Poster designed by Megan of Say It’s Not Soy

Get ready to have your preconceptions about vegan desserts knocked down in a very delicious way. This ain't your elementary school's bakesale.

The SF Vegan Bakesale, sponsored by Vegansaurus.com and VegNews Magazine, is a tradition that started in 2009 and is organized by Laura Beck and Karin Olsson. Every few months the vegans of the Bay Area band together, hold a sale and donate all the proceeds to various charities, mostly animal welfare organizations.

The next one takes place this Saturday, January 15, 11am-3pm, in front of SpeeSees at 1415 Valencia Street with over 30 home bakers participating, as well as several professional ones, including Cinnaholic, A Fire Inside, Scarlette Poppy, Por Vida, Sugar Beat Sweets, and Fat Bottom Bakery. Proceeds from this sale are going to MickaCoo Bird Rescue and Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. SpeeSees is also offering a 10% discount on their organic kids clothing to all bakesale customers. Follow updates on the bakesale on twitter @SFVeganBakeSale.

But none of all this good-doing would be possible without those two lovely vegan ladies who work their butts off each time for an event that is truly about nothing but helping animals.

Laura Beck pretty much has her hands in every vegan event or animal-rights-related initiative in the Bay Area and is a founding editor of SF-based vegan lifestyle guide Vegansaurus.com. She has worked for several animal rescue, welfare, and rights organizations and is the community manager for vegan recipe site VegWeb.com. She is also a columnist for VegNews Magazine and has contributed to SFist, Huffington Post, The Bold Italic, Crazy Sexy Life, SF Weekly, San Francisco Magazine, and Eater SF, among others.

Karin Olsson has volunteered with various animal groups. She was one of the organizers for California’s Prop 2 campaign, which passed in a landslide victory in 2008 and outlawed the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant pigs. For her day job, Karin works with schools and restaurants to adopt corporate policies that improve animal welfare (such as ending their use of eggs from caged hens and adding more meatless menu options).

Laura Beck and Karin Olsson. Photos by Mark Shrayber of Legally Blind Photography and Walker Phillips

Here, Laura and Karin tell us a little about how the SF Vegan Bakesale started, their thoughts on a vegan lifestyle, and what animals share their homes with them.

How were the SF Vegan Bakesales started and what do you hope they'll accomplish?

Laura: We were inspired by the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale and grew from there into a more regular event in San Francisco. We want to spread the joy and awesomeness of vegan baked goods and show the world that veganism is fun and tasty and should always involve cake.

Karin: After the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale, Laura and I got to talking about doing a sale to benefit a local cat rescue that was in desperate need of funds. Thanks to a bunch of wonderful volunteers who donated their time and baked goods, we were able to raise nearly $3,000 for the cat rescue in just a few short hours. We realized what a great tool this was to raise funds for local charities and decided to make it a regular thing. The bakesales are such fun events that bring so many people together for a good cause. Plus they’re an excellent excuse to stuff your face with cupcakes and brownies!

How do you choose the beneficiaries of each bakesale?

Laura: We choose local organizations that the money can hopefully really impact. We've done everything from bunny rescue to programs that help kids from low-income families get bicycles. If you know of any organizations that could use our help, please let us know! We're always taking ideas.

Bunnies up for adoption at previous Vegan Bakesale

What is the most delicious pastry you’ve had at a bakesale?

Laura: Uhhh... that's REALLY hard. Davey from A Fire Inside makes these tremendous cinnamon rolls called "Weekend Ruiners" that are mind-blowing. Cinnaholic also makes amaaaaaazing cinnamon rolls with a variety of crazy delicious toppings. Fat Bottom Bakery makes killer baklava. And Sugar Beat Sweets has the greatest brownies on earth. And that's just the beginning. We've had such luck with tasty treats, from Bike Basket Pie's delicious hand-held pies to homemade sea salt caramels. Seriously, it's out of control.

Karin: Oh man, there have been so many… Some highlights for me have included strawberry shortcake, chocolate croissants, and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. Oooh, and of course Pepples Donuts’ glazed raised donuts, Idle Hands Baking Company’s cookies n’ cream cupcakes, In the Mood for Food’s bialys with cashew cream cheese, and Fat Bottom Bakery’s savory hand pies are all out of this world. And ditto on Sugar Beat Sweets’ brownies! I’m getting hungry just thinking about this!

