There are two big trends going crazy in the capital city in 2009: cupcakes and bacon. You can get bacon cupcakes at Surly Girl Saloon as well as a “Bacon is the New Black T-Shirt”. But Bacon is for later, let’s cut to the cupcake chase.
We begin with B – Cupcake Culture. And the other B – Bacon Cupcakes.
Surly Girl Saloon hosted not one but two sessions of Cupcake Camp on May 9th. Take a gander at the cupcake capers that ensued via these links:
Cupcake Camp coming to Columbus – on Columbus Underground
52 Weeks of Baking and Cupcake Camp
Columbus on the Cupcake Radar at “Cupcakes Take the Cake” Blog
The (ultra cool) categories for cupcake competition at Cupcake Camp included:
Best Use of Alcohol
Best Use of Bacon
Best Vegan
Most Creatively Decorated
If you dig deep into the Cupcakes Take The Cake blog you will discover a hardcore cupcake culture in our country that is well represented in Columbus. One might say our cupcake crafters are cutting edge.
Maybe it is time you support the motto bacon is the new black, bacon on a cupcake, or both.
Surly Girl Saloon was a excellent site for this event. Carmen Owens and Company have been crafting exotic cupcakes and pairing them with beer for over a year (see my 2008 posts). Jenni from Pattycake was there as well along with many of the of Columbus creme de la creme of cupcake crafters. The only big name missing was Anna Fraizer from Mt. Gilead.
I look forward to the next Cupcake Camp. Maybe it should be semi annual? (See the comment from Kiesha – looks like it is.)
Meanwhile, on the Columbus cupcake culture front.
Bakery Gingham
189 Thurman Ave
German Village
614.449.2253 (CAKE)
Bakery Gingham on the web
Bakery Gingham Blog
Thurman Ave. is busy these days. The Thurman Cafe has been packed everyday since it was featured on the show Man Vs. Food. Right next door, Bakery Gingham is packing them in as well after five months at the new location. Amanda Ellis started out in 2007, tucked in a small space attached to the Brown Bag Deli at the opposite end of Schiller Park. It was a small operation with a fervent fan following. In the early days her mom would occasionally sell cupcakes for her out front as she baked in the back. Things have progressed since then. Think Pink. And think Red as in Velvet – one of her signature cupcakes. You can not miss the signature pink inside and outside of the store.
a leftover from a previous occupant
Bakery Gingham is best known for gourmet cupcakes. If you visit the web site, a menu is available with a weekly line-up of featured creations. There is a larger variety of baked goods in the new space but it is still the cupcakes that keep people craving in. One of my favorites is the Buckeye Nation (with a peanut butter and chocolate buckeye baked inside). Pictured below are: Elvis Has Left the Cupcake – Peanut Butter icing on a banana cupcake and a Haute Chocolate – chocolate, lots of it.
How does poping off $2.50 or more per cupcake keep me contented? After some significant research, it is my opinion that it is the icing. I am not sure what type of pixie dust Amanda places into her icing ingredients but the result is rich, dense, light and flavorful without being too filling.
What goes good with a cupcake, other than another cupcake? Ice Cream! Starting on May 22nd, Bakery Gingham will have Hartzler Dairy Ice Cream. This is a bold move in the ice cream capital of the world (Jeni’s, Denises, etc.) and the home of a huge fan club for Snowville Creamery milk. However, Hartzler churns a good ice cream which I have some previous experience tasting.
CMH Gourmand - Eating in Columbus & Ohio 