Looking Back at CupcakeCampDC 2010

DC's first annual CupcakeCamp was held this past Saturday at FunXion. 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

Venue: Many of you thought that the venue was too small. When we changed venues at the last moment due to the original location canceling on us, we were pressed to find a space that could house us on the same date & time a mere 1.5 weeks away! Luckily FunXion came through and offered up a beautiful space they said could hold 220 people. Our original RSVP list was 120 people and 100 more people got to come to CupcakeCampDC because of FunXion! I think they underestimated CupcakeCamp fans because many of you came out and filled up FunXion! Attendees started spilling in before 3pm and we didn't have the opportunity to greet you all with a speech of what CupcakeCamp was all about before the cupcakes came out.

Organization: We also had planned to have the cupcakes out already before you came, but you all were quick onto our plan and spotted the cupcakes coming down the stairs and swarmed. There was also a bit of confusion behind the scenes because when it came time for Round 1 cupcakes, no one from Round 1 was there! With other rounds (2-8) 1-2 of the bakers were there, but many were missing. Thank goodness many attendees (and even judges and volunteers) came through and brought more cupcakes. But, we had an un-countable number of cupcakes and no idea how to label them and nowhere to put them now that the place was packed. Thankfully everyone kept in good spirits and stayed till the end of CupcakeCampDC.

Cupcakes: Many of you said that you wish all the cupcakes were minis or cut into portions. Yes, we did see a lot of wastefulness at CupcakeCampDC. Going around and collecting trash, there were whole cupcakes strewn and smushed everywhere! But, I don't think it's possible to ask bakers to make all mini cupcakes, and cutting a cupcake into portions requires time, resources, and ruins presentation. To solve this problem, I think we'll limit the number of cupcakes people can taste next year (of course you can share with friends!).

Charity: We also, sadly, did not collect that much money for charity. We raised $150 for GSCNC and most of those funds came from raffle tickets. Next year, to stress the importance of the charity we're benefiting, tickets will come with a certain dollar donation. While processing these donations online results in the loss of some proceeds through fees, it is the easiest and most efficient way to raise money for a good cause.

This year & next: We are in the process of looking for a venue for CupcakeCampDC 2011. Depending on the venue and occupancy load, we will probably change the format of CupcakeCampDC to something more similar to tasting events (which is what CupcakeCamp is actually) like Taste of Georgetown.

Thank you everyone for coming out and we really appreciate your feedback. We know there were some first time kinks, as there always are when so many people are involved. We read every feedback slip and heard every word you wrote.

Please stay tuned here for updates on CupcakeCampDC 2010, 2011, 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. Can you believe that there were two cupcakes that had exactly the same score? Since we only had three certificates, one of the 1st place winners got bumped down to second, which bumped 2nd to 3rd and 3rd off of the award blocks! Don't worry 3rd place, you'll get your recognition here!

First Place #1: Rene K. with her Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

First Place #2: Beth F. with her Carrot Cake Cupcakes


Second Place: Cheryle O. with her Tropical Cupcakes


Third Place: Dan O. with his Strawberry Cupcakes


Crowd Favorite: Tess with her Peach, Blueberry, and Thyme Cupcakes

Individual Judge Favorites

• Orange Dreamsicle (Rene K.) tied with Tropical Cupcake (Cheryle O.)
  
• Chocolate Dipped Banana Split (Amber)
  
• Strawberry (Dan O.) tied with Margarita (Mary H.) tied with Pumpkin Cupcake (Lauryn) tied with Chocolate Covered Strawberry (Rene K.) tied with Carrot Cake (Beth F.) tied with CupcakeCamp-Fire S'Mores (Melissa H.)
• Banana mini cupcake (Amy F.) tied with Carrot Cake (Beth F.)
• Tropical Cupcake (& the one and only that got a 10) - (Cheryle O.)

Other Crowd Favorites

• Waldorf (I think this means "Tropical" by Cheryle O.)
  
• Mini-Ginger Citrus (Cara H.)
• Margarita (Mary H.)
• Wine & Cheese (Melissa W.)
  
• CupcakeCamp-Fire S'mores (Melissa H.)
• Pumpkin with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Strawberry (Dan O.)

Photos

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.