The Sweet Lobby

Location: The Sweet Lobby  (404 8th Street SE)
Flavors: Red Velvet,Chocolate Salted Caramel, Champagne Strawberry
Price: $2.75
Guest Reviewer: Universal Em


The Sweet Lobby, located in Eastern Market, is in plain sight from the metro and literally less than a block away. WMATA is my life so the proximity earned this place extra kudos. A cute little walk-in, The Sweet Lobby is clearly a get- in and get-out type of operation. When I arrived the spot was popping and I soon found out that the constant traffic was due to the recent success the store received by winning The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. 

The broadcast which premiered on Super Bowl Sunday ensured that when I arrived there were no personal menus to peruse and no macarons available for sale. Besides the cupcakes, The Sweet Lobby is known for their take on the French confection. This information was made readily available by the employees, who were not only friendly, but very knowledgeable on the store and the 19 different flavors on hand that day.

At $2.75 a cupcake, I decided on three flavors: the Chocolate Salted Caramel, the Red Velvet (those two being their most popular) and the Champagne Strawberry. The Champagne Strawberry was a no-brainer, simply because my love for alcohol is well documented and knows no bounds. Out of all three selections, this was my least favorite. 

Described on the menu as more of a cake, the champagne left the white chocolate filling feeling spongy and hearty, while the champagne butter cream icing tasted more like some sort of orange whip. It didn’t help that even though fresh strawberry chunks were used, I could barely taste them. The Red Velvet, I thought, was an appropriate second option since it’s like the Holy Grail flavor for aficionados.  The particular icing used is a tangy cream cheese frosting, which I am sorry to report overshadows everything. I’m talking like the city of Philadelphia was harmed while making it.

Thank god for the Chocolate Salted Caramel. Hindsight is 20/20 and in retrospect I would have gotten this three times over. Everything from the rich Callebaut chocolate, the gooey salted caramel core, and the milk chocolate butter cream topping with the salted caramel swirl was just divine. The thing literally crumbles softly, melts in your mouth while all the flavors complement each other well. 

Although the shop opened a little under a year ago, word of mouth and recent success have allowed it to keep that fresh relevancy. With that lone cupcake, it’s not hard to see why. Also offering shortbread cookies, madeleines, and their own brand of teas and hot chocolate, this Barracks Row shop is sure to lobby their way into your mouths and hearts….see what I did there?

Universal Em is a freelance writer and all around Joe who calls Cardozo home. A Sagittarius with a love of all things hip-hop and sports he can be found trolling on twitter (@universalem). If left to his own devices, he would steal someone else's words to describe himself, "commonplace & different, intimate & distant, fresher than an infant." 

Treat Yo’Self

DJ Keenan Orr Spinnin' (Copyright The Cupcake Critic)

Earlier this month I attended Treat Yo’ Self! which is the collaborative efforts of One Love Massive and Crunkcakes.  The name is a spin-off of a popular story line from the NBC comedy, Parks & Recreation. The artisans’ market was held at the Mellow Mushroom in Adams Morgan and featured DJ Keenan Orr.  Drinks were poured while warm stuffed pizza flowed on every bar corner and eager buyers looked through the wares of the many talented vendors.

The Crunkcakes Table

When I walked in, I was immediately greeted with vendors ranging from food to jewelry to art work. To the left were the ladies of Crunkcakes and their new treats, The Biggie Smalls. I bought two cuppies; one buttery nipple (my favorite) and the maple bacon (hmmm…bacon). The salty and sweet mixture was awesome!

Original artwork by B. Doty

Original artwork by C. Cafferty

In the corner was original artwork by Brittany Doty and Caroline Cafferty; budding artists who were more than eager to share the inspiration for their artwork. Many of the pieces ranged from vampy re-creations of Blondie or Marilyn Monroe, to dark pieces that could rival Tim Burton’s best films. Next door was DC Patisserie whom my sister (and Critic in training), purchased a dozen of their macarons from and enjoyed thoroughly.

DC Patissiere Macarons

DC Patissiere Vendor

On the other side of Crunkcakes, I spotted K &M Cupcakes. They offered cupcakes, red velvet heart-shaped brownies and cookies. Fab Fete is a new-comer who offered homemade hummus, caramel corn and a variety of gluten-free cookies. Although The Critic has no issues with gluten, I appreciate vendors who cater to a diverse digestive track. My sister bought two containers of hummus while I purchased the cranberry and oatmeal cookies – they were umm-umm good!

K&M Cupcakes

Square in the center with an ornate display was DC new-comer Chica Bom Bom. They were selling brigadeiros, a Brazilian treat similar to a caramal bon bon and made with condensed milk. The owner explained to me their process of making them and had coconut, nutella and chocolate samples available.

Chica Bom Boms

Hazelnut, Nutella, Coconut and Chocolate Brigadeiros

Doubling back, I spoke with Rachel Pfeffer of Rachel Pfeffer Designs. The daughter of a jeweler, her collection had some awesome pieces including silver and brass statement necklaces and natural mineral rings to the tune of $113 and up. Despite being an all-cash event, many vendors accepted credit cards through portable scanners. Overall the event was awesome and the people of One Love Massive have outdone themselves again. 

