Oh I DeCLarE…I did some digging! Naticakes in the News?
SO…woke up to my cupcake alarm clock “ding ding” it was time for anotha cupcake adventure. I decided to head down to good ol downtown Franklin, TN and see what sort of trouble I could get into.
Tweeted the usual “ ”sounds alarms* let’s roll” and all of twitterville seemed to be needing a cupcake fix along with me. First stop…Naticakes for some Nati-Chino and Nati-bites. Hold onto your skirts ladies and gentlemen…I walked in and right in the middle of Naticakes was News 2 my Fav Julie Kroenig, WKRN Anchor/Reporter with her crew interviewing owner Nicole Sloane! Lordie, I know how to sniff out cupcake FUN!
You all know me…always have my camera handy…so as she was interviewing her I whipped out my big girl camera and started shooting! This was like heaven for me! I tried not to be a distraction..as I stood right there next the camera and Photojournalist Mr Ken Wilson and listened quietly..sort of while snapping pictures and smelling all the cupcakes!
As I listened what I heard wasn’t about cupcakes…it was all about Naticakes story and mission Look at Nicole Sloanes face…tell me that woman is NOT on a freakin mission! Lordie…someone give that girl a cupcake…she’s got passion flowing out of her ears ” Whether it’s cupcakes, coffee or conversation, we hope to “make your life a little sweeter” at Naticakes! In honor of my niece (Nati), our mission at Naticakes is to generate awareness and funds for the Natalie Wynn Carter Foundation.” http://www.nataliewynn.com/
So of course after the interview I sat down and broke cupcake with Julie Kroenig, WKRN Anchor/Reporter it turns out she is a cupcakeluva too *poof* we were instant cupcake friends! As you all know I love makin new cupcake friends!! Well it seems Julie had been on a similar path as I..except her path was Positively Tennessee – ish sharing the coolest most positive stories of Tennessee businesses…she and I talked cupcake about all the great cupcake stories and missions of our local businesses.
So…I got to thinkin and I came up with the GREATEST IDEA IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD…however, you will have to wait to hear about it in my next cupcake adventure blog. Until then click here to see the interview and meet my new cupcake friends!
CLICK LINK TO VIEW STORY:
MUAH..my cupcake luvah friends!
S
Dear CuPiD…Shoot me some of these!
So here I was feeling a little under the weather when I get the memo…NATICAKES ROLLED OUT THE NATIBITE just in time for Valentines Day! If you have bought your special someone chocolates..TOSS THEM NOW and call Naticakes. I’m telling you there’s nothing like them..and I’ve had my fair share of cake balls, cake pops, cake whateva but these are melt in your mouth awesome! Did I mention these can be shipped! DID YOU HEAR ME? ORDER NOW BEFORE I EAT THEM ALL!
Remember this is the cupcake with the mission so it’s in your best interest to eat as many as you can! from the words of Auntie-Nati herself ”Mission is to generate revenue and awareness for the Natalie Wynn Carter Foundation (NWCF), in order to impact the lives of children throughout the world. From our sweet products to our mission, we strive to “make life a little sweeter.” Whether you’re catering an outside event, or throwing a party in our shop, we hope that Naticakes will be an extension of your sweet experience!”
“Enjoy an elegant collection of our most popular flavors in a delicate, bite size portion! Our Chocolate Collection features Caramel, Coconut, Peanut Butter, Cookies ‘n Cream, and Opera. The Fruit Collection showcases Orange, Cherry, Strawberry, Raspberry, and Lemon. You may also select a favorite flavor that will be elegantly boxed in groups of 5 or 15. The perfect collection of sweets…for your sweet!” <-more Auntie -Nati
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Thank you Cupid!
If you don’t do it…Christie Cookie JUST IN TIME FOR VaLeNtInEs DAY!
I was planning on a cupcake review today until Noel from Christie Cookie said “you should come by and try our Valentines Shortbread cookie” – first thought…Noel KNOWS I am the cupcake queen, he MUST BEEE REEAALLLYYYY confident in these shortbread cookies to even mention them to me over a cupcake.
