Meet One of Our Bakers, Brigitte Taylor!

     Hello, my name is Brigitte Taylor - owner of Brigitte's Bakery where everything is prepared homemade from scratch and all Gluten Free. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease eight years ago, I found it hard to find freshly baked Gluten Free treats and created Brigitte's Bakery.
     I recently relocated my business from Raleigh, North Carolina to the Charleston area and am looking forward to participating in Cupcake Camp Charleston.  To learn more please visit www.brigittesbakery.com.


1. What are your favorite ingredients to use? Madagascar vanilla
2. Celebrity chef you'd like to work with:Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss
3. Cupcake you are best known for: Red Velvet
4. What was the first thing you've ever baked? Sugar Cookies
5. What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year? Meeting new people and introducing my Gluten Free cupcakes to the Charleston area.

Meet One of Our Bakers, Dee Dee Arthur!

Hi, cupcake people! I started baking as a kid on Sullivan's Island in the late '70s, so I've had (a lot of) years to perfect my craft. Any baker knows that there are some real disasters on the way to becoming adept with doughs, custards, and frostings. I've most likely burned it, curdled it, and overwhipped it before, but I keep on trying, and I get better. After liberal arts college in Austin, I went to cooking school in NYC and started my career as a private chef, working for Michael Douglas and his first wife, Diandra, for a year. They took me to Mallorca for six weeks and I'll never forget the kitchen window there that looked out over almond trees and the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. It was like a dream and made taking out a loan for school totally worth it.

My career has been my entree into some fancy places like the Hamptons, parties in Telluride, and living on board a yacht in the Bahamas for three months. But I really enjoy the simple pleasures in life, like working in a t-shirt and finding heirloom beets at the farmer's market. I've always been an artist and my creativity really comes out in my flavor choices and my cake and cupcake designs. Travels in Central America and SE Asia have both inspired and expanded my palate. 

For the last couple of years, I've have worked as a freelance writer for both Charlie Mag and the City Paper on top of my part-time chef gig at the Jewish Studies program at the College of Charleston. Interviewing chefs and writing about the lowcountry food scene is particularly rewarding for me. I also love teaching cooking and have had the pleasure of doing that at The Seasonal School of Culinary Arts in Asheville and with private clients in Charleston.

What are your favorite ingredients to use? I love to work with exotic ingredients and flavors from all corners of the globe, especially tropical fruits and spices.

Celebrity chef you'd like to work with: Ben Berryhill- keepin' it local!

Cupcake you are best known for: Last year's "Temple of Thai" coconut cupcakes with ginger, red chili, and kaffir lime leaf buttercream.

What was the first thing you've ever baked? I used to form biscuit dough scraps into shapes as a toddler and marvel at my creations before eating them.

What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year? This will be my third Cupcake Camp and I can't wait to see other people's jaw-dropping creations. There is so much talent and artistry here!

Meet One of Our Bakers, Petra Sorelova!

Hi everybody! My name is Petra Sorelova and I am originally from the Czech Republic. Missing Europe’s finest pastries and breads, I have decided to share some family traditions. Anything from strudels, pies, cupcakes and cakes, to breads and other pastries…you name it, I’ll bake it! Forget your passport--with me A Piece of Europe is right around the corner!

1. What are your favorite ingredients to use? Lemon!

2. Celebrity chef you'd like to work with: Guy Fieri, Robert Irvine and Bobby Flay! 

3. Cupcake you are best known for: Chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling and double chocolate frosting, Snickers cake..and on  another note, feta, spinach, roasted tomatoes quiche and cheddar bacon bread!

4. What was the first thing you've ever baked? Probably Christmas cookies with my mommy a long, long time ago...far, far away.

5. What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year? It's my first year, I am looking forward to EVERYTHING!!

Meet Tina L. Rucker, One of Our Sponsors!