Pastries at a previous bakesale

When did you decide to be vegan and what led you to that decision?

Laura: I became vegan after reading Diet for a New America by John Robbins. I'd been vegetarian previously because I didn't want to eat animals. Why should I hug my dog and eat a pig? A pig is smarter than my dog! But my reasoning didn't go much beyond that. Reading Diet for a New America really drove home all that's wrong with the way we raise and slaughter "food animals." I mean, it's beyond screwed-up from any perspective. I figured the best way to fight back was with my wallet since all animal-product-producing companies care about is money.

Karin: I’ve always loved animals, and even as a young kid I couldn’t bear the thought of eating them. My folks were very supportive of my vegetarianism, and my mom used to make her own tofu burgers (which was pretty unheard of in the 80s). Once I began to learn more about factory farming and the abuses that occur not only in the meat industry but also in the egg and dairy industries, I went vegan.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about a vegan lifestyle?

Laura: That we don't eat and enjoy delicious food. The opposite is true; the people I know who love food the most are vegans. Honestly, Karin and I are two of the most food-motivated people you will ever meet. Over the holiday break, we both went on eating tours of other cities. Karin even had all of her meals planned out on an Excel spreadsheet!

Karin: It’s true—I did plan an epic eating tour in Excel. I have to second what Laura said—vegans do eat amazing flavorful food, and yes, we do get enough protein.

If a friend were visiting the Bay Area for just one day, where would you take him/her out to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Laura: Breakfast: brunch at Souley Vegan in Oakland (biscuits and gravy!). Lunch would probably be falafel at Old Jerusalem or a vegan cheesesteak at Jay's Cheesesteak. Dinner would either be Saha or Millennium. Only one day? That's hard!

Karin: For breakfast I’d have to go with the soyrizo breakfast burritos or vegan french toast from Sun Rise Restaurant in the Mission. Then I’d do a quick trip over to the East Bay for cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic and a vegan milkshake at Saturn Café, followed by lunch at Cha-Ya [Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant]. I’d definitely pick Millennium for dinner, and if we needed a late night snack, I’d take them to get vegan pizza at Beretta!

What is your favorite vegan dish in the Bay Area?

Karin: I always crave Ike’s sandwiches. There are so many amazing vegan options to choose from, but my standby is the Meatless Mike. Ike’s is now at Lime, so you can grab a drink (or three) to go with your sandwich! [Rumor has it that Ike’s in SF is moving again to a new permanent location of their own soon.]

Laura: The Toasty Crispy at Souley Vegan!

What is the one ingredient you couldn’t live without?

Laura: I'm gonna be totally lame and healthy and say kale. But also, chocolate chips for baking. And Gardein Buffalo wings. Uh, I could go on.

Karin: Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. It bakes up just like butter! And soy yogurt—it’s delicious on its own but also works as a super easy egg replacer in cakes and muffins.

Do you have any companion animals? What are their names/hopes and dreams?

Karin: I have a wonderful rescued cat named Sweetie Pancakes whose favorite pastime is to sit in the bathtub and drink water out of the faucet.

Laura: I have an adorable pit bull from Rocket Dog Rescue. Her name is Hazel and I think one day she'd like to be a professional eater. We have that in common.

So, grab a wad of cash and hit the SF Vegan Bakesale this Saturday for scrumptious treats, and adorable dogs and pigeons. I mean, frankly, if charity isn't a good enough reason to gorge yourself on pastries, then I don't know what is.

To pump you up for the sale, we’ve included a recipe from bakesale volunteer baker Robin Means of ieatcupcakes.com for vegan cupcakes that will be making an appearance at the sale. Based on vegan cream-filled chocolate-glazed donuts that are offered at two favorite vegan-friendly donut shops (Ronald’s Donuts in Las Vegas and Voodoo Doughnut in Portland), these sweet treats are her take on the donuts in cupcake form. It is a reimagining of a recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes featured in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. We figured you’d want this, in case you go to the sale, taste them, realize you can’t live without them, and decide to make a batch everyday for the rest of your life.

