Cupcake District
A plethora of shops feeding our craving for these sweet treats have popped up all around town.
By KATHERINE GUSTAFSON | Photos by SUNAYNA JOHNSON
Once the province of children’s birthday parties, cupcakes have become big business in D.C. Whether you chalk it up to stressed government employees looking for cheer in whimsical treats or the influence of a thriving youth culture in the District, there is no denying that cupcakes are the food fad du jour. And rightfully so.
The tasty goods offered in D.C. run the gamut from decadent grapefruit-sized chocolate bombs to dainty vegan ginger delights. The bakers that sell them are doing their part for the environment, whether by recycling or using organic ingredients. You’re sure to find the right shop and confection to fit your taste. Here are four delicious shops to try:
Hello Cupcake
This Dupont Circle boutique combines sweetness and seriousness in a delightful combination. Owner Penny Karas, who learned to bake from the women of her Greek family, is passionate about providing a gourmet atmosphere in which to offer her epicurean treats. The colorful shop bakes more than 50 flavors like triple coconut, peanut butter blossom and raspberry beret, all of which taste like “more.” Those with dietary restrictions will enjoy the store’s vegan and gluten-free offerings.
Hello Cupcake is also a class act when it comes to the environment. The shop uses recycled packaging and twine instead of bags as carriers for its boxes. It is centrally located, Metro accessible and LEED certified.
Red Velvet Cupcakery
The line often goes out the door and around the corner at this Penn Quarter sweet spot, open since December 2008. The business has proved so successful that the two pastry chefs who run the place opened a satellite location in the Dupont Circle store of sister company, TangySweet; another store in Reston, Virginia; and two more in Tucson, Arizona.
The cupcakes here are made from top-notch ingredients like Valrhona chocolate, European butter and Maldon sea salt, and the devil’s food cupcakes are decorated with 24k gold leaf. Much of the dairy and fruit is from local farms, and Red Velvet cuts down on waste by donating leftover cupcakes to local shelters and nonprofit organizations.
Baked & Wired
The cupcakes at Baked & Wired are so big, rich and sweet that it was no surprise to see this Georgetown shop named “best cupcakes” in the City Paper’s 2011 “Best of D.C.” issue. The palette of flavors ranges from red velvet to kooky concoctions like the Elvis Impersonator, aka The Unporked Elvis (banana cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate drizzle); and seasonal specialties like summer’s Smurfette (blueberries in vanilla cake with lemon buttercream). The eco-friendly practices of the bright, welcoming store are the icing on the cake. They recycle everything from cardboard boxes to espresso grinds, which are free for the asking to fertilize customers’ gardens. The milk is local and organic, and the flour is also organic.
Georgetown Cupcake
Founded by sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne in February 2008 as D.C.’s first cupcake shop, this cute-as-a-button cupcakery has hit the big time. The shop is the subject of “D.C. Cupcakes,” a TV show on TLC, which airs Fridays at 10 p.m. The cupcakes—made with top-of-the-line ingredients like Valrhona chocolate, Madagascar bourbon vanilla and European sweet cream butter—are charming confections in a mouth-watering variety of flavors such as mint cookies & crème, toffee crunch, pumpkin spice and strawberry lava fudge.
In 2009, the sisters opened a second location in Bethesda and renovated their flagship Georgetown store with classy, simple design that showcases the colorful cupcake displays. Both shops recycle glass and packaging.
Sticky Fingers Bakery
This pink store in Columbia Heights is the place for the dairy-wary cupcake lover. Sticky Fingers makes the best vegan cupcake in town. In fact, the bakery won a cupcake bake-off against more buttery competitors in a recent episode of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” The cakes that sewed up the contest showcase Sticky Fingers’ imaginative style. The Gilbert Ganache-fried, for instance, is chocolate-seltzer cake with ganache, banana frosting and caramelized banana. The Strawberry Kiwi is daiquiri cake with kiwi curd and strawberry-rum frosting. The Working Blue is ginger cake with peach filling and blueberry frosting.
Along with the dairy-free baked goods, you’ll find organic coffee, tea and ingredients. The store also offsets its energy use with wind power, recycles and uses energy-efficient bulbs and recycled shipping materials.
Baked & Wired
1052 Thomas Jefferson St., NW, Washington, DC
202.333.2500
www.bakedandwired.com
Georgetown Cupcake
3301 M St., NW, Washington, DC
202.333.8448
Bethesda Location
4834 Bethesda Ave.
Bethesda, MD
301.907.8901
www.georgetowncupcake.com
Hello Cupcake
1361 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC
202.861.2253
www.hellocupcakeonline.com
Red Velvet Cupcakery
Washington, DC Locations:
Penn Quarter
501 7th St. NW
202.347.7895
Dupont Circle
2029 P Street, NW
202.822.2066
Reston Location:
Reston, VA Town Center
11939 Democracy Drive
703.464.7075
www.redvelvetcupcakery.com
Sticky Fingers Bakery
1370 Park Rd., NW, Washington DC
202.299.9700
www.stickeyfingersbakery.com
