavor of cream cheese without the calories-God send! Subscribe today for $28 or enter to win one of two FREE subscriptions courtesy of The Cupcake Critic's 1 Year Anniversary!!  

Celebrate The Cupcake Critic's One Year Anniversary!! -CLOSED

This month marks the one year anniversary of The CupcakeCritic.com! Time flies and as the founder and editor, I’m so proud to see my blog grow into a well- respected and award-winning platform. To celebrate I'm giving away gifts from American Cake Decorating magazine and Pretty Girl Cupcakery in Hyattsville, MD.

THE WINNERS ARE:

#6: Michael Trayvon
#10: Lindsay

To Enter: 

1. Follow the blog (enter your e-mail address in the ‘Follow Me/Subscribe” tab found on the top right-hand corner of the home page of the blog at www.TheCupcakeCritic.com)   AND

2.  Leave a comment below telling me your favorite Cupcake Critic review and why. 

3. Optional: Follow @DCCupcakeCritic, @CakeDecMagazine, and @PGCupcakery on 

    Twitter.

Prizes: 2 lucky winners will receive a 1 year subscription to American Cake Decorating magazine OR a  6" rosette cake in your choice of vanilla, chocolate or red velvet from Pretty Girl Cupcakery. The first 12 people to respond will receive a FREE cupcake from Pretty Girl Cupcakery

Contest Ends: January 31, 2013 at 11:59 PM/EST

Contest Rules

Winners will be notified on Friday, February 1, 2013 by email so please do not post anonymously. In addition, the winners’ names will be checked against the subscription service. Failure to subscribe will automatically disqualify you from any winnings. Prize(s) must be claimed within 72 hours (by Monday, February 4, 2013) or will be considered forfeited. Contest is open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Sorry, entries outside of the United States will not be honored. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash value nor can they be transferred. 

Contest: "I Love You More than Cake" Boxed Set from Tabibi Designs

Photo courtesy of Tabibi Designs

Hey Cupcake Lovers! Tina Tabibi of Tabibi Design (a full-service graphic design studio located in Arlington, Virginia), has created a new line of cards sold on their Etsy shop! The shop features letterpress boxed sets of cards for the special occasions in your life. The cards are printed on 118 lb. savoy brilliant white cotton and includes white envelopes. 

Photo courtesy of Tabibi Designs

To celebrate I'm giving two lucky subscribers a 6-pack of Tabibi Design's "I Love You More Than Cake" Letterpress Boxed Set. To sweeten the deal Tabibi Designs has partnered with Simply Cakes by Alison, LLC, to give readers a half dozen cupcakes for each box of cards!! Sweet! 

Maryland Crab Cupcakes by Simply Cakes by Alison, LLC

Princess Cupcakes by Simply Cakes by Alison, LLC

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Contest: Election Cupcakes from Sprinkles Georgetown

On the heels of the Presidential election, my new vlog discusses Georgetown Cupcake's LA store opening, Hello Kitty for President, Election Cupcakes, and What's Hot in the Cupcake Streets. Check it out for your viewing pleasure. Also to celebrate my new Youtube Channel I will be giving  three (3) lucky Youtube subscribers an election cupcake box courtesy of Sprinkles Georgetown. To enter see contest details below! 

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The Cupcake Critic's First Vlog!

After the encouragement of some of my blog pals (like Jocy of Pink Chocolate Break), I have made my first vlog! To celebrate I am giving away a dozen FREE cupcakes from Sprinkles in Georgetown. Simply subscribe to my Youtube Channel, leave a comment on my video (Vlog #1), and I will announce the winner on October 8th! Thanks Cupcake Lovers!

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The Sweet Life Sugar Tour

Photo courtesy of The Sweet Life/ Claudia Johnson

Ending the recession one cupcake at a time, Pink Dot Concepts is hosting The Sweet Life Sugar Tour. The Sweet Life Sugar Tour is a collective pop-up shop of 10-12 local bakers sharing and selling their lovely cupcakes and other baked goods. Come out and nibble, sip, and enjoy! Hurry, space is limited. Check out my Facebook and Twitter pages for the ticket giveaway!

When: August 11th (Woodbridge,VA) & August 12th (Manassas,VA)

Time: 1-4PM

Where: The Country Inn & Suites (2621 Prince William Pkwy, Woodbridge, VA)

The Holiday Inn Express (10424 Balls Ford Rd, Manassas, VA)

Cost: $15

Meet Me at The Sweet Life!

