#OMGDessertGoals 2017: The Yays and the Nays

Big thanks to my friend Daisy for the heads up about Dessert Goals! 

Dessert Goals!

In sum, Dessert Goals is like Smorgasburg but for sweets specifically and with a time stamp. For $15 you gain entry to Dessert Goals for 90 minutes and the 20 or so vendors selling goods there. Yes, you still have to pay for items even after paying an entry fee. (Worth it for the price of admission.) There were also some classes (photography, how to brand yourself) for a higher price tag that included entry to the overall event. There were freebies at the Dylan's Candy Bar station, the Salt Bar (with salty snacks such as pretzels, chips, tortilla chips, and cheese balls), and some free coffee by Bodum and Intelligentsia. Plus they gave out free boxed water (they planned ahead well in this case). 

Now, you know me and I love me some dessert. So when I heard about this and saw the price I was all in. About a dozen vendors were announced before the event and all 21 were housed indoors on Dobbins Street. A good thing since it was 40 degrees on the 2nd day. 

Since my 2016 Dessert Places post is still pending (and pretty long) I did want to make sure to post about the hits and misses at Dessert Goals I experienced. I'm a person who loves substance over style. So I'd prefer a well executed sugar cookie to a razzle dazzle dessert with too many elements and not enough follow through. That said there were a handful of vendors at Dessert Goals who suffered from the latter and a few who succeeded. I didn't taste all 21 vendors for various reasons but I think I made a good dent in terms of what was there.

YAYs

Silk Cakes: Anyone who has been following my Instagram knows my love of this local bakery knows no bounds. And may I say they might have been one reason why I moved to the area I did 2 years ago. Silk Cakes offered thai ice tea mini cupcakes, neopolitan bites and their strawberry chiffon petal cake (pictured). My friends Daisy and Ko loved the strawberry chiffon and it was quite popular at Dessert Goals. Light, well executed, the perfect strawberry flavor it all melds together and is a standout particularly among much heavier fare. If you have been to a fair and have seen Silk Cakes you need to get it. Don't think about it just get it.

How pretty is that chiffon cake?

Stache of Goods: French Macarons in fun shapes! Kitties! Burgers, Pokemon! In flavors such as black sesame, nutella, and chocolate. The black sesame was subtle and delicious and the macaron texture perfect with the slight crispness on the outside and the soft and chewy nature on the inside. Super good and one to watch.

United Colors of Benetton (with Macarons)! 

Boananas: Banana pudding time! I was near my end point but I had to get this because banana pudding! I had the matcha banana pudding which they were kind enough to let me try first. Not a matcha/bitter overload. They did a good job of having it be part of the banana pudding but compliment and not overwhelm it. Good stuff.

Matcha Banana Pudding folks! 

Ring Ding Bar: This was a bit heavy but well executed. She had a variety of ring dings from PB&J (which I had and enjoyed), strawberry, raspberry, matcha, white chocolate, and so on. I'd recommend sharing one and not consuming a whole (especially one with peanut butter) but it's a good investment and more home grown so not as processed as the typical Ring Ding. 

NAYs

Boqueria: I was super excited for their churros s'mores but man was that a let down. I had 1.5 bites and threw it away. This was way too sweet and the churro is rock hard. Essentially they call it a "churro cookie" but for me a cookie should be a cookie and have essence of churro. Eating a tightly wound churro that is rock hard between some super sweet Hershey's like chocolate and a burnt (yes burnt) marshmallow does not a good mix make. And this is part of why I say substance over style wins out. Boqueria had one of the longer lines in the beginning due to gimmick, but I have to wonder how many people would come back?

Rare Bird Sweets: This was one of the last items I had because it looked interesting. I got the Blood and Sand (based on a cocktail of the same name). Again, two bites and I was done. The flavor profile was all over the place. The eclair was okay but the filling was butterscotch, there was a boat of vanilla mousse on top that had been out and was somewhat rubbery, there was a vial of cocktail that overwhelmed when you squeezed it in with the dessert, and there was a super salty and grainy cookie that was between the eclair and the mousse, as well as a candied cherry on top. (A) The design did not stand up well literally, (B) it was a salty, alcoholic, semi-sweet mess in my mouth and not at all appetizing put together. I guess deconstructed it may have worked but as a whole not good, hard to eat, but pretty cool to look at. 

