Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Cupcake Lovers! 2012 was a year for cupcakes and to commemorate such an awesome year, I've compiled a wrap-up of the highlights from 2012.

Buzz Bakery's Arlington Location
 Copyright of The Cupcake Critic

Treats from Cupcake Blvd in Crofton, MD

The Virginia based Buzz Bakery announces a new location in Southeast D.C.'s Yard development while food trucks like Curbside Cupcake and Cupcake Blvd. set-up brick and mortar shops in Pentagon City Mall, Union Market, and Crofton, MD. 

Warren Brown's Cakelove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch

Cakelove's Toffee Crunch Cupcakes aka My Boo!

After closing Love Cafe (a U-street staple), Cakelove's Warren Brown pens another book entitled, Cakelove in the Morning and gives a portion of their toffee crunch cupcake sales (aka, My Boo!) to Hurricakes for Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts. 

Crunkcakes display table at Treat Yo' Self
Copyright of TheCupcakeCritic.com

Olivia's Cupcake Shop
Photo courtesy of Olivia's Cupakes

L-R: Raychel and Faith, the Ladies of Crunkcakes
Copyright The Cupcake Critic

Crunkcakes (last year's winner for Best Overall) held their first 'Treat Yo Self' pop-up shop featuring several artisans and other sweet-treat makers where they introduced two new flavors featuring DC Brau Craft Beer: the Brau Rickey and the Fat Cat.  Meanwhile Olivia's Cupcakes (last year's winner for 'Best Red Velvet Cupcakes') tinkers with getting a new food truck and introduces their now famous Ciroc cupcakes.  

The Kallinis Sisters at the LA Opening of Georgetown Cupcake
Copyright of Georgetown Cupcake

The sisters behind Georgetown Cupcake are on Season three of TLC's DC Cupcakes, have a new book called Sweet Celebrations, three new stores in L.A., New York, and Boston; and a baby on the way.

Penny Karas (owner of Hello Cupcake) holding the DC Lovechild
Copyright TheCupcakeCritic.com

The Winning MacTop by The Sweet Lobby

Hello Cupcake debuted their new line of Celebration Cakes as well as an alcohol-inspired new flavor called The DC LoveChild. Not to mention that their second location in Barrack's Row turned one! Neighboring cupcake shop, The Sweet Lobby, won Cupcake Wars and introduced a new cupcake called the MacTop which combines their famous macarons on top of a cupcake. 

SweetBuds Bakery Food Truck at the Bowie Fest

Pretty Girl Cupcakery opens in Hyattsville, MD

Meanwhile new shops like The Cake Courtesan and Pretty Girl Cupcakery are welcomed in cupcake deserts like Prince George's County, MD; no longer leaving shops like The Sweet Tooth and Cakes Plus to hold down the fort. 

Sprinkles Kuwait Storefront is under wraps/ Copyright of Sprinkles

Sprinkles' Cupcake ATM/ Copyright The Huffington Post

Revolutionizing how food is served Sprinkles has been leading the pack with not one but three new Cupcake ATM's in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston...but still no word on Georgetown's phantom ATM. Adding to the empire, Sprinkles  opened two new ice cream stores with cupcake-themed flavors and they're also set to open a chain of Sprinkles Cupcakes in the Middle East with Kuwait being the first location.

Copyright of Penguin Publishing

Doron Petersan and The Cupcake Critic
Copyright The Cupcake Critic

Doron Petersan, owner of Sticky Fingers Bakery made another appearance on Cupcake Wars defending her crown after releasing her new book,  Sticky Fingers Sweets: 100 Super Secret Recipes. I gave away two signed copies earlier this year much to the delight of my readers. 

Election 2012 Cupcakes from Frosting Cupcakery
Photo courtesy of Frosting Cupcakery 

Hello Kitty and The Cupcake Critic

The Cupcake Critic in Hello Kitty Swag

This year was also an election year causing several stores like Frosting, Sprinkles, Georgetown Cupcakes and The Sweet Lobby to create Election 2012 and partisan cupcakes. Three of my lucky readers won a dozen election cupcake boxes courtesy of Sprinkles Georgetown. Getting in on the action was Hello Kitty who ran from president and set-up headquarters at the 918 F Street building. Georgetown Cupcake provided the presidential themed cupcakes for Candidate Kitty who ran on the friendship party. I shot a vlog after my own attendance at the event; and

  Slava Rubin, Founder of Indiegogo
pictured with The Cupcake Critic

The Sweet Life Tour featured local bakers like Tweets Sweets!
Copyright of TheCupcakeCritic.com

The Cupcake Critic visits Old Fashioned Radio/
Copyright of  The Cupcake Critic

On a personal note, I got to talk to K Street Kate on her show The District Dish and later visited Listen Vision studios twice for Across the Fader and Old Fashioned Radio bearing treats from Delectable Cakery- yum! The blog got a great nod from TheRoot.com and Social Media TV while I was profiled on Google+Local, HuffPost Live, DMV CEO and City Life Deals. 

Actor Isaiah Washington and The Cupcake Critic

The DC to NYC Cucpake Happy Hour

Good times at the Cupcake Happy Hour!

The highlight of the year came from my awesome Cupcake Lovers! Due to their awesome love and support I brought home not one but two Black Street Awards for 'Best Blog' and 'Best Website'. While in New York for the awards ceremony, I got to visit Baked by Melissa, Crumbs (Times Square), Dylan's Candy Bar, Magnolia Bakery (Hail Mary) and Make My Cake. Somewhere in there and threw a pretty cool Cupcake Happy Hour sponsored by Sweet Themez Bakery and hosted the Sweet Life Tour showcasing various DMV Bakers. Overall 2012 has been a great year for beloved cuppies. 

Tell me Cupcake Lovers, what predictions do you make for 2013?