Looking Back at CupcakeCampDC 2012

DC's third annual CupcakeCamp was held recently at Continental. Many of you showed up and ate some delicious cupcakes, won great raffle prizes, and donated to a good cause. We gathered up your feedback/voting slips and got your entries for "Crowd Favorite" award winner and your thoughts about CupcakeCampDC.

FEEDBACK

All of you said the venue was great! Some said it was too big, some said it was too small. A big aspect of this was the major influx of people forced inside from the outdoor Jazz Festival when the storm hit all of a sudden. This also led to a few people mentioning that it was a bit dark inside. The floor to ceiling wall of windows definitely became more gloomy when they were filled up with clouds. It was great to have the games spread out over the whole space to encourage mingling and playing. I was also glad to see that we were able to bring a lot of new people to Continental that hadn't been there before so that we could show a new area to you!

Organization: This year we limited t-shirt sales to a month before the event. We also introduced a new idea: VIP tickets! In previous years we realized people didn't want to carry around and eat cupcakes all at the same time; they want to take their time and enjoy the event comfortably. This way, leftovers could also be transported home!

Charity: Last year we raised $1k for DC Candlelighters and this year we were able to raise over $2,000 for DC Candlelighters!! Thank you all for your support and effort in changing the lives of those affected by pediatric cancer. We had a great presentation by DC Candlelighters playing throughout the event and raised awareness for Child Cancer. 

Thank you everyone for coming out and we really appreciate your feedback. We read every feedback slip and heard every word you wrote.

Thanks so much to our Sponsors: Harris Teeter Pentagon Row (Cupcake Containers), Patchwork Designs (T-Shirts), Stephanie at Copies @ Carson (Brochures), IZZE (Raffle Prizes), South Block Smoothie (Raffle Prizes), Starbucks Clarendon & Metro Center (Raffle Prizes), FreeCupcakeWraps.com (Raffle Prizes), Red Mango Clarendon (Raffle Prizes), Lime Pentagon City (Raffle Prizes), Buffalo Wild Wings Gainesville (VIP Prizes), Oandasan Family (Raffle Prizes), Yida Li (Photography), and of course all of our wonderful volunteers and bakers!

Please stay tuned here for updates on CupcakeCampDC 2012, 2013, and other CupcakeCamp related going-ons. If you are interested in being a judge or volunteering for next year, contact us at dc.cupcakecamp@gmail.com.

AWARD RESULTS

The judge panel chose the winners for best tasting cupcakes and you, the attendees, wrote your favorite cupcakes in to vote for the crowd favorite. There were five judges and they tallied up their scores and averaged them out to determine the winners. 

First Place: Joel's Chicken & Waffles

Second Place: Monika's Salted Caramel Apple

Crowd Favorite: Monika's Salted Caramel Apple

 

Third Place: Amanda's Nutella Nuff Said Cupcakes

Honorable Mention (1/10th of a point!): Shelly's Peanut Butter Cup-Cakes

 PHOTO POOL

There were some great shots taken at CupcakeCampDC! Please add any photos you might have to the Flickr Group and the slideshow below will be automatically updated.

Press Coverage

Have a link or post about CupcakeCampDC? Let us know and we'll add it to this list.

• Cupcake Crusaders
• Skinny to Be in DC
• The Cupcake Avenger
• Cupcakes Take the Cake, Live TweetedAll day

Parking & Metro Information for CupcakeCampDC 2012

Good: We're across the street from the Jazz Festival (1-8pm Saturday)

Bad: Roads around the park are closed because of the Festival so driving is a bit tricky

Good: Continental is on top of a parking garage, which has a flat fee for $5 that afternoon.

Even Better: We're just 1 block North of the Rosslyn metro at 19th & Moore! Make your life easier and take public transportation ^_^ You can take the Orange or Blue Metro line to Rosslyn.

• Orange Line: Trains will single track between East Falls Church and West Falls Church & between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly to allow for platform reconstruction. Trains will run every 24 minutes; allow 15 minutes of additional travel time. 
• Blue Line: Trains will operate every 16 minutes.

Traffic Information for CupcakeCampDC 2012 on Sept 8th

Please note that the Arlington County Police Department will close two traffic lanes and one street on Saturday, September 8, 2012, for the Rosslyn Jazz Festival.

Listed below are the streets that will be affected.
From 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.:

• Westbound Lee Highway will be closed from North Lynn ST to FT. Myer Drive. Vehicles can use North Lynn St. to Rosslyn Circle to North FT Myer Drive as a detour. 
• The left traffic lane of Eastbound Lee Highway will be closed from FT. Myer Drive to North Lynn Street.
• The left traffic lane of North Lynn ST  will be closed from  Eastbound Lee Highway to Westbound Lee Highway.

In addition, motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs in the area. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-228-4252.

The closures are for the Rosslyn Jazz Festival, which runs from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 8, 2012.  For more information visit www.rosslynva.org.