Enjoy!

Voodoo Ronald's Donut Cupcakes

Makes: 22 cupcakes with icing

Ingredients:

Cake:
3 c unbleached white flour
½ T baking soda
½ T baking powder
2 T cornstarch
½ t salt
1 ½ c sugar
2/3 c sunflower oil
1 ½ c soymilk
½ c water
1 T vanilla extract
1 T apple cider vinegar

Filling:
1 c soymilk
1 t agar powder
3 T arrowroot powder
1 package silken tofu
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 T vanilla extract

Icing:
1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips
½ c soymilk
3 T agave nectar

Cake Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line muffin pans with paper liners or set up silicone wrappers on baking sheets.
2. Combine vinegar and soymilk and let sit. In another bowl, sift the flour, soda, powder, cornstarch, and salt.
3. Mix oil, sugar, water, vanilla, and the soymilk mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until smooth.
4. Fill the baking cups about 2/3 full.
5. Bake for approximately 18 minutes. When you insert a toothpick into the center of one, it should come out clean. Cool for 2 minutes in pan, then remove and put on a cooling rack.

Filling Preparation:
1. Boil half the soymilk and the agar. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the agar dissolves.
2. Whisk half the soymilk and the arrowroot. Add mixture to pot and whisk for 3 minutes over heat. Remove from heat.
3. Blend tofu, sugar, and cooked mixture until creamy. Add vanilla extract and blend more. Transfer to Tupperware with lid and chill for 2-3 hours.

Icing Preparation:
1. Boil the soymilk and then remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth.
2. Dip the top of each filled cupcake into the ganache and set on a cooling rack to harden.

Yesterday on BAB we highlighted the year's food news in food safety, D.I.Y. food, food politics, school food, and street food.

The top ten for 2010 continues:

Phat Beets Produce is a food justice collective in Oakland - the Beet Crew. Photo by Zachary Matthews

Late in the year in a cover story on class Newsweek explored the growing gap between the haves and have nots on the food front. "The Dinner Divide" noted that we are a nation where Gourmet Ghettos and food deserts co-exist, often in close proximity in places like the Bay Area. The sad truth is that while many of us indulge our "passion" for local, organic chow, an increasingly larger group of Americans simply don't have access to enough healthy food to eat. Meanwhile, another European is attempting to help Americans in need feed themselves, namely Spanish native and James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Andres, who heads up the nonprofit DC Central Kitchen, which offers professional culinary training for formerly homeless, addicted, or imprisoned adults.

Local angle: Actor Dan Hoyle skewered, among other things, hipster San Franciscans obsession with pristine produce with a politically-correct pedigree in his solo show at The Marsh The Real Americans. Meanwhile, Phat Beets Produce, a volunteer-run collective, launched a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box, nicknamed the "Beet Box," in Oakland, to help under-supported small farmers and get produce to people who don't live near a farmers' market.

Eataly in NYC. Photo by Megan Gordon

Lest this list be accused of being too parochial, let's turn our attention to food news out of New York City this year. There was lots, much of it of a legislative nature. Depending on your perspective, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is either a crusader for the people's health or a publicly-funded no-fun-nik: The city took a stand on sodium, introduced letter grades to evaluate restaurant cleanliness, tried to prevent food stamps recipients from using benefits to sip soda, a controversial move (even among anti-hunger and public health advocates) and outlawed alcoholic energy drink Four Loko. Furthermore, a calorie count initiative in restaurants begun in the Big Apple went national on menus across the country this year.

There was fun stuff too: Hello Eataly, a high-end food emporium boasting all things Italian, launched late summer by the city's reigning food Mafia, covered in a photographic homage recently on Bay Area Bites by Megan Gordon.

Local angle: San Franciscans welcomed Manhattan transplant Anthony Mangieri and his much-lauded Una Pizza Napoletana to town.