INTERESTING

Call Me Caramel: This was a gruyere caramel. If you like gruyere this may be for you! It's definitely there in flavor and doesn't assault the senses or have an after taste. But it's not something I would buy in bulk, though I think everyone should try it.

The Brick Boutique: Based on traditional Taiwanese cookies that's a moister shortbread with a kind of preserve fruit filling (pineapple, lemon, etc) it was cool, solid and something that may take some back to their childhood. For me it was an interesting treat. 

SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS (These are places I've had before so didn't try again at Dessert Goals)

Underwest Donuts: Good stuff. Had them last year and they do mainly cake (not yeast) doughnuts with various flavors and a good moisture that keeps the next day. 

Taiyaki NYC: I had this on my birthday and I enjoy it. But it's also quite filling and has ice cream. Due to cold I purposely stayed away from ice cream which meant I didn't get to have 5 vendors food.

CoolHaus: Ice cream sammies! And big ones at that. So, again, this is pretty darn filling stuff. Their flavors range so I'd say see what combos you're into and go from there. Can't go wrong and I haven't yet.

Van Leeuwen: One of the first and most popular artisanal ice cream trucks in NYC and it stays visible. I'm a simple person for ice cream so their strawberry does it for me. And with the warmer months creeping up you may see their trucks a lot in the city.  

Girl in the Little Red Kitchen: Cookies, pies, and other treats from Susan Palmer a local baker spreading her name and treats farther and farther. If you like homemade goods hers are some to get. Especially her cookies. 

So all in all a good time and lots consumed in 90 minutes with some breaks. Had it been 20 or more degrees warmer it would've been ON with the ice cream (especially Mochidori 'cause I dig mochi in the summer time). I'd definitely recommend keeping tabs on Dessert Goals for next year. Bring some cash (or have your cards ready), eat light beforehand, go for one of the earlier sessions before vendors run out of food, and stay hydrated. It's a cool event and a nice way to spend an afternoon, especially if you have the balance of good vendors around with uniquely tasty and well executed treats. 

2014 Year in Review of NYC's Dessert Offerings

The new year is in full swing and so my bakery reviews of local confections is due as well. I have to say in looking it over I hadn't ventured to as many places. Maybe I was eating "healthier" or maybe I was baking at home more. But that doesn't mean that sweets weren't had and I wouldn't take the time to tell you the good, bad, and the unfortunate.

Here goes...

Ivy Bakery - Formally a storefront in SoHo Daniellan now offers her wonderful desserts in Brooklyn at Root Hill Cafe.

Highlights: Everything gooie! The red velvet gooie has a blood red color and good texture just like a bar. The butter gooie is still my fave of the batch. The green tea pie is quite good as Daniellan's crusts are fantastically flaky and tasty. Dunno if she uses high-class butter or lard but whatever it is keep doing it Daniellan!

Dominique Ansel - I tried Ansel's stuff before the whole rat debacle happened. So I feel somewhat comfortable noting what I did enjoy.

Highlights: The magic souffle. The orange in the brioche "shell" had a nice tang but the chocolate mousse inside is the star of the show. The mousse was wet like an undercooked bread pudding it holds semi-firm and is dense and delicious and not too chocolatey or dark chocolate flavored. However it's pretty costly (and small) at $7. Also finally tried the Cronut (Milk & Honey edition)! The FauxNuts have NOTHING on this one. Perfect consistency with the interior being very much like a nice chewy croissant and the exterior perfectly fried like a doughnut so it has a nice crunch. And the cream inside was tasty, sweet, and drizzly through the flaky layers. The inside of the cream was a bit oily so it ran, but it was good. However, I dunno if this is wait in line for hours good.

Red Rooster - Marcus Samuelsson's restaurant was a place I visited on several occasions this year for restaurant week and press dinners. Usually the desserts do not blow me away, however...

Highlights: ... the sweet potato filled doughnuts were perfection. Screw munchkins, get these light and lightly sugared tasty rounds coupled with a nice frothy sweet potato cream that oozes out when squishing your doughnut so it fills your mouth with tastiness. A sweet cream was served as a dollop on the side.

Silk Cakes - Ever since Silk Cakes opened up in Forest Hills (not far from my place in Queens) I have made a point to go on walks with a friend just to stop by their bakery and reward myself post-walk with milk cakes and/or cupcakes!

