The Cupcake Weekly #5

February 20: Sticky Fingers' Sweets Book Signing

Join Doron Petersan, founder of Sticky Fingers Bakery and author of 'Sticky Fingers' Sweets! 100 Super-secret vegan recipes', as she discusses and signs her new book. Books will be available for signing & treats for munching.  

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Busboys & Poets 2021 14th St NW (U St) 

March 17: Cupcakes & Cocktails

Our friends at Tweets Sweets will be sponsoring, Cupcakes & Cocktails benefitting local charities. Enjoy an afternoon of shopping, mini make-overs, spa services, speakers, music, natural hair show, natural hair styling demos, entertainment, door prizes, raffles and complimentary Cupcakes & Cocktails! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

Location: Upscale Ballroom 3900 Bexley Rd. Suitland, MD

Time: 3PM-8PM

August 19-26: The Cupcake Lovers' Cruise

Pull out your passports Cupcake Lovers, there's a 'Cupcake Lovers' Cruise'. The Celebrity Cruises ship leaves port in New Jersey and will be sailing to Bermuda for seven days of fun in the sun. Cupcake workshops and guest speakers will be on hand. Cabins are still available and start at $999-$1702.

For more info, visit here

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

Sticky Fingers Bakery

Location: Sticky Fingers Bakery (1370 Park Rd NW)

Flavors: Coconut Delight and Carrot Cake
Cost: $2.50-$2.75
Score: 5

At some point, in all of our lives, we’ve been stereotyped or have stereotyped people, places and things. I’ve definitely stereotyped food; vegan food in fact. I have avoided this review for some time because I had thoughts of tree-hugging, granola-eating yuppies serving me overpriced and bland cupcakes. To be honest I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into Sticky Fingers Bakery. However if there’s one thing that Sticky Fingers personifies is that labels need not apply here!

Sticky Fingers Bakery in Columbia Heights 

Located within steps of the Columbia Heights metro station I found metered street parking directly in front of the bakery. Filled to the brim with urban hipsters, everyday people, and yuppies alike, I saw a young woman in a Barnard sweatshirt while another woman posted on the wall with her collie- Summer. The staff quickly filled orders as the restaurant ebbed and flowed with hungry customers eager to engage in the affordable ($4.99) Sunday brunch. In the corner, a patron dropped a bottle of hot sauce and within seconds the mess is cleaned and the bottle is replaced.

Yummy cupakes that are also vegan

 

The glass case holding all of Sticky Fingers’ treasures ranged from carrot cake, double chocolate, chocolate raspberry, peanut butter, and coconut delight to name a few. I ordered the coconut delight cupcake and a carrot cake cupcake priced sweetly at $2.50 each. The best treat was meeting bakery owner Doron Petersan.  

Author & Founder Doron Petersan

One of the first things that I noticed about Petersan is that she is extremely genuine, very pretty and passionate about her business. While we talked in her shop, three different customers came over to express their absolute adoration for her and her bakery. Like her winning cakes, her brand is rock-star status but she exuded unaffected graces. 

Petersan and 'The Critic' smiling for the camera

Most people became familiar with Petersan while she was a contestant on Cupcake Wars and stood out in her 1950's look, complete with tattoos and Chanel red lipstick. That day Petersan wore sweatpants, a comfy Sunday sweater, and there was no Chanel in sight. A newly minted mom, she showed me pictures of her 7 month old son, Ezra, whose bottom teeth are sprouting. We swapped stories of college, (she has a degree in Dietetics from the University of Maryland and her husband is a non-profit attorney), the obstacles of women in business, and what makes a good cupcake. 

“At the end of the day, either it’s a good cupcake or it’s not. It shouldn’t matter if it’s vegan” ~ D. Petersan 

As a critic, you can find yourself in the quandary of liking the shop and the owner but not liking their cupcakes. It’s a dilemma. I prayed that this would not be the case- and it wasn't. 

Biting into the coconut delight I paused and said aloud, “This is a good a** cupcake!” Mind you, The Critic isn't prone to potty mouth. The flavor of the frosting was delectable and the texture immaculate. The cake was moist and the flavor perfect. It replicated the loving desserts that my grandmother made but my grandmother wasn’t a vegan. I quickly tore into my other cupcake and found it equally as enjoyable (although the after taste left hints of Olive oil). The carrot cake’s frosting was rich and the cake soft; not overrun with raisins which I like.

Internally I questioned,”How did she do this with no butter, eggs, or milk?” Fortunately for us Petersan is sharing all her secrets to baking in her new book, ‘Sticky Fingers’ Sweets: 100 Super-Secret vegan recipes’. More importantly, the good people at Penguin publishing will be giving two of my readers signed and personalized copies of the book (for contest rules click here).

Looking back on my time spent with Petersan and at the bakery, I learned that different shouldn’t be avoided and to prejudge or label anything is depriving one's self of something new. In this case, it meant depriving myself of some good arse cupcakes!

