More Sex and the City..and cupcakes!

I'm sure the obsession between cupcakes and SATC will end soon - however for the moment they're everywhere. Selfridges have finally put the cupcakes up on their site - I shall pop in tomorrow to see if they're still doing them, purely for research purposes of course :)

I hope they have some rampant rabbit and boys ones if they're in stock :)

I'll have to pick up some of the limited edition SATC Diet Coke bottles when I'm there too!

My cupcakes bring all the boys to the yard

FANTASTIC!!! I want, I want, I WANT but there's no way a "L" will fit over my "cupcakes"!!! double pshaw!

Thanks to the ever fabulous All Things Cupcake for posting this - its available from Sugadeaux for $25 with postage etc and you can email them at info@sugadeaux.com.au for further info!

Don't their cupcakes look fantastic too!!!

Lala lala..the boys are waiting

Celebrating the release of Sex and the City

Today the movie FINALLY opened in London and I went to see it at the first showing of the day. It was also the first time I EVER went to the cinema alone but I just HAD to see it! And it was worth it - funny, sad, romantic, rude - I loved every second and cried like a girl at the end :) I could gush on about the movie for hours but I shalln't as cupcakes dont even get a mention in it!

Afterwards I felt I just HAD to have a cupcake so I headed to Selfridges to get a Sex and the City cupcake from Lola's but alas they were no longer doing them and more horrifically they only had TWO cupcakes left - both their cupcake of the month, Strawberry with white chocolate so I snapped both of them up :) As usual they were really nice, the frosting was really nice and not too sickly but the base was a little dry but it was still a great cupcake - I especially liked the strawberry bits in the base and the yummy chocolate coated strawberry on top of the lovely frosting!

Nothing to do with Lola's as such but, the staff in Selfridges just get ruder by the day - the man was soooo busy avoiding doing work I nearly had to hit him with a baguette to get his attention!

Also I read in the paper today that the Berkley Hotel is having a Sex and the City afternoon tea this week including cupcakes - its a bit pricy at £45 but if you're interested further info here. They're also doing Sex and the City nights, with cupcakes, more info here.

Finally - go see the SATC movie NOW!! Honestly it rules - some cupcakes would make it even better!

Oh yeah and I didn't eat both cupcakes myself - I took one to Manny at work as a surprise before he went off to a gig tonight :)

Sex and the City in downtown Greenwich...London

Daisy Cakes Bake Shop in Greenwich is having a Sex and the City night on Friday (30th May) to celebrate the opening of the fabulous Sex and the City movie - they're opening late (till 7 I think, but call first to check if you're planning on going!) and will be serving cocktails, having a SATC theme and also giving discounts on purchases. A good excuse for a cupcake end to the week!

The above pics are of some recent cupcakes from Daisy Cakes that I've not added on here before. They were two vanilla (all they had in the shop y'day) which were absolutely divine! The frosting was totally vanilla'y and fab, and the other two are strawberry and chocolate and a jammie dodger which was FANTASTIC although it left me a bit sticky it was worth it :)

Buttercup doesn't let me down...

I made an excuse to go to Wholefoods in Kensington High St yesterday as I REALLY craved a Buttercup Cake Shop cupcake....is that bad? And is it worse that I had two instead of the one I promised myself I'd have?

As usual they were absolutely GORGEOUS -each time I eat one of their cupcakes I think that they are my favourite cupcake store in London...and I think they may be. Maybe its cuz their name, and cakes, are very similar to my all time favourite in New York, Buttercup Bake Shop. As well as their cakes, I love their moto - "Life is uncertain, Eat dessert first!"

Anyways I had a vanilla purist (to DIE for), a banoffee (oh.my.god this was GOOOOOD!), while Manny had a chocolate purist (he loved it was usual) and a cookies 'n' cream which he was rather orgasmic about while eating it...lots of "oh my's"!!! I tried a bit of the frosting from his cookies 'n' cream one and "oh my" was correct - it was UTTERLY fantastic frosting - I didn't care about the cake under it, which of course was lovely and light as usual, that frosting was enough to make it a must have cupcake next time! On their website it says that its just vanilla frosting with oreo dust, I'd say the Oreo dust adds that something extra special to it!! Definitely worth the trip to Kensington for...make an excuse, you need something from Wholefoods, it always works for me :)

I'll be back :)

Cupcake cottage for sale

I've been keen to try Cakeadoodledoo's cupcakes since I saw their website, and now I could, theoretically, buy the house where the business started...and even better than it being a place where cupcakes are baked...its pink

