Wednesday, May 18, 2011
New Website and Blog Move!
It's official. The website is now complete which means, the blog, just like The Bordello, is packing its boxes and moving. Please visit us at www.cupcakebordello.com
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A Change Gonna Come....
It is with a heavy heart and bittersweet (nope, not talking chocolate this time) sentiment, that I write the following post:
Through the end of May of this year, I will be working to close operations of Le Chat Noir - Cupcake Bordello and Bakery in Ft. Worth. WAIT...DON'T LEAVE YET! I know it sucks...really...truly. However, my husband has received a long-awaited opportunity which allows us to move back to Jacksonville, FL and be with his children once again.
When we moved to Ft. Worth 3 years ago, we had to make the tough decision to leave our friends and family and begin building a life in a strange town. We grew to love Ft. Worth, its people, and its history. It has become a second home to us for sure. This inspired me to take what I called a "hobby" and turn it into a legitimate business. Who would've though that in less than a year, I would have almost 300 FaceBook 'Likes', have created more speciality cakes than I can count, and provided thousands (yes, THOUSANDS) of my G.I.R.L.S to folks in all areas of the metroplex?? Not me, that's for sure! Not to mention, the wonderful opportunity to be selected as the cake-provider to Avoca Coffee...who has sold out of my cakes regularly within 3 days since opening. Wow! This just goes to show all of you looking for that extra push to get started with your business: Quality and Passion count! When you offer the best quality item and are passionate about what you do, believing in your product and the services you provide, there is no limit to what you can achieve. :-)
So, that's the bad news. What's the good news? Well, you will still be able to get my French macarons through mail-order! Yes, that's right: I will ship!! I am also working on a shipping process for my bistro cakes and of course, the G.I.R.L.S. So, all is not lost, Ft. Worth ;-)
As for Jacksonville, they will be gaining the first and only "Theme" bakery, and the first and only cupcake-centric bakery baking from scratch using local (yup, we got agriculture in FL too ;-) ) and all-natural ingredients. Oh, and lest we forget, the macarons: Jacksonville will have it's first taste of a bit of France in a small, delectable, incredibly decadent cookie.
It has been a whirlwind of activity and a great pleasure to have served Ft. Worth and the Metroplex and I know that I will be working with and seeing all of you again as I work to acheive my ultimate task: CUPCAKE DOMINATION! ;-)
As always, Cupcake Kisses and Frosting Foreplay.
Madame Patti-Kakes
Through the end of May of this year, I will be working to close operations of Le Chat Noir - Cupcake Bordello and Bakery in Ft. Worth. WAIT...DON'T LEAVE YET! I know it sucks...really...truly. However, my husband has received a long-awaited opportunity which allows us to move back to Jacksonville, FL and be with his children once again.
When we moved to Ft. Worth 3 years ago, we had to make the tough decision to leave our friends and family and begin building a life in a strange town. We grew to love Ft. Worth, its people, and its history. It has become a second home to us for sure. This inspired me to take what I called a "hobby" and turn it into a legitimate business. Who would've though that in less than a year, I would have almost 300 FaceBook 'Likes', have created more speciality cakes than I can count, and provided thousands (yes, THOUSANDS) of my G.I.R.L.S to folks in all areas of the metroplex?? Not me, that's for sure! Not to mention, the wonderful opportunity to be selected as the cake-provider to Avoca Coffee...who has sold out of my cakes regularly within 3 days since opening. Wow! This just goes to show all of you looking for that extra push to get started with your business: Quality and Passion count! When you offer the best quality item and are passionate about what you do, believing in your product and the services you provide, there is no limit to what you can achieve. :-)
So, that's the bad news. What's the good news? Well, you will still be able to get my French macarons through mail-order! Yes, that's right: I will ship!! I am also working on a shipping process for my bistro cakes and of course, the G.I.R.L.S. So, all is not lost, Ft. Worth ;-)
As for Jacksonville, they will be gaining the first and only "Theme" bakery, and the first and only cupcake-centric bakery baking from scratch using local (yup, we got agriculture in FL too ;-) ) and all-natural ingredients. Oh, and lest we forget, the macarons: Jacksonville will have it's first taste of a bit of France in a small, delectable, incredibly decadent cookie.
It has been a whirlwind of activity and a great pleasure to have served Ft. Worth and the Metroplex and I know that I will be working with and seeing all of you again as I work to acheive my ultimate task: CUPCAKE DOMINATION! ;-)
As always, Cupcake Kisses and Frosting Foreplay.