Close your eyes and imagine the perfect cookie. DO IT….1..2..3…GO!!!! Now, did you imagine a shortbread cookie? Lordie I would neva have either…until my little trip to Christie Cookie today!
The cookie is homemade with all-natural, high-quality ingredients, hand rolled and oven baked with love and care. It emerges from the oven evenly baked with a hardy exterior, but the inside is melt-in-your mouth moist. The thin layer of satiny frosting boasts a depth of flavor so unexpected it stuns the senses. However, this rich flavor does not overwhelm the taste buds, but rather surprises and entices them into always wanting more and more…and can you believe I am NOT talking about a cupcake?
Just so you are aware they ship!! DID YOU HEAR ME???? THEY SHIP…MEANING GET ONLINE AND ORDER NOW https://www.christiecookies.com - you know I do NOT waste words! They’ve been perfecting the cookie for 25 years…who else would you order from? Be sure to tell them I said HELLO…
*sounds alarms* FiDDLe CaKes *NeW BaKerY – CaFe – CoFFee*
So there I was reading my Nashville Scene cover to cover..have to keep up with everything as you know…when there is was…an ad for Fiddle Cakes. First thought, I laughed..what a silly name then I saw the picture of 2 cupcakes….HIT THE BRAKES LORDIE THERE’S A NEW KID IN TOWN!
Well as you all know I take my cupcake crown VERY seriously here in NashVegas and heck if I was going to let this one go for too long. SO I hopped in the baby benzo and headed for 8th AVE SOUTH baby! Really easy to find and in a cute house…yes the first thing I did was check the door knob – it was original hardware VERY IMPRESSED. Walked in not a cupcake in site…however, I wanted to dive head first into the display case of yummies!
Of course my first question was “where are you hiding the cupcakes” I’m sure the look on my face was priceless..she let me know they keep them in the fridge to keep the butter cream fresh…oh lordie BuTTeR CreAm. She then offered me a mini Red Velvet delight and I took 1 of each of the cupcakes they offered yesterday. Of course she just had to tell me about all the other great things they offered in addition to cupcakes (I was really standing there with my fingers in my ears saying lalalalalalalalal) it’s a European Cafe with anything and everything you would want shi shi as well as CoFFee!
Here’s a link about the chef http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091125/FEATURES0202/911250355/1004/FEATURES/Butter+is+a+baker+s+best+friend
Customer Review “Lindsay Beckner and Tasha Ross opened Fiddle Cakes as a Melrose bakery and cafe. Yummy gourmet cupcakes and big cakes are flavored with common flavors like carrot, strawberry, chocolate and apple. A half dozen cookie varieties are baked as well as brownies. Baked goods are mostly desserts. Cafe paninis, sandwiches, salads and soups are good for lunch. If you come in weekdays at 7am for a breakfast snack try the quiche or yogurt parfait.”
What you really want to know is what did I think? VERY GOOD – and they deliver in Nashville! They are also working on shipping cupcakes – they do ship cookies and other for the holidays for gifts. I will be headed back to try some…but I have a feeling you might be needing to order some if the other yummies are as good as the cupcakes! More soon…promise!
*sounds alarms* Figured it out..THE MInI CuPCake!
So I went back to review the history of the cupcake (pls see below..you’re welcome) really wanting to understand if the Mini. My first thought was some skinny person decided they would create the Mini to limit themselves – shorely they haven’t had a Naticake, downtown Franklin, TN.. today I discovered the Mini Nati.
NOW WAS THE TIME – I HAD to figure this Mini out…drum roll please….the Mini was created so you can have a selection of MANY cupcakes all at once! NOW THATS GENIUS..now you aren’t limited to 1 cupcake or the cupcake split (I will neva understand this one) the Mini allows everyone to have many cupcakes and nobody has to share! YIPPPPIEEEEEEE!!
Eat on my little cupcake friends!
A Little CupCakE HiStOry!
The term ‘cupcake’ is first mentioned in E. Leslie’s ‘Receipts’ of 1828. Breaking with tradition of weighing ingredients at this time they ingredients began to be measured in cups. According to “Baking in America” by Greg Patent, this was revolutionary because of the tremendous time it saved in the kitchen. “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America.” explains that the cup name had a double meaning because of the practice of baking in small containers — including tea cups.