Jonathan Safran Foer at KQED holding his book, Eating Animals. Photo by Wendy Goodfriend

Meat mattered this year. The culinary conversation among carnivores, omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans continued as people pondered whether they could morally eat sustainably, humanely-raised animals and wrestled with conflicted or confused feelings about carnal consumption. Now more than ever, how much and what kind of meat we eat reflects our ethics, environmental values, economic status, as well as class, culture, and convenience.

That said, butchers made a comeback, hosting cleaving parties from coast to coast. Meanwhile, the Meatless Monday campaign, which asks folks to forgo meat once a week for health and the environment, garnered the endorsement of celebrity chef Mario Batali, long-known for serving plates laden with animal protein.

And in books and online vegetarian gals chronicled their carnal adventures as they discovered the joys of the flesh.

Then, just as the year drew to a close, New York Magazine announced that vegetables are the new meat, despite significant evidence to the contrary. Make of that what you will.

Local angle: A queen of vegetarian cuisine, East Bay resident Mollie Katzen, came out with a cookbook that included meat dishes, a decision she found herself explaining in every interview about Get Cooking.

While across the bridge the butcher's shop in Bernal Heights Avedano's Holly Park Market, run by a gaggle of self-taught gals, typifies the new-style yet old-fashioned meat market, offering cleaving classes using traditional tools and selling only local, sustainable meats. And the Oakland Unified School District hopped on the Meatless Monday bandwagon.

Macarons - Photo by Stephanie Stiavetti

Now to dessert (with all due respect to the First Lady). Move over cupcakes macarons are the new trend treat.

The Wall Street Journal reported on French fretting that these formerly high-end confections (not to be confused with chewy coconut sweets with a similar spelling known as macaroons) are finding their way onto shelves at such mainstream American stores as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. The soft, sandwich-like cookie, which resembles a pastel-hued minature hamburger, has also been popping up in patisseries and restaurant menus around the country. Natch, the blogosphere weighed in, with negative reviews for the meringue-style pastries on offer at Starbucks, and an amusing update that cupcakes are the new macarons in Paris. Go figure. For you D.I.Y.ers: Pastry chef Hisako Ogita's I Love Macarons details how to make the crunchy and chewy morsels at home.

Local angle: These dainty nibbles can be found in Bay Area bakeries including Miette in the Ferry Building, Paulette in Hayes Valley, Pamplemousse in Redwood City, and Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.

Bay Area Bites blogger Stephanie Stiavetti sung the praises of these egg white, ground almonds, and sugar concoctions in a week's worth of recipe posts on her own blog.

10. Virtual Food

Social media and cyberspace continued to impact food consumption. As noted previously (see item #5 in Part One), Twitter + new wave food trucks = content consumers and cooks. Everyone seemed very app-y happy, with Mark Bittman, the Food Network, and even Gourmet (R.I.P.) embracing the new technology. Not all old-school media, though, marveled at the development. (Ruth Reichl, writing on Twitter, ironically, called the move a "pity.") Regardless, cooking, eating, and drinking apps found fans: There are apps for wine enthusiasts, environmentally-friendly eaters, and ethnic edible adventurers, among other food-focused iFinds. And, although some people doubted it would come to pass, cookbooks made the leap to ecookbooks in a big way in 2010.

Local angle: Budding Bay Area food businesses turned to social media to cash up their new edible enterprises. Examples include Awaken Cafe in Oakland, and an olive oil press and cheese-making venture that utilized Kickstarter to, well, kick start their companies in Berkeley. Early ecookbook adapters include Marin-based chef Eric Gower.

And over at 7x7 food editor Sara Deseran wondered out loud what a lot of local food writers have been thinking: With the explosion in new media -- think Yelpers, bloggers, and Tweeters -- is San Francisco suffering from a gluttony of information on all things edible?

What say you readers: Are there too many citizen scribes (not to mention a healthy helping of professional writers) weighing in on the minutia of every meal made in this city? Or does this town have an endless appetite for food news?

And that, folks, was the year in food.

Kara's Cupcakes, Strawberry Cream

I never really got caught up in the whole "cupcake craze." Magnolia? Sprinkles? Meh. I've always been more of a cookie gal myself. Or cheesecake. Yeah, cut me a fatty slice of cheesecake any day.

