For those who don't know, I've always loved baking. But before I get into my first cupcaking excursion in a city of cupcake snobs, you need a little background info. Last summer I had the great pleasure of interning with Yum Cupcakery (now Sarkara Sweets Cafe). It was one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had; I didn't want to leave, but New York was calling. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the first of the Things I'll Miss about the Swamp:
(Source: Sarkara Sweets)
Yum/Sarkara is owned by Stephanie and Susan Claire Browning, two lovely young women following their dream of serving delicious sweets to the good students and people of the Swamp. Their concept is one-of-a-kind (at least I've never heard of anything like it); think Coldstone or Build-A-Bear for cupcakes. Various flavors of cake are already prepared, along with a smorgasbord of cream cheese buttercream frostings. Customers come in and select their cake, filling, frosting and topping(s). A few pre-made cupcakes are there for the grab-and-go type (or indecisive/intimidated first timers).
Vanilla cake with coconut frosting, gold pearls and a fondant flower
(Source - Yum Cupcakery)
They wonderful pull-apart cupcake cakes and other yummy things for catering orders. They also have a strong following of people with dietary restrictions; they offer gluten-free and vegan cupcakes, along with treats for those on the raw food diet. I've never had the raw, and the gluten-free is (naturally) a little funky for someone who isn't used to non-wheat flours... but the vegan is DELICIOUS. Sometimes I chose it over the regular cupcakes!
Hello Kitty Pull-Apart Cupcake Cake
(Source - Yum Cupcakery)
Now I know a lot has changed in the months since I worked there, but Stephanie and Claire's generosity and kindness will never change. These girls love creating new recipes, tweaking and perfecting until everything is absolutely perfect. In my summer at the Cupcakery, I learned so many random things that I would have never learned otherwise. For example, if you can trick your brain into thinking it's eating the most peanut buttery goodness by just adding a touch of sesame oil. There is always a market for unconventional flavors. Cake should be hand mixed, no matter how much it hurts your forearms or you look like a crazy person stirring moonshine on the bayou.
Red velvet cupcake with champagne frosting, pink pearls and red sugar
- a personal favorite
(Source - Yum Cupcakery)
This experience changed my life. Baking became a ritual. There was something soothing and repetitive about following the natural order - sift dry ingredients, cream butter and sugar, add wet ingredients, add eggs one at a time, alternate dry ingredients with milk into wet ingredients. It was everything about science that I liked, except you got to eat the end result. When I took vacations or didn't work for a few days, I missed the process.
Chocolate cupcake with blueberry frosting and chocolate sprinkles
(Source - Yum Cupcakery)
I loved the look on someone's face when they tried something new for the first time, or when they remembered just how important it is to do simple things perfectly. So many tips and tweaks went into a simple chocolate or vanilla cupcake - they had to be flawless. And who cares if I had red velvet batter in my hair that day? I just had to get the last scrap of it out of the giant mixing bowl and into Flaubert, the piping bag. For me, the most rewarding thing was talking to a parent with a child with Celiac's who had never had a birthday cake before... until Stephanie and Claire.
Chocolate Cookie Monster Cupcakes
(Source - Yum Cupcakery)
So, in short, although I've always loved baking, and I've always had a thing for cupcakes, working with Yum/Sarkara made it more than just a thing. So now, in my most stressful times, I find space in my schedule to bake cupcakes for friends. I don't mind being That Cupcake Girl. I don't mind passing out baked goods to the security guards in my building, my students or a slew of professors. I certainly don't mind having a cupcake or two around (although I could do without frosting). So although this is far from a cooking blog, expect a recipe or two. I want this blog to be about everything in my life, and cupcaking is a big part of my life. And since I'm currently watching Julie and Julia, I leave you with a quote:
"You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure (and when I say nothing, I mean nothing) you can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. It's such a comfort." - Julie Powell
Next up... my first NYC baking adventure!
