Last Saturday I attended Cupcake Camp held at St. Mark’s on Preston in Dallas.  This was the first year I had attended the event and was eager to see if it would live up to the hype.  Being that Cupcake Camp is a fundraiser, I was wondering if the room would be filled with grocery store level cakes.  Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised to see that North Texas bakers really showed up with their best cakes for the event.

Likes:

1) The location at St. Mark’s was great and paying at the door was very easy.

2) The selection of professional and amateur bakers was astonishing.  The place the packed with wall to wall cupcakes.

3) The coupon system, like at the State Fair, is the best way to keep the crowd moving from baker to baker.

4) The charity aspect and family friendly nature of the event make for a great environment.  It also makes for a wonderful opportunity for kids to learn about giving back to the community.

Disappointment:

1) The only disappointment I had was that I could not stay until the end of the event.  I gave away my last few tickets to kids.  I thought they might enjoy one extra cupcake!

Attending Cupcake Camp does have one drawback…you might leave cupcake drunk.  Don’t get cupcake drunk!  There were so many cupcakes to try at Cupcake Camp that a person can easily become overwhelmed…and cupcake drunk.  I came up with 3 easy to remember tips to help attendees at next years event.

1) Walk the whole room before deciding who to spend your tickets on.  I did that.  Scan their display!  I walked around and spoke to every baker there, introduced myself, asked about their flavors, where they were located and if they delivered.  Cupcake delivery is popular, especially among the amateur bakers.

2) Look for super unique flavors and flavor combinations.  We have all had chocolate, vanilla, lemon, red velvet…I could go on and on.  Seek out flavors that you have never seen or that you have never tried.  This is the best way to break out of that box and try something new…like red velvet cheesecake cupcake…thanks Baby Cakes crew!

3) A cupcake is more than what it looks like on the outside.  If you see a cupcake with a cute little design on top, unless you are a kid, pass it by.  It is mostly just pretty on the outside and a plain ol’ vanilla cake on the inside.  Looks do matter but don’t be totally taken by how a cupcake looks…go for that you think will taste delish.  Again, talk to the bakers and discover what makes your mouth water.