But that's just me. I knew my guests visiting from out of town would go ga-ga over Kara's Cupcakes, and it would be the perfect pick-me-up as our sightseeing brought us to Ghirardelli Square.

Because who can choose just one?

Jennifer proceeded to purchase a dozen cupcakes…because who could choose just one? I was pretty blasé about it all…until the Strawberry Cream filled cupcake rocked my world.

Strawberry Cream Dream

The Strawberry Cream is one of Kara's seasonal flavors, and is only available until August (So go get one now! Seriously, go. Now.). It is a vanilla cupcake filled with organic local strawberries and cream, and topped with a cream cheese frosting. Yom!

So what about this particular cupcake converted this disbeliever?

1. The cake was surprisingly moist, and incredibly light. Like sweet, delicious fluffy clouds. Maybe that's the key. This cupcake is baked by angels.
2. The filling. Real strawberries and cream. It was like biting into a bit of unexpected sunshine.
3. Cream cheese frosting. Always a win in my book, and in this case, even more so. Not too dense, but still appropriately decadent, and a great play on the classic strawberry jam/cream cheese combo.
4. Apparently, if you slice it in half, the revealed filling and fondant decoration looks like a strawberry! How precious is that?

This cupcake was unreal. Like grandma's strawberry shortcake, but better, and in adorable cupcake form.

Other cupcakes of note: Sweet S'mores, a chocolate cupcake with graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallow frosting; Fleur De Sel, a chocolate cupcake with caramel filling, dark ganache frosting and fleur de sel; and Chocolate Velvet, a chocolate cupcake with a mound of velvety bittersweet chocolate buttercream.

Kara's proudly states that they continue baking throughout the day so they can offer cupcakes that have been baked within hours, if not minutes, for your enjoyment. I believe it. They are amazingly fresh and absurdly delicious. I see why they have such a following in all five of their Bay Area locations.

So, am I about to go on a cupcake bender? Probably not. (Besides, from what my pilates instructor tells me, Kara's reigns supreme. She holds a horizontal cupcake tasting of all the cupcake shops in the area, and she says Kara's wins hands down every year. It's not even a contest anymore.) I do, however, have a whole new respect for the Cupcake, and Kara's will be seeing me again, at least once, before the Strawberry Cream goes out of season.

Kara's Cupcakes, Ghirardelli Square

Kara's Cupcakes

Ghirardelli Square -- San Francisco, CA
Plaza Level
900 North Point
San Francisco, California 94109
415-351-CAKE (2253)

Marina -- San Francisco, CA
3249 Scott Street (at Chestnut)
San Francisco, California 94123
415-563-CAKE (2253)

Town & Country Village -- Palo Alto, CA
855 El Camino Real, Suite 50
Palo Alto, California 94301
650-326-CAKE (2253)

Santana Row -- San Jose, CA
3055 Olin Avenue, Suite 1010
San Jose, California 95128
408-260-2222

Oxbow Market -- Napa, CA
610 First Street, Suite 19
Napa, California 94559
707-258-CAKE (2253)

The origins of Hummingbird Cake aren't totally clear although Southern Living magazine is credited with the very first reference, and apparently it's their most requested recipe. They published the recipe in 1978, submitted by a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, N.C. and permutations of it have spread throughout the South under different names. The Food Timeline suggests that the cake descended from Jamaica and was lovingly called Dr. Bird Cake (Jamaica's national bird is the red-billed streamertail hummingbird, also called the Doctor bird because its long tail feathers and decorative top-hat-like crest make it look like an old-fashioned doctor. Sort of).

Hummingbird Cake was also known as The Cake that Won't Last. In the late 70's, this cake became well-known in the South because it's so quick to make and it gave people something to do with their over-ripe bananas. But these days, old-fashioned Southern desserts are growing in popularity, and I think you'll be seeing more and more Hummingbird cake or cupcakes in Bay Area bakeries in the months to come. Remember the sudden resurgence of Red Velvet? Yeah, I'm thinking something along those lines. The cake itself has a carrot cake vibe but without the carrots. And in many ways, the balance of flavors is perfect: there is a fruity sweetness from the pineapple, banana and coconut tempered by the tart, smooth cream cheese frosting and crunch of toasted walnuts. It's a nice afternoon treat with tea, and I've certainly been known to convince myself that it's a responsible breakfast choice as well.

