November 2nd, 2011
Turning anyone’s passion into a business requires commitment. It is just the rule of thumb.
That’s exactly what a young Baker in Berlin, Maryland has done. The name of her bakery is Cupcakes in Bloom, located at 120 N. Main St., Berlin, MD 21811. Tel. 410-641-9020. You can find Cupcakes in Bloom on Facebook.
Another important thing Shawnee has done. Yes, that’s her name, is to create a niche which has developed a loyal customer base.
I think the reason I love cupcakes so much is because they remind me of my youth. Sorry, but I have to admit that when you are eating a cupcake, you really don’t have to share. You never hear anyone say “let’s split it”. No way.
Cupcakes in Bloom is easy to spot on Main Street. It sits by itself on the north side of Main St.
When I arrived I think the theme was Halloween. I am sure Thanksgiving is on her mind now.
Shawnee told me that she has always loved to bake. Bakers and cooks differ because a baker has to be precise with the ingredients. A cook? Well, as I always say; a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
On top of the counter there were some Schotcheroos, made with Rice Krispies and other sinful ingredients.
Cupcakes can be purchased individually. The ones on display during my visit were so pretty. Shawnee is self taught; no formal training was needed for this natural baker.
I decided that a tasting in front of Shawnee and her staff would be the thing to do. So, the pink lemonade cupcake with raspberry icing was my choice. I loved the colors. The cake itself was very moist and the icing was light and not overly sweet. Very good; easily to be hooked on.
Her niche? Beautiful edible cupcake arrangements. You cannot tell they are cupcakes. If you would like to order one of her arrangements, please give her at least 2 days, but, more time is usually appreciated, especially now that the holidays are around the corner. Please call her at 410-641-9020.
If you would like to see more of her work, please visit her Facebook Page, Cupcakes in Bloom.
I almost forgot to tell you that you can also order minis…everything 100% homemade, with top quality ingredients.
Have a good one!! Talk to you later…
June 12th, 2011
Names like German Chocolate, Chocolate Peppermit, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla Birthday Cake…and Vegan Chocolate Capuccino, Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter…These were only in the dreams of some that need to follow a gluten free diet, among other diets.
My first visit to Sweet Sin Cafe was on January 5, 2010. I wrote a post on that day and you can see it by just clicking on the left hand side of this blog on the month of January, 2010 and scrolling down to the 5th. I bought all kinds of breads, cookies and cupcakes on that visit.
Sweet Sin Cafe is located in the Charles Village/Remington neighborhoods of Baltimore. The exact address is 123 West 27th St., Baltimore, MD. The tel. is 410-464-7211. The website? www.sweetsinbakery.com. The owners are Richard and Renee D’Souza. E-mail is richard@glutenfreedesserts.com.
It is a very simple cafe in a row house. A casual place, bring your laptop, have just a coffee and a baked good, a full breakfast or lunch like we did. There is a board showing the daily temptations.
Since my visit they have opened the sister restaurant to Sweet Sin Cafe. Right next door. Meet 27, American Bistro. It is Charm’s City’s newest, full-fledge gluten free restaurant. That address is 127 West 27th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Tel. 410-585-8121. It is open Mondays through Thursdays from 5 until 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5 until 11 p.m. and Sundays from 5 until 10 p.m.
Visiting the Cafe with Susie and now with John, the one with celiac, I can tell you that it was music to my ears to hear them say “Our menu can accommodate gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and soy-free diets”.
All natural ingredients; some dairy free, soy free, casein free. Soups like Cream of Mushroom, Spinach Mulligatuny, Chicken and Rice, Vegetarian Chili, Shrimp Chowder, Clam Chowder, Thai Chicken and Vegetable Soup are dairy free.
The day I visited was for lunch, therefore, I have not tried Meet 27 yet. I believe that Meet 27’s liquour license is in the works. Meet 27 has appetizers, salads, entrees like Chili Paneer, Catch of the Day, New York Strip Steak, Peppercorn Beef, Vindaloo Pork, Lamb Chops, Veggie Platter and different burger options all made with local and organic dry-aged beef. Their desserts are all house made and some of those options were: Chocolate Mousse with orange sauce and fresh berries (vegan and gluten free), Coconut Lime Parfait on a meringue cookie with coconut creme anglaise (dairy and gluten free) and Black Forest Cake with cherry sauce (gluten free).
We were starving and this is what we had:
The Chicken Tacos – a generous portion and Susie said they were delicious.
