Katherine Berman Preps Arrival for her "Mini" Cupcake

Photo courtesy of TLC

Georgetown Cupcake's own Katherine Berman is expecting and TLC's DC Cupcakes has a front row seat for all the action! A special episode will air showcasing the entire pregnancy from start to finish and all the high jinks that ensue between Katherine's business partner/sister, mother and staff. The show is slated to air on TLC on March 12th at 10/9c.

Katherine Kallinis Berman Has a Baby Girl!

Katherine (R) with her sister and business partner Sophie
at the opening of their L.A. store.
Photo courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake

Congratulations to Katherine Kallinis Berman (of Georgetown Cupcake) and her husband Ben! On Sunday, February 19th Katherine gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Iris Sydney Berman. Check out their special 'Baby Edition' of TLC'S DC Cupcakes on March 12th at 7PM EST.

           
                         

Happy Anniversary Georgetown Cupcake!

Photo courtesy of J. Jackson for The Cupcake Critic

Georgetown Cupcake officially opened their doors five years ago today on Valentine's Day. Since then they've grown to 6 stores (Bethesda, Boston, Georgetown-DC, L.A., and New York (2), a television show, and several books. To celebrate they are offering customers 40% off of their treats beginning at 7PM today (2/14) until tomorrow (2/15) at 11:59 PM EST. To receive the discount you must watch their 'County Fair' episode and enter the exact number that was bid for their cupcakes. I don't know about you but I will tune in and watch! 

             
                       

Celebrate Fat Tuesday with Georgetown Cupcake

The Mardi Gras Cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake

Celebrate Fat Tuesday with  Georgetown Cupcake's Mardi Gras Cupcake! Vanilla cupcake with swirled buttercream in classic green, gold and purple with a fondant mask. Available only on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at all Georgetown Cupcake locations! But hurry...it's only while quantities last.

           

                

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Georgetown Cupcake

Picture courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake 

Georgetown Cupcake is offering their signature red velvet cupcakes topped with a red sweetheart fondant piece to celebrate Valentine's day. Or create your own Valentine's Day dozen by  ordering a custom assortment like my personal favorites: strawberry lava fudge and strawberry champagne. 

Want to avoid lines? Call your order ahead of time for pick-up or have it delivered locally for $10 in DC, LA, Boston, and NYC metro areas. Not in a metro area? Get overnight shipping for $20. 

Also, be sure to watch an all new episode of TLC's DC Cupcake on Thursday, February 14th at 7PM/EST. 

   

Georgetown Cupcake + ZipCar = Free Cupcakes!

Photo credit: ZipCar

Zip Car and Georgetown Cupcake have teamed up to throw an inaugural party to satisfy parade-goers willing to brave the crowds on Monday,January 21st and visit the ZipCar offices at 403 8th Street NW. There will be beverages and FREE Georgetown Cupcakes on hand for ZipCar members. Not a ZipCar member, don't fret...join for $57 dollars use this coupon to get a $57 driving credit when you sign-up. Enjoy Cupcake Lovers! 

Can't wait, use this code for a $25 driving credit! Join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving

Georgetown Cupcake Opens 2nd NYC Location!

Photo credit: Georgetown Cupcake

Location: 226 W. 44th St (btwn 7th and 8th Avenues), New York, NY 

Georgetown Cupcake opens a second location in New York's Times Square! Located in the Discovery Times Square Museum, the DC Cupcakes Cafe will serve their famed cupcakes while watching episodes of DC Cupcakes! They are open daily from 10AM until 7PM. 

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Celebrate the 57th Inauguration with Cupcakes

Photo credit: Chris Carlson/AP Photo

The 57th inauguration of the President of the United States is underway and, per usual, DC is soaking up all the fanfare and pandemonium. Cashing in on the celebration are cupcake shops across the DMV eager to satisfy residents and tourists alike with their sweet treats- and I'm elated! Below is a sampling of what to expect during the weekend....

Georgetown Cupcake's Inaugural Box

Cost: $29 a dozen 

Available until January 21, 2013

Photo credit: Georgetown Cupcake 

Never one to let a trend get past them, Georgetown Cupcake is capitalizing on the inauguration with their inaugural dozen featuring 3 red velvet cupcakes with gold fondant eagles; 3 vanilla and buttercream cupcakes with fondant US flags and 6 lava fudge cupcakes with a White House fondant topper. More than anything, I love that whatever Georgetown Cupcake does, they do well and have done well with an inaugural box fit for a two-term president. 

 Hello Cupcake's Very Berry Obama

Cost: $3.50 

Available on January 21, 2013

Hello Cupcake bi-partisan cupcakes /Photo credit: Hello Cupcake 

Hello Cupcake will cleverly feature the Very Berry Obama cupcake which is a vanilla cake with fresh berries and vanilla butter cream topped with patriotic sprinkles. This is one clever cupcake with a cute name. Hurry, it's only available on inauguration day. 

Curbside Cupcake's Inaugural Cupcake

Cost $3.50/cupcake

Available until January 22, 2013

Curbside Cupcake's inaugural cupcake/Photo: Curbside Cupcake

Curbside Cupcake recently debuted their inaugural cupcake which is a chocolate cake covered with a pineapple frosting and topped with a fondant Obama logo. I will assume that the pineapple frosting is a nod to his Hawaiian roots? I dig this and look forward to trying it!

