Are they gone? Okay then! Time for cake!! Philadelphia has a number of wonderful bakeries, but while some friends and I were trolling the internet looking for the city’s best cupcakes, we came across Whipped Bakeshop in Fishtown. They have cupcakes, alright, but they also have beautiful cakes. Beautiful cakes with shoes on them!!!
Prepare to be amazed:
It’s a zebra print shoe on a purple polka dot cake! And even better, the birthday girl’s name is stamped on the insole of the shoe.
Look at the beautiful hand-painted hibiscus flowers, and the elegant script on the shoe’s insole. It makes me want to go to a luau!
Ruffled tissue paper, a charm bracelet, a red bow, the delicate flowers on the shoe... perfect. And the bakers know their shoes—just look at the red sole on the “Louboutin”! Well done, Whipped. Well done.
Cakes come in vanilla or lemon-scented buttermilk, almond, lemon, or classic poundcake, chocolate, spiced carrot ginger, velvet devil (what a great name!), and banana and banana-chocolate chip. There are also nine different frosting options (more, if you count all the liqueurs you can mix with the chocolate ganache) and fifteen filling options. In case anyone wants to get me one of these cakes, I’ll take chocolate cake, raspberry buttercream, and caramel whipped cream filling! I keep telling my co-workers they should get me one for when I finish the second month of their wear-a-different-shoe-to-work-every-day-in-May-and-June challenge—if that happens, I’ll post a picture. (Speaking of pictures, you can mark my progress photographically here.)
And these cakes are so beautiful, you’ll want to serve them in style:
They’re cake lifters in the shape of shoes! The heel is magnetic and detachable so you can take it off when you put it in the dishwasher. The server piece is stainless steel, and the heel is plastic. They’re by Wild Eye Designs, and I found them at The Papery, where there are four different kinds: pink glitter heel (shown), blue jewel-shaped heel, clear jewel-shaped heel, and zebra print heel. One can be yours for $20.
Bon appétit, my shoe-loving friends!
“Menacingly delicious, with the powerful, aromatic punch of whole flower American hops backed up by rich, German malts. HopDevil Ale offers a roller coaster ride of flavor, coasting to a smooth finish that satisfies fully.” Mmm, sounds... dangerous.
“Brewed to celebrate Ben’s 300th birthday, Yards Brewing Company has recreated Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce Ale™ to celebrate Franklin’s affinity for fine ales. Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce Ale is based on Franklin’s original recipe, which called for spruce essence and molasses, as barley and hops were not readily available at the time.”
We have to go for a heel since Ben looooooved the ladies, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want you in anything but stilettos. I chose this copper color for the pennies visitors throw on his grave in Christ Church Burial Ground (and for his saying “A penny saved is a penny earned”), and the snakeskin for his famous “Join or Die” political cartoon. (Yes, yes; I’m a history nerd.) The Oscar heel by JS by Jessica has a four-inch stacked heel, round toe, and rubber sole, and you can find them at 
“The American poet, Walt Whitman, once portrayed a sunset over Philadelphia as ‘...a broad tumble of clouds, with much golden haze and profusion of beaming shaft and dazzle’. Pour yourself a bottle of Walt Wit Belgian-Style White Ale and see what he was talking about. A pinch of spice and a whisper of citrus lend complexity to this fragrant and satisfying ale.”
Walt would have no tolerance for outrageously tall shoes—Mr. Leaves of Grass would want you in something simple in which you could go out and explore nature. Let’s make it yellow for the citrus notes in the beer and Philly’s “golden haze,” and hey, it has leaves right on it! The Belle sandal by Jaclyn Smith has a padded footbed, silver buckle, and is made of faux leather. It also comes in green, white, and berry, and you can find them at (get this) 
They’re flip-flop shaped bottle openers! By Wild Eye Designs, 
