Thanks VegNews! We've been named the Company of the Year and Best Vegan Bakery! How awesome is that?! ]]>
Thanks VegNews! We've been named the Company of the Year and Best Vegan Bakery! How awesome is that?! ]]>
When we opened BabyCakes over 6 years ago I'd had it with vegan baked goods as I knew them. I couldn't find anything out there that tasted right and everything was too sweet, too dry or just flavorless. Because of this, I chose to shy away from labeling the goods "vegan" and opted for small notes by the desserts that said, "egg free, dairy free, soy free". In my mind, it wasn't necessary to toot a vegan horn because I wanted everyone to try it without preconceived notions. Our mission was bigger than vegan alone--I wanted to change the way people experienced allergy-free sweets and knew I had to begin with a clean slate. Some people like this, some do not.
Read the article in the Wall Street Journal here and weigh in. Do you wish we put more emphasis on traditional vegan labeling? Tell the truth! You're in a safe space here...
]]>In which young Oliver (my nephew and godson) tires of watching us ladies fumble with the BabyCakes Madeleine recipe, dons his customized bakery outfit, and doses a batch of cookies with some magical powers and helpful advice. Thanks, Ollie! --Love, Erin McKenna
MADELEINES
Makes 24
1 1/4 CUP WHITE OR BROWN RICE FLOUR
1 CUP SUGAR
1/2 CUP POTATO STARCH
1/4 CUP ARROWROOT
2 1/2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 TEASPOON XANTHAN GUM
1/4 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1/2 CUP MELTED COCONUT OIL
6 TABLESPOONS UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE
3 TABLESPOONS VANILLA
1/2 CUP HOT WATER
1/2 CUP POWDERED SUGAR
Preheat oven to 325° F. Brush 2 madeleine trays with coconut oil and set aside. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the four, sugar, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and baking soda and whisk until combined. Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber whisk until the batter is smooth. Gradually add the hot water, stirring constantly, until incorporated. Drop a rounded tablespoon of the batter into each mold, gently spreading it to fill the mold. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pans and bake 6 minutes more, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Place the cooled Madeleines on the reserved cookie sheet and dust with the powdered sugar.
Produced and Directed by BabyCakes TV / Filmed by June Zandona / Edited and Special Effects'd by Bevin McNamara / And with Special Thanks to Asher Brown
Coming in November... Oliver Bakes BabyCakes NYC, Episode 2: Cake Mix For Your House!
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Last Friday afternoon we were in the throws of the typical pre-weekend mayhem at the bakery--the girls were spinning their usual magic behind the counter while the bakers fought to catch up with the line snaking out the door.
Little did we know that our lives were about to change for almost 24 hours.
At roughly 12:27 pm Zach Galifianakis entered the bakery and walked straight to the kitchen looking pensive, and wild. In a hushed urgent tone he leaned in to Kitchen Rachel and confided, "I need 500 cupcakes. Tomorrow." Gasps all around. He knew what he was asking for was outrageous and begged us to do it. He explained it was his birthday and he was doing a talk for the New Yorker Festival and he needed cupcakes from us. I swear, he was practically crying. I would have told him NO but Kitchen Rachel was already mesmerized by his red beard and accepted the order. Way to go, Kitchen Rachel.
That night and straight through Saturday me and Sabrina cursed Zach's name as we slaved over the order. Batch after batch of mini cupcakes came out of the oven and were transferred to trays for a quick cool down in order to meet the fast approaching deadline. Do you know how hard it is to frost a mini cupcake? Yeah. Now think about doing 500. Terrible. We struggled to find enough space in the refrigerator to store all the bakery boxes but somehow, we made do and got them to the theater unscathed and on time.
Sunday morning I woke up (with a very sore arm but whatever, I'm over it) to this blurb in the New Yorker:
Saturday night on West Thirty-seventh Street was a special night: Zach Galifianakis turned forty-two. To mark the occasion, he appeared in conversation with Andy Borowitz, bought five hundred gluten-free cupcakes (from Babycakes) to share with the audience, and asked everyone to serenade him with a rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
That's it?!?! Thanks a lot Zach. We hope you had a really Merry Christmas.
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And they are amazing! This version is made with spelt flour but trying my hand at a gluten-free version this weekend. I feel a third cookbook on the horizon, oh heaven help me...]]>
It's always extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing when the attention shifts from the sweets to me personally but I was still flattered to be featured in Refinery29's fashion story on stylish bakers. Refinery29 works overtime to make everything fun and gorgeous so I was not surprised to see the piece come out so beautifully.
Click here to check it out but before you do, a favor? Don't look at my cake caked clogs in the second shot! I was really working that day!
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Beyonce, your baby looks so cute! Oh, wait, that's just our Baby Bump Bun! We're tracking Beyonce's baby bump via our buns, take a look.]]>
CBS New York asked us about our Beyonce Baby Bump Bun... check it out!]]>
We're so excited about Beyonce's pregnancy that we created a baby bump bun in her honor. ]]>
Brendan, from Dinner Party Download, picked Erin's brain about why people seem to take such issue with gluten nowaday. They discuss her thoughts on the prevalence of gluten allergies and whether or not she stole Brendan's nickname. Does he suddenly realize, during their conversation, that his constant hangover-ish feeling might be a gluten intolerance? Click here to find out. ]]>
Something has to be pretty major and ultra chic to make us want to bump our 8:00 bedtime up to 10:30. This Fashion Night Out benefit for the Silverlake Conservatory is just that major. We're incredibly honored that our brownies and donuts were invited and will be partying with the best of them. 3.1 Phillip Lim will host this event alongside Refinery29 at its Robertson store. Our favorite band Cults and KCRW DJ's will entertain us when we're not too busy gazing adoringly at the 3.1 fashion line, sipping Deleon Tequila and eating Xoia tacos. Meet us there to have a blast while keeping music alive on the eastside. ]]>
Look! BabyCakes NYC featured in the October issue of Elle Japan.
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If you're like me, you check Gilt City before anything else when you turn on your computer every day. We're proud to be offering the following packages for walk-in customers at our New York and LA shops for 40% off while packages last: All Day Breakfast Special, 6 Cookie and 6 Cupcakes, or BabyCakes Favorites Sampler (which includes a copy of our second book!). All details, pricing and order information is here so click and pick before we sell out!]]>
