Meat Cake, A.K.A. Man Birthday

Ok, so this one is for my friend and co-worker Kent. He doesn't really eat sugar and he loves meat. This year for his birthday I decided to make him a meat cake. It's basically a three layer meat loaf with mashed potatoes for the frosting. It was a lot of fun and I make it in a cupcake version too! I don't have a picture of it cut open, but if I can get one, I'll post it later. As you can see, I've been busy over the past week. AND, Valentines' Day is coming up. I won't be doing a mass delivery this year, but if you want a special cupcake for your loved one, just contact me and I'd be happy to sweeten their day with a few cupcakes!

Sweet 16 Cupcakes

My little cousin also recently had a birthday and she is one of the sweetest girls around. And just like my sister, she doesn't really like chocolate. I know, there should be some sort of law about not liking chocolate, but it also allows me to be creative. And this is the kind of project I have been wanting to work on for awhile. Her colors for her party were hot pink, orange and lime green. So, I created a signature cupcake and stand just for her big day! I love doing that! "Libby's Rainbow Sherbet" cupcake will definitely make the flavor list. It's Lime, Strawberry and Orange cake made with fresh limes, strawberries and orange swirled together then finished with Very Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. Her cakes were also topped with brightly colored monograms.

My Sister's Birthday!

My middle sister just turned 30 on Friday and we wanted to make sure to have a party that reflected her personality completely! She is a classy cowgirl, think leather and lace or pearls and wood. Tough as nails and delicate as a flower. For her birthday I wanted to do a special dessert table just for her. Her best friend, came over early and helped me set up and our older sister helped by baking her out-of-sight snicker doodles! Also on the menu I made: lemon mousse fluffed on top of a white chocolate dipped gingersnap and topped with a fresh blackberry, peach champagne cake with hand piped swiss dots, fruit kabobs with dip, bacon cheese phyllo cups, lemony shrimp and passion tea. Some of her favorite things.

New Cupcake

I was not happy with how this one turned out, but everyone else enjoyed it. I had this great vision of a Egg Nog cupcake that would be the star of my Christmas flavors, but it didn't make the cut for me. It wasn't Noggy enough, but I have some ideas of how to make it much better, including a little nog pastry cream in the middle! Mmmm....maybe we'll have Christmas in March.

Not Cupcakes

Awhile back I got asked to do cookies for a baby shower as a party favor. They turned out pretty cute! Now, most of you probably don't know that I make cookies too, I just don't do it often because I LOVE to eat them and that's just not good for me. I can stop at one cupcake but cookies (especially chocolate chip) I can not resist.

Christmas Craft Show Cupcakes

That's right, I did a craft show.....and it was so much fun! Top 6 things I enjoyed at the Craft Show:
6. Being asked 800 times if the cupcakes were edible or just candles.

5. People's eyes light up when I asked if they wanted a free sample.

4. The baked potato I had for lunch.

3. Guy in the booth next to us who proposed after eating a cupcake.

2. Meeting so many fun and creative people/people watching all day!

1. Spending the day laughing with Lindee and Jen. You girls are awesome and so crafty.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have been baking like nobody's business. I hope to update my blog for the next week about all the things we did over the holidays. I've got to get me a good camera that I can haul around and take pictures of everything I'm making...Someday. Anyway, back to today's post. I had the honor of making my dear friends Ashley and Chris' wedding cupcakes. They had Chocolate with Cream cheese frosting and Vanilla filled with strawberry and topped with cream cheese. I learned a lot about baking in someone else's oven in west Texas and that I CAN get 350 cupcakes done! My sister was my right hand gal and there is no way I could have done it without her!

New Cupcakes

Lemon Berry- Lemony cake with Blueberry buttercream

Rootbeer Float (a.k.a. The Wes)- Rootbeer cake with Fluffy vanilla cream frosting. Tastes like the real thing.

I miss the blogging world and eventually I will post all the things I've been working on!

The Diamond Years

I am very blessed to have both sets of grandparents still living and happily married. I even have cutesy names for them: Meemaw & Peepaw and Dee Dee & PaPa. This past month we celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary; back to back weekends. The 60th year is considered to be the Diamond anniversary and I'm pretty sure I know why. Diamond comes from the Greek word for invincible, they are one of the hardest materials on the planet, they make excellent abrasives and when polished will shine. Marriage is hard and often abrasive. Most people may think that abrasive is bad, but not always. Some of the best marriages I have witnessed are characterized by the couples ability to "sharpen" one another, A.K.A.: they challenge one another and cause rough edges to be sanded away. Marriage is full of joy, love and respect. When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church and a wife respects her husband as the head of their home, they shine with a light that is reflective of Christ's love for us. My grandparents have lived this out in front of me, things have very rarely been easy but their relationships have shown just how deep the Fathers love is for us. So, it's fitting that this is the Diamond year. I was honored that my grandparents asked me to use my gifts to celebrate their anniversaries. I'm not fond of doing large stacked cakes (and these are my first to ever do), but in this case, it was a joy!

