Schokoladnaya kartoshka: The Humble Russian Dessert

     The subject line of the email from the editor of Penn Appetit read simply “Dessert Competition Saturday!” Relishing any opportunity to bake, I didn’t need any further convincing to enter the contest. Reading on, I discovered the judging criteria to be taste, appearance, and creativity. Although I wasn’t hoping or even trying to win, I’m a naturally competitive person (insert Wharton joke here) and so thought that my creativity could help differentiate me from the others. Namely, I was certain that if I made a Russian dessert, there would be little chance that anyone else would think to make the same thing.

Schokoladnaya kartoshka. Photo courtesy of Penn Gastronomy Club 

      I tried to think of my favorite Russian sweet that my mom and grandmother had baked me. The scharlotka, an apple cake, came to mind, as did the Napoleon, the Russian version a creamier and moister variation of the French classic. But these two desserts, although beloved by me, seemed to be too ‘classic’ and not quite interesting enough for the competition. I thought back to the almost dozen summers I spent living with my grandparents in their home in Russia. When I accompanied my grandmother on her weekly grocery shopping excursions, we would walk all around the city visiting various different shops - the butcher, the open-air vegetable market, a vendor selling canned goods, the fish store, and finally the bakery. At the bakery she would buy us a couple loaves of the traditional dense black rye bread, and if I was lucky, she would also buy me a sweet treat or two. Whenever she succumbed to my begging and pleading, my first choice would always be the schokoladnaya kartoshka, or chocolate potato.

     This dense, rich, and intensely chocolaty pastry doesn’t have any potato in it but is shaped to look like one, with nuts poking out to look like its sprouts. The walk home always seemed excruciating long, as I couldn’t wait to dig into my dessert. Sitting in my grandmother’s tiny kitchen, in between sips of black tea, I would enjoy spoonfuls of the moist chocolate ‘potato.’ I haven’t eaten this uniquely Russian dish for years, since the last time I was in Russia was more than 4 years ago. I decided the dessert competition would be the perfect opportunity, or excuse, to attempt to recreate my favorite childhood dessert.

     Following a few internet searches, I found that the ‘potato’ was made rather simply: chocolate icing mixed with cake crumbs. Excited that I stood a fairly good chance of accurately recreating this childhood memory, I bought the necessary ingredients and set about baking. Although I ALWAYS bake my cakes from scratch, since the recipe called merely for cake crumbs, I decided to use a store-bought package of yellow sponge cake mix. I wanted the ‘potato’ to have an intense chocolate flavor, so I added a quarter cup of cacao powder to the cake mix before baking. Next, I made the chocolate icing, mixing first equal parts creamed butter and condensed milk. Finally, I added a few ounces of melted bittersweet chocolate and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract and mixed it all together to form the icing. Once the cake had baked and cooled, I crumbled it to form crumbs and combined it with the icing. To sculpt the finished ‘potatoes,’ I rolled several tablespoons of the cake crumb-icing mixture into balls, dusted them with cacao powder, and rolled them in chopped pecans. Finally, I was ready to taste my creations to see if they lived up to my expectations.

     Although not as dense and rich as I had remembered, my recreation of the schokoladnaya kartoshka was still satisfying, every mouthful moist and flavorful. The taste and feel of the dessert made me think back to all of those summers I spent with my grandmother, helping her on her weekly grocery expeditions. Now, I can’t wait until she comes and stays with my family again later this year, so I can share my version of this dessert with her.
                                           

My grandmother in her kitchen in Russia.

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A Taste of Turkey

After returning to sunny West Philadelphia and working on adjusting back from a semester abroad in Istanbul, Turkey, I’ve started to become reflective. What about my experience in Turkey was so profoundly different from life at Penn? It could have been the language – Turkish is unlike any language I’ve ever studied, and is definitely hard to get a grip on (don’t worry though; I managed to work out the most important words - names of foods, fruits, vegetables, etc. and became proficient in ordering in restaurants). Was it life on two continents? (Istanbul straddles both Europe and Asia, and is divided by a narrow body of water called the Bosporus Straight that connects the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea.) Was it the traffic? No, alas, it was the food.

With influences from the Mediterranean diet, Middle Eastern cuisine, European tastes and some uniquely Turkish delicacies, Turkish culture is obsessed with food, and much of their culture is defined by their dishes. Turkish cuisine boasts a heavy emphasis on meat, fish, bread, olive oil, and sugary, nutty delights, and is sprinkled with distinctive spices and tastes from near and far.