Highlights: Yuzu cake (kind of citrusy with lemony/limey) with green tea buttercream and green tea truffle in the middle. The cake was solid texture, nice subtle green tea flavors in the truffle and frosting. And the frosting was perfect, super smooth, best when room temperature (not when cold) and is like velvety perfection but filling (hence the name Silk Cakes). Can I say it again? I LOVE the frosting. I also tried the chocolate cupcake with semi-sweet chocolate truffle inside and green tea icing on top. I am addicted to this icing. So good and smooth.

Another addiction? Their milk cakes! The cinnamon milk cake which was reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. It's on the light and airy inside with the right amount of a sweet brown sugar/cinnamon swirl. Much better than a dense Cinnabon roll I tell you. By years end I had tried ALL the milk cakes from the cinnamon to banana, to green tea w/ blueberries and adore them all fantastic with tea. And again, a nice post-walk treat for yourself.

Trois Pommes - This patisserie is now closed.

Lowlights: A friend said she enjoyed their red velvet twinkie and it was fine. It had a solidred velvet balance and taste and the filling is nice, not too much could actually use more on the chocolate/red velvet side since there's so much cake and is light in cream cheese taste.

Cafe Glechik - The owners have Ukranian ancestry and displayed some of their hometown food at Village Voice's annual Choice Eats event last year.

Highlights: I pretty much repeatedly passed this booth for their Napoleon Cake. It was one of those eyes are bigger than your stomach scenarios. I wish I could've eaten more of that massive phyllo & vanilla cream layered goodness. Light, yet filling. Sweet yet not overwhelming. Fantastic.

Hill Country BBQ - I go for the brisket and the green bean casserole but Hill Country is known for their award-winning desserts.

Highlights: A friend shared some banana pudding and chocolate nut pudding. When having the pudding you must have it with the cookies that goes with them. The chocolate comes with chocolate wafers and the banana with Nilla wafers. If you're a fan of banana then the banana chunks in the pudding will be nice and creamy. However, this has to be eaten relatively quickly as the banana tends to lose water and this makes the overall pudding consistency a bit less solid so that you'll be dealing with chunky bits versus watery surroundings. The chocolate was HEAVY but delicious with the nuts, milk chocolate pudding and the cookies inside. Would recommend sharing the chocolate, the banana I could eat alone.

Old Fashioned Doughnuts - While their storefront has closed down this place popped up at the LIC and/or Astoria Fleas over the summer.

Highlights: Joining in on the FauxNut craze OFD's version was the Cream Croughnut. To me it was one of the better fake Cronuts I have had. It's more croissant like on the interior and is baked not fried. It's not dry like the Crumbnut and not too hard yet sweet unlike Trois Pommes version. It is quite soft and there's a lot of cream so it can get messy with the powdered sugar on top. But a very good find if you don't want something fried.

Sweet Muse - This is a new pop up available for purchase online. They specialize in brownies and I got to partake at LIC Flea last summer.

Highlights: I tried their cashew and caramel fudge brownie. It's a large brownie and the caramel had hardened but was still gooey and worked well with the overall brownie. You know I am all about the texture for brownies/blondies and this one had that dense quality I enjoy. Owner Laura Siner offers a wide range of flavors to choose from. There are also inspirational messages packed with the brownie in a mini ziplock.

Two Little Red Hens - This place may be known for their pies but their cupcakes are also very, very good.

Highlights: The chocolate and peanut butter cupcake, chocolate cake that was perfectly moist reminding me of a homemade Duncan Hines texture with peanut butter inside as filling and a fantastically smooth and creamy icing of chocolate and PB swirl.

That is not to be out shined by the pumpkin spice cupcake with pumpkin apricot spice frosting. Wonderful! Red Hens cupcakes can give Sugar Sweet Sunshine a run for the money in terms of the quality of the cake. The frosting was nice, not too thick or buttercream like and I like the added sweetness alternative from the apricot in the spice frosting. Well done. Large size, wish they had a more "regular sized cupcake." But very good.

Kicky's Kitchen - Is the cupcake dead? Not in NYC apparently. New pop up I tried at Madison Square Eats last summer.