Cups were convenient because hearth ovens took a long time to bake large cakes. Gem pans, early muffin tins, were common in households around the turn of the 20th Century and cupcakes were baked directly in these. Throughout the 1900′s cupcakes became popular kids treats partly due to their ease in baking. In the early 1900′s Hostess introduced the snack cupcake, but it didn’t become the Hostess Cupcake we know today until the 1950′s.
Many people associate cupcakes with the popularity of homemaking of the 1950′s and 60′s although this is an myth. Cupcakes were no more popular during that time period then they are today. More likely is that adults associate cupcakes with memories from their childhood. What is different today is that cupcakes have gone crazy. Traditionally they have been made for children in basic flavors. Today the cupcake has gone gourmet and is playful, hip and glamorous. This craze is here to stay.
Celebrating 1st Year-ish
So today…ahhhhhhh…very interesting start. Had early meeting with publisher and had a text from my friend D while getting ready. We have been having photog dialog which got me to thinking…D and his son T were my very first official photo shoot eva! I shot some pictures of them for his Mom’s Christmas gift and it happened to be about this time of year…I thought it was 2 years ago however, D reminded me it was last year.
At that point I started thinking back…it has only been 1 year since I felt confident enough in my photog abilities to actually charge money for photos. Well lordie, what a dang year it’s been…someone opened those gates and life took off along with my photography! YEAH ME!
Oh and I need to mention….D, T, L, A have had a hell of a year as well…they hired me Nov 08, Dec 08 for Christmas cards, March 09 for engagement photo’s, then again in May 09 for a wedding! Seems my friends and I don’t waste time…ha!THANK YOU CLARKS FOR ALL THE BUSINESS..KEEP IT COMIN!
So back to today…blowing through the past year, there’s been weddings, PR pics, holidays, lots of shoots, recent shoots like baby Hayden, Sloans, Dovers the Monell’s 15th anv book deal, pics published…and they keep coming! That being said…I decided to celebrate with a Naticake cupcake. I haven’t been in a week or so and was missing my cupcakes.
I just finished my meeting with the Monell’s publisher and decided to take my files in and enjoy a little time sitting down and enjoying my cupcake. It was funny, I found myself helping the lady in front of me decide which ones she wanted…I was really just wanting her to hurry so I could get my cupcake and then 2 sisters came in behind me. They wanted to know what a Naticake was, well they sure asked the right person! See they weren’t from around here, they were here from KY so I got to start at the beginning with them and share they were the best cupcakes in the world, then they had to try the Natichino…and then I started in sharing Nati story, mission, and Naticlub info. Before they hit the counter they were both so excited they even bought matching Nati-shirts!
We all sat together and shared stories, the Nati story hit home personally for them so we shared a nice time chatting and learning about each other. It really reminded me how very important it is to always be open and avail to others..you never know who might need you to listen, or who might be there to listen to you. They were both 2 of the neatest, most creative, caring people I have met in a long while. We all shared a hug before I sent them to Monell’s for lunch around the corner. I’m assuming they prob rolled back to KY so full from all the food…ha anyway…I wanted to share a picture of them as well as a picture of the write-up on Naticakes that included one of my photos..what a great wrap up to a blessed 1st-ish year!
Thank you Naticakes for being a part of my celebration!
GiGi’s Cupcakes .. round two
So today while out running around I was thinking it had been a while since I’ve tried GiGi’s Cupcakes. In all fairness I like to keep giving everyone a fair shot at the best cupcake in Nashville, TN.
As you all know, I believe there is an ass for every seat and I think cupcakes are the same…some you will like, some I will like…it’s just all opinions so please feel free to voice yours…and I am always open to trying new cupcakes so please keep me posted!
So I went in to the GiGi’s location music row and was greeted by some great people…I shared with them this was my 2nd visit to GiGi’s and I asked for coaching on picking 2 cupcakes. They were super sweet and I ended up with a Lemon Dream Supreme, and a Midnight Magic with choc buttercream icing. They packed them up and I headed home.
