On April 20, some of South Florida's best-loved bakers will compete in the New
Times Cupcake Battle at the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival. These brave men and women will serve up thousands of cupcakes, vying for awards like Best Tasting, Best
Decorated, and Fan Favorite. We thought you might like to know the players behind those taste little treats, so every day or so, we'll spotlight another one of the contestants.
Sweeter Days Bake Shop co-owners Steve Crombe and Will Rubino aren't into too many labels. When asked about what makes his shop's cupcakes special, Rubino said it's the traditional baking methods and attention to good flavors that makes his products stand above the rest -- pure and simple.
Indeed, Sweeter Days is doing something right. It's been named one
of the Top Ten desserts in South Florida by South Florida's ABC Local 10 News and has won countless other community awards -- as well as a large
following of fans who clamor to get their hands on one of the bake
shop's cupcakes, cakes, or cookies.
Sweeter Days' cupcakes are
made daily with only fresh ingredients. In addition to the six flavors
available daily (coconut Key lime, Southern red velvet, Boston cream,
cookies and cream, chocolate with aqua-colored vanilla buttercream icing, and chocolate chocolate fudge), there is a host of
rotating flavors, including pistachio, lemon dream, and salty caramel,
which our food critic, Melissa McCart, deemed one of South Florida's 100 favorite dishes.
When asked which cupcakes Sweeter Days is entering into this year's Cupcake Battle, Rubino wouldn't tell (all the better to psych out the competition), but
he did say that he and his team were confident that his cupcakes would
reign supreme.
To vote for Sweeter Days Bake Shop (or any of the other cupcakes entered in our cupcake battle) at the New Times Cupcake Battle, come out to the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival. You'll be able to sample all the cupcakes and vote in the fan-favorite category. Tickets cost $100 and available here.
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