7 layers of chocolate cake and Oreo mousse covered in chocolate ganache.

7 layers of Vanilla cake with blackberry preserve filling covered in buttercream.

3 layers of Vanilla cake with strawberry cheesecake filling, covered in buttercream.

No, I'm not a slacker

I'm sure most of you think that I haven't been blogging because I haven't had anything to blog about. But actually it's completely the opposite. My job is crazy during the summer and I travel a lot so I don't have a lot of time to bake, but this year I baked nearly as much as I do in the Fall. I just didn't sleep at all. Here are just a few pictures from the summer baking adventures.

A dinosaur Cake for my friends 19th birthday! She loves Dinosaurs. And Orange Creamsicle cupcakes, orange cake with vanilla and orange swirl frosting! My new favorite.



A lepoard cupcake tower for my lovely room mates birthday. It was really fun to make the tower and customize it to her specific tastes. The cupcakes were red velvet with cream cheese frosting and handmade spots.



I hosted my own birthday party, a pink picnic! It was really fun, we ate chicken salad, fresh fruit and cupcake cones and drank my favorite Passionfruit Tea from Starbucks! And we watched a favorite movie of mine (The Goonies), in the park. Everyone kept coming by and asking what "event" was going on. We just told them to join in the fun. Isn't summer grand....I'll be posting more soon!

Cupcake review

There is something so fun about frosting cupcakes with all different colors. I love it! Somebody request that soon please. Here's a pic that a had forgotten to post. I think it's vanilla cupcakes and vanilla buttercream, and the ever present chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. OK so on to the real reason for this post. A review for the Rockwall Cake Factory. If you are ever downtown at the square stop in and have one of their cupcakes. I have tasted cupcakes from many different places, but they have THE best cupcake I have ever had at a retail store. I had a Raspberry champagne cupcake and it was heavenly, moist, tender and the frosting was very creamy! The only negative is that the frosting was very sweet, but it was so flavorful I couldn't resist. I literally crave that cupcake. And they are cheaper than Sprinkles! Call me, lets go have a cupcake!

Mother's Day

I know I'm late with this, but Mother's Day was great! I got to bake with my mom and spend some time with my grandparents too. In honor of Mother's day, and the fact that my sister has been bugging me to make it, I whipped up the pineapple right side up cupcake into a layer cake. It turned out pretty good I think. On a completely unrelated topic, prior to Mother's Day weekend I had mentioned to my dad that I hadn't gone swimming in a long time and it was getting hot. After mom and I got back from the grocery store, Dad said, I want you to come outside; sitting in my parents yard was a stock tank, cleaned up and full of water. Basically, it's a redneck swimming pool but only the size of a hot tub. I made my sisters get in it with me and we laughed all afternoon. My dad he's a handy one to have around!

How to eat a cupcake & Mousse recipe

Please tell me how 2 weeks have gone by without me posting a new blog?? Well, maybe it's because summer is officially here and my job goes into warp speed. The cupcakes, however have definitely still been on a roll. I need to update everything, but I keep forgetting. But I have two new cupcakes for you. 1) The Fauxstess.- Chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache. 2) Oreo Mint- Chocolate cake topped with mint Oreo mousse. This is the boys from the office new favorite.

In regards to the fauxstess, I had an excellent group of taste testers. And if you can tell by the pic, they devoured them! If you have never heard of Justin Cofield Band go check them out. I had the great privilege of giving Justin some cupcakes to try. His reaction by far is the BEST I have ever seen. Not only was it positive, it was stinkin hilarious. I'm hoping to get it video taped and then everyone can laugh along with me as I describe it here: Justin took the cupcake and set it on a plate as he carefully removed the wrapper. Then, with a fork (he used a fork? strange) he took one bite, set the fork down and took two steps back. He swallowed then pointed at the cupcake, jumped up and down and said, "That's it right there." And then he went for the fork again. Took a bite, set the fork down, took two steps back and then banged his head on the wall. This continued until the cupcake was gone. I've never seen someone eat a cupcake like that and I'm pretty sure I probably won't ever again. But, I'm glad he enjoyed them. Now for the coveted Oreo Mousse recipe. You all are going to kick me because it's so easy.