This is what I found when I opened the box. It seems they are top heavy and took a spill…I had them so they wouldn’t move in the car…so I was less than excited.
As far as taste well….they were almost as bad as the Ivey Cupcakes – GiGi’s Cupcakes are runny, way too much too-sweet frosting. The cake portion was dense but gummy and the Lemon Dream Supreme had a chemical-like aftertaste. The Midnight Magic choc buttercream icing was like eating straight sugar…there seems to be a HUGE difference in what people call “buttercream icing”.
So Naticakes is still the champ for BEST CUPCAKE Nashville, TN and surrounding with the best service with a smile. 
What CuP HoLdeRs were REALLY made FoR!
it’s been a while…I know I know, you missed me but I’ve been BUSY working on a book you know…for 15th anv of Monell’s – coffee table photog book as well as a cookbook. Met with publishers last week..shot all 4 locations…lordie it’s been crazy and fun all wrapped into 1 cute package.
So back to the important subject..cupcakes….I was out today top popped on the baby benz wind through my hair when I decided to make a trip to downtown Franklin, TN. Seems the car points that direction whenever it can..I think the baby benz has a crush….on Naticakes! Suits me just fine…don’t think there will ever be a day I will find a better cupcake – EVA!
I always park as far away as possible, my mind seems to think I can eat however many cupcakes I want as long as I work for them…so if I get a close spot I can only have 1..and if I have to park in the garage on 4th I can get 2 only if they SCREAM at me when I open the door. If you’ve ever had a Naticake you know they SCREAMMMMMM LOOUUUDDDDD…
Just as you would think the very second I put my hand on the Nati-Door I heard it….the sreams from the cupcakes..as well as all the chatter from the full house! It seems word has gotten out about Naticakes and the place is always packed….which is fine…they always make plenty of cupcakes!
Wouldn’t you know they just happened to run out of single boxes when I got up to the front…I couldn’t just let 1 cupcake be all lonley in a 4 box…fill’er up I told the cute little Nati-Lady…
So there I was all these cupcakes and I was thinking there was NO way I could wait till I got home so I broke into the box and cut the top off the devils food cupcake while shifting…well I took a few licks of that one and decided I wanted some of the orange dream cucpake – it just looked too pretty not to be eaten however, there was nowhere to put them down…that’s when it HIT ME…the cup holder is actually really a CUPCAKE HOLDER! GENIUS thinking if I do say so myself! The perfect size..LOOK!
now if I can just figure out why they only have 2 cupcake holders in the baby benzo…..
What if there were NO MORE CUPCAKES
What would my world look like if I didn’t know exactly where I could go at anytime to grab a happy cupcake?
Do you know the only reason I love to hike is because it makes it okay for me to eat a cupcake? Do you know I just like driving downtown Franklin just so I can open the door to Naticakes and smell the sweet sunshine? I really do..and I never know what or who’s going to be there to greet me with a smile and have me ask them which cupcakes have the “goo” in the middle..lordie I love my goo!
So last week I went in for a moment of sunshine and there were pup cakes….what? yes…for dogs! I loved it…then she brought around a magical tray filled with these ball things…she called the nati-bites-I call them heaven. They are perfecting the nati-bites to be able to ship and share with everyone around the world! That’s a LOT of sunshine!
So today I’m thinking if Naticakes wasn’t blessing us everyday my life wouldn’t be nearly as sweet and fun as it is today….thank you naticakes!
Cupcake History – NaTiCaKeS
Cupcake History
“I think Im going to try Ivey Cakes 1 more time”
“I think Im going to try Ivey Cakes 1 more time” I say to myself as I pull into a parking spot. I had a reader challenge my thinking on my other reviews of Ivey Cake – so fair is fair right?
But to my hearts dismay it didn’t get better, in fact I think it was worse. I’m so a positive person and can spin anything but they still tasted like a log of grease or butter. Look at the picture, I live 10 min outside of Franklin, TN in Brentwood so I don’t have far to travel and look at it. Now when I say it’s greasy is it fair to say I have proof now? I took a bite and tossed them in the trash.
- Pros: cute shop
- Cons: horrible taste and overpriced
The Cupcake Countdown..GO!
