Sprinkles Ships Cookie Dough and Ice Cream

Did you know Sprinkles ships ice cream and cookie dough? I didn't!

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Yes, this is yummy news! So now I can bake my own Sprinkles brand cookies at home as well as eat the raw cookie dough? Oh wait...you're not supposed to do that?! Come on, I would never do that. Each container will make 6 cookies and costs $12. 

Ice cream is also available by the pint at $10/pint. 21 flavors are available for purchase. Can someone please ship me some Red Velvet ice cream for my birthday?! It' actually today! You can order HERE.

Will We Ever Solve the Cupcake Shipping Problem?

I was contacted by Angela of  Making That Cake last month to try out her cupcakes. Angela has had her cupcake business for 6 years and is a winner of Food Network's Sweet Genius. She is located in New York and I'm 3,000 miles away in California. Not a problem, right?

She offered to ship some St. Patrick's Day cupcakes to me. I couldn't have been more excited! And this was a first for me: I've never received cupcakes through the mail before.

The cupcakes arrived!!

But what I feared most was a reality: the cupcakes didn't survive. Well, they did make it but it wasn't pretty. I felt so bad because I knew I couldn't review the cupcakes when they weren't in their perfect state. BUT just because the cupcakes didn't look pretty doesn't mean I didn't eat them.

Yes, I ate the cupcakes and they were delicious! These chocolate cupcakes had a mint buttercream and a Bailey's filling. They were perfect for St. Patrick's Day. 

So here's a side-by-side comparison of how the cupcakes looked before they shipped and how they looked after. Not even recognizable. 

The cupcakes didn't survive the mail, but it didn't surprise me. Bakers all over have been trying to figure out the best way to ship cupcakes without having them fall apart during the shipment. The solutions I've seen are: shipping cupcakes in a jar, Cakes-Away postable cupcake boxes, and Cupcake Express. Will this problem ever be solved?

On a side note, the next time I visit New York, I will definitely be trying more cupcakes from Making That Cake. I want a second shot to taste these cupcakes fresh and perfect as they should be. Thanks Angela!

Shipping Cupcake Problem Solved?

I've received so many emails asking if I know how to ship cupcakes. You would think it would be a simple concept, and it is, but the problem still remains. Or does it?

A UK company, Card Cuts, says they have solved the problem. Their product: Cakes-Away Postable Cupcake Boxes. And it looks like they might actually work. Check out their review here.

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Have you tried shipping cupcakes before? Success or no success?

Another Way to Ship Cupcakes

Shipping a cupcake is impossible. Right? Wrong! You just have to be creative about it.

I'm always on the lookout for new and clever ways to ship cupcakes. Two years ago I highlighted Beantown Baker's way of cutting cupcakes in half and shipping in mason jars. Last year Yummy Cupcakes took this one step further and layered the cupcakes in the jars. This year's idea incorporates a new cupcake trend: push pop cupcakes!




My friend Kristin was the first person I saw with push pop cupcakes called: Push Cakes. Now everyone is making push pop cupcakes, including Cupcake Project. She uses push pop holders from CupKatesEventDesign to ship her push pop cupcakes.

Because the holders can be sealed, the cake and frosting stay inside. She recommends packing the holder tightly so they will have less room move around. She also says, "worry less about presentation and more about volume and flavor."

Shipping Pumpkin Cupcakes in a Jar

One of the most popular questions I get is:
How do you ship cupcakes?

Answer: it's not easy. And most importantly, the cupcakes won't look perfect.

Last year I posted about Beantown Baker using Mason jars. You have to slice the cupcake in half and pipe frosting in between.

Photo: Beantown Baker

A few weeks later I attempted this when I shipped pumpkin cupcakes for Operation Baking Gals. Not easy.

A few months ago I posted about Yummy Cupcakes version of shipping cupcakes. They use taller mason jars and layer cake and frosting and cake and frosting.

Photo: Flickr

Last week Cakespy wrote about her idea for shipping cupcakes on Serious Eats. Her idea: bake the cupcakes in the jar. Genius! Saves a lot of time and trouble trying to squeeze the cupcakes into a small jar.

Photo: Serious Eats

Will we ever come up with an easy solution to shipping cupcakes? Maybe. One thing I've learned though, it doesn't matter how the cupcakes look after shipping, it's how they taste! Happy baking!

