Cake Plate Boutique - Guest Post by Avriel Weston

One and a half weeks ago, on November 17, Skirt PR hosted a trunk show in Chicago featuring Cake Plate Boutique from Napa, CA. The event, taking place at Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique, showcases Napa fashions, featuring outfits and accessories from various designers. Along with fashion, cupcakes from Sugar Bliss were served with wine straight from Napa.

My plan was to attend the event on behalf of Foodbuzz, but I wasn't able to go. Instead of scrapping the event, I asked a friend, Avriel Weston, from Chicago if she would like to go in my place. Luckily, she and one of her friends were able to attend Cake Plate Boutique. Avriel was kind enough to snap some pictures and write up her thoughts of the event, so take a look!

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I was very excited for the opportunity to attend the Cake Plate Boutique Trunk Show on behalf of Christina for Foodbuzz. The trunk show was set up by Skirt PR, a Chicago Public Relations Agency, that worked in conjunction with Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique to bring the Napa Valley based boutique to Chicago. After we worked out the kinks, like if I needed to wear a skirt or not, I took a friend and attended the event.

Good thing skirts weren't mandatory because the night of the show was one of the coldest Chicago has had since last winter. Since I came straight from work, I was a bit early, and due to the weather, I ended up going in before they could roll out the Pink Carpet at the entrance (which I was a bit bummed about because that seemed like it would be real fun).

The location of the show is actually Sugar Bliss' second location. It is a quaint space that fits the Napa Valley fashion very well. The ambiance was nice: free champagne and many dresses that I found could be worn in a Chicago winter, which I liked. The event was more laid back then I expected, and everyone was very nice. I like that the clothing seemed to be in the background of the event and I didn't feel obligated to purchase anything; however, the highlight of the event had to be the cupcakes!

Sugar Bliss bakes their cakes daily. They have set flavors they make everyday, as well as another six flavors they make depending on the day of the week. Along with that variety, there is also a different breakfast cupcake each morning and a daily seasonal flavor, which was Cranberry Orange that day. The cupcakes were delicious. The only one out for the tasting was the chocolate mini-cupcake, so I bought a mix of six differently flavored minis that I took home. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to take a picture of them before they flipped in the box and no longer had the cute Signature Sugar Bliss Bloom intact.

The cake itself is very moist and the frosting is light and flavorful. I'm more of a thick buttercream frosting type of gal but found that I really enjoyed the lightness of their frosting. The six minis I bought were: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Carrot Cake, Red Velvet, Orange Creamsicle (which the boyfriend ate and said tasted surprisingly like the real deal), and Chocolate Coconut. They were all great, but the Chocolate Coconut is a must have--I will definitely go back for a large one of those! I was given strict directions not to put the cupcakes in the fridge if I couldn’t eat them right away; unfortunately, I have two cats that love to get into food that’s left out, so I had to break the rule. The good news is that even after two days in the refrigerator, the cupcakes were still moist and delicious!

I'm glad I had the opportunity to go to this event and learn about a new bakery in Chicago. And learning of a boutique to go to if I ever find myself in Napa Valley? Priceless!