First Look: Hello Cupcake
Written by DCist contributor Whitney Satin
Dupont Circle office workers and residents have been taunted all summer long by the knowledge that a brand new cupcakery was slated to arrive in the neighborhood. At long last, it’s time to stop pressing those faces against the window in eager anticipation and instead partake of some actual confectionary consumption. Hello Cupcake opened its doors at 10am today, bringing a touch of whimsy and, more importantly, instant cupcake gratification to the stretch of Connecticut just south of the circle. The interior, designed by owner and executive pastry chef Penny Karas's architect husband, includes charming details. The underside of the counter resembles swirls of frosting. Wall-stenciled pink and brown flowers and glass jarfuls of colorful sprinkles give the store a distinctly playful look, while pink and crystal chandeliers strung above several café tables underscore the fact that this is a place to sit, relax, and enjoy a momentary escape from downtown DC’s hustle and bustle … presumably while licking buttercream frosting off of the fingers, of course.
Penny grew up with a passion for all things cooking and baking while helping with the family’s restaurant business, and she knew that establishing her own culinary outlet was only a matter of time. For the past several months, Penny’s family and friends (and even her dog) have served as willing test subjects as the one-time PR and marketing professional took to the electric mixer to experiment and adapt some of her favorite cake and frosting recipes. For those of us on the cupcake bandwagon, the happy result is Hello Cupcake’s repertoire of 22 different flavored cupcakes, with more creations currently in the works.
The menu rotates daily but always includes a seasonal offering, as well as vegan and gluten-free versions of most regular flavors (dog-friendly options, Pup Cakes, are also on the way). Penny’s first finalized recipe, the Peanut Butter Blossom with a Scharffen Berger chocolate base topped with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate kiss, has also proven to be the most popular in pre-opening test runs.
We have our eyes set on some of the more offbeat flavors, including Chocolate Chai, a chocolate base with chai buttercream, Maya Favorite Cupcake, a cinnamon-chocolate cake topped with chili-infused chocolate ganache and hot pepper “sprinkles,” or the summer seasonal Root Beer Float, whose heavily spiced cake base Penny admits was a bit of an unintentional test kitchen creation. And if you're looking for the popular Red Velvet, you'll have to wait a little while, Penny's recipes contain all-natural ingredients, something that doesn't include the artificial red dyes found in most red velvet recipes. But she hopes to find something that will work soon.
For those who are interested in more than just a one cup fix and looking for some party cupcakes, she has plans for themed assortment boxes, like English garden party with floral flavors, and a boozy box with mojito-flavored cakes.
And then there's the million dollar question, any plans to expand? Obviously, Hello Cupcake needs to get past the first day, but Penny expressed that it wasn't out of the question, especially with the setup and design.
The $3 a piece cupcakes are baked fresh daily, and opening day proves no exception: bakers have been at work in the kitchen since 3am this morning to hopefully stave off a potential supply shortage should cupcake enthusiasts turn out in large numbers. The store is currently open Monday to Thursday from 10am-7pm and then Friday and Saturday from 10am-9pm. For those of you lured in by the deliciously sweet smell of baked goodness wafting onto the street – what do you think? Will Hello Cupcake contribute to DC’s dominance in the cupcake scene?