The Cupcake Countdown
I’ve been craving a sweet cupcake
You know the kind that takes your breath away
So I’m here in cupcake heaven counting the minutes till they open the gates
9:49 only 11 more minutes and I’m in..tap tap those toes
9:50 can I last another 10 min? Tap tap
9:51 oh how much more can I take please give me the cake!
9:52 oh what can I do for 8 more min..tap tap
9:53 oh! I’ll walk to the end of the street to kill time to wait for my treat
9:54 oh lordie I’m not waiting very well, oh I can smell the smell
9:55 I can last just 5 more minutes tap tap
9:56 I think I’m gonna faint, how long must I wait
9:57 3 more minutes I can do this tap tap these toes
9:58 do u think I can wish their clock to 10:00am? Tap tap
9:59 I think I’m going to cry, see I need to get in, where are them?
10:00 whooopppieee yeehawwwww it’s time for a big grin..it’s time to GO IN!
______________
Shelbi Lavender
Copyright reserved
July 8, 2009
Peppermint Patty ME PLEASE!
I did it, I said I wouldn’t and I did..and oh did I do it good! We have a family wedding at the end of the month and I swore I would not eat any more cupcakes till AFTER all the family photos that will be posted in everyone’s home for the rest of life. I went on a cupcake run to Cupcake Cafe in DT Franklin, TN and I was really just going in for 1 when I just had to go for 2. I am now rolling around hilding my gut wishing I would have not had 2 cupcakes…but look at them..they are heaven! 
BoSton CreAm PiE CupCake
So, I discovered Curious Gourmet Cupcakes on twitter @cupcakecafe – BIG MISTAKE…they tweet the flavor of the day and today it was Boston Cream Pie…and well Julie’s B day is coming up in the next few months so I thought how better to celebrate than to enjoy one of her all time FaV things!
For those who aren’t local, we have had 3 days in a row that have been OMG so awesome weather wise, so I popped the top and headed downtown Franklin to scope out the cupcakes! I went after the lunch crowd and got a sweet spot on the street, such a charming little town square! Anywho, dropped by and they only had 1 left, it had my name written ALL over it! Picked them up, and strapped them in for the ride home….
It was SOOOOO yummo, has cream in the middle…melted in my mouth!
And I had to try the Pretty Pretty Pink Princess Cupcake as well…will review that one tonight or tomorow!
Boston Cream Pie
Boston Cream Pie is a round cupcake with a cream or custard filling and topped with chocolate glaze. The custard is usually vanilla.
The cake was first made in 1856 and originally went by the names Chocolate Cream Pie and Parker House Chocolate Cream Pie.
Actually a cake, not a pie
Created by French Chef M. Sanzian
Created at the Parker House Hotel in Boston
Recipe first printed in 1879 in the Housekeeping in Old Virginia cookbook
Massachusetts state dessert as of 1996
Curious Gourmet, Main Street, Franklin, TN
Dulce de leche CuPcAke – I have FaLLen In LoVe
Dulce de leche in Spanish or doce de leite in Portuguese (“milk jam”), is a milk-based sauce. Found as both a syrup and a caramel candy, it is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that is vaguely similar in taste to caramel. It is also the basis for the elaboration of many sweets and desserts which form part of the classics of the Argentine and Uruguayan cuisine.
So I this is the one, I thought my fav was the banana split but this one just melts in your mouth. I am speechless
- melts in your mouth
DOH! CELEBRATE SoUtH AFriCan DaY – CooKieS & CreAm CuPCaKe!
So THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED!!! YIPPIEEE, my 2 fav South African friends!! WHOOOTT WHHHOOTTT! Well it was a fine excuse to celebrate for the love of cupcakes..just fitting! Got the email this morning, so I ran into Franklin, TN around lunch just to poke around and see if there was anything new at the Curious Gourmet and lookie what I found!!
OMG, these are melt in your mouth whipped buttercream with the coolest yummy cake…I picked the white one for the wedding however, I’m pretty sure she should wear off white…they did stay with me in the Housr of Love for a few weeks together…Mama KNOWS sweetcheeks! Anyway, I had to share…and I haven’t had a bite of the mocha drizzel whatever one yet. I will be sure to share when I do!!