The larder of her pink, thatched cottage is filled with sacks of flour, edible glitter and chocolate sprinkles; and on the kitchen table is a lever-arch file bursting with orders. Kate shakes her head when she looks at it: "My business has increased by over 500 per cent this year; it scares me. I need an industrial cooker and a bigger kitchen - that is the only reason why we're selling the cottage."
She currently bakes six or seven orders a day, with up to 50 cakes in each batch. "When I make over 300 cakes in a day, I begin to get a bit weepy," she says. "And when I walk across the kitchen floor, it crackles with sprinkles and silver balls."
A website of mouth-watering cupcake images (www.cakeadoodledo.co.uk) and pretty gift-boxes with ribbons and magnets, helped to get the online business off the ground 18 months ago.
"You must have a cupcake," Kate says, reading my mind. It is chocolate with dark and white chocolate, swirly icing, topped with a Malteser - her favourite. "Cakes are good for the soul," she says. And hopefully for selling a pink cottage, too...

Further details about the house sale and the Cakeadoodledoo business can be found here

(Pic taken from Cakeadoodledoo.co.uk - thanks)

Any excuse for a cupcake!!

or two!

It was my friend Kevin's 40th birthday on Saturday so I popped to Primrose Bakery to get him a cupcake and couldn't resist picking up a few for myself and Manny and a couple of little ones for my friends Grey and Dawn.

I also had a coffee and a melting moment biscuit in their little coffee area - however it wasn't the lovely relaxing cup of coffee I was hoping for, nor was it particularly welcoming, with staff chattering over my head, and seeming perturbed at their conversations being interupted to serve myself and others that came in. One of the owners was in there when I went in and when I said "hello" (as you do when you go into a shop...or is it just me?) - I got a grunt and a forced smile - mind you I didn't take it personally after seeing their pic in the Mail.

Therefore I think this might be my last visit to the shop, which is rather unfortunate as their cupcakes are really nice and I really love the little shop with its ultra cute little cafe bit but I don't like to visit places where you are made to feel like your interrupting their day - don't run a cafe if you plan to make people feel like they've invaded your front room is my personal opinion!

I particularly found it rather perturbing that when you buy a load of cakes they don't offer a bag- not a problem to me as I always carry bags with me but the woman in front of me who bought a whole cake and a big box of cupcakes, at the cost of over £40, and wasn't offered a bag before the girl just wandered off to continue her conversation seemed rather pi**ed off - not a way to get repeat business I'd say.

Like I said the cupcakes were absolutely gorgeous - the frosting's very nice and the cakes are always fresh tasting - so at least their attitude doesn't curdle the cupcakes. Alas it does put me off visiting! There are enough other places in London that make lovely cupcakes without the attitude.

Getting my mitts on cupcakes!

Woolworths have a new cupcake kitchen range and its on offer at the moment so I picked up these cute oven gloves for £3 and I'll be going back to get a couple of other bits tomorrow and will post up the pics!!

The streets of London are lined with cupcakes

I found this interview with the ladies from the Great Cake Escape on Londonist's website

The streets of London are evolving. Once upon a time, they were paved with gold. Then came the more practical tarmac. Recently, dog turds, phlegm and spent gum have layered our thoroughfares. Now, The Great Cake Escape are on a mission to line our streets with...cake.
We caught up with the duo who, by an incredible coincidence of nominative determinism, go by the names Cherry Bakewell and Fondant Fancy.

So, fill us in with a little background. What's the basic idea?

Cherry: We make and decorate cup cakes and leave them dotted around the streets with little messaged flags. We hope discovering our cakes makes people smile and stimulates curiosity.
Fondant: We simply want to add dash of vibrancy to this urban utopia of ours. We like creating scenes of contrast -- so we adorn everyday locations, such as derelict buildings, pavements and weather beaten window ledges, with a vivid splash of sugar.

Is it just little cup cakes, or do you ever liberate other cakes? Or perhaps even biscuits? Biscuits are more hardy and would stand up to a short spell of rain. We think you should try biscuits.

Cherry: Biscuits, eh? I’ve never heard such heresy!
Fondant: Well, it’s just little cupcakes at the moment but we’ve been nattering about using biscuits when we do festivals this summer.
Cherry: ‘Take the Biscuit’ could perhaps be our brother project? So if there are any tasty gingerbread men out there who fancy taking up the challenge, they’re more than welcome! We’re about little cakes for now--they’re so handy for transporting and dropping.
Fondant: I don’t think the biscuits would last very long in my kitchen--I’d have devoured them before we’ve got around to any icing. Although, imagine the fun you could have with party rings!

