DC and our cupcake obsession

Hey there,

So it's come to my attention that DC has a cupcake obsession. Not sure if this is true in any other city, but this came to light at a dinner party.  Okay, let me amend that. I realized it probably wasn't just DC once a show called Cupcake Wars came up.

And so I went to the Twittersphere and posted on Facebook, just to see what would happen. I asked for people to weigh in on their favorite cupcake place as long as they named anything but Georgetown Cupcake. Nothing against the store from the group, it's just become a tourist trap to many locals, and when there are a number of other great cupcake places around the city, it doesn't make sense to wait in a long line when you don't have to. And there's ALWAYS a line around the corner and down the block, so kudos to them.

But I wanted to know what the alternatives were. So I posted on Facebook and sent out a tweet:

Spontaneous #dc cupcake Twitter poll at this dinner party. So far have one vote for sweet lobby and two for baked & wired. Any others?
— JR Russ (@AWayofLife0) August 23, 2012

And the responses came pouring in.

@awayoflife0 I'd have to go with hello cupcake...mainly bc I smell their deliciousness as I walk to the office EVERYDAY
— Tanya Lee Tuzman (@TanyAlias) August 23, 2012

@awayoflife0 I'm a Sprinkles gal.
— Ally Jenkins (@AllyJenkinsDC) August 23, 2012

Okay, so maybe not pouring in, as those were the two responses I got on Twitter that evening. So far that's Hello Cupcake : 1, Sprinkles : 1. Friends were much more responsive on Facebook. You can check out the original post here (and even join the conversation), but here're the unscientific, very subjective results from those on my Facebook combined with the two tweets.

Receiving honorable mentions with one mention each were Fancy Cakes, Fraiche, Frosting, Kupcakes & Co. (outside the beltway), Red Velvet, Sprinkles, Sticky Fingers, Sweet Lobby, Sweet Themez, & Sweetbites (a food truck).

The two in second place, receiving several mentions each, were Hello Cupcake! & Crumbs. But the hands-down winner among my circle of FB friends and tweeps, with fifteen mentions, was Baked and Wired. And if that weren't enough to make me really want to check 'em out, the following tweet has eternally endeared them to me:

Welcome to club baked and wired. Seriously though. We're only playing bangers all day long. So come get your drink, drum, and bass on
— Baked & Wired (@bakedandwiredDC) July 10, 2012

I will say, I'm a house head first and foremost, but can't say no to good jungle or drum & bass. Beyond that tweet, the rest of their tweetstream shows a tremendous amount of  humor and personality, really connecting and engaging with people, as well as just being fun. I would say that it's this kind of engagement that (all things being equal), really makes a difference in today's business world.

Anyway, there's a whole new cupcake world out there, I have yet to explore, but I know where my first stop will be. Curious as to what others think, if you or your friends might swing another way, if there's another cupcake place (mentioned or not) that holds a special place in your heart...and stomach.

Share your thoughts in the comments. Also, if there are any other food specialties or trends in DC you'd be interested in, if I blogged on it, definitely let me know. And remember, by no means was this "survey" in any way objective, this was just me polling my circle of friends on social media. If anything, it's personally fascinating to see that we have so many options in DC for cupcake consumption.

- JR

P.S. Check out a map of all the places mentioned below, with Baked and Wired in red, Hello Cupcake! & Crumbs in yellow, and the rest in blue.


View DC's cupcake obsession in a larger map