Highlights: The pina colada caketail (cupcake with alcohol). Kicky's thing is making cupcakes out of cocktails! And this entails a cake with pineapple and coconut liquer (and some shredded coconut), and buttercream with a rum floater. It is not heavily alcoholic and you'll enjoy the tropical taste. It was fluffy and a reasonable sized cupcake. The cake itself was springy and the buttercream thick and sweet. I tried a taste of the car bomb (had chocolate stout in the cake) which tasted way more alcoholic than the pina colada.

Macaron Parlour - This place is one of my favorite bakeries and makes the best range of French macarons that I've had as far as I'm concerned. But I am open for others trying to persuade me otherwise.

Highlights: I retasted the Giggity macaron, which is a chocolate macaron with chocolate, caramel and peanut filling. Kinda reminiscent of a Snickers in macaron form. Fan-tastic. But would I expect anything less from Macaron Parlour? I think not.

Molly's Cupcakes & Milk & Cookies Bakery - See my May 26th cupcake crawl post for info on these. They were by far the best things on the crawl.

Chloe Doughy - While this isn't a bakery Chloe Doughy does warrant noting. I won a sample of this dough from the NYC Bake Sale raffle. Basically you sign up for Chloe Doughy and get two doughs (one new flavor for the month and the staple of chocolate chip). I'd recommend this as a cool gift to someone who enjoys baking. Like moi!

Highlights: The chocolate chip was divine. While the process of making it is reminiscent of Duncan Hines it is also distinct in the taste, quality of chocolate, and the fantastic smell. It's a standard chocolate chip that stands out as well and the dough held up well after 2 weeks in the fridge.

The lemon lavendar seemed to dry out a bit after two weeks and this may be because it's more a shortbread type cookie. Instructions say to add sparkling sugar and whipped lemon icing. The dough is fragrant like sorbet and the lemon in the cookie is quite light which is why the lemon icing may be necessary for taste. And to me the subtlety of the shortbread alone was enough to have me wanting more.

Sprinkles - You may know them as the place where you can get cupcakes via ATM. They have branched out form California to the fancy areas of Manhattan.

Highlights: Had the mini lemon cupcake with lemon icing and an unnecessary candy disk on top of the cupcake. The lemon flavor comes through mainly in the whipped icing, nice and frothy, and is subtle in the cake itself but definitely there. I'd get again, but a bit pricey for the mini size at $2. Would prefer it to be $1.50 at most, but then again I was in the UES.

La Toulousaine - I don't have a lot in terms of bakeries in Morningside Heights. I had stumbled upon this place and decided, what the heck?

Lowlights: I tried the pistachio and regular "madeleine's." (Notice the quotes.) They were massive and taste less like a traditional madeleine than a kind of pound cake in madeleine form. Mind you madeleine's are buttery cake but this was not the same. The pistachio was not that pistachio. Not bad but not like the formal madeleine. This is definitely not your typical patisserie. For that I'd suggest going elsewhere.

Le Maison du Macaron - I've been here before and being in the Chelsea area they don't only have French macarons but many freshly made goodies available every day.

Highlights: The key Lime Pie macaron definitely has the essence of key lime pie down. Key lime in the filling, green cookie with graham cracker crumble sprinkled on it. Good stuff. Had it twice. 

Vendome Macaron Bar - I'll admit to being a bit biased because the second time I went to their booth (or tent) at Smorgasburg the vendor got a bit testy. Could've been the heat but still...customer service.

Highlights/Lowlights: Their Reese's peanut butter macaron does taste like a Reese's peanut butter cup. Win! The claim to fame for Vendome is dying their macarons and the orange cookie captures the peanut butter and the chocolate ganache filling is tasty. I later had the salted caramel (light blue cookie) good but this one was not memorable. Their nutella macaron was okay as well. I had to freeze it after it was melting so may not have gotten the best of it as the nutella overwhelmed in the chilled/hardened filling.

Treat House - This place is known for varied rice krispy treats. And that's pretty much it.

Lowlights: For me a rice krispy treat is pretty darn simple to make. Add some more bits into it and it may not be spectacular but fine. I had a chocolate pretzel rice krispy treat that was very chocolatey with a chocolate frosting and flavorless pretzel. Chocolate chips were included in the rice krispy and it was aight. I also had the salted caramel which was fine but I'm also a rice krispy purist. And for $2 each they are small for what you get (and could easily make at home) but service is nice and they keep well.

Levain Bakery - This is the big a** cookie place. Cookies the size of your head I tell you!