I have to say - while I love the idea of cupcakes just appearing all over London, unless I actually saw the person putting them down so I could immediately have one I'm not so sure I'd want to eat a cake I found on the streets - as the interview says the streets of London are filled with spit and shit and I'm not that keen on cupcakes covered in peoples cough, or poo for that matter!!! Although just finding a cupcake would make me smile and thats kinda what they are aiming to do so its all good!

Good on the girls though - what a great way to spread cheer throughout out occasionally grey city! Like urban gardening but with frosting :)

I may have to go check them out at the London Roller Girls next event!

*for the rest of the interview click here, or the link above! Thanks to the Londonist for the pic and the quoted bits :)

Sex and the City Cupcakes

were launched today at Selfridges made by the ever wonderful Lolas :)

Although I couldn't make it, my lovely chum, and fellow cupcake enthusiast, Helen went there before meeting me for coffee at Candy Cakes and got me this lovely "I love the big apple" cupcake which was all glittery and fabulous! As you may notice I lost my "l" and a smidgen of "e" on the way home but it still tasted as wonderful as I have come to expect them, all light and yummy with super frosting! I adore the glitter and the fact that the cupcake speaks the truth - I DO love the big apple!!!!!

I'm going there tomorrow to get Manny a "Samantha" one - so be prepared for more pics! All the while singing the theme tune to the show in my head and imagining I'm not on Oxford Street but on Park Avenue being fabulous (in my imagination I wont be in jeans and trainers but some fancy frock and big shoes which in reality would cripple me and my flat feet!)

I can't wait to see the movie...wonder if they'll have cupcakes in the cinema!!

Cupcakes and bakes

Another new cupcake discovery today - Cupcakes and Bakes in Greenwich's newly launched weekly food market. They will be there Wednesdays and Thursdays so pop along and try some of their lovely cupcakes. We had a vanilla and a chocolate with vanilla frosting and they were very yummy with lovely frosting! I loved the home made taste of the cakes as well - I really do like it when cakes TASTE homemade rather than churned out in a factory!

I shall be returning!!

Sorry the pic isn't the best - my cameras being a pain and also the cakes were in my bag for a while and got a wee bit squished - still tasted fab though!

The cult of the cupcake...

They are calling it the Marie Antoinette diet. And even Victoria Beckham, who strives to be Hollywood's most fashionable - and thinnest - woman, has become a convert to the latest food fad: the cult of the cupcake

Firstly who'd have thought that stick thin "Posh" eats anything never mind the alleged cupcake a day, secondly I googled the Marie Antoinette diet the Daily Mail's article yesterday refers to and boo hiss I can't find anything about it. The press is LYING to me! Here was me thinking there was some kind of cupcake diet I could follow, literally having my cupcake and eating it, but alas its a lie! Although having said that even with the amount of cupcakes I'm eating I'm still losing weight so they MUST be good for you! How could something so cute and tasty possibly be bad for me anyhow!

Lots of stuff about cupcakes can be found here in the article about Heidi Klum and cupcakes. Its basically a rehash of the Telgraph article from last week, where again Sex and the City gets full credit for getting us all eating cupcakes.

Again there's mention of the Sex and the City themed cupcakes at Selfridges but no further info, I'm going to have to take a trip down there this week to investigate!

Also thanks to Helen for sending me the link yesterday am - she knows me so well!!

Box of cupcake goodies

There were so many cute pics to share I couldn't fit it all into one post so had to make it into two!

As well as the fantastic cupcake Manowar bag Renee made me she also bought me some fantastic cupcake goodies, including some fab sprinkles, with some fab cow, dolphin and dinosaur ones, black sugar and some fab cupcake cakes! Also some incredibly cute silly feet silicone cupcakes cases! How cool are they!! I cannot wait to get baking and use them! Think I'll have to take a day off work to bake! And to top it all they all came wrapped up in a ultra-cute cupcake bag!

In all it was a box of total cuteness which put a smile on my face for days, and still continues to do so!

When I get baking using htem I shall take pics and post them - I only wish Renee didn't live so far away so she could try my silly feet cupcakes! She really deserves a cupcake for sending me such grand goodies!

All hail Manowar!

and my adorable friend Renee, and of course cupcakes!!!

I don't think there was anyone in the world luckier than me last week when a HUGE parcel arrived from the States for me from my lovely chum Renee. I almost died when I opened it - inside was a veritable feast of cupcake goodness.

