Magnolia Bakery Still Rules the Cupcake World

I'm doing one of those "Post 5 Artworks..." challenges on Facebook [find mine here], and I thought I'd make it more complicated for myself by making blog posts with the art. Each day a different blog. [Yes, I have 5+ blogs. Ack!]

Blog #4 is Dessert Safari [originally Cupcake Safari] created in June 2009. Not sure exactly what compelled me to have this subject split off from The Glutton's Progress -- an art exhibition perhaps? I circle around the concept of a dessert safari as an art project every so often. What does that mean? It's a secret!

For now, have a virtual cupcake:

Anne M Bray, Magnolia Vanilla/Vanilla, Prismacolor pencil on paper, 8x8", ©2010 

Severo recently brought home one of these sweeties and they still taste great. I'm SO glad there is now a branch here in LA at 8389 W 3rd Street x Orlando. In 2010, he'd schlep home a dozen in Tupperware from NYC whenever he had a gig nearby.

OK, now I want a cupcake.

Orange Cake in Vancouver

The best I've ever had!

The frosting is almost as thick as the cake!

Purebread
159 W Hastings,
Vancouver, BC

8:30am - 5:30pm daily

It's Cupcake O'Clock, 24/7

This had to happen when Society6 added clocks to their printed items:

available here on Society6

Recomposited 12 of the cupcake sketches from 2010 + 11.

Individual cupcake sketches can be seen on my art website here.

The Sprinkles ATM

I had an errand to run in Beverly Hills, and I thought a visit to the Sprinkles ATM would be a nice reward.
I didn't factor in the fact that it was Valentine's Day. Oh well, live and learn.

It was a gorgeous day. Many people had the same genius idea.

Loooooong line for the shop on the right, ATM line on the left.
No line for Sprinkles Ice Cream!

A dapper gent in his V-Day finery.

The ATM!
"Automated Treat Machine"

Delivery of my cupcake

Yes! "Take me home!"

Glamor shot -- The Sprinkles Vanilla/Vanilla

Cross section -- YUM!

I'm going to return -- AT NIGHT -- with The Enabler.
There were some fun elements to the ATM experience that I couldn't capture on such a bright, sunny, and crowded day.
I vote "YES" to the Cupcake ATM experience.

It's Our Sweet Sixteenth AnneSeverosary

You: the sweetest guy ever!

What better way to celebrate then here publicly on Dessert Safari!
You are known in these parts as The Enabler.
As I type this, you are flying home from a gig in NYC, bringing cookies from Pies-N-Thighs. Mmmmmmmmmm. Can't wait!

Last year at this time, we were in NY together and ate our way around the city, as is our want. One of the most memorable experiences was going to ChickaLicious Desset Bar. I don't know if I wrote down what we had, and I certainly can't remember every delicious detail from the photos. So here are a bunch of images, with dollops of text.

from the outside looking in

sit at the bar, like you would at a sushi bar

you can watch how they assemble stuff

caffeine!

 We ordered the three course prix fixe dessert

the amuse bouche - it involved earl grey flavor in one of the layers

Brown Sugar Panna Cotta with Pink Grapefruit Sorbet and Toasted Pistachio
(lifted from current menu, which "changes daily")

apple cake? spice cake?

truffles, shortbread cookies, something covered with coconut

happy gluttons!

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar

203 E 10th St
(between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003

(212) 995-9511

www.chikalicious.com
yelp link

Note: The Dessert Club (across the street) is NOT THE SAME

Here's to you, my sweetie! (Made you blush - hahahaha).
Looking forward to many more desserts with you! xxox

Desserts, I've Had a Few...

Cupcake Safari is now Dessert Safari!

Looks like I wrote only 3 posts last year. This does NOT mean I've stopped eating cupcakes, by any means. I just stopped drawing them and didn't go anyplace new worth writing about. I decided to widen my subject matter to all desserts (like all those desserts have widened me - haha). As was my original plan before I became a devotee of the cupcake cult.

To get started, here is my new favorite Indian sweet: Chum chum (or cham cham)

Per Wikipedia, "The main ingredients are flour, cream, sugar, saffron, lemon juice, and coconut flakes."

Lada spotted it in the fridge at Jay Bharat, our Artesia Digital Goddess hangout.
Must return for more... Sketch-worthy...

Note: if you still only care about cupcakes, click on the cupcake label over on the sidebar >>>>

Conclusion of the March Austin Cupcake Orgy

Nothing like a cupcake cliff-hanger...
I last wrote on March with a "to be continued..."
Life (and the SpyGirl fashion blog) took over. Not that I went on any sort of cupcake hiatus! I just haven't had time to write them up.

So, to continue on the cupcakes we ate in Austin...
Our pal Debonee drove down from Dallas, a rather hellish drive in the rain. After a large feast at The Boiling Pot, and bunch of social activities, we returned to our motel, making a stop at Quack's en route. Quack's makes a "Texas sized" lemon meringue cupcake and we wanted to do a lemon taste-testing. I think maybe they were out and we had to return later... because our tray of sweets was very brown in hue:

I don't remember what flavor that cupcake was... peanutbutter? (I don't like peanutbutter but The Enabler does). In the middle was a cake ball of some sort (fantastic!).
The cookies were: molassas, salty oatmeal (perennial fave), and cranberry pecan (new-to-us, great). We sent Debonee into a real sugar coma (she was having palptations!) but she was able to make it home before her sugar crash.

I spent the next couple of days attending TxSC events. The enabler went shopping for baked goods! We had a tower of bakery boxes by the end of our trip:

One of our carry ons was all food!

And the lemon test?

Clockwise from top:
Quack's Lemon Meringue
Sugar Mama's Hemingway
Hey Cupcake's John Lemon
Sugar Mama's Jack's Lemon

Quack's did not disappoint, the Hey Cupcake was good, but up against tough competition. Sugar Mama's came in with the most lemony (Jack's Lemon) and the most bland (Hemingway -- it was supposed to be lime). Funny how a place can get one so right and another so wrong.