Madame Patti-Kakes
Monday, March 28, 2011
WOW! So, it's been 2 weeks since Avoca Coffee on W. Magnolia in Ft. Worth opened...'soft-opening' as they have not had their official Grand Opening, and already things are insanely crazy! I have done a total of 11, 4-layer cakes, and a dozen cupcakes so far. If you average that over the days they are open (which is 7 days a week), that's over 1, 1/2 items each day! I will say this, both times I brought in the cuppies, they found a home on someones plate, next to their lovely brew within seconds. One batch never made it into the pastry case!
This has been a complete whirlwind for me, and Avoca I'm sure. I don't think I've had more than a few hours sleep on any given day. I know I have been getting the 'emergency', we're-out-of-cake, calls on a seemingly regular basis & have rushed into the kitchen to whip up what I can to get over to them. We can't have coffee without cake after all. That's sacrilege isn't it? ;-)
Ok, so onto addressing some questions/concerns that have come up since the G.I.R.L.S big retail debut...there have been MANY questions:
Q: What kind/type of ingredients do you use in your cakes? Do you use margarine or shortening?
A: NO! I do NOT use ANY kind of shortening (not Vegan, not anything) in my products, nor do I use margarine. These products are highly processed (shortening is 100% partially-hydrogenated oil, not to be confused with other solid oils such as coconut or palm kernel) and are not, in my opinion, supposed to be part of the human diet. I use 100% butter in all it's glory.
My butter is a high-fat, European-style butter that is produced and packaged in the great state of TX.
As for the other ingredients: Unbromated/unbleached flour, eggs, sugar (from TX), milk/buttermilk (also from TX), Niellson-Massey flavorings (again, in my opinion, the absolute best you can get outside of physically cultivating your own orchids and harvesting vanilla beans), and other natural ingredients like cocoa, and chocolate with actual cocoa butter. Yes, even the white "chocolate" has cocoa butter. I never use "coatings".
Q: Where do you get the fillings for your cakes/cupcakes?
A: My recipes and my own two hands. I make most of the fillings myself, from scratch. That includes my chocolate ganaches as well as my fruit curds. The fillings I do not make are thoroughly sourced to ensure they contain only natural and minimal ingredients. For instance, the adzuki bean paste filling in the Geisha Girl is simply red beans, and sugar. I, of course, add the Madame twist on it from there before introducing it to the Green Tea chiffon ;-)
Q: Why do your cakes seem more dense than what I get at the grocery store? They seem to dry out faster.
A: Commercial grocery stores and producers of boxed cake mixes use what they call, Emulsifiers (allow fat and liquid to combine more effectively). These are, respectively, Lechitin, mono and di-glycerides, rice starch, and poly-glycerol ester. Are these bad in and of them self? Not really (read more about food additives here), but they are additives...something in addition to what is naturally found in the ingredients used in baked goods. These additives are why the grocery store can make a cake on Tuesday, put it in a refrigerated case and leave it there, to sell to you, for well over a week & when you eat it there is no difference in it's texture from day one. Personally, I think there is something wrong with that.
Also, in the boxed mixes, there are plenty of preservatives which give the cake a very springy texture & helps them last almost indefinitely, even long after it has gone stale. If I can extend the shelf-life of my cakes by using these "enhancers" why don't I do it? My ethics merely won't allow it.
I am a minimalist at heart & truly believe that how we live and what we eat should be in it's purest possible form. For those that have grown-up on boxed cake mixes and grocery store products, this is going to be a bit of a change, but I think once you ween yourself off of those other products and onto what cake started as and what I think it should always be, you'll have a whole new appreciation for what it is to make and enjoy cake/cupcakes.
Q: How should I store my cakes/cupcakes?
A: Proper storage of my cakes/cupcakes include: storing in an airtight container, covering any cut portion of cakes with cellophane or other airtight material such as waxed paper, and keeping OUT of the refrigerator wherever possible. Circulating cooled air will dry your baked goods like nobody's business. Of course, many of my cakes contain gobs of creams and egg-based fillings so you'll want to refrigerate these. Follow the steps for keeping your items air-tight and you'll be good. You'll be able to enjoy your cake for up to a week...if it lasts that long ;-)
Q: What is in your icings? How do you get them so silky?
A: Butter, sugar, and natural flavoring. That's it. They are silky not because of the ingredients, per say, but the technique used. Many of my frosting/icings are of the meringue variety which means they use cooked egg whites in some capacity. Either the sugar and egg whites are cooked together & then beat to oblivion before butter is added, or they are cooked by adding the melted sugar to them after they have been slightly beaten. These techniques produce silky, smooth, buttery icings.