     My name is Tina L. Rucker and I was born and raised right here in the lowcountry. I am an Independent Consultant/Team Leader with The Pampered Chef.  The Pampered Chef is known for not only selling quality cookware and kitchen tools, but we  are known for our Cooking Parties held right in your home to actually teach you how to use the tools and teach you quick and easy meals to "get your families back to the table" for family meal times.  Our meals are quick and easy, but taste and look like you have been working all day in the kitchen, and a large percent of our recipes cost less than $2.00 per serving!

     One of my business goals is to help every household put a Magic Pot (our Deep Covered Baker) in their pantry!  You will be amazed how you can cook quality Chicken Fajitas in less than 25 minutes or even bake a Chocolate Lava Cake in less than 15 minutes using this Magic Pot! I prefer not to have every household pay for that Magic - but to simply get it for FREE or half-price from me.  After all, times are tough, we all need to stick together to make ends meet and I am here to help you do just that! I also offer Fundraising Events, Monthly Cooking Classes, and Pampered Bride Bridal Showers!

     If you like to eat (and who doesn't!) but don't like spending all day in the kitchen - come on over to www.facebook.com/cookingwithtina and get some free recipes, kitchen tips, and discounts! I look forward in seeing you there.

1. What is your favorite cupcake? Devil's food with vanilla icing.

2. Least favorite cupcake: Anything with a filling or "unusual" icing. I like the basics! :)

3. Strangest cupcake you've ever tasted or heard of: The new "fad" of having bacon topping. I don't get it.

4. What goes well with a cupcake? A second cupcake! :D

5. Famous person you'd like to share a cupcake with: Mary Shannon (character played by Mary McCormack from In Plain Sight).

 

Meet One of Our Bakers, Lauren Angleton!

Hi, I'm Lauren Angleton and I've lived in Charleston for two years.  This is my first Cupcake Camp, so I'm really excited!  I'm an engineer in my day job and I got into cake decoration as a hobby when I first moved here.  Every Thursday night I would decorate a cake in class and then bring it to work the next day, which became known as Cake Friday!  Since the class ended, I mostly experiment with cake pops and even sent some pink ones to my cousin in Texas for her baby shower!

1.  What are your favorite ingredients to use?  Chocolate!  Dark chocolate, white chocolate, mint chocolate, anything chocolate!

2.  Celebrity chef you'd like to work with:  Alton Brown, definitely.  When he gets into the technical side of cooking, I geek out!

3.  Cupcake you are best known for:  Either my Red Velvet Cake Pops with cream cheese frosting filling or my Peanut Butter Cup Cake Pops.

4.  What was the first thing you've ever baked?  Probably my family's pinwheel cookies that we make for the holidays.  It's a crispy cookie with vanilla and chocolate layers rolled together.  Angleton family tradition!

5.  What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year?  I look forward to the Decoration competition!  I love seeing the awesome designs people come up with, it's extraordinary!

Meet Everlasting Moments Video

     Everlasting Moments Video is a husband and wife team dedicated to capturing memories.  We started our careers as videographers while the ink was still drying on our Visual Communications degrees, and developed our talent while living in Connecticut.  Soon we had built a great reputation in the wedding industry, sometimes being called upon to hop the ferry to Long Island to film.  Two years ago, we moved to the Charleston area and now offer our services in the #1 wedding destination city in the U.S.
     While we specialize in weddings and family gatherings, we are also expanding our skills to other areas.  We can help small businesses, corporations or towns create web videos, commercials, or even film a grand opening.  EMV will also dub old media to DVD or hard drive, scan and edit photos that need Photoshop help, create photo/video montages set to music, as well as edit your existing raw video.
     Any special event that brings together family and friends ought to be preserved for all time, not just in a snap shot, but with vivid, high quality, stirring video and audio. Seeing and hearing your loved ones laugh, dance, or toast your good health are priceless memories, trust us and our 12 years of experience to capture your event.  We are devoted to creating something timeless and a constant reminder of love in all forms.  
     For more information, visit www.everlastingmomentsvideo.com.