Highlights: On a splurge I got the pumpkin loaf, deliciously cinnamony, moist. The perfect quality for bread with a nice crisp crust. I am also quite happy because they gave me the "butt" of the loaf so I got a hefty piece. :-)

Kitchenette Uptown - I used to go here more since it's near my job but the lack of scones in the morning (they make 6 a day) and the increasing prices for watered down cider have me going less and less.

Lowlights: Their cakes and desserts are said to be made fresh everyday. I had their red velvet cupcake and I am sorry to say people that it is not true red velvet! While it's a moist cake with creamy icing (that is also not cream cheese). The red velvet has no chocolate flavor, is closer to pink than red in color. So save your pennies if you have a red velvet fix and get something else. Now their big-as-your-hand cookies, namely PB was very good.

Epicerie Boulud - The director of my company brought two pies in from this fancy place. That means she loves us.

Highlights/Lowlights: The chocolate pecan pie was dense, super sweet, and very good. It's definitely a sinful and good dessert. The dark chocolate is so rich and wonderful...

The apple crumb pie however was dry. If you want some good apple crumb I suggest Little Pie Company's sour cream apple. Boulud's apple crumbs were a bit on the dry side and apple inside is fine and cinnamony but nothing overly special.

If I did a Cupcake/Dessert Crawl in NYC, this is how it'd go...

Back in May I wrote about a cupcake crawl my friend Kim and I went on that was ... lackluster, let me be honest, it was lackluster. I kind of had a field day on Twitter in October when people keep suggesting Magnolia Bakery in terms of the must go to bakery in NYC. As in this is the "must" bakery to get for friends outside of the city. It has the "best' cupcakes. That is when I shook my head and tsk tsk tsk'd, my friends. There is so much more to NYC than Magnolia, but thanks for that Sex in the City. 

I'm not saying Magnolia is bad. Food, like art, is a subjective thing. What I am saying is that there's a whole lot out there, especially in a place as large and populous as NYC. So I'd suggest broadening your horizons in terms of the cupcake offerings here and what you may have heard is the "best" when in fact there are hidden gems throughout NYC. Many I have yet to try myself and many I have had the pleasure of consuming. So, if I did a cupcake/dessert crawl here's where I'd lead my group. And also, you're welcome.

• First Stop: Silk Cakes (Queens, LES): I adore the Asian-inspired cupcakes and delectables offered at this bakery. The yuzu cupcake with green tea truffle and smooth as silk (see what I did there?) icing is my favorite thing there along with the new limited edition pumpkin roll and their variety of milk cakes. It's such a treat to have them available in Queens.
• Next up, Fay Da Bakery (Queens, Chinatown): I'm a fan of sponge cakes, there's a pillow-like quality to them that is really good but also pretty dangerous because it means you can consume them like crazy. Fay Da offers not only cupcakes, but cake rolls, strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, and some savory items as well as every day bread along with tea. They're a solid chain and you can rest up, eat up, and simply relax.
• After that is, Sugar Sweet Sunshine (LES): They have the pumpkin cupcake year-round so that was my biggest positive with Triple S. But there's also the friendly staff, the steady good taste of their cupcakes, along with their offering of puddings and trifles that adds to the sugar overload. And perhaps because it's a one -off with no other locations makes it even more of a treat because you know there's only one Triple S.
• And then, Lady M Confections (UES, Midtown West): This is the high-roller stop for some light and creamy crepe cake! This is also the place to feel pretty darn fancy whilst hoarding your dollars to have cake and drink tea with a pinky up.
• Penultimate stop, Ivy Bakery (now available at Root Hill Cafe in Brooklyn): Cupcakes, scones, and butter gooies? Yes, please. Daniellan's homemade goods have a new home in Brooklyn, which is great because I missed her SoHo location. So now there's a sit-down place to get your cupcakes and gooies and some coffee in a warm spot this winter and beyond.
• All aboard, last stop! Butter & Scotch (Brooklyn): I'm so glad Allison and Keavy are opening up their dessert/cocktail location next year. I can get my alcohol and my pies in one spot. Fantastic! I'm sure the spot, once open to the public, will be a cool, comfortable place for you to enjoy your sweets and lounge around over drinks post-dinner, lunch, or just cause.