The Cupcake Weekly #4

February 14

 'I Remember Back When'

College Bake Sale

The lovely folks at Tweets Sweets are hosting a bake sale on Howard University's campus in Carver Hall. Grab some last minute treats for you and your Sweetheart! Prices are college student friendly!

Time: 9AM-4PM
Location: 211 Elm St NW

                         

February 15

 Sticky Fingers' Doron Petersan's UMCP Webinar

Friends Health Connection will be sponsoring a live webinar with author and co-owner of Sticky Fingers Bakery, Doron Petersan. She will be discussing her new book, 'Sticky Fingers Sweets: 100 Super-Secret vegan recipes', at the University of Maryland- her alma mater. To register click here.

Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Online


*Click here for a chance to get a free copy of her new book.

February 20
Sticky Fingers' Sweets Book Signing


Doron Petersan (Photo Courtesy of The Food Network)

Join Doron Petersan, animal advocate and devote vegan, as she discusses and signs her new book, 'Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes'.

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Busboys & Poets

2021 14th St NW (U St)

August 19-26

 The Cupcake Lovers' Cruise

Pull out your passports Cupcake Lovers, there's a 'Cupcake Lovers' Cruise'.  The Celebrity Cruises ship leaves port in New Jersey and will be sailing to Bermuda for seven days of fun in the sun. Cupcake workshops and guest speakers will be on hand. Cabins are still available and start at $999-$1702.

For more info, visit here

Pre-order your copy

 'Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret vegan recipes'

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

The Cupcake Weekly #3

February 11, 2012

Georgetown Cupcake NYC

Photo courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake

Georgetown Cupcake is opening a new store in SoHo! To commemorate their new location, they are adding three new cupcake flavors to the menu: apple, cheesecake and marble (after NYC's famed marble cookies). They will also top their cuppies with candy  Broadway signs, yellow Taxis and an apple.

February 12, 2012

Treat Yo Self!

The good folks over at One Love Massive and Crunkcakes are teaming up for a day of mimosas and fine leather goods…ok, not really but they are pulling together some of the coolest artisans, craftsmans and treat-makers in the city. Join them and special guest DJ Keenan Orr for a

Valentine’s Day pop-up shop at Mellow Mushroom in Adams Morgan. For more info, click here

Location: Mellow Mushroom

(2436 18th St NW)

Time: 12:00pm until 4:00pm

February 15 & 17

Sticky Fingers Debut Cookbook!

Sticky Fingers, DC’s favorite vegan bakery and two-time ‘Cupcake Wars’ winner, will be debuting their new cookbook, 'Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes'. (*Psst* They are the first vegan bakery in Cupcake Wars history to win!) Written by shop co-owner Doron Petersan, the book features 100 recipes and the secrets to their vegan delights. Anticipate the book on February 17. If you can’t wait that long Petersan will be hosting a live webinar from her alma mater, The University of Maryland to discuss the book. To register, click here

August 19-26

The Cupcake Cruise

Photo courtesy of Cupcakes Take the Cake

Pull out your passports Cupcake Lovers and get ready to sail to Bermuda! The good people over at 'Cupcakes Take The Cake' are sponsoring a seven-day Cupcake Cruise packed with cupcake work shops and guest speakers. Trip costs range from $1,000-$1,702 with a $99 deposit due immediately.

For more info, visit here


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

The Cupcake Weekly #2

February 12, 2012: Treat Yo Self!

The good folks over at One Love Massive and Crunkcakes are teaming up for a day of mimosas and fine leather goods…ok, not really but they are pulling together some of the coolest artisans, craftsmans and treat-makers in the city. Join them and special guest DJ Keenan Orr for a

Valentine’s Day pop-up shop at Mellow Mushroom in Adams Morgan. For more info, click here

Location: Mellow Mushroom

(2436 18th St NW)

Time: 12:00pm until 4:00pm

   Cupcake Wars Season 5 is STILL CASTING!!

Don't miss your chance to showcase your culinary skills on Season 5 of Cupcake Wars, airing Sunday nights at 8PM on the Food Network. To enter, send an email to cupcakewars5@gmail.com and include photos of you, your cupcakes and a brief bio. Good Luck!

February 15 & 17

Sticky Fingers Debut Cookbook! 

Sticky Fingers, DC’s favorite vegan bakery and two-time ‘Cupcake Wars’ winner, will be debuting their  new cookbook, 'Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes'. (*Psst* They are the first vegan bakery in Cupcake Wars history to win!) Written by shop co-owner Doron Petersan, the book features 100 recipes and the secrets to their vegan delights.  Anticipate the book on February 17. If you can’t wait that long Petersan will be hosting a live webinar from her alma mater, The University of Maryland to discuss the book. To register, click here

Order Sticky Fingers' New Book!

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