On my recent trip to Seattle, I saw Hummingbird Cupcakes at Trophy Cupcake. When I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about them and wanted to emulate the recipe. Most of the research I did yielded a super sweet or overly-heavy crumb, so I set out to adapt my own version and I think you're going to like it. I always appreciate a recipe with a history--a recipe with roots. So even though no one's really all that sure what exactly those roots are, this is a recipe that's endured for many years. In other words, these cupcakes have got legs.

Since I live alone, I didn't want to make a batch that yielded 20 cupcakes, so my proportions are perfect for a small household or a couple with an appetite. Obviously, if you're looking to bake a larger batch, just double it.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
Inspired by the recipe in Classic Southern Desserts

Serves: 8-10 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
4 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup mashed banana (2-3 large bananas)
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnut pieces (for top of cupcakes)

For Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
1. Preheat over to 350 F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs and next five ingredients; add to flour mixture and stir until well combined (don't beat).
3. Line cupcake pan with foil or paper cups and fill with batter. Keep in mind they will rise a little so don't fill too full.
4. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center clean. Cool completely before frosting. In the meantime, make the frosting by beating together all ingredients until well combined. Add the sugar slowly and taste as you go--some people like it sweeter than others.
5. During the last 10 minutes of baking, spread the walnut pieces on a cookie sheet or a piece of aluminum foil and toast in the oven.
6. Frost each cupcake and sprinkle walnut pieces on top.

Some of the Valentine's treats available at SusieCakes.

Now I don't know about you, but I think the negative vibes towards Valentine's Day are kind of laughable. We've all heard it before. Perhaps some of you are guilty of shouting it out on a yearly basis: "Urgh, I can't wait for the day to be over--it's not like I have anyone to spend it with." That sort of thing. But what could be better than a day during the dead of winter where pinks and reds abound in all the shops and where chocolate is pushed, pedaled, and procured? I mean, c'mon. Who needs a sweetie to enjoy a jaunt through See's or Recchiuti? Or, as I learned earlier this week: SusieCakes.

SusieCakes welcoming storefront

Los Angeles-based SusieCakes has been open about a month in the Bon Air Shopping Center in Marin, and I've been meaning to visit with each passing day. I was doing errands in the area the other day and decided to stop in and see what all the fuss was about. I'd heard about their "frosting-filled cupcakes" and I thought it was a genius idea for all of us who use the cupcake as a socially acceptable excuse to eat frosting. And lots of it. What I didn't expect to find was the huge celebration of Valentine's Day in full effect--from sweet little cookies to festive whoopie pies. I took some photos (for you), I chatted with the gals to see what was good and what was flying out the door, and then--of course--I took some things home.

The "Love Shack," a special Valentine's Gingerbread House, and the adorable Conversation Heart Cookies

So let's talk about those frosting-filled cupcakes. Now I'm not sure how they do it. There's literally a dip or a groove in the top of the cupcake where a nice little shot of extra frosting lays. It's pure magic. I love their almost haphazard way of frosting each cupcake as well. It's not perfectly even and looks rather homemade, but in a generous, abundant sort-of way.

The genius that is SusieCakes' signature frosting-filled cupcakes

I tried the Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Red Velvet and the Sugar and Spice (February Special) cupcakes. You'll notice there aren't any photos of the Peanut Butter. That's because, like an eager and grubby-handed child, I ate it in the car. I just couldn't wait. Each flavor I tried was unbelievably soft and moist although I must say that I’m a bit of a Red Velvet snob, and I couldn't taste the cocoa in theirs. But the chocolate was rich in cocoa, and the Sugar & Spice cupcake had a lovely, light vanilla-sugar flavor. I made a big batch of snickerdoodles recently and the Sugar and Space tastes a lot like the classic cookie. You just look at these cupcakes and want to bring them to someone you love, or like, or appreciate, or want to make smile. They're happiness in a box, really.

