SPOTLIGHT: 9 YEAR OLD CARRIE BERK CUPCAKE CRITIC

CARRIE BERK: CUPCAKE CRITIC

From a very young age, Carrie Berk, my best friend's daughter, loved cupcakes. Her favorite cupcake joint on the Upper East side, Crumbs, was a destination when visiting her family. Amongst all the enticing cakes, Carrie would point out to my family the 'best of the best.' Now, this adorable and amazing 9-year-old is a blogger who critiques cupcakes! She has travelled internationally tasting cupcakes and has interviewed Top Pastry Chefs from Cake Boss Buddy Valastro to the owners of Georgetown Cupcake. Besides identifying the best or the worst cupcake, and she is merciless according to her Mom, you can read all about the latest cupcake trends, like cute cupcake bags, jewelry ,toys, etc on her site Carrie's Cupcake Critique and Facebook Page. Even Carrie's bedroom is a cupcake wonderland! See pics below:

CARRIE'S CUPCAKE BEDROOM

Are you blown away? Well, Carrie and her Mom/writer, Sheryl Berk, have just written a wonderful children's book about a Cupcake Club called Peace, Love and Cupcakes: The Cupcake Club!! Amazing, right? You can meet Carrie in selected areas for her book tour! So excited for her!!! Learn more about this inspirational cupcake kid as I snagged her for an interview!
 

How old were you when you started to critique cupcakes? How did this all come to be?
I was turning 7. I was coming home from a ballet recital with my Mom, my friend, Darby, and Darby's Mom, Kathy and I asked ALWAYS if we can go get a cupcake together and one day Kathy said, "If you love cupcakes so much, then why don't you do a cupcake blog?" That's how it all started.

When you critique a cupcake, what do you look for - the design, or the taste?

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES - YUMMY!!

BROADWAY CUPCAKE FROM GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE OWNERS KATHERINE KALLINIS AND SOPHIE LAMONTAGNE WITH CARRIE

You really need to focus on both because both are really important. I look for creativity of the flavor (for example, black and white cookie broadway from Georgetown Cupcake) and also I look for creativity of the decoration (for example, NOT crumbs of the cake.)


Tell us about meeting one of your favorite Celebrity Pastry Chefs and how he/she inspired you?

CAKE BOSS BUDDY VALASTRO AND CARRIE BACKSTAGE

I met Cake Boss Buddy Valastro once! He is really amazing! He inspires me so much because he shows everyone that he can do anything, like if he makes a cake and he doesn't think he can do it, he tries anyway!

CAKE BOSS TEACHING CARRIE HOW TO DECORATE A SUNFLOWER

I was at a baking tour show when I met him. They called people on stage to decorate with him, and I wasn't one of those people so I got really upset. But after the show when I got backstage to meet him, I saw one cupcake that wasn't decorated yet. So I asked Buddy if he could teach me how to make a sunflower and he said, "Of course! " He gave me a private lesson on the stage alone! It was amazing! See pic above.

What inspired your new book Peace, Love and Cupcakes: The Cupcake Club?

COVER OF THE NEW BOOK PEACE, LOVE AND CUPCAKES: THE CUPCAKE CLUB

I was having a sleep-over with my friend, Jaimie and she had to do her reading homework so I had nothing else to do. The thought of cupcakes came in mind and I thought, "I wish there would be a book about cupcakes." So I tried writing a mini 2 page book!!!!! It was totally different than the book we have now. I had a character named, Ashley! But we did still keep the name Lexi! So my Mom loved it and showed it to her agent and soon we had a book deal!!

CARRIE AND HER PASSION - CUPCAKES!

Carrie ROCKS, such focused interest at such a young age. What an inspiration!