I love cake. In fact, I love cake so much, I look at people who hate cake as if they’re Martians.
“You don’t like cake?” I exclaim. “What kind of human being doesn’t like cake? Cake is so good.”
After scenes like that, I’m usually worked up enough to stop by CakeLove or Love Cafe, two stores owned and operated by Warren Brown. I secretly hope he’ll be there on days I go in to scan a myriad of choices. Will it be a $7 slice of chocolate or cheese cake, or a $3 vanilla cupcake with lemon frosting? Man, just thinking about it…but it’s only 8:30 in morning. The store’s probably not open yet anyway.
Brown has been in the store during most of my visits, but he’s usually behind the counter with a plastic cap on his head mixing dough. One time I saw him in Love Cafe sitting on one of the couches.
“Congratulations on opening a second store (Love Cafe, across the street from CakeLove). Your business is a huge success. It’s wonderful to see,” I said.
“Thanks,” Brown said, “but I certainly didn’t do it alone.”
I’d read stories about him before. What started out as a dream for a government lawyer who wrote cake recipes while riding the Metro and baked in his free time has become dramatically real. Brown’s opening a second CakeLove, his third store, in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, and he’s signed on to do a show called “Sugar Rush” for the Food Network. From the Washington Post (reg. req.):
“Sugar Rush,” which will be shown on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m., will debut in mid-October. “Recipe for Success,” an ongoing program, airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. Brown’s episode is being filmed.Each episode of “Sugar Rush” follows Brown as he visits restaurants, pastry shops and bakeries around the country to talk with pastry chefs and chocolatiers, then returns to his kitchen to cook a recipe he’s learned from them.
Yes, yes, all that is wonderful, but there’s something missing. Warren Brown needs a blog. He’d get crazy traffic. He should hire another entrepreneur who knows blogs to help him set it up, and I know just the woman person.
If you’re ever in D.C., stop by Love Cafe or CakeLove (or both!) and sample some of Brown’s bold yet delicate confections. Your waistline will curse you, but your tongue will show you nothing but love. 
(Hat tip: Casey Lartigue)
Related stories:
- 26 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs
- How to Eat a Cupcake
- Black Society Pages
- Cake column (reg. req - BugMeNot)
(Cross-posted on The Language Artist)
Update: T-Steel: “[H]is story of how he found a passion for baking is similar to what I’m going through right now. I’m sick of information technology (on an enterprise level) and have found a passion. Now I just have to develop it.”
I’ve been in the cake shop, when going to DC to visit family or to go see a show. Nothing else like it in the area to help me finish off my Contra coffee.
Comment by SCSIwuzzy — 08.11.05 @ 9:12 am
La Shawn:
The forced protection of sugar producers in LA and TX has made life tough for people like Warren Brown.
This small operator and many others must pay 4 times the market rate for sugar, while sugar producers coerce immoral protection of a few thousand sugar producers.
Shameful
Comment by Frank Zavisca — 08.11.05 @ 9:32 am
What kind of help did he have along the way? If he was a lawyer, he must have had at least some of the finances.
Comment by mj — 08.11.05 @ 10:01 am
He didn’t get into details, but I assume he meant unpaid or low-paid help from friends and family, donations and loans.
Comment by La Shawn — 08.11.05 @ 10:02 am
Let us all eat cake!
LaShawn Barber shares her love of the wonderful dessert known as cake while giving Warren Brown’s CakeLove: I love cake. In fact, I love cake so much, I look at people who hate cake as if they’re Martians. “You don’t…
Trackback by Palm Trees In The Ghetto — 08.11.05 @ 10:16 am
I make a point of stopping at CakeLove everytime that I end up in D.C.. There’s no place else like it in the world.
Comment by E.M. — 08.11.05 @ 10:46 am
loved your comments about cakelove….I have seen a story or two about Mr. Brown…I loved it! Now, if I could only get across the united states from oregon…….lol
Comment by rose — 08.11.05 @ 11:12 am
…Warren Brown, (and his, admittedly, delicious-looking cakes) who is featured over at Cake-Eater LaShawn’s place. Look at that face and that smile! That’s a m […]
Pingback by The Anchoress » Having cake and eating it, too — 08.11.05 @ 11:23 am
Then I must be lucky, John Wiley and Sons employee! - Admin
Comment by Anna — 08.11.05 @ 11:35 am
I’ve saved four of your comments, and if you post a fifth, I’m sending them all to your boss. - Admin
Comment by Anna — 08.11.05 @ 11:49 am
I think I love frosting almost more than I love cake. Does he do mail order?? Why haven’t you designed his website, LaShawn??
Comment by Tiffany In Mpls — 08.11.05 @ 12:53 pm
Working on it.
Comment by La Shawn — 08.11.05 @ 1:01 pm
I’ve been there once, the cakes are good.
He’s been in the local news and on Fox Sunday(?) once.
Comment by DarkStar — 08.11.05 @ 1:33 pm
La Shawn Barber on CakeLove
The conservative blogger highlights a D.C. black entrepreneur named Warren Brown: “Brown has been in the store during most of my visits, but he’s usually behind the counter with a plastic cap on his head mixing dough. One time I saw him in Love Cafe s…
Trackback by Booker Rising — 08.11.05 @ 1:40 pm
Just one bittersweet note (and this makes me very sad): CakeLove’s link page includes a link to NARAL’s site that urges you to join their campaign against the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court.
Comment by maria horvath — 08.11.05 @ 2:09 pm
Yes, Brown is a liberal.
Comment by La Shawn — 08.11.05 @ 2:14 pm
What a great story! I needed to hear a positive good story today, and I commend La Shawn for introducing me (in blog) to Warren Brown. My mother watches Food Network often; I’m going to tell her about the show, and we’ll both watch. Have a great day!
Comment by Doug — 08.11.05 @ 2:14 pm
#15 and 16
Nobody is perfect…
Comment by SCSIwuzzy — 08.11.05 @ 2:38 pm
Dang. That’s the second time today I’ve been accused of being a martian.
Comment by Jewels — 08.11.05 @ 3:10 pm
Thank you #18.
I wonder if the brotha specializes in pound and red velvet cakes?
Comment by Stephanie — 08.11.05 @ 3:58 pm
Don’t forget cupcakes!
Comment by nichelle — 08.11.05 @ 4:21 pm
SCSIWuzzy What is Contra coffee?
Comment by Evon Bachaus — 08.11.05 @ 6:50 pm
I want one. That’s all I got to say. And white and red velvet are my favorite. Yum.
Comment by RepJ — 08.11.05 @ 8:58 pm