Goat Curry – John loves goat. Hey, he likes it. Actually, I do too. Maybe my PR roots of “cabrito”. He accompanied the goat curry with cabbage with peas and carrots and basmati rice with vegetables. Enjoyed it!!
Penang Chicken with Chana Masala, which were chickpeas in Masala sauce. Added plantains and black beans with salsa and yogurt and what a lunch I had!! The portion was huge for lunch, but it was so good; the right amount of spice. The color and aroma were to die for.
I like to try different things and I had an Organic Raw Kombucha as my drink. It was good but I had to take a few sips before I acquired the taste for it. You would have to decide. You are either going to like it or hate it.
Even with all that food we ordered cupcakes. Sweet Sin is also a complete bakery. You can find their offerings at stores like Wegman’s, Whole Foods and Roots Market. Have a Special Occasion? Visit the above mentioned website for more info.
We ordered a Key Lime Cupcake, and a Carrot Cake Cupcake. Both were good but we all decided we liked the carrot cake better.
I love that the flavors are not compromised. Whether you have an allergy or not the food is delicious. I think Richard and his wife Renee, who has to eat gluten free, are doing a great job. I hope they keep it that way.
Sweet Sin Cafe has ready to go baked goods and foods. All you have to do is stop by.
I will talk to you later….have a great day!!
April 14th, 2011
What a million dollar day!! If you are here, at the Delaware Beaches, you know what I mean. Just like everybody else, I am trying to spruce up my house for that time of the season when we enjoy that laissez fare type of living. I could not believe that the guy that came here yesterday spent all day cleaning the gutters, power washing everything in sight. My house could be a commercial for Bleach.
Today, I went to one of the favorite bakeries in Rehoboth Beach. Cake Break is located at 7 South First Street. The Tel. is 302-260-9264. Check the website www.facebook.com/cakebreakrehoboth. Cake Break is a gourmet cupcake company but that is not the only thing they bake. They also have special orders, cakes, breads, and buns. Coffee and light breakfast is available, as well.
I had ordered yesterday a special order bread for my husband who has to eat gluten free. It is a vegan gluten free bread and it is sitting on my counter waiting for him.
I noticed that Cake Break had a few new beer cupcakes. I took a few pictures of them so you could see them.
The Black-N-Tan Guinness Beer Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Icing and a Chocolate Rock on Top.
Then, there was the Car Bomb which was a Guinness Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Icing and Jameson Chocolate Ganache filling. They also have a Dogfish cupcake.
They always have the cinnamon buns.
One of the newest additions that attracted my attention were the Cake Pops. They are made out of vanilla, chocolate or red velvet. Diane made me eat one; the vanilla. It was delicious. These Cape Pops were taken to the Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival and they sold hundreds of them. They are easy to eat because one will satisfy that sweet craving without feeling like you ate the whole cake; perfect for a party or hostess gift.
Open every day, Cake Break is a must stop bake shop in Rehoboth Beach. Please remember that this bake shop is a nut free facility, as well.
Talk to you later……
December 11th, 2010
Some of the side streets in Rehoboth Beach might look a little quiet now, but let’s not forget the businesses that are there day in and day out. Cake Break is one of them. Open year round, at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast, serving bagel sandwiches, breakfast pastries, organic coffee and espresso.
Location? 7 South First St., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302- 260-9264. Website is www.cakebreakrehoboth.com. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter, as well.
Their rum raisin bread pudding cupcake/muffin is so delicious with a light icing.
Fresh bread is baked daily: challa, old fashioned loaf, white, and baguettes.
Plus 20 flavors of gourmet cupcakes.
Cake Break is a nut free facility; gluten free, vegan, vegan icing, for those of you with food allergies.
I wanted to pass this info. to you just in case you are walking around Rehoboth and need a sweet fix. But that’s not all because Cake Break is taking special orders for holiday cupcakes and cakes. All you need to do is given them a call.
Have a great Holiday Season….talk to you later….
September 6th, 2010
Once again, Renee hits the nail on the head. It is so funny because when you hear Renee talk, and had never met her, you think this woman must be huge. Her appetite for Annie Banannies custard, and her obsession with cup cakes; eaten practically every day would make anyone gain weight just by thinking about it. Well, she is very thin. Really, I don’t know where she puts it. Her target this week is a Split Cream Donut.