Today I am bringing you a classical Turkish dessert: muhallebi, or milk pudding. I found a wonderful pudding establishment in the heart of Sultanahmet, the historical district of Istanbul. After exploring the jaw dropping beauty of the Harem of the old Ottoman sultans and ogling their jewels in the treasury of the Topkapi Palace, I stopped for a quick break at a cafe that had the most beautiful and exotic looking puddings lining the windows. Hoşgeldiniz, or Welcome to Turkey!

Top layer: Dark chocolate pudding with garnish  Bottom layer: Classic Turkish milk pudding

Top layer: Pistachio pudding with garnish

 Bottom layer: Dark chocolate pudding

Top layer: Fruit pudding with orange zest and figs, and garnished with ground walnuts, pistachios, coconut, and sprinkles. Bottom layer: Milk chocolate pudding

I found a recipe here for classic muhallebi - try it on your own or get yourself a plane ticket to Istanbul!

If you are interested in an easy but excellent pudding recipe (not Turkish), I would highly recommend checking out this one.

-Alexandra Golub

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Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread houses have been a tradition for my family since I was a two year old who had to stand on a chair just to peak over the edge of the kitchen counter and who did a better job decorating herself with icing and candy than she did decorating the gingerbread house. Despite all the hours we’d put into decorating gingerbread houses over the years, however, we hadn’t been to a gingerbread house competition until this year. While our own gingerbread house – a farmyard theme this year – was not ready to enter into the competition, we enjoyed looking at the various entries. Most were the cute but rushed work of scout troops and young families, a few were truly beautiful, and all were full of Christmas spirit. Below are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy!

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Lost in Translation

Having spent six weeks in France, I wanted to take an entire meal “to-go,” but, alas, neither the French restaurants nor US customs supported this idea. While admiring the Creuset cookware at a boutique in Tours, France, I spied a thin book with the words Riz et Risotto elegantly inscribed on the cover. Herein lay my solution! With this cookbook, I could bring French food home; perhaps I could even become a renowned French chef-- Oh, the possibilities were endless! Sadly, such possibilities vanished as quickly as they had come. Back in the US and suffering from a bit of jet-lag, I mindlessly wrote down the ingredients for one enticing French risotto—“Gratiné au Beaufort”—and ventured to my grocery store, Publix. Once there, I realized that I had no idea what an ingredient, Beaufort, meant— besides that it’s a town in South Carolina. Lacking a Smart Phone and being in Publix, I thus had no way of translating the word with Google. Mon Dieu! I skimmed the remaining ingredients—white wine, shallots, Arborio, olive oil—what could be missing? Cheese! I rushed to Publix’s new fromagerie and asked the attendant if he carried Beaufort cheese. He quizzically replied, “beau-for?” emulating the French accent I had used, “I haven’t heard of it.” I tried again with a slight Southern accent, “Bow-fort? It’s French.” Nothing. So, I substituted Gruyere, another French cheese that I hoped would resemble Beaufort.

Having overcome the issues with translation, I now struggled to convert the measurements from metric units. While in elementary school, I decided that I had no use for the Metric system. You can thus imagine my struggle! Not only did some of my conversions seem rather outlandish (a result which I attributed to the decadence of French cuisine), but others didn’t convert evenly! The oven needed to be preheated to 180°C…356°F. My oven used increments of five. Quelle horreur! Should the temperature be too high? Too low? Anxiety began to overwhelm me, for I always follow directions exactly. The inexactitudes piled up with each step. Add a splash of salt! A dash of cheese when the moment strikes you! Did a splash of salt cause the boiling water to, in fact, splash? How would I know when I felt like adding cheese?! What if I changed my mind? I frantically flipped through the other recipes, but, they too, used this slapdash method! Sacré bleu! My dreams of becoming the next top French chef had been dashed, just like the cheese which I unenthusiastically scattered on the risotto. At least I tried, I thought, as I hesitantly tasted a spoonful. Yet, instead of swallowing something repulsive, my taste buds tingled, delighting in the potency of the cheese and the sweetness of the wine. I excitedly scanned the remaining recipes, happily appreciating their free-style method with every bite. So what if I remained lost in translation for these recipes? For, just as I was lost, the French, too, were lost in the precision of their measurements! Parfait!