First and foremost she had hand-made me the most fantastic handbag from a tshirt of my favourite band in the world MANOWAR and some cupcaketastic material she'd found! How cool is it!!! Seriously I don't think I've ever received such a cool gift!! The only thing that could better it would be Joey De Maio covered in frosting but hey I couldn't carry my shopping in him ;)

All hail Renee :)

Nelly Poskitt's yummy box of cupcakes

I've hunted high and low to find some info about Netty Poskitt but have found nothing except a mention in Time Outs market guide, however I can confirm she makes exceedingly cute and yummy cupcakes which are for sale at Whitecross Food Market every Friday. I got this adorable little box of cakes for £3.50 and shall be returning to get some of the larger ones soon and ask for some more info about them!

The Cookie Girl

On Saturday I finally made it all the way down Portobello Market and found the Cookie Girl. I'd emailed her in the week and she kindly offered to keep me a box of cupcakes if she started to sell out so I felt I should go down and get them - which was an incentive to go into the busy Market on the hottest day of the year so far!

The cakes are DEFINITELY worth braving the crowds for and the Cookie Girl is lovely and friendly - someone you can tell loves their job!!! The stall looked utterly adorable and so did the cakes and cookies. I bought 4 cupcakes, 3 vanilla and one with dulce de leche (drooooooool!!!!) and got Manny a slice of the scrumptious looking chocolate cake as I felt he'd divorce me if I didn't and he saw the pics! They came to a bargain price of £8!!

An utter bargain for a some small slices of heaven!!!! I managed to resist eating any of the cakes on my walk around London, (I walked from Ladbrooke Grove to Waterloo) and got them home safe and sound where they were immediately devoured, not all by me, but nearly! They were utterly gorgeous, not too sweet with perfect frosting. Manny allowed me to try a little bit of his cake and my gosh it was lovely and moist with stunning frosting/ganache on :)

If you're in the area on a Saturday pop down and buy things, you wont regret it, and if you're not in the area, GO!!!! I shall be going back to get a cookie as I forgot to buy one, and some cupcakes I'm sure!

Diet cupcakes

Diet and cupcakes aren't really two words that go together, but I am still managing to lose weight while eating cupcakes so maybe this tea also works. I spotted it in Wholefoods and just had to buy it! I've not tried it yet though as fennel tea doesn't really appeal ..I'm more of a Twinings English Breakfast to be honest. Maybe I can persuade Manny to try it and gauge how awful it is by the face he pulls when he tries it!

I think I should give it a try as if I keep eating cupcakes the way I am I'm going to end up looking like the cupcake person on this box! But then I'd look so scrummy I'd only want to eat myself..it'd be a vicious circle!!

In bed with cupcakes

I picked up a pair of cupcake pyjama bottoms from Primark on Wednesday for £4!! They go well with my lovely cupcake pyjama shorts set :)

I wont be eating cupcakes in bed though...crumbs get everywhere!

If I worked in a cupcake shop...

I'd not only be the size of a house and have to be squeezed Winnie The Pooh style through the door, I'd also be HAPPY! Imagine being surrounded by cupcakes ALL DAY! Just looking at a cupcake makes me nearly as happy as eating one..not quite, but you know what I mean!

However when I've gone to the Primrose Bakery, on both occasions its seemed like a chore to serve me, and others that are there too. I understand that I'm not quite of the ilk of their other customers, like the reputed fans Kate Moss and Sadie Frost (well I do look like I eat AND digest the cupcakes I buy rather than chew them and sick them up!) but still, I'm spending money in your store...would it kill you to be pleasant, and perhaps pass the time of day with me?!

When I first walked into their little cafe/bakery I swear I was like a kid in a candy store - the place is totally cute and full of nice little nik naks...and CAKE...but still the people working there seem harassed and perturbed. I know they're busy but seriously I'd LOVE to have the opportunity to open my own bakery and work there! I'm ALWAYS really polite to people in shops as I know how irritating it is for people to be rude to shop assistants from my time as one, and more so when it's somewhere fab like this, but I get the same kind of response from the people here as I get in Tescos! When I asked her which flavours they had on Wednesday I was thankful looks can't kill! Usually people in cupcake places are more than happy to chat with you...

For example, when we went to Bea's she came out to personally ask us did we enjoy our cakes, in Berlin's Cupcake the lady who runs it was adorable and so friendly Manny left some of his heart with her (he was quite smitten bless him!), and Crumbs and Doilies couldn't be nicer if they tried, and the same goes for all the other cupcake places I've visited, and there's been a lot!!, ....so I'm not sure what the problem with PB is..it's certainly not their cakes, which are FABULOUS...maybe we're just not "Primrose Hill" material!

Anyways here's a pic of some cupcakes I bought there earlier this week from the gruff lady there. They were really nice, but alas what sticks in my memory is their (lack of) customer service.