For my "traditional" butter cream, I use a not-so-traditional method which is merely mixing butter, sugar and flavor, also know as, English Butter cream (notice I didn't spell it "Creme" or "Butt'R") I know, crazy concept eh? No shortening goes into my butter creams at all. Maybe it's me, but when I envision someone sitting down with a can of Crisco, a bag of sugar and a spoon, it makes me ill.
Q: How come your Bordello Bites (i.e. cake balls, cake truffles, et al), only come in 3 colors/types of chocolate? Why do they taste so different than other ones I've had that come in a variety of colors?
A: One word: Chocolate. I use only pure, real chocolate. I do not use "candy coatings" or what the industry refers to ascouveture chocolate coating: a lesser-quality chocolate-based item which does not require traditional tempering methods for it to become hard and crisp. I use real, honest-to-goodness chocolate. Even my white "chocolate" contains cocoa butter. I do not use vanilla-flavored chips, or anything of that sort. I physically temper all my chocolate by hand before dipping the Bordello Bites; a traditional candy-making method.
You will not find crazy colors for one reason: I have not found natural oil-based coloring that I require in order to color my white chocolate. When I do, then you might see some colors making an appearance, but until then you can have as many colors/flavors as you'd like as long as they are dark, milk, or white. ;-)
I hope I was able to address most of your questions/concerns. If not, feel free to give me a call, 817-231-5148.
Until then, stop on by Avoca Coffee and get yourself a slice of cake...pure, decadent indulgence as nature intended, and a press-pot or two.
As always, sending you, Cupcake Kisses & Frosting Foreplay!
Madame Patti-Kakes (aka Da Madame, Madame PK)
This has been a complete whirlwind for me, and Avoca I'm sure. I don't think I've had more than a few hours sleep on any given day. I know I have been getting the 'emergency', we're-out-of-cake, calls on a seemingly regular basis & have rushed into the kitchen to whip up what I can to get over to them. We can't have coffee without cake after all. That's sacrilege isn't it? ;-)
Ok, so onto addressing some questions/concerns that have come up since the G.I.R.L.S big retail debut...there have been MANY questions:
Q: What kind/type of ingredients do you use in your cakes? Do you use margarine or shortening?
A: NO! I do NOT use ANY kind of shortening (not Vegan, not anything) in my products, nor do I use margarine. These products are highly processed (shortening is 100% partially-hydrogenated oil, not to be confused with other solid oils such as coconut or palm kernel) and are not, in my opinion, supposed to be part of the human diet. I use 100% butter in all it's glory.
My butter is a high-fat, European-style butter that is produced and packaged in the great state of TX.
As for the other ingredients: Unbromated/unbleached flour, eggs, sugar (from TX), milk/buttermilk (also from TX), Niellson-Massey flavorings (again, in my opinion, the absolute best you can get outside of physically cultivating your own orchids and harvesting vanilla beans), and other natural ingredients like cocoa, and chocolate with actual cocoa butter. Yes, even the white "chocolate" has cocoa butter. I never use "coatings".
Q: Where do you get the fillings for your cakes/cupcakes?
A: My recipes and my own two hands. I make most of the fillings myself, from scratch. That includes my chocolate ganaches as well as my fruit curds. The fillings I do not make are thoroughly sourced to ensure they contain only natural and minimal ingredients. For instance, the adzuki bean paste filling in the Geisha Girl is simply red beans, and sugar. I, of course, add the Madame twist on it from there before introducing it to the Green Tea chiffon ;-)
Q: Why do your cakes seem more dense than what I get at the grocery store? They seem to dry out faster.
A: Commercial grocery stores and producers of boxed cake mixes use what they call, Emulsifiers (allow fat and liquid to combine more effectively). These are, respectively, Lechitin, mono and di-glycerides, rice starch, and poly-glycerol ester. Are these bad in and of them self? Not really (read more about food additives here), but they are additives...something in addition to what is naturally found in the ingredients used in baked goods. These additives are why the grocery store can make a cake on Tuesday, put it in a refrigerated case and leave it there, to sell to you, for well over a week & when you eat it there is no difference in it's texture from day one. Personally, I think there is something wrong with that.
Also, in the boxed mixes, there are plenty of preservatives which give the cake a very springy texture & helps them last almost indefinitely, even long after it has gone stale. If I can extend the shelf-life of my cakes by using these "enhancers" why don't I do it? My ethics merely won't allow it.