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Eating & Meeting: Iron Chef José Garces & His Cuisine

One of the greatest perks of living in a culturally vibrant city like Philadelphia is obtaining access to a grand food scene. During Center City Restaurant Week, I took full advantage of the scrumptious food being offered at discounted prices and dined at Garces Trading Company…owned by none other than Iron Chef José Garces! I’ll admit it: I’m a T.V. junkie. The Food Network, especially, is one channel that I watch rather religiously, with Iron Chef being one of my favorite shows. When the opportunity to eat at one of Garces’ amazing restaurants arose, of course I seized it! The culinary gods awarded me another dream come true when I found out he was going to appear at Penn Bookstore for his newest cookbook release later that week!



But first, let’s discuss the restaurant. The clever décor of cargo, barter, and ship wood emanated an aura of a voyager’s journey, priming the diner for a culturally diverse synthesis of a meal. Now, allow me to give a descriptive rundown of my menu choices (I agonized over the delectable options for quite some time, by the way). For my first course, I had the Salmorejo, a chilled tomato soup with Serrano ham and egg yolk, garnished with mini croutons, crab meat morsels, flat-leaf Italian parsley, cubed, hard-boiled egg whites, and drizzled olive oil. Never had I seen a soup with a color so rich and vivid. I also loved how the dish reflected the consideration that chefs put into presentation. On the visual level alone, you can see the various colors, textures, and placement distributions upon first glance. It’s a wonderful sight to behold, and an even greater marvel to taste. With the initial spoonful, your palate detects a sourness and acidity from the tomato that are not too assertive, for the plainer, calming flavors from the egg whites, the grating crunch of the croutons, the dairy creaminess of the soup, and other interactive factors present themselves in conjunction.

Next, I ate the Jardiniére Sandwich, which consisted of radicchio relish, shaved zucchini, quince paste (fruit jam), and fontina val d’aosta (artisanal premium cheese). It was a lovely vegetarian dish, and I liked the inherent sweetness and refreshing quality it contained. The bread was perfectly toasted (a must), and the quince paste gave an exquisite sheen to the center of the sandwich, as it glazed the zucchini ribbons and seaweed-looking radicchio into charming undulations. The cheese was nicely melted as well and complemented the other components of the sandwich. Another accompaniment was a bowl of magical, salted potato chips that provided almost a cotton candy-like experience. You pop them into your mouth, and poof—they dissolve like air. The crunching moment is so phenomenal but short-lasting, which makes consuming the entire chip bowl even more desirable.

Lastly, I ordered the French 77 for dessert. Presented in layers, the dish was comprised of a macaron, champagne strawberry, and elderflower, lemon panna cotta strata. It was pictorially adorable, for one, but don’t let the cuteness deceive you. The power of the elements behind that dessert forever changes any diner who tastes it. Floral and citrusy, the divine, palate-cleansing French concoction was a delightful note to end on.








However, in terms of notes to end on, it came second to me actually meeting Iron Chef José Garces! I’ve had a few celebrity encounters in my lifetime thus far, and I never manage to play it cool, always succumbing to starstruck-related embarrassment. But this time, I was calm, cool, and collected. I waited in line at the bookstore, and at the table where Chef Garces sat, they provided another seat for people to sit down and converse with him for a few minutes. Once it was my turn, I began by introducing myself, saying I blog for Penn Appétit (name dropping, holla!) and that I had the pleasure of dining at Garces Trading Company. I told him about my sensational experience of those three courses, showering him with culinary praise for his ingenuity in constructing all the flavorful intricacies present in those menu items. He said he was happy to know I enjoyed his food so much and encouraged me to maintain my foodie passion. I bid him “good eating” and left all smiles, with an autographed business card and a popcorn goodie bag! I honestly could not have asked for anything better. The opportunity to eat an extraordinary meal and subsequently meet the mastermind behind it and discuss his creations with him? Never in a million years would I even imagine such an experience. It’s of gastronomical proportions, yes, but ‘tis possible if you just believe.

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Ddukbokki

After tough weeks of midterms, we’ve finally earned fall break! While it is very exciting to go out exploring for exquisite restaurants (which sometimes gives me feeling of awakening when I find the one I really like), enjoying mom's homemade food is also joyful. Nothing can be more comforting than savoring home food that instantly brings you back into good relaxing times that I used to enjoy as a young kid. I was fortunate enough to visit home over the fall break. There, my mom made me one of my favorite Korean food, Ddukbokki, on Saturday afternoon, which immediately brought me feelings of comfort.