The Sweet Lobby Contest (Contest Closed)

Hey Cupcake Lovers! The Sweet Lobby,Winners of Cupcake Wars and recent addition to Barracks Row, are giving one of my readers a gift certificate for one dozen free cupcakes!! 

Rules to enter:

Subscribe to my blog in the upper right-hand corner and leave a comment on one of my reviews. One lucky member will be chosen at random and awarded a gift certificate for one dozen cupcakes. The winners will be announced on Monday 5, 2012!

The Cupcake Weekly #6

February 27- March 4th: The Sweet Lobby Giveaway

Hey Cupcake Lovers! The Sweet Lobby-winners of 'Cupcake Wars' and recent addition to Barrack's Row, are giving one of my readers a gift certificate for one dozen free cupcakes!! 
Rules to enter:
Subscribe to my blog in the upper right-hand corner and leave a comment on one of my reviews. One lucky member will be chosen at random (and I mean random) and awarded a gift certificate for one dozen cupcakes. The winners will be announced on Monday 5, 2012!


March 4: H Street Bakes is Back!

If you haven't experienced H Street Bakes then you're missing out. H Street Bakes is a like an awesome back sale that features baked goods by local craftsman. Our friends at Crunkcakes will be in attendance as usual and they hope to see you there. 

Time: 12PM-3PM

Location: The Big Board (421 H St NE)

March 17: Cupcakes & Cocktails

 Cupcakes & Cocktails is 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! A portion of the proceeds benefits local charities.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.

Cupcake Project #8: Bacon & Maple Pancake Cupcakes

Bacon Maple Pancake Cupcakes (Photos Courtesy of The Cupcake Critic)

Ingredients:

1 cup of pancake mix

3/4 cup of milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon of oil

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

2-3 strips of cooked bacon crushed

Frosting:

1/2 cup of confectionary sugar

2 tabs of butter

1 tablespoon of milk

1/4 teaspon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together pancake mix, oil, egg and milk together on low speed for 1-2 minutes or until fully blended. Add maple syrup and mix until blended. Pour batter into cupcake liners until half-full. Place in oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes (pour water into empty shells in your cupcake pan to avoid burning).

Cream butter until smooth and add in confectionary sugar. Blend sugar and butter until smooth and add milk. (If the frosting is a bit fluid add more sugar a few tablespoons at a time). Add vanilla to the mixture and bacon.

Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool. (Stick a toothpick in them to make sure that they are done. The toothpick should come up be clean). Frost the cupcakes with your buttercream mixture. Top with remaining bacon pieces.

Finished product (Photo: The Cupcake Critic (c) )

Bite Me Bakery

My box of cupcakes! (Photos courtesy of Bite Me Bakery

Location: Bite Me Bakery (Delivery to DC/MD/VA)

Flavors: Baklava, strawberry short cake, pina-colada, ube, chocolate mousse and berries & cream

Score: 4.4


Based in Waldorf, MD, I first heard about Bite Me bakery on Twitter after seeing a pic of their baklava cupcake. I love baklava so to combine it with a cupcake is genius. After a few tweets and emails later, I had a dozen cupcakes delivered to me courtesy of cousins Erine and Richelle. The duo behind Bite Me share a love for baking that started early and was often lavished upon friends and family. Over time they decided that their culinary treats should be shared with the world.  

The Signature Ube Cupcake  

Although my treats were gifted, a dozen cupcakes costs $24 per dozen ($2 per cupcake-not bad) and require a three-day turnaround time. Their flavors range from lemon on lemon cream cheese to white chocolate macadamia nut and peanut butter cream.  This day, I would be fortunate to try 6 of their flavors: baklava, strawberry short cake, pina-colada, signature ube, chocolate mousse and berries and cream (white chocolate with raspberry cream-cheese frosting).

The Baklava Cupcake-Yum! (Photo courtesy of Bite Me Bakery)

Having only begun in January, I would have presumed that they were in business longer due to the level of craftsmanship. Up first was the baklava cupcake which, after I took my first bite, I knew that I would love forever. The phyllo dough was perfectly crisp and although a bit sweet, the honey butter cream frosting will melt on your tongue.  Bite Me won in both execution and flavor for that one. Next was the chocolate mousses cupcake which was THE BOMB! It’s moist, flavorful and actually tasted like a chocolate mousse: whipped, creamy and light.

Chocolate Mousse Cupcake w/ Malt Chocolate Frosting

I was excited about the pina-colada cupcakes (a Critic favorite), which had actual coconut and even hints of pineapple in each bite. Each time that I bit into it, I thought that the flavor would become monotonous but it never did. The strawberry short cake cupcake was also awesome! The cake was topped with whipped clouds of (almost coconut flavored) cream and laced with delicate strawberries.  My only complaint would be that the cake part was a bit dense but I believe that was purposefully done to replicate the texture found in the actual dessert.

The Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake (Photo courtesy of Bite Me Bakery)

My next cupcake was the berries and cream cupcake. I must preface that traditionally The Critic doesn't like raspberry anything however, the cream cheese frosting was bursting with flavor but maintained a delicate texture. The cake was moist enough but unlike the strawberry short cake, it really needed to be fluffy. Finally, the signature ube cupcakes were good but lacked flavor or anything distinctive so feel free to pass.

Overall the cupcakes were ahead of the class and should not be missed. They have a flavor that is skilled but doesn’t lose what a cupcake is all about- loving goodness!  Happy Eating Cupcake Lovers!

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' Sweets Contest Winners!!

Congratulations!!!

This week's contest winners are Jen & Krys!!! You each have won a signed and personalized copy of Doron Petersan's book, 'Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret vegan recipes'. Please send your full names and mailing addresses to DCCupcakeCritic@gmail.com. Thanks for playing :0)

Cupcake Project #7: Rolling Stones Brown Sugar Cupcake with Coconut Custard Filling & Spiced Rum Frosting

I'm sure when two-time Cupcake Wars champs Sticky Fingers Bakery, came up with this recipe they were channeling Mick Jagger- cause these cupcakes are rock stars! Now it's your turn! Turn on your favorite 'Stones tune (mine will be 'Jumpin Jack Flash') and crank the oven up to 350 degrees! Happy Eating Cupcake Lovers!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 9 ounces brown sugar
• 4 ounces non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance
• 1 1/2 tablespoons egg replacer, such as Ener-G
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 standard cupcake liners. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream the brown sugar and margarine with the whisk attachment, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

In a small bowl or cup, combine 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water and the egg replacer and stir to dissolve the egg replacer. Add the egg replacer to the sugar and mix until combined. In a small bowl, combine the soymilk and vinegar and set aside.
Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients and the soymilk, alternating between the two, ending with the soymilk.
Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake or until a toothpick inserted into each cupcake comes out clean, about 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.

 

Coconut Custard Filling:

• 2 cups full-fat canned coconut milk
• 4 ounces sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepot, stir together 1 3/4 cups of the coconut milk and the sugar. Heat on medium-high until the mixture begins to bubble around the edges.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk and the cornstarch into a slurry. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the hot sugar mixture while whisking. Cook for 2 more minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Put the cooled Coconut Custard into a piping bag and cut 1/4-inch off the tip. Yield: 2 cups.

Spiced Rum Frosting:

• 8 ounces non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance
• 8 ounces non hydrogenated vegetable shortening, such as Earth Balance
• 1 pound 8 ounces 10x powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup dark rum

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the margarine and shortening until completely combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. On low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Add the cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and mix. Scrape the bottom of the bowl. Add the rum and mix to combine. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix on medium-high speed until all the ingredients are combined and the frosting is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Put the frosting into a pastry bag and cut 1/2-inch off the tip. Yield: 2 quarts.

Cracked Brown Sugar Brittle:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup water and salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Place a candy thermometer into the pan and cook on medium heat until the mixture reaches 300 degrees F. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda and margarine. Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and quickly spread the hot mixture thinly on the sheet. Let the candy cool completely and break it into small pieces with your fingers.

To assemble:
With a plastic drinking straw or a small paring knife, make holes in the center of each cupcake. Squeeze the Coconut Custard Filling in the center of each cupcake until filled but not overflowing, about 1 tablespoon per cupcake. Pipe a dollop of Spiced Rum Frosting onto each cupcake and garnish with a few pieces of the Cracked Brown Sugar Brittle.

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Food Network. Click here

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!

Georgetown Cupcake Opens in SoHo

Location: Georgetown Cupcakes 111 Mercer St New York, NY
Flavors: Red Velvet, Cheesecake, Coconut and Vanilla.
Price: $2.75



Down the cobble stone roads of Soho I sought out the newbie to the block: Georgetown Cupcake.  I have to admit a certain sense of pride overcomes me when I see a DC native take on the “Big Apple.” After all, I am a rare breed: native Washingtonian.  Opening their 3rd location, the TLC stars of DC Cupcake extended their sweetness into the foray of dozens of cupcakeries in NYC.

By far their most ambitious property, the Soho location is inconspicuously located on Mercer street.  Nearly double the size of their original location in Georgetown, the cupcake duo expect to do big business. You’ll love the glassed in cupcake display as you enter.  No wondering what they have or what the cupcake looks like; it’s right there in grand view.  My first pick turned into two, that turned into three and ended with four. 

The New York Cheesecake was cute but needs some work.  In
the end, the Red Velvet (aka good ol’ reliable) was their best one.  Come for the cupcakes, stay for tea.  Their quaint 9 seater café just may be available.  Good luck guys!

Mr. Foodtastic (Chef J. Jackson)

www.foodiesandfatties.com
www.Facebook.com/foodiesandfatties

www.Facebook.com/mr.foodtastic
Twitter: @foodiesnfatties & @mrfoodtastic