I am a minimalist at heart & truly believe that how we live and what we eat should be in it's purest possible form. For those that have grown-up on boxed cake mixes and grocery store products, this is going to be a bit of a change, but I think once you ween yourself off of those other products and onto what cake started as and what I think it should always be, you'll have a whole new appreciation for what it is to make and enjoy cake/cupcakes.
Q: How should I store my cakes/cupcakes?
A: Proper storage of my cakes/cupcakes include: storing in an airtight container, covering any cut portion of cakes with cellophane or other airtight material such as waxed paper, and keeping OUT of the refrigerator wherever possible. Circulating cooled air will dry your baked goods like nobody's business. Of course, many of my cakes contain gobs of creams and egg-based fillings so you'll want to refrigerate these. Follow the steps for keeping your items air-tight and you'll be good. You'll be able to enjoy your cake for up to a week...if it lasts that long ;-)
Q: What is in your icings? How do you get them so silky?
A: Butter, sugar, and natural flavoring. That's it. They are silky not because of the ingredients, per say, but the technique used. Many of my frosting/icings are of the meringue variety which means they use cooked egg whites in some capacity. Either the sugar and egg whites are cooked together & then beat to oblivion before butter is added, or they are cooked by adding the melted sugar to them after they have been slightly beaten. These techniques produce silky, smooth, buttery icings.
For my "traditional" butter cream, I use a not-so-traditional method which is merely mixing butter, sugar and flavor, also know as, English Butter cream (notice I didn't spell it "Creme" or "Butt'R") I know, crazy concept eh? No shortening goes into my butter creams at all. Maybe it's me, but when I envision someone sitting down with a can of Crisco, a bag of sugar and a spoon, it makes me ill.
Q: How come your Bordello Bites (i.e. cake balls, cake truffles, et al), only come in 3 colors/types of chocolate? Why do they taste so different than other ones I've had that come in a variety of colors?
A: One word: Chocolate. I use only pure, real chocolate. I do not use "candy coatings" or what the industry refers to as
You will not find crazy colors for one reason: I have not found natural oil-based coloring that I require in order to color my white chocolate. When I do, then you might see some colors making an appearance, but until then you can have as many colors/flavors as you'd like as long as they are dark, milk, or white. ;-)
I hope I was able to address most of your questions/concerns. If not, feel free to give me a call, 817-231-5148.
Until then, stop on by Avoca Coffee and get yourself a slice of cake...pure, decadent indulgence as nature intended, and a press-pot or two.
As always, sending you, Cupcake Kisses & Frosting Foreplay!
Madame Patti-Kakes (aka Da Madame, Madame PK)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Cupcake Bordello Has Been Outed...
Yup, that's right. We are now out on YouTube in all our glory for our Cupcake Wars - Season 3 audition! I've got my fingers crossed, my pastry bags on the ready & a whole lot of jars of pickles, jalapenos and other various crazy cupcake condiments in my pantry ready to come up with the best first round crazy cupcake I can think of to wow the judges.
I'm feeling confident...hopeful mostly;-) I mean, how could they possibly turn down the Bordello??? How??
Watch all the fun, filmed in Fort Worth, TX, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OFdOu2fnFk
I'm feeling confident...hopeful mostly;-) I mean, how could they possibly turn down the Bordello??? How??
Watch all the fun, filmed in Fort Worth, TX, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OFdOu2fnFk
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The War is ON!
Wow, what a freakin week! If you don't know, the Food Network called me the week before last and asked me to submit a video audition to be considered for Cupcake Wars! The filming begins in March so I was told to "make it fast!" I filled out all the paperwork they gave me and immediately bought tickets to fly my sister, aka The Assistant, down from TN to be in the video and help with the filming. All weekend we filmed everything we could and have hours upon hours of video that I must now find the time to edit down to 3-5 minutes...all of this while also having meetings with my web designers about the website (yes, that is finally in the works as well), following the opening of Avoca coffee where my cakes will be available, coordinating the CRAVE, Ft. Worth book launch (tenatively scheduled for March) where I will not only be celebrating the launch of the book and my layout for Le Chat Noir - Cupcake Bordello and Bakery, but where I will also be supplying my French macrons and where the G.I.R.L.S will be making an appearance;-) I was also asked by the director of the Ft. Worth Chamber of Commerce to consider being a part of a HUGE charity event in March. IF for some strange reason, I don't make it on Cupcake Wars, I will be able to be there ;-)
It's amazing with so much going on...not to mention I am also the housekeeper for my family and have an extreme couponing habit to keep up with (yes, I'm one of "those" people), that I have time to fill my regular orders, but I do;-) I had a great tasting with a customer named, Kristin, and her soon-to-be-hubby this weekend, as well as a Cupcake Takes The Cake photo shoot.
