Thursday, March 27, 2008

the search for cupcakes

70 flavors of cupcakes.

I left home in the morning to find the place I heard makes 70 varieties of cupcakes, in addition to other pastries and french breads.

here is what I found:


Clarencedale Cake is actually housed in a small house. It's open for walk-in business from 9am to 5pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Their website (with tons of picts) is here. Their blog (!!!) of cakes they made can be found here.

Walking closer to the door . . .


Here is an example of a cake one finds inside. The details are just unbelievable. Seriously, download this photo and check out the face of the little raccoon and the wrinkles in the tree stump.


those Charm City punks/hipsters better watch out.

Getting closer to the display case, one can see all the goods ready for consumption.


And here are the dozen cupcakes I purchased, all prepared to be delivered on the streets of Youngstown:


Here's another example of a cake, this one with floral accents.


and another one for St. Patrick's day.


And here is the cake consulting room for weddings and such.


All the Easter bread is lined up against the back wall, and I will for sure visit Clarencedale Cakes again soon.


I was also really impressed with the look and the feel of the house's interior. The pink walls everywhere with the old-school wooden door frames provided a festive, yet traditional vibe throughout.

Needless to say, I don't have many pictures of the actual cupcakes as they were decimated by my friends and family. I met some good Slovaks in that house that excel at speaking French and baking . . . a killer combination.

For all you people in Youngstown and Cleveland, Akron, Pittsburgh and beyond, this place is worth the trip.

- - -

This visit has inspired me to create a new site/map:

presenting "the gems of youngstown"

click here to see more details on this ongoing project

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've printed out my trip tic already! the place looks delightful!

Mike Prelee said...

I love your map of Youngstown gems idea! With any luck readers will let you know about their own special places so you can shine a spotlight on what makes this area so appealing.

Anonymous said...

Merci, John, pour ce blog merveilleux! It was wonderful meeting you and Paul last week, and my husband and I really appreciate the postive press you have given us. Our cupcake case took a hit the day you posted.....I ran out due to the onslaught of hungry bloggers walking in. I'd also like to mention that our website has received at least 75 first time visitors in the last few days.....which is a colossal amount, and I believe it is due to the blog write up. The fact that there are people out there, trying to facilitate the renaissance of the area, and pulling for the little businesses in the manner that you do, makes a huge difference, and I can't thank-you enough.
Call me when you get a hankerin' for a galette des rois.....it'll be on us.
Ellen
Clarencedale Cake