1. What is your favorite cupcake? S'mores!
2. Least favorite cupcake: Clayton doesn't like chocolate bacon.  Monica doesn't like anything not baked properly.
3. Strangest cupcake you've ever tasted or heard of: I once saw something with shrimp on it...YUCK!!
4. What goes well with a cupcake? Duh, milk.
5. Famous person you'd like to share a cupcake with: Sting

Meet One of Our Sponsors: Fear No Easel!

We take the fear out of art.  Enjoy painting with friends in a social environment.  Have a glass of wine while a local artist instructs a Lowcountry Painting on canvas. In about two hours go home with your masterpiece for the wall.  Fear No Easel is located in Seaside Farms off Rifle Range and the Isle of Palms Connector.  We have been in business for a year now and have been widely regarded in the community for a fun way to have an enjoyable evening with friends.  We even got voted Top Ten for Date Night.  From Birthday and Corporate Parties to Bachelorette and Ladies Night Out, a great time painting will be by everyone.  Sign Up Online...Grab Some Wine...It's Painting Time!

1. What is your favorite cupcake?  Red Velvet
2. Least favorite cupcake:  No Such Thing!
3. Strangest cupcake you've ever tasted or heard of:  Jalapeno with an Orange Frosting
4. What goes well with a cupcake?  Milk!  Duh.
5. Famous person you'd like to share a cupcake with:  Vincent van Gogh

More information can be found at fearnoeasel.com or on Facebook.

Meet One of Our Sponsors: More Caffeine Studio!

We founded More Caffeine in Reston, VA in August 2011 and moved to Charleston, SC in April 2011. MCS was founded by Stephanie Coccaro and Jared Smith.  Our core competencies include building websites that perform well in search engines with little to no effort after a build, building websites on WordPress with custom plugins and post types.  We also offer social media marketing services including daily monitoring and content management and search engine optimization services which marries social media and traditional SEO tactics to comply with modern algorithm requirements.

Jared and Stephanie were married in October 2011 in Hilton Head, SC and currently reside in West Ashley with their three dogs.  Fore more information, visit www.morecaffeinestudio.com.

1. What is your favorite cupcake? Our favorite cupcake is a red velvet cupcake.
2. Least favorite cupcake: Our least favorite cupcake is no cupcake at all!
3. Strangest cupcake you've ever tasted or heard of: Nothing surprises us anymore!
4. What goes well with a cupcake? Milk goes well with a cupcake.
5. Famous person you'd like to share a cupcake with: Matt Mullenweg (Founder of WordPress).

Meet Lyndsie Davis, One of Our Bakers!

My name is Lyndsie Davis and I'm currently finishing grad school at the College of Charleston which means I'm always busy, but somehow always find time to bake:) 

1. Celebrity chef you'd like to work with: The celebrity chef I would love to work with would probably be Alton Brown! He is so smart and quirky and I'm sure a blast in the kitchen. 

2. Cupcake you are best known for: I don't think that I'm necessarily known for one cupcake in particular because I am always trying to find new recipes and baking new desserts which means I rarely have a chance to repeat a recipe. But I keep getting requests for cookie dough cupcakes that I've made once from my friends so those cupcakes might have to make an encore appearance soon:)

3. What was the first thing you've ever baked? The first thing I ever baked were pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. My dad had found a recipe a couple years ago and was really excited to try them so I baked up a batch and I loved seeing  how happy people got with fresh baked treats. The pumpkin cookies turned into baking pumpkin scones, which turned into creating a birthday cake for my grandmother, and I've been baking ever since! 

4. What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year?

The thing I'm looking forward to this year at Cupcake Camp is raising awareness and support for Cystic Fibrosis. My cousin, who also happens to be my favorite person in the whole world, has Cystic Fibrosis so that makes this event extra exciting, extra special, and extra close to my heart.

My cousin Katie and I! She's on the left, I'm on the right. 