Kristin absolutely fell in love with Marriage Material, my almond sponge cake, with amaretto buttercream, as well as the Buxom Blonde (vanilla buttermilk with vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream). She chose both flavors to be a part of her nuptials...that is until her face started turning red and she broke out in hives!!! Turns out she's allergic to almonds! She had never had them before, fell in love and was devestated when she couldn't have that flavor, but both my sister, myself and her fiance insisted she stay away from anything with nuts, lol. What bride wants to be a red roly-poly on their wedding day?!?! So, we're going to do the same recipe as the almond sponge but get rid of the almond flour and go with vanilla bean.
The theme of her wedding is very simple shabby chic with very cool vintage elements. I wish I had gotten pics of the cupcakes we set up for the tasting, however with so much going on in the kitchen, it just didn't happen :-( Let me just tell you, they were BEAUTIFUL! I'll have to recreate them and take a pic to post.
I will leave you with this...a pic of my sister and I, the Bordello Babes of Fort Worth! Happy icy and snowy day in the Metroplex everyone. Until next time, cupcake kisses and frosting foreplay!
It's amazing with so much going on...not to mention I am also the housekeeper for my family and have an extreme couponing habit to keep up with (yes, I'm one of "those" people), that I have time to fill my regular orders, but I do;-) I had a great tasting with a customer named, Kristin, and her soon-to-be-hubby this weekend, as well as a Cupcake Takes The Cake photo shoot.
Kristin absolutely fell in love with Marriage Material, my almond sponge cake, with amaretto buttercream, as well as the Buxom Blonde (vanilla buttermilk with vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream). She chose both flavors to be a part of her nuptials...that is until her face started turning red and she broke out in hives!!! Turns out she's allergic to almonds! She had never had them before, fell in love and was devestated when she couldn't have that flavor, but both my sister, myself and her fiance insisted she stay away from anything with nuts, lol. What bride wants to be a red roly-poly on their wedding day?!?! So, we're going to do the same recipe as the almond sponge but get rid of the almond flour and go with vanilla bean.
The theme of her wedding is very simple shabby chic with very cool vintage elements. I wish I had gotten pics of the cupcakes we set up for the tasting, however with so much going on in the kitchen, it just didn't happen :-( Let me just tell you, they were BEAUTIFUL! I'll have to recreate them and take a pic to post.
I will leave you with this...a pic of my sister and I, the Bordello Babes of Fort Worth! Happy icy and snowy day in the Metroplex everyone. Until next time, cupcake kisses and frosting foreplay!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Times They are A'Changin...
Ok, so it's been soooo long since I last posted anything. Life has been busy! My deal with Avoca coffee is now official! Though it looks like it's still going to be a while getting my own place on account of the economy (figures), at least I can still bring the Bordello babes to Magnolia and to a great new coffee place...which roasts all their own beans onsite, I might add ;-)
The tenative opening date is next month, in February and I will definitely be posting all the cake flavors and such on my FaceBook page to keep everyone updated. FINALLY, a place to display my goodies. YUMMERS!
The tenative opening date is next month, in February and I will definitely be posting all the cake flavors and such on my FaceBook page to keep everyone updated. FINALLY, a place to display my goodies. YUMMERS!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Menage a Tois...
Ok, so I promised a peek at the Tres Leches cupcakes and here they are...
A fluffy vanilla genoise cake soaked in 3 different milks, topped with a real whipped cream, lightly sweetened and dusted with cinnamon, and garnished with a slice of rich guava paste. This reminds me of living in FL and taking trips to Miami, feasting on all things Cuban. This would go great with some of that strong Cuban coffee. Yummers!
On another note, the wedding weekend went off without a hitch! Beautiful Polynesian wedding complete with dancers and my cake at the forefront of it all :-) What can I say, I'm a proud Madame ;-)
There were 144 girls total in addition to an 8" sculpted cake and a 6" sculpted topper cake (for the anniversary). I handmade all the sugar flowers and the couple's monogram that topped the 6" cake, as well as the "bamboo" pillars that held up the cake (they were covered in sculpted sugar paste). Also, the stand itself was made by yours-truly and custom-decorated to match the wedding theme.
As if it weren't honor enough just to be asked to make the cake, I got to make it for 2 of the greatest neighbors and friends a gal could have! Congratulations to Terri and Henry. Here's wishing you all the best in the years to come!
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