Featuring: Earth and Sugar

As far as I know, I haven't tasted an organic cupcake. It's not that I don't want to try one, but I just haven't had the opportunity.


earthandsugar is a bakery that "offers all natural and organic baked goods free of preservatives and refined or processed ingredients. Our homemade treats are made with ingredients such as local organic fresh fruit, organic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, Green & Black's organic cocoa powder, and many more quality and free trade products." They also carry a line of vegan and gluten-free cupcakes.




earthandsugar is located in Boynton Beach, FL and does custom orders for cupcakes, cookies, and teacake slices. They also sell their items in cafes around their area.




The big news for earthandsugar is that they are preparing to ship their cookies nationwide, which is good for people like me who would love to try their treats, but live as far away from Florida as possible.




earthandsugar is having a Fan Summer Giveaway where you can win one dozen of their organic cookies or vegan and gluten-free cookies (available in chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, and oatmeal raisin)!! Four lucky people will win this prize. One winner will also receive their natural canvas tote printed with a green living expression.




How can you win? Easy...just become a fan of earthandsugar on Facebook between now and August 31, 2010. That's it. I've already entered, so I probably shouldn't be writing about this because it lowers my chances, but oh well.




earthandsugar also informed me that they will soon be offering shipping for their cupcakes. I'm excited to give them a try. I'll keep you updated when that happens.


Photo Credit: PS Photography

Shipping Cupcakes by Yummy Cupcakes

Rachel from Cupcakes Takes the Cake was recently in LA. Of course she stopped by a few cupcake shops, one of them being Yummy Cupcakes in Santa Monica. She posted pictures of her cupcakes, but also included pictures of cupcakes in a jar. I was intrigued by the cupcakes in a jar because I get so many people asking me about how to ship cupcakes.

Last year I wrote about Beantown Baker's idea of shipping cupcakes in small mason jars. I even tried it myself when I participated in Operation Baking Gals. But Yummy Cupcakes makes it better by taking it one step further: layering.

Looks like Yummy Cupcakes starts with a layer of frosting, then adds 1/3 cupcake cut horizontal, then more frosting, then 1/3 cupcake, then more frosting, then the remainder of the cupcake, then a bit more frosting. They also use large mason jars, instead of small ones, which allows room for more cupcake! And because the cupcake is dissected, it doesn't really matter that the cupcake doesn't look beautiful....the stacking of the cupcake and frosting give the cupcake a unique look. Like this!

Photo: Flickr

Photo: Flickr

To get more info about ordering cupcakes from Yummy Cupcakes, check out their website.

How to Ship Cupcakes

I've always wondered how you could successfully ship a cupcake. Seems like it would be a disaster, but it looks like I may be wrong. Beantown Baker (found via CakeSpy) shows us how to do it!

You will need: one batch of cupcakes, one half-pint Mason jar per cupcake, ribbon for decorating

1. Bake cupcakes as directed and allow to cool completely. Remove cupcake liner and cut cupcake in half vertically or horizontally. Place 1/2 of the cupcake into a sterilized 1/2 pint wide mouth jar. Add frosting to jar. At this point, add some fun extra, such as crushed Oreos or sprinkles. Place the other half the the cupcake in the jar (if you cut the cupcake vertically, it is easier to put both halves in the jar and pipe frosting between the two pieces).
   
2. Frost the cupcake as if it weren't in a jar. Add lid and ring to jar. Decorate with ribbon if you want. Be sure to tell your recipients to slide the lid off the jar as opposed to just pulling it up. Otherwise half of the frosting will stick to the lid.
   
3. Mail immediately or place in freezer for a day or two then mail them (it will allow them to thaw as they are traveling to the unsuspecting recipients).

Now I just need to figure out who the lucky first recipient will be!

I'm sure you will be seeing references to Beantown Baker on my blog in the future. Great recipes and great blog.

Cupcakes by Mail

I love getting packages! Sometimes just the anticipation is more exciting than the actual item arriving. I have heard about cupcakeries shipping cupcakes, but I have a hard time believing that the cupcakes arrive intact and not stale.

Crumbs Bake Shop has recently begun shipping their baked goods. I have never had a cupcake from Crumbs, but they sure look tasty. You can order their cupcakes in three different sizes, but you can only have the Taste and Signature sizes shipped to you.

Has anyone had cupcakes shipped to them? How did they taste? How expensive was the shipping?