So there you have it. Some you may have heard of, some not. But all are delicious and this is from a name you can trust. :-)

Interview with Judy of Silk Cakes (A classically trained pastry chef who makes the best dang icing I've ever tasted.)

One of my blogger buddies Lillian (of Sweets by Sillianah) had posted on Facebook that a new bakery was opening in Queens, Forest Hills specifically. Queens doesn't get many new, cool, or trendy places. Lots of new venues tend to start in Brooklyn or if in Queens LIC or Astoria, so the fact that a new bakery that already has a location in Lower Manhattan opened in the middle of Queens was a treat. And so, I had to try it. My friend Lesley and I ventured to Metropolitan Avenue and found a very clean, sparse, and contemporary looking space that stood out among the fast food chains, banks, and realtor offices. Silk Cakes is sleek and clean and has an array of cupcakes at the ready. I was psyched. Lesley was psyched. And we had some cupcakes to reward ourselves for a quarter-mile walk.

I had a yuzu cupcake with green tea truffle in the middle and green tea buttercream icing that blew my mind. What was this icing perfection and unique cupcake that I wanted several more of in one day? Believe me walking away from Silk Cakes was hard but I did and returned and look forward to returning many more times to a unique bakery with Asian-inspired flavors and match-ups that are decadent yet accessible and incredibly tasty.

Since 2006 Judy has offered specialty and customized wedding cakes that look too gorgeous to eat. Her cupcakes are just as lovely with icing curved along the top of the cake like a Softee swirl of ice cream and is just as smooth, believe me. If you're in the Rego Park, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens area, or just along the Queens Blvd line I implore you to visit and get a taste of Judy's experience and passion for desserts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The buttercream icing of your cupcakes is unlike any I’ve had before. The texture is reminiscent of silk. It’s smooth and creamy to the touch yet has a solid texture so you don’t have to worry about it losing its form. Not to ask secrets but how long did it take you to create/perfect your icing recipe?  

Many years.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not only are the culinary arts part of your family background but you trained at the French Culinary Institute. What do you think were some of the best things you took away from your time there and at L’Ecole? 

As a classically trained I learned the essentials of many desserts. At L'Ecole, I was in charge of pastries for the a la carte and came up with many innovative desserts. This is where I came up with so many of the unique flavor combinations available at Silk Cakes.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silk Cakes' website notes that you do “Asian inspired designs” and “unique flavor” combinations. Do you think that items such as matcha and green tea, considered more staples of East Asian dishes/desserts, are starting to become more mainstream in American pastry shops? Do you think there’s a method to getting these specific flavors into a dessert without them being lost or too heavy?

Silk Cakes likes to offer unique flavor combinations that no one else carries. Since we've opened our retail store in queens, the general public has really embraced these flavor combinations. In time, the prediction is that these specific flavor combinations will become part of mainstream America. There is definitely a delicate balance that we had to discover when bringing two ingredients together. It was a lot of trial and error. Our cakes are not overly sweet either so you can really taste this balance of ingredients.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queens has been in need of more bakeries, especially in the Kew Gardens Hills/Forest Hills area. With Brooklyn being the borough that’s been getting the bulk of new eateries over the past several years why did you decide to open your second Silk Cakes shop (the first is in the Lower East Side) here?  

We didn't want to follow everyone else, and my sister lives in Forest Hills, so she convinced me to set up my second location there. The neighborhood has been very welcoming since we opened our retail store a couple months ago.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You do very elegant and classic designs and, like your cupcakes, nothing overwhelms or comes across as excessive. As a decorator how do you come to know what may be the best way to convey the customers needs/wants into the design of a cake? 

We usually ask clients to send us visuals of elements that they would like to incorporate into their cake design. Sometimes a client may have an idea and what we do is come up with a sketch and walk the client through our proposal on how we can bring their idea to life in the form of a cake.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Besides Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram are there other social media/online outlets people can get updates from Silk Cakes?  

What you listed are the main social media sites that we use to update our customers. Also, Judy is going to be showcased as a guest chef on the YouTube channel Rogers Powell Worldwide Culinary Apprentice at the end of this month. She's going to teach viewers online the basics of cake decorating. Stay tuned as we plan to announce this on Silk Cakes social media sites.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much to Judy and her sister Amy for helping with this interview. I look forward to trying the full array of cupcakes Silk Cakes has to offer during my walks. I feel I've earned them.