Meet the Judges: Jill (@cuisinequeen3)

Jill, a judge for CupcakeCampDC 2012, is a Boston native who isn't afraid to try any dish! During the day she works at a PR firm in DC, but likes to spend most of her time in the kitchen trying out new recipes or out at new restaurants across the DMV. You can find her on Twitter under @cuisinequeen3 or read her recipes and reviews at Cuisine Queen.

Tell us a little about yourself

My personal philosophy is that everything is worth trying twice.

What is your favorite type of cupcake?

Coconut.

If you had to describe yourself as a cupcake, how would you?

Something that is full of flavor and that is decorated beautifully! :)

What is your favorite local cupcake place?

How can I resist Georgetown Cupcake?

What is it about cupcakes that you like?

To me it's just the right amount of sweet. A lot of times people can get carried away when eating desserts that come in full pans like pie or cake. A cupcake always hits the spot when you are craving something sweet. Never too much, and never too little.

Meet the Judges: Adrienne

Adrienne, a judge for CupcakeCampDC 2012, is addicted to cupcakes.  She has enjoyed baking, and eating, desserts for her entire life. While she has always loved dessert, she fell in love with cupcakes when she received Ann Byrn’s Cupcakes by the Cake Mix Doctor as a birthday gift. She was hooked and set a goal to bake every recipe in that book. Fast forward five years and 74 recipes later to her cupcake-centric blog Little Miss Cupcake, a unique blog where she plays both critic and baker on her quest for the perfect cupcake.

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m a spunky, perennially upbeat lady that lives to bake cupcakes, especially for my students. I want everyone to feel like they can bake delicious cupcakes. Baking is something everyone can do, and I want beginners to feel supported as they take their first steps into the kitchen. I discovered CupcakeCampDC last fall, searching for DC-area cupcake events, and was sad that I had missed the event. I have been following this year’s event, gearing up for an array of tasty cupcakes. I am so excited to network with fellow cupcake lovers, and [am] honored to serve as a judge for this event!

What is your favorite type of cupcake?

Hailing oriignally from the Gulf Coast, I love all tropical-inspired cupcakes, like Cupcake Actually's Caribbean Queen.

If you had to describe yourself as a cupcake, how would you?

Strawberry Shortcake with rainbow sprinkles on top

What is your favorite local cupcake place?

If she was on a deserted island, and could take just three cupcakes with her, Adrienne would bring sugar sweet sunshine’s Strawberry Cream Cheese, Georgetown Cupcake’s Key Lime, and the Sweet Lobby’s Pineapple Inside Out. Sweet Lobby [is the best]-they completely live up to the hype. Two words: flavor explosion.

What is it about cupcakes that you like?

Something about cupcakes and their adorable, petite size, fun garnishes and unique flavor combinations has me coming back for more.

Meet the Judges: Kimberly from @YelpNova

Kimberly, a judge for CupcakeCampDC 2012, As Community Manager of Yelp NoVa, Kimberly is your personal concierge to all things fun, quirky and delicious in Northern Virginia! You can find her on Twitter under @YelpNova and documenting her slow descent into diabetes on Instagram.

Tell us a little about yourself

I am expert hula hooper (waist only) and my current goal in life is to become a Youtube viral sensation.

What is your favorite type of cupcake?

Banana Pudding

If you had to describe yourself as a cupcake, how would you?

Light and fruity with whipped cream frosting

What is your favorite local cupcake place?

Bakeshop in Clarendon makes cupcakes like mom used to make (if mom was a professional baker!)

What is it about cupcakes that you like?

Biting into a cupcake brings me back to a simpler time when my biggest problem was deciding who was cuter: Jordan Knight or Joey McIntyre (the answer to that is Jordan Knight btw).

Meet the Judges: Jennifer from @Cupcake_Crusade

Jennifer, a judge for CupcakeCampDC 2012, is a part of the blogging trio, The Cupcake Crusaders, who promise, "We won't rest, until we've tried them all." Besides reviewing cupcakes and recipes, she is a graphic designer and mom. The Cupcakecake Crusaders love connecting with anyone who loves cupcakes! Find them on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest, and Foodspotting

Tell us a little about yourself

I'm a graphic designer, theater-lover, and mother to a beautiful 1 year old girl. I like to dabble in the kitchen but don't consider myself a baker. For me, cupcakes and baking are all about having fun!

What is your favorite type of cupcake?

Such a tough question! I find myself trying key lime and lemon a lot. I also love a good autumn seasonal spice cake when the time is right.

If you had to describe yourself as a cupcake, how would you?

Definitely key lime! Sweet looking with a tart side.

What is your favorite local cupcake place?

There's so many great places! In Maryland I'd have to say Kupcakes & Co. in Elkridge.

What is it about cupcakes that you like?

It's a personal sized treat. I love the great variety you can have in one box. It's tough to get board with a small treat that can be so many different things.