My all time favorite Korean snack, Ddukbokki, is likely very new to many people (unless you’ve been to Koreana - on 37th and Chestnut, right behind Chili’s- quite often). Ddukbokki is a popular snack amongst Koreans that serves very well as a good, filling snack. It originated as a food sold by street vendors. The major ingredients are cylindrical rice cakes, fish cakes, spicy Korean pepper paste, and sugar. From these basic ingredients, you can then make your own twist from here on, putting whatever you like or think would blend well to make your own style of Ddukbokki. For me, I like adding sliced onion, green onion, fish cake, boiled eggs and tempura in the cooking stage. Some other popular ingredients that people enjoy are ramen noodles. There also are many different types of tempura from sweet potato to pepper to squid (ultimately whatever you want to fry). This time, my mother made a very special Ddukbokki which I had tried for the first time. She made me Sea Food Ddukbokki with cylindrical rice cakes, sliced fish cakes, boiled eggs, onion, green onion, sugar, spicy Korean pepper paste, and on top of those, added squid and crab which made it really special. It was my first time trying Sea Food Ddukbokki and it was quite good compared to other ddukbokkis that I’ve eaten.

Ddukbokki is a very popular and I would say most beloved street food and snack in Korea. If you ever get a chance to visit Korea, I would highly recommend you trying many different ddukbokkis from different street vendors and find the one you most like. I can guarantee that you’ll never be able to forget the taste once you try the authentic ddukbokki from a street vendor in Korea.

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Smorgasburg: Your Summer Mission

Are you near New York right now? Even better, are you in it? And if not, can you catch a bus to the Big Apple in the next few days? Well mark your calendar for next Saturday because you have a date with the L-train or your car- you're going to Smorgasburg!

Smorgasburg is a food market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Located right on the water, it's full of hipsters and incredible food. Only here would you find skinny, vegetarian girls in head scarves selling the most decadent grilled cheese, huge lines for tempeh, Arnold Palmer slushies, and much more. Smorgasburg was created by the same masterminds behind Brooklyn Flea, which has been described as a "Etsy-in-person". Smorgasburg happens every Saturday and has incredible offerings. For around $20, you can try a diverse range of foods. I went this week for the first time, some of which were definitely worth repeating. However, the strength of Smorgasburg is that there are so many options, I could also go back and eat totally different things. There was so much variety and range in price, ethnic cuisines, and type of customer.

Here are a few snippets of what I ate:




From Dough in Bed Stuy. I want to visit their brick and mortar shop. Cafe au lait is a flavor I've never seen in a doughnut and it deserves more recognition. The doughnut was not greasy and had great coffee flavor. It was one of those doughnuts that makes you think it's illegal for Dunkin Donuts to claim its dessert items are doughnuts.

















From The Milk Truck. This breakfast sandwich grilled cheese was the last one! It had a fried egg, pickled onions, and lots of cheese on Balthazar rye bread. My friend ordered one with apples, three types of cheese, and rosemary bread that I could probably eat an entire loaf of.

















Blue Bottle Iced Coffee. SO SO SO GOOD. I stopped by their brick-and-mortar store while wandering around Williamsburg and was so impressed by the cold brewing apparatus. I got the style with milk but there is another black version. The coffee was so rich tasting with the perfect amount of whole milk (don't even ask for skim).














The company was called Rob and Anna's Bananas but I can't find their website. As explained by the caption, they literally frozen bananas put through a cold press. They make them to order and have a variety of sauces to go. I chose nutella, my friend got berry. The bananas have no added sugar, dairy etc. They're vegan and healthy and actually taste good. This was the perfect second dessert at Smorgasburg because it didn't make us feel too full. We passed lots of ice cream sandwich shops but had no room.











Smorgasburg was a great way to spend Saturday morning. Get there early because the most popular items do run out. Bring your appetite, a taste for adventure, and your most alternative outfit. Smorgasburg is also a great spot to look at food trends. If this place is any indication, cupcakes are totally out, cookies are coming back, cold brewed iced coffee is major, and iced tea/slushies/homemade sodas are having moments.

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LA's the Place (to eat)

Earlier this summer I explored Los Angeles, with a focus on food. My host and I ate mostly outside, puncturing our afternoons with iced coffee and pastries. What follows is a highlight reel of the bites of Los Angeles, with an eye towards the unique, the summery, and the fun.

The Sweet:
I’m a firm believer in multiple dessert days during vacation months. Los Angeles, land of yoga and coconut water, also has a sweet tooth.





