The Sweet Life is a travelling pop-up shop giving bakers a "store-front for a day". Bringing together about 12 bakers per event with about 100 sweet treat lovers, their goal is to give bakers a platform to spread the word about their business. A Sweet Life is the only collective pop-up shop providing an intimate environment where customers can sample and buy from local area bakers. I will be on-hand to taste and rate cupcake exhibitors. Washington Eats will also be on-hand at The Sweet Life. To buy tix click here. 

When: Saturday, July 21, 2012

Where: The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (6055 Richmond Hwy Alexandria, VA 22307) 

Time: 1-4PM

Cost: 2 for $15

The Park Lane Cupcake Necklace Giveaway

Photo courtesy of Park Lane Jewelry

Recently, Debbie Eggleston of Park Lane Jewelry sent me a pic of this beautiful cupcake necklace. The necklace is a hand-enameled cupcake necklace with white vanilla frosting and multi-colored spinkles.  It's highlighted with genuine Swarvoski crystals and dangles from an adjustable 14-16 inch chain and retails for $30. Park Lane Jewelry has also created a matching bracelet ($14) and earrings ($20) to finish the set. It even comes in a cute cupcake-shaped box! Order yours today from Debbie or...enter to win this necklace as part of The Cupcake Critic's Summer Giveaway!

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Win a Wilton Deluxe Practice Board!

Photo courtesy of Wilton Company

While visiting the Wilton website I came across their Deluxe Practice Board. Having already received the Dessert Decorator Pro, I knew that the Practice Board was the next step in perfecting my non-existent cake decorating craft. I'm old skool and not above slathering frosting on cupcakes with a butter knife and saying, "Dig in..." 

When my board arrived, I ripped it open like a kid at Christmas. The compact plastic kit is easy to store and came with over 80 practice pages. Simply sliding a new practice sheet into the clear flap case was a breeze and designed for ease of use. I filled my Dessert Decorator Pro and in minutes, I was curling my que's, puffing my sea-shells and squiggling my lines. 

As a beginner I wanted to start off slow and only tried a few practice sheets at a time. Even with the most diligent of work, Wilton gives you more than enough creative outlets to learn and try. The best feature of the the board is its easy clean-up. Just take a hot and soapy rag and wipe off the frosting; it will practically slide off. 

Pick up your practice board from Wilton's website (www.Wilton.com) for $29.99 (plus S&H) or enter to win The Cupcake Critic's Summer Giveaway below! Good Luck Cupcake Lovers!


*This product was gifted from Wilton and in no way swayed the opinions of the reviewer.

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Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro Giveaway

The Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro is the Grand Dame of cupcake decorators. This user-friendly device comes with 6 tips, 2 couplers, a dessert pro book and a handy dishwasher safe bag for your nozzles. Everything you need to make luscious desserts, tempting appetizers and eye-catching cakes. I received my very own Dessert Decorator Pro from Wilton last week and have been frosting ever since!  

First, I broke the device down to its core to see how many components we are talking here and how user-friendly is it. If I can understand the device, I can use it to full capacity. It's dishwasher safe designs and rotating cylinder  provides a very sturdy device that is easy to fill and clean. 

Once I put it back together I filled the silver cylinder with icing, placed it into the plastic holder and topped it with the ergonomic pump. I then placed the coupler and desired tip and was ready to frost. Gripping the handles just right, my fingers rested easy and with a few pumps to get the frosting down my cupcakes were being bathed in beautiful stars, swirls and even rose petals. 

The first cupcake that I frosted was a beauty. I was proud of myself and eagerly tried out the other tips. In total I used 5 of the 6 tips provided and had fun with it. No more hold bulky bags that can burst and even leak frosting. When I ran out of frosting, I was dismayed because the device was so much fun and made frosting a joy.

But after all my fun, it was time to clean up and I was eager to see how this thing stood up to my dishwasher. After breaking down the components and putting the tips in the dishwasher safe bag, I was pleased to see that the stainless steel cylinder and plastic components looked brand new upon completion. No streaking, spots or baked on frosting.

At the sweet price of $34.99, you can ditch the bags and pick-up this beauty from the Wilton Company store or enter below to win my giveaway for the Dessert Decorator Pro!!

