Cupcakes Photoshoot and Cupcake Tasting Fieldtrip

I started working at Billy's Bakery a month ago, and since then I have been thinking about my own recipes. After spending one day behind the counter, I have already dreamed up exactly what my bakery would be like if I had one. I have planned out the menu, built a website, and dreamed up exactly what it would look like.

I have always loved cupcakes for their adorable shape and convenient size, and I know that cupcakes would be one of the main events in my dream bakery.

My two friends Nancy and William Grimes (Biff just published "Appetite City" an incredible history of the restaurants in New York City) and myself went on an epic mission to taste the best cupcakes in New York City. I gathered up some cupcakes from Billy's and we took a road trip to the Cupcake Cafe, Amy's Bread, Two Little Red Hens and Sugar Sweet Sunshine to try their most popular flavors.

Two and a half hours and 24 cupcakes later, we reconvened in their Queens living room to sample the goods. A traumatizing experience. The red velvet from Billy's and Two Little Red Hens were really pretty good, but why don't we use cream cheese in cream cheese frosting anymore, it seems to taste just like buttercream.

Post tasting, I decided I wanted to bake with all natural materials and try to avoid using food coloring. Since then I have been testing out my recipes, trying to work out a red velvet recipe without any red (beets!). After making 8 dozen cupcakes, me and my roommate, Rafael Soldi, set up a photo shoot for the little guys. I have been taking them around to friends and colleagues to see what people think, and so far its been really great!

All of the photo shoot photos were taken by Rafael Soldi. Check out his portfolio here.