Grab ice cream at Sweet Rose Creamery in Brentwood. They’re known for salted caramel, but you can get salt as a topping on any flavor. The blueberry muffin flavor that I tried was excellent and unusual. The crumbly muffin and blueberry bits fit nicely into an ice cream.

Most cakes are a little dull, a little dry, and rely heavily on icing. Not so at Sweet Lady Jane bakery on Melrose (they also have a Santa Monica location). This bakery is open late and serves HUGE slices of cake, from vegan berry to cappuccino cheesecake. We tried red velvet and chocolate almond mocha, and could not stop raving about the moist cakes and their flavorful frostings. These cakes are decadent, but not too sweet. Bonus: We were there near closing, so they offered us some free day-old bread and croissants. Breakfast the next morning was excellent!












Short Cake Bakery at the Original Farmer's Market
This relatively new stand came recommended from The Amateur Gourmet, so we had to check it out. The decor is adorable and there are lots of sweet food and drink options. We had a peanut butter bar that was good, but not revelatory. I'd try something different next time (we came late in the day so choices were limited).














Cool Haus Ice Cream Sandwiches
This food truck (which exists in multiple cities) was at the Yamashiro Farmer's Market, a wonderful summer Thursday confluence of food trucks, farm stands, live music, and views of the Hollywood Hills. There are even shuttles to take you to the top! Coincidentally, I went on the same day as Philly's Night Market and it was a great substitute. At Cool Haus you design your own ice cream sandwich with their array of cookies and ice creams. We tried chocolate chip sea salt cookies with red velvet ice cream! So decadent, and so good.











Fruit grows better in a warm climate.  California nectarines, cherries, and strawberries are sweet and juicy, begging to freshen a hot afternoon. Farmers markets proliferate widely, and Mexican food back east just can’t compare.
















The Savory:
In-N-Out: One of the first things I ate in LA was In-N-Out. This West Coast Burger Stand deserves all the press it receives. The burgers are so fresh and the animal style toppings (a special sauce and pickles) are delicious. I don't eat red meat often but I had no regrets about my animal style cheeseburger. I didn't even mind eating it at 11 AM.














Cube: My first dinner in LA was at Cube, a restaurant that bases its ever changing menu on different regions of Italy. I was there for Umbria and had a lovely dinner. They greet each diner with a special cheese pairing presented on a cute chalkboard. Also, their onion rings were amazing (they served them with a special spicy ketchup).






























Loteria Grill at the Original Farmer's Market
Loteria Grill was some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. They have a menu that goes way beyond tacos and burritos. I ordered chilequiles, a Mexican breakfast dish that consists of layered tortilla strips, eggs, and various sauces. I first tried the dish in rural Mexico over 6 years ago and it's something I could eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.














Lasagna Cupcakes from Heirloom LA. Heirloom LA had a truck at the Yamashiro Farmer's Market and everyone was talking about their lasagna cupcakes. They had lots of flavors (the person in front of us on line got the last heirloom tomato) and the size was perfect. We had the roasted vegetable one and it was, aside from the cute presentation, very good lasagna.


Los Angeles may be the cleanse capital of the world but it's also a diverse place full of great food, creative chefs, and some of the best desserts I've had in a while. Maybe a good slice of cake is just the ticket to enduring Los Angeles' crazy traffic!

For more LA suggestions, check out our foursquare list of suggestions. We have ideas for New York and DC too.

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Second Annual Cupcake Smash: A Smashing Success

What annual event lets you sample this captivating collection of creative cupcakes?

Only at the Cupcake Smash! The widely-attended cupcake contest and tasting event celebrated its second year on Saturday, April 28, drawing crowds to the Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties. A collaboration between chief cupcake coordinator Melissa Mae Templeton, Philabundance, and Tommy Up of PYT, the competition pitted 15 amateur bakers and 15 professional bakers against each other for an elusive spot on PYT's menu.

The charity event raised an astounding $7,600, more than doubling donations from last year. All proceeds benefited Philabundance, Delaware Valley’s largest relief organization dedicated to fighting hunger by providing meals for those in need in Philadelphia. The funds raised will provide more than 15,000 meals for those in need. As Marlo DelSordo, Philabundance's Director of Marketing and Communications, observed, "It's not just a middle-aged businessman writing a check. There are people of all ages and interests donating not only money, but also their time and talents."

All cupcakes were based off of PYT's utterly unique menu, with unusual ingredients like fried pickles, tater tots, bacon, caramelized onions, and jalapeño peppers. The competition was fierce, but who eventually came out on top as cupcake king?