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Bath & Body Works Summer Candle Giveaway

Tiki Beach Candle
(Photo courtesy of Bath & Body Works)

Summer is here and Bath & Body Works is kicking off the season with their summer candle collection. The collection includes the following scents: Ice Cream Shop, Root beer Float, Beach Cabana, Coco Loco, Tiki Beach and Summer Boardwalk. I love the Tiki Beach candle which smells like a tropical island with notes of vanilla musk, toasted coconut, purple orchids and sugared berries. I've been burning mine for 3 days! To celebrate their summer line, I'm giving one of my readers a large, three-wick Tiki Beach candle! Enter to win!


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Cool Cupcake Stuff: Frosted Cupcake Scentportable

Frosted Cupcake Scentportable $6.50
(Photo courtesy of Bath & Body Works)

A few months back 2 lucky Cupcake Lovers won Frosted Cupcake candles from  Bath and Body Works. I loved this candle with notes of vanilla bean, buttercream and sugar. Well, lo and behold Bath and Body Works also has the Frosted Cupcake flavor for their Scentportables. 

These on-the-go portables don't require plugs and with the built-in clip, they can be placed in your car, office or home. Wherever you need to smell best. They last for about 4-6 weeks and can be refilled.  Although they retail for $6.50 a pop, you can catch Bath and Body Works' mix and match deal and get 4 for $20 or 6 for $24. Refills retail for $5. Don't miss out!

Bath & Body Works Frosted Cupcake Candle

Review: Slatkin & Co. Frosted Cupcake Candle
Location: Bath & Body Works (in stores or online)
Cost: $19.95
Score: 5

The new 'Frosted Cupcake' candle from Slatkin & Co, a subsidiary of Bath and Body Works, debuted this March in stores and online. I was excited when I first heard about the candle on Twitter from @LuvBBW. After contacting Slatkin & Co. for a sample, I was also able to score some extras for my readers! 

As soon as I got the candle in the mail I burned the 20 hour candle for about three hours. The three-wick, 14.5 ounces beauty gave off a freshly baked cupcake scent with hints of strawberry. The candle burned evenly and left a serene feeling in my home, as opposed to the overly sweet smell that I had anticipated. As a true candle lover and frequent candle purchaser, I deemed the price tag of $19.95 as more than fair. If you are a true Cupcake Lover, you won't be disappointed. Buy yours today!

*This product was gifted however did not persuade the reviewer's opinions.

The Cupcake Weekly #8

News Bites

Sprinkles' Cupcake ATM Coming to DC?!

I never disappoint my Cupcake Lovers and after posting to Facebook on Tuesday, March 12, 2012 that ‘the word on the street was…’ DC is getting a cupcake ATM, both the Washington Business Journal and The Washington Post confirmed the scuttlebutt rumor with Sprinkles’ spokespeople. Cupcake automats are slated to be in Gallery Place, Columbia Heights and U Street to name a few. But what say you Cupcake Lovers?

Happy Poultry Day!!

Photo courtesy of MyFoodLooksFunny.com

Today is 'Poultry Day' and although no one recognizes these ubiquitous food  holidays other than restaurants, food bloggers and foodies, I must thank the person who decided to top a cupcake with a chicken wing! What else would I have shown you all to celebrate? Ordinarily I would chock this off as a blatant case of cupcake abuse but c'mon, lighten up and eat the cake Anna Mae...it's poultry day!!  

*Disclaimer: In no way does the Critic approve , condone or endorse spousal or 80's rock star abuse. Despite referencing Mr. Turner, we side with Tina, not Ike. Just thought I'd clarify.*

New Additions to the Cupcake Vodka Family 

                                                        

Cupcake Vodka introduces two new flavors to their roster: Ginger Snap and Very Berry. Ginger snap is to have hints of cinnamon and clove while Very Berry denotes hints of raspberry and blueberry but both are described as clean, indulgent and velvety smooth. These flavors will be in addition to the existing four flavors: frosting, devil’s food, chiffon and original. I'm still getting word on which bars carry these flavors however, you can find the vodkas at your local liquor store. 

London Bus Stop Billboard Dispenses Cupcakes

Photo Courtesy of Advertising Age/ StarCom Ad Agency 

British baking icon, Kipling’s cakes, placed cake-dispensingbillboards in bus stops and train stations to promote their new ‘snack pack: cupcakes on the go’ with commuters.  The billboard is cupcake scented with a special cupcake spray to entice travelers to touch the billboard whereby a cupcake comes out.

Events

March 24th: Cocktails & Cupcakes

Inspired cocktails, decadent sweets, festive 

entertainment and the chance to win fabulous prizes. Individual tickets $40 each or $75 per couple. 