She told me I needed to check the Split Cream Donuts at The Bake Shoppe, right on 222 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. The tel. is 302-226-0176. The owners are John & Joyce Michalek and they have been at this location for 12 years (right across from the Fire Hall).
Rushing I did; had to, thinking that by the time I got there all baked goods would be gone. I could not believe it, they were out of Split Cream Donuts. So, on an on I went about Renee; well, they made one for me just on the spot. Talking about freshly made.
 Split Cream Donut This is a full fledge baked shop and baked goods are all made fresh, from scratch. They have donuts, danish, cookies, cakes, beach cookie cut-outs, sticky buns, mini pastries, rustic breads and rolls, bagels, cupcakes and donuts. The bagels come every day from the Bagel Shop in Milton, up the road, north of Lewes.
 Cupcakes  Cupcakes  Cupcakes  Muffins 
Joyce told me that they are well known for their Polish Babkas. Babka comes from baba, a very tall, delicate yet rich yeast-risen cake from Western Russia and Eastern Poland. Traditional Babkas have a fruit filling; the more modern ones may be filled with a chocolate or a cheese filling.
 Polish Babkas Today at the Bake Shoppe the Babkas were made out with a cheese filling and a cherry filling. As the seasons change so do the fillings change, as well.
 Polish Babkas - Cheese on the Left and Cherry on the right Joyce and and John are very friendly and will answer all your questions about their baked goods. There is coffee available and you can even sit at a table or the bar and enjoy the treats.
I left with my Split Cream Donut and decided to have my own tasting at home. I can truly tell you that I have not had a donut in years. I try not to. They are just too fatenning period. I am not going there. But, gosh, I will tell you that I ate this one with great pleasure. I did take some of the filling out so as not to feel too guilty, though. It was very light and not dry. Actually, the filling was light too. Delicious!!
Thanks Renee.
Talk to you later…you know I will….
Note: The Bake Shoppe accepts custom orders.
June 14th, 2010
What is it about cupcakes? Afterall, we have all been eating them since we were kids. That’s it!! It is not that they are now a little more fancy and even bigger, the idea is the same though. The little cake with a lot of icing.
Yes, I get it. Cupcakes universally evoke our childhood. They are so easy to eat. Definitely easier than a piece of cake. You know how busy we all are; we can really eat them as we are walking or driving from one place to another. Just like eating a hot dog, a hamburger, or a pretzel.
I have even heard that cupcakes are replacing some wedding cakes. I don’t know about that but you never know.
I remembered that the last time I was in Delray, a cupcake store was about to open. On this trip I had to check it out.
It is Cupcake Couture, a Sweet Boutique and it is located at 328 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483. Tel. 561-276-2334. Website is www.cupcakecoutureusa.com.
The owner of Cupcake Couture is Pam Joyner, Cupcake Curator. Her e-mail address is pam@cupcakecoutureusa.com. Their motto? “Life’s short…eat dessert first!”
Unfortunately, the day I stopped by she was not there yet but her employees were very gracious and answered my questions.
The store is colorful. It appeals to young and old. The walls are completely decorated with cupcakes and candy. The displays are full of all that old fashion candy.
The store bakes the cupcakes in-house. As I was talking to the ladies working the store, they were bringing them out.
The key to a good cupcake is that it is freshly baked.
The cupcakes have names like Donatella Vanilla, Jimmy Choo-colate, Christian Louboutinilla, Cocoa Chanel, Red Valentino, Oscar de la Raspberry, Dolce & Banana, Ives Saint Lemon, Donna Karrot, and so many more. They are all listed with their descriptions on the website. At the present time, the website is being worked on but you can definitely get its menu.
There is also an assortment of classic breakfast flavors that change daily.
One thing that immediately attracted my attention is that Vegan or Gluten-free cupcakes are available upon request. Minimum is 1 dozen and please allow at least 48 hours notice. They also have sugar free cupcakes.
Besides cupcakes this Sweet Boutique offers gelato, soft drinks and coffee.
There is plenty of seating available and even flat screen t.v.s that look like ovens in pink and green.
The store had plenty of customers late in the day but in the evening, as I passed by again, it was definitely crowded.
Cupcake Couture could be a good place to get something for a host or hostess or anyone, for that matter. The cupcakes will be a conversation piece.
Please note that they also offer custom cakes. The store is also available for rent for that special party in someone’s life. If you need more information please contact them at the above telephone number.
Have a great week!! Talk to you later….
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