Let them eat cupcakes
Operation Pillar of Defense inspires themed munchies for the bomb shelter-bound
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Trying times often necessitate serious noshing, particularly when one is spending frequent 10-minute intervals in bomb shelters, stairwells and sealed rooms.
For Danielle Levy, the British-born proprieter of Tel Aviv’s I Love Cupcakes, that means Operation Pillar of Defense-themed cupcakes, but with a positive slant.
In hues of blue and white, pink and yellow, the fondant-decorated cakes display sugary Israeli flags and peaceful doves, a chocolate peace sign, hearts, the IDF symbol and a “Make Cupcakes Not War” reminder.
“I wanted to do something more positive,” said Levy, who opened her Ben Yehuda store several years ago. “The point of cupcakes is that they’re fun and happy, they’re supposed to be sweet.”
It’s been a quiet 10 days for the shop, given the intermittent rocket fire directed toward Tel Aviv. For Levy, an immigrant of five years, it’s a new experience — and one that’s been a bit of a shock for her fellow city residents.
“From what I understand, everyone’s shocked by this,” she said.
But the uncertainty hasn’t changed Levy’s plans, which include moving to a larger store on Dizengoff Street in the next few weeks. She’s expanding beyond cupcakes, which were a new phenomenon for the locals, and are now a given in the Big Orange.
It’s been a fun ride so far introducing Israelis to the concept of personalized cupcakes, given the “very traditional cakes that are sold here,” said Levy.
“Tel Aviv got into it.”
The box of six Operation Pillar cupcakes cost NIS 96, while single cupcakes range in price from NIS 5.5 to NIS 16. I Love Cupcakes is located on 114 Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv, and will be moving to 300 Dizengoff next week.