Meet One of our Bakers, Karen Burnish!

I fell into becoming a Cake Decorator. I did not really plan it.  After becoming a certified chocolatier while living in coastal NC, I began to sell my truffles, bon bons, and other creations to the public and through a couple of local businesses. 
    After several months of referring potential clients to local bakers, I decided to learn baking and decorating for myself, and increase my market.   Living near the beach, of course, most of the cakes were ocean-inspired and bedecked with candy shells, starfish, and sugar sand.  I had taken a couple of local cake courses, and also traveled out-of-state to learn from my favorite decorator ever.  Not only did I learn decorating techniques from Colette Peters, I learned how to run my business, Karen's Just Dessert, with heart and passion.   Colette was and still is very inspirational in her style and personality to me.
    Due to my husband's change in career, we moved to a "military town" in NC, and my business model changed a bit to suit the economy and needs there.   Additionally, due to several personal losses in a short time, I closed my business for a bit.  After several months, I found some solace in decorating again.  I began to provide free cakes for the local Wounded Warriors program, and also began the Happy Birthday Project.  Each month, I would choose local residents or organizations I found extraordinary and provide traditional or over-the-top birthday cakes. 
    When we moved to the Charleston area in 2011, I disbanded my business.  My passion is now volunteering, painting, and making cakes for folks and organizations dear to me.  Not to mention, I really like having my weekends back!

 1. What are your favorite ingredients to use? Chocolate, fresh fruit, and sugar.

 2. Celebrity chef you'd like to work with:  Colette Peters.  I had the amazing opportunity to take one of her cake decorating classes years ago, and she still remains my favorite cake artist.

3. Cupcake you are best known for: Decorated wedding cupcakes, particularly those with handmade chocolate toppers.

4. What was the first thing you've ever baked?  Strata.  It's a family Christmas tradition.

5. What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year?   I had so much fun at my first Cupcake Camp Summerville this past year. I look forward to seeing what great creations everyone brings!

Meet Kathleen Mudge and Betsy Long, Mother and Daughter Bakers!

Hello, everyone! My name is Kathleen Mudge. My daughter, and top-notch creative consultant, Betsy Long, and I will be bakers for our second year at Cupcake Camp Charleston.

We are traveling from Elizabeth City N.C. where Betsy is an English instructor at College of the Albemarle, and I am a freelance baker/candy maker. We recently participated in Cupcake CampDC to benefit the DC Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation. It was a great event. Washington, DC also offers the National Capital Area Cake Show, which is a must see for anyone interested in baking! Check it out at www.cakeshow.org.

Betsy and I love to travel, and aspire to return to Europe for Cupcake Camp Paris one day. We also look for bakeries and pastry shops in or near cities we happen to be visiting.  I'm not sure we'd have ever gone to Hoboken if Carlo's Bake Shop wasn't there...

Our town is small, but who knows, maybe we'll have our own Cupcake Camp EC someday! 

Q&A: Kathy
1. What are your favorite ingredients to use? Peanut butter, Nutella, Butter, Cream, and Chocolate.
2. Celebrity chef you'd like to work with: François Payard
3. Cupcake you are best known for: Peanut Butter cream filled chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream.
4. What was the first thing you've ever baked? Chocolate Chip Cookies.
5. What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year? We can't wait to see the creative wonders in store from the talented group of bakers this year! 

Q&A: Betsy

1.What are your favorite ingredients to use? Cream cheese, nutella, and sugar.

2. Celebrity chef you'd like to work with: Paula Deen.

3. Cupcake you are best known for: Oreo cheesecake cupcakes.

4. What was the first thing you've ever baked? Brownies.

5. What do you look forward to at Cupcake Camp Charleston this year? Being with family and friends while eating the best cupcakes around!

Betsy and I at Cupcake Camp DC.

My biggest cupcake adventure, Betsy's Wedding Cupcake Tower!

Our Most Original win last year, Reese Chocolate Spoon.