Eat ON MY LITTLE CUPCAKES!!
ToDaY I ChEaTeD – Ivey Cake
So today I went to the lake did my 4 miles and then decided all this cupcake talk I needed a cupcake. I had someone share with me that Ivey Cake in Franklin had the best, which as you know I am a Christie Cupcake fan but I thought maybe I should give Ivey Cake 1 more try, just in case.
Well here to report they don’t hold a candle to Christie Cupcake, not even close! I have become a cupcake expert over the past few months and now can better define the difference. First let me say, I’ve never met a cupcake I didn’t love however, today I have a broken cupcake heart. I took 2 bites from both and tossed them in the trash.
Here we go – Ivey Cake Cupcakes are YUCK – I’m so sorry, I know some of you know Ivey and she seems to be a great person and I’m sure her cakes are awesome but her cupcakes stink. I think there is a stick of butter in the cake, it totally falls apart when you take a bite, and the cake is super dry. *note these were first batch of the day so they should melt in your mouth. The icing is WAY TOO MUCH – it’s loaded with somethin…that makes it think and too sweet and too much.
Will I cheat again? yes, that’s my job as the cupcake queen…and I’ve heard great things about Sprinkles Cupcakes which I have recently found out the Houston store was slotted to open 3 months ago but hasn’t opened yet so HOLD TIGHT MY FELLOW CUPCAKE LOVERS!
Ivey Cake Cupcakes in Franklin – FAILED
I really tried to think of a positive polly spin however….
ToDaY I Cheated – DirT and WoRmS?
So I finally did it Micki Jo, you are the wind beneath my cupcake! I will have to transfer my previous blogs to this site so catch everyone up on my adventures. Just so you know, I have my ear to the ground and am here to share with you the BEST CUPCAKES of all time starting with NashVegas, TN.
I’m a world traveler (made it past Memphis once..that should qualify me) and have been blessed with magic, not just any magic, this is special…ready? I have been crowned NashVegas Official Cupcake Tester (by myself..because I can)! So I’m here to keep you posted on where to find the best cupcakes in town and one day I will crown myself OFFICIAL CUPCAKE TESTER WORLDWIDE (once I make it past Dickson, TN).
Since January 2008 I have been on a mission to keep NashVegas cupcakes eateries on their toes. I have tasted every cupcake in the area and up until today the best in town were Christie Cupcakes (they do more than cookies). Today I cheated…I get these wild binges to randomly schedule CUPCAKE RAIDS, today I cheated on Christie Cupcake and made a dash for Curious Gourmet in downtown Franklin, TN. Yes’mam I made a run for the border and found heaven…
As you would expect I got all dolled up (sundress, no makeup, flip flops after a late night date of no sleep..fill in the blanks), popped the top on my little cupcake mobile (little cute Mercedes convertible) and headed in! Parked in my fav little cupcake parking lot on 4th and made a dash for the Curious Gourmet all the while praying my little short sundress didn’t catch wind and blow over my head, as you know that can be dangerous with the sundress CODE.
I opened the door and skipped to the front of the store and fell in love…there were a million perfectly decorated cupcakes from heaven. It took everything in my power not to dive head first into the cupcake display, I just stood there in shock. I could only pick 2…MY GOSH there are a million I wanted however, I did an ass check (turn around and make sure I can see my feet from behind) and decided I would stick with only 2.
The first one looked like a Banana Split with ice cream on top, I drooled and prayed I wouldn’t attack it before I got back to the car. The second one I picked was the Dirt and Worms. OH MY GOSH….May I say butter cream????? Each scoop of ice cream was flavored like the ice cream but butter cream. SO it was chocolate, strawberry, vanilla ice cream with chocolate drizzle and a cherry on top! The cake was banana bread heaven…stay tuned for the Dirt and Worms, there was NO way I could eat another bite of anything after the first cupcake…sticking to cupcake code and all!
I, OFFICIAL NasHVegas Cupcake Tester of the world (a girl can dream), crown CURIOUS GOURMET #1 NASHVEGAS CUPCAKE!