I didn't try some of the other treats, although I'll be back in town this week and plan on swinging by for a whoopie pie (or a "Makin' Whoopie Pie," their current take on the old-school dessert). And while there's certainly a glut of cupcake spots in the Bay Area and while some people I know are excusing cupcakes altogether as a retired trend, there’s something special about SusieCakes. It's evident in the regulars who were strolling in before 11 a.m. on a weekday to pick up a few treats. And it's evident in their attention to homemade, old-fashioned desserts (think along the lines of Magnolia Bakery in New York but before the Sex in the City madness) with banana and butterscotch puddings, classic pies and stacked cakes. They're not trying to be anything they’re not with wacky and original flavors, but they're doing the classics incredibly well.

A good motto to live by, and a great daily selection of cupcakes

So for a little shop with a big sign deeming "Eat Cake," I don't think it much matters if you have a sweetheart or not this year. Those are words we can all take to heart.

SusieCakes
310 Bon Air Center
Bon Air Shopping Center
Greenbrae, CA 94904
Map
(415) 461-2253

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am-7pm; Closed Sunday (although they will be open Sunday February 14th for Valentines Day).

Twitter: @Susiecakes

The Pancake Breakfast Cupcake at Cups and Cakes Bakery

If your family is anything like mine, Christmas brings about time spent together, slightly annoying and repetitive Christmas music, cookie baking, festive cocktails, and lots of treats. There are meals out, and time to meet up with old friends and extended family. And of course: the fudge and requisite boxes of See's Candy. So on the Monday following Christmas weekend, the last thing you may want to read about is a post highlighting more sweets and treats. But I couldn't resist. I discovered something that warmed my sugar-loving heart last week and I'm dying to share it with you. Here, my friends, is a really good, somewhat socially acceptable excuse to eat cupcakes for breakfast.

Now, San Francisco has its fair share of cupcake spots and most folks have already established their favorites. Whether it’s Kara's, That Takes the Cake, or the minis over at DeLessio Market and Bakery, a variety of shapes and flavors abound. However, Jennifer Emerson’s new SOMA cupcake shop, Cups and Cakes, is shaking things up a bit.

The charming and hard-to-miss pink exterior

With innovative flavors like the Art House (a ginger-beet cake with ginger cream cheese frosting and candied ginger) or the Pucker-up Pink Lemonade (tart pink lemonade cake with pink lemonade butter cream and rainbow sprinkles), there's something to inspire even the most staunch cupcake skeptic. Now often when people try and get creative with an already-good thing, the product isn't always successful. Not so with Cups and Cakes. The cupcakes are uber-moist, the cream cheese frosting is perfectly creamy and slightly tart, and the shop is cute as a button. The pink exterior lights up the rather industrial stretch of SOMA's 9th St., and inside you'll step into a bustling, pastel workshop.

Inside the open-kitchen at Cups and Cakes

But the reason I made the trip was for the Pancake Breakfast Cupcake I'd been hearing so much about. First things first: the cupcake has bacon baked right into it. That's right: you heard me correctly. I'm not talking about a mere topper; there are strips of perfectly cooked bacon throughout the actual cupcake.

Check out the small strips of bacon throughout the cupcake itself!

Technically, it's made of a maple bacon cake with a maple butter cream and topped with bits of crisp bacon. Now while I'm not so certain Jennifer designed it to actually be eaten for breakfast, I say go at it. We all have a few days yet until New Year's resolutions start and people begin flocking back to the gym and dusting off their bikes.

If you're not down with bacon in your cupcake, Jennifer stocks vanilla, chocolate and red velvet each day along with at least three additional flavors and a vegan and gluten free choice. She also uses local and organic eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and produce. Check out her menu of flavor offerings and specialty choices. And if you don't love any of the choices online (and I challenge you to not find something that strikes your fancy), Jennifer is happy to customize something to fit your personal tastes).

Cups and Cakes Bakery
451 9th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 437-CUPS (2877)
Hours: Mon., Wed.-Fri. 10am-6:30pm; closed Tuesday; Sat.-Sun: 12 pm-5pm
Twitter: @CupsCakesBakery

Note: Check website for special holiday and New Years hours.