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Location: 1025 F. Street, NW, 10th Floor 

Click here for more info

March 24th: Makes Me Wanna Shout! Baking Contest

You and Celebrity Judges decide which Chocolate Layer Cakes go to the Final Five Round for a chance to win $500 for Best Chocolate Layer Cake $250 Gift Card to the King Arthur Flour Catalog  and the winning dessert on the Eatonville Restaurant menu and support the good work of Martha's Table. Tickets are $20

Time: 2:00PM-4:00 PM

Location: Martha's Table

2114 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20009

Click here for more info

Contests & Giveaways

Slatkin & Co. Frosted Cupcake Candle Giveaway

Photo courtesy of Bath & Body Works/ Limited Brands

 

This week’s March Madness giveaway is sponsored by Bath& Body Works! Four of my Facebook and Twitter friends will receive their very own Slatkin & Co. three-wick ‘Frosted Cupcake’ candle. Stay tuned for contest rules and Tuesday's product review. 

 

Got cupcake news, pics or event? Interested in advertising on the blog? Contact me! 

Like: @DCCupcakeCritic

E-Mail: DCCupcakeCritic@gmail.com

Follow: http://www.Facebook.com/TheCupcakeCritic

Pin Me: http://www.Pinterest.com/DCCupcakeCritic

The Cupcake Weekly #7

Cupcake News

Sprinkles' Cupcake ATM crashes after dispensing 1000 cupcakes! Read here

Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post.com

Georgetown Cupcake slated open in Boston in Summer 2012! Read here

Photo Courtesy of Chef J. Jackson 

NYC slated get their own Cupcake ATM
 Read here

Photo courtesy of The Cupcake Critic

The Cupcake Critic is looking for Contributors!

 Are interested in covering cupcake news and events?   Send an e-mail to DCCupcakeCritic.com.

Cupcake Events

March 24th: Cocktails & Cupcakes

Inspired cocktails, decadent sweets, festive 

entertainment and the chance to win fabulous prizes. 

Individual tickets $40 each or $75 per couple. 

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Location: 1025 F. Street, NW, 10th Floor 

Washington, D.C. 

Click here for more info

March 24th: Makes Me Wanna Shout! Baking Contest

You and Celebrity Judges decide which Chocolate Layer Cakes go to the Final Five Round for a chance to win $500 for Best Chocolate Layer Cake $250 Gift Card to the King Arthur Flour Catalog  and the winning dessert on the Eatonville Restaurant menu and support the good work of Martha's Table. Tickets are $20

Time: 2:00PM-4:00 PM

Location: Martha's Table

2114 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20009

Click here for more info

Contests & Giveaways

Win a dozen cupcakes from Delectable Cupcakery!!

Cupcakes from Delectable Cakery (Photo courtesy of The Cupcake Critic)

The good folks at Delectabley Cupcakery are giving my readers the chance to win one dozen cupcakes or one Pound Cake. To enter, leave a comment on their review and two lucky readers will receive their choice of a dozen free cupcakes or one pound cake! Contest ends on Sunday, March 18, 2012 at midnight (EST). Winners will be announced on Monday, March 19, 2012 at noon (EST). 

Win a Wilton Easy-Flex Prize Pack! 

Wilton Easy-Flex Prize Pack (Photos courtesy of The Cupcake Critic)

The prize pack includes a set of Easy-Flex silicone baking cups (12) and an Easy-Flex mini-muffin pan. Simply post a comment on the 'Silicone vs. Aluminum' post and two lucky winners will receive a prize pack! Contest ends Thursday, March 15, 2012 at midnight (EST). Winners will be announced on Friday, March 16, 2012 at noon (EST).

Do you have cupcake news or an event? E-mail me at DCCupcakeCritic@gmail.com to be included in the weekly round-up

E-Mail: DCCupcakeCritic@gmail.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/TheCupcakeCritic

Twitter: @DCCupcakeCritic

Pinterest: Pinterest.com/DCCupcakeCritic

The Wilton Easy-Flex Contest (Contest Closed)

Win your own set of Wilton's Easy-Flex silicone baking cups and a mini-muffin pan!! To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite baking product or gadget. Two lucky winners will be chosen for a Wilton Prize Pack! Contest ends on Thursday, March 15, 2012. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 16, 2012 at noon. Good luck Cupcake Lovers!

The Sweet Lobby's Contest Winner!

This week's contest winner is Brian!! 

Congratulations Brian! 

Please send your e-mail address to DCCupcakeCritic@gmail.com to claim your prize, one dozen cupcakes from The Sweet Lobby!