The People's Choice award was bestowed to That's Forking Good's "Fruit Loopy Cupcake." The colorful Fruit Loop-flavored cupcake with a Loopy Vodka buttercream frosting was inspired by PYT's "Adult Cereal" menu option (Froot Loops cereal with whole milk and Three Olives Loopy vodka). I'd certainly be content eating this for breakfast in the morning. (Read more about her experience as a contestant on her blog!)

The Judge's Choice in the Amateur division was Batter Up Baker. These talented cupcake creators designed the "Chocolate Covered Pretzel," inspired by PYT's "John Toffey Crunch Adult Shake" (a black-and-white shake with crushed Heath bar chocolate-toffee candy, kahlua, Three Olives chocolate vodka and crushed pretzels). Batter Up Baker's version similarly had a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese filling and a pretzel crust, topped with caramel icing and smashed toffee candy. This was one of my favorite cupcakes at the competition and I'm so happy that they won!

In the Professional division, the Judge's Choice was AMR Catering. Another cupcake inspired by PYT's "John Toffey Crunch Adult Shake," AMR's "Pretzel.Toffee.Crunch.Buzz" featured vanilla cake studded with Joe’s Coffee Porter & Kahlua Syrup, dark chocolate ganache spiked with Three Olives Chocolate Vodka, house-made pretzel butter toffee bits, Kahlua-infused bruleed meringue icing, and chocolate-toffee pretzel garnish. The different textures and intense flavors complemented each other quite well, resulting in a winning creation.

The “Pretzel.Toffee.Crunch.Buzz” cupcake will be featured on PYT's menu for the month of May, so be sure to stop by and indulge in dessert after feasting on one of PYT's funky burgers!

Read on for a further recap of the event, accompanied with plenty of tantalizing pictures.

Judges Tony Luke Jr. (Tony Luke’s), Leah Kauffman (Philly.com), Drew Lazor (City Paper), Wendy Rollins (Radio 104.5), and Tommy Up (PYT) have a tough decision to make.

These tropical “Everythin’ Come an’ Curry, Mon” Cupcakes were inspired by PYT's "Bananas John Foster" shake (vanilla ice cream, a whole banana, sailor jerry spiced rum, banana liqueur and maple syrup topped with whipped cream and banana slices). Love the diagram!

"The Charmer" by Sweet Affairs certainly brought out the kid in all of us; the vanilla cupcake had a Lucky Charms crust, was filled with "Milk" sweet cream, topped with whipped cream, and sprinkled with the classic marshmallow charms. This number was based off PYT's Cereal Killer shake (vanilla ice cream, Tito's handmade vodka, and Lucky Charms-infused cereal milk topped with whipped cream and Lucky Charms).

What do you call a nosy pepper? Jalapeño Business! Zynnie Bakes' creation took PYT's Jalapeno Popper Burger and combined the flavors of jalapeno and pineapple for a sweet-spicy flavor blast.

These excellently-crafted "Root Beer Float" cupcakes tasted exactly like their namesake; samples were even served topped with tiny scoops of rich vanilla ice cream.

There's nothing like a cupcake to finish off a meal... but cupcakes and donuts? Now you're just spoiling me! The "Cupcake Sundae" (inspired by PYT's "Krispy Kreme Sundae") took a vanilla cupcake and adorned it with vanilla "ice cream" buttercream, chocolate covered bacon, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and shaved chocolate.

No competition is complete without bacon coming into the mix! These savory-sweet cupcakes delivered a punch with bacon toffee nestled in the frosting.

Inspired by local town carnivals where everything and anything is fried, the intense "CarniCake" created by Cammy Cakes riffed off PYT's "Cookie Monster Adult Shake" (vanilla ice cream, vanilla vodka, irish cream liqueur and crushed Oreos). The Oreo cupcake was dipped in luscious funnel cake batter, deep fried, drizzled with Irish cream and melted chocolate, and dusted with powdered sugar.

These Neapolitan-hued cupcakes by Team dee*Lish were based off the classic Banana Split and accordingly coined their name as "This Split is Bananas!" With a touch of banana liqueur blended into the trifecta of cake flavors, the cupcakes were topped with a whipped cream vodka flavored buttercream frosting, playful rainbow sprinkles, and a bright red cherry on top.

All in all, this year's Cupcake Smash was a smashing success. Kudos to all those who made this event happen! I'm already looking forward to this incredible event next year!

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