Delectable Cakery's Inaugural Cupcakes

Cost $22 per dozen (with 25% off coupon)

Available until January 21, 2013

Photo credit: Delectable Cakery 

Delectable Cakery is throwing its hat into the inaugural ring with red, white and blue inauguration cupcakes or cupcakes topped with an official image of President Obama. Flavors range from vanilla, chocolate and their signature sweet potato. Cupcakes are available in packs of 12 and you can score a coupon for 25% off by visiting their site and joining their mailing list. 

Inauguration Cupcakes by Georgetown Cupcake

Inauguration Cupcakes by Georgetown Cupcake
Photo courtesy of Georgetown Cucpake

Georgetown Cupcake has created an inauguration box to commemorate the 57th Presidential Inauguration. The box contains 3 Red Velvet cupcakes with gold fondant eagles; 3 Vanilla & Buttercream cupcakes with fondant US flags and 6 Lava Fudge cupcakes with a White House fondant topper. The inauguration box retails for $29 and will be available until January 21, 2013.

Celebrate the New Year with Georgetown Cupcake!

Georgetown Cupcakes NYE Cupcakes
Photo courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake

To celebrate the new year, Georgetown Cupcake is taking 40% off of all 100 of its flavors including the new caramel praline crunch and cookies and creme flavors. Enter code 2013 when checking out to receive discount. Offer good on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 from 12:01 AM until 11:59 PM. Enjoy Cupcake Lovers! 

Georgetown Cupcake Owners Star in Windows Phone Commercial

Georgetown Cupcake owners Katherine Kallinis-Berman and Sophie Kallinis-LaMontagne were recently featured in a Windows 8 Phone commercial. There's even a quick appearance by "Mama" and Katherine's adorable baby bump. Great brand alignment and a huge hit for the hometown heroes!

           

And the Winner Is...The Best of 2012

Winner: Cakelove

Tie-Breaker: Aside from being wildly entertaining and informed about their cupcakes, one of the staff members at Cakelove had on a Wu-Tang Clan shirt with every member of the Wu-Tang Clan's names on it. I guess that's a fairly shallow reason to break a tie but do you know how many people are in the Wu-Tang Clan? Enough to put on a shirt. 

Congrats Cakelove!

R.I.P. Russell Jones

Winner: Georgetown Cupcake 

Tie-Breaker: The Sweet Lobby has amazing macarons and won Cupcake Wars' All-Stars with their MacTop creation. However Georgetown Cupcake cleverly debuted their cupcake hamburger at the start of the summer picnic/BBQ season and didn't forget the special sauce, poppy seed bun and cheese. But let's face it, food in the shape of others foods versus food on top of other foods is pretty creative. 

Congratulations Georgetown Cupcake!

Winner: Buzz Bakery 

Tie-Breaker: Baked and Wired has kickin' cool flavors like the Smurfette and the Fat Elvis that are beyond creative and big enough for two people. At the same time Buzz Bakery has the creative genius of Tiffany MacIssac who made an appearance on Sweet Genius. They also scored a 4.3 on their review compared to the 4 received by Baked and Wired. Overall both bakeries are awesome and yes, I gave Baked and Wired points for being next to a moat. Wait, that is a moat, right? 

Congratulations Buzz Bakery!

Best Cupcake Food Truck: Curbside Cupcake

Curbside Cupcake has a special place in every D.C. resident's heart as the first cupcake food truck. It's destined to go down in D.C. history with Marion Barry and  Ben's Chilli Bowl or Yum's carryout. With new locations in Pentagon City Mall and Union Square, they've revolutionized the food truck industry...lobbied and withstood city regulations and at the end of the day keep it classic.

Congratulations Curbside Cupcake!

Best Liquor Infused Cupcakes: Pretty Girl Cupcakery 

Pretty Girl Cupcakery is an oasis in the cupcake desert of Prince George's County, MD. They explore with various flavor choices but still keep it classy, San Diego. Their liquor-infused strawberry champagne cupcakes have been personally tested by yours truly (twice, don't judge me) and I am pleased as punch to congratulate them on their win!

Congratulations Pretty Girl Cupcakery!

Best New Bakery: Pretty Girl Cupcakery 

Pretty Girl Cupcakery is an exquisite cupcake shop located in suburban Maryland that is truly making its mark on the cupcake scene. They deliver on their promise with delightful waitstaff, innovative technology all housed in a perfectly pink and vanilla box shop. 

Congratulations Pretty Girl Cupcakery!

Best Online Bakery: The Butter Scotch Shop

The Butter Scotch Shop is one of my favorite online bakeries. Their moist and fluffy creations are reminiscent of my own grandmother's cupcakes; and that is hard to do. Owner Brandiss Smith creates each batch with love and delivers with a smile. 

Congratulations to The Butter Scotch Shop!

Best Vegan Cupcakes: Sticky Fingers Bakery

Although most shops have adopted handsome vegan and gluten-free offerings, Sticky Fingers Bakery in Columbia Heights, DC is the Vatican of veganism. It would be a travesty for them not to win this category. Further rockstar baker, owner, author, and two-time Cupcake Wars winner, Doron Petersan is the face of veganism in D.C. 

Congratulations Sticky Fingers Bakery!

Winner: Sprinkles Cupcakes

Tie-Breaker: Although I'm still steamed that DC doesn't have a Cupcake ATM or ice cream store, I am happy that they exist and are only a plane ride away. Further their expansion to the UAE is well, epic! But the true tie-breaker is their announcement of curbside service which makes the Critic very happy when attempting to park on those Georgetown Streets!

Congratulations Sprinkles Georgetown!

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?