Ingredients:

1 Pkg oreos (regular not double stuffed works best)

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese- softened

1 lg tub cool whip, or 6 cups of homemade whipped cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Combine cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Add whipped cream and stir until combined. In a plastic bag crush oreos. They should not be ground into a powder. Add oreos to cream and mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Then top anything or eat it straight out of the container. This will frost 30 regular cupcakes or one layered cake.

Guitars, Cars and Garage Sales

I've been busy baking up a storm in the past few weeks and my work schedule has picked up as well, so I'm all over the place, but that's just how I like it! First up we've got some rad guitar and car cupcakes for a little boy's birthday...just so you know piping the guitars were way easier than lions. Next we've got some garage sale cupcakes and a new recipe. One of my friends is going to live and serve in a faraway land for about 6months so he had a HUGE garage sale to raise the necessary funds. I whipped up some vanilla, Oreo, chocolate/cream cheese and white chocolate raspberry cupcakes for him to sell. I'm working on some different designs so there is a zebra print somewhere in there.












Now, for the new recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes (yet to be named after someone)
I use Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup All Fruit Raspberry Preserves
3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese at room temp.
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup All Fruit Raspberry Preserves
Pinch of Salt




Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 1/2 full. Add 1TBS of Raspberry Preserves in the center of each cupcake and a few white chocolate chips, then top with about a tablespoon more of batter to just cover the filling. Liners should be about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20–25 minutes.
Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Beat Cream Cheese until fluffy, sift powdered sugar. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until desired sweetness and consistency is reached. Add at least 1/4 of cup raspberry preserves (or fresh raspberries if you desire) and pinch of salt. Beat well. Top with White Chocolate Chips.

Cookies Not Cake....Rated PG-13

I live in a house of 4 girls...we have a blast. On tuesdays we have girl night and it is always a good time of laughter, accountability and growth. Recently E-rock had a birthday so for her big day we decided to make panty cookies instead of a cake. It was a blast...Make your own for a night out with the gals or a bachelorette party. Just make or buy your favorite sugar cookie dough. Roll it out and cut out using a heart cookie cutter. Trim off the pointy end of the hearts and you get the desired shape. Make sure you do this before you bake them. Then whip up some frosting in fun colors and go to town decorating! Here is our panty cookie adventure.

Baking with the Hamiltons!

I had a good weekend, a very good weekend indeed! It was a great joy to spend Sunday afternoon baking with our friend Heather and her kiddos. They were such great helpers and so fun. One of the things I love about cupcakes is that they make everyone a little bit like a kid again. Austin and Abbey helped measure, mix and of course taste test! And they were in charge of sprinkles!! We gave them each a bowl to sprinkle over to catch the extras. After all the cupcakes were sprinkled, I was planning on emptying the bowls into a canister to use another day. But, before I could they had planted themselves face down and were licking the sprinkles off the bottom. It was hilarious....and so fun, I just had to capture it on film. I hope that you all will take some time and bake with your kids. If you don't have any kids, have a baking party with your nieces or nephews or friends that have kids, it is so worth it! love ya'll....I'll have new cupcakes up soon. P.S. In all the cupcake baking of Sunday my mixer got a name: MAX. He's a Heavy Duty Kitchen Aid and lately I've spent more time with him than I would care to admit. haha.

Wales Cupcakes

I forgot to post about my experience in Wales and England with cupcakes! I had this grand idea that I would get to go to a cupcakery across the pond, but I searched and searched and never found the one in London. But I did go to Harrods and they have a huge bakery area and I found fairy cakes (the equivalent to cupcakes) They were more like a chocolate brownie and super rich. Definitely not awful.

Then I stumbled into a bakery in Cardiff, Wales and bought a pink Mother's Day cupcake. It had a strawberry poured fondant icing. and white cake. It was tasty but dry. I wasn't mad at it though.

I will be having some cupcakes when I go back this summer though. My friend is on the hunt there to find the exact location!

Back Again...

Ok, so I realize I haven't blogged in much more than a week...but I was just a little bit busy. But I do have two tasty treasures to share with you. First off, I'd like to say that nothing relaxes me more than baking up cupcakes and giving them to friends! This past weekend I had a retreat for work and I was really excited to see all of the students and leaders. I determined that I would make cupcakes for each person even if I had to stay up late. Right before the leaders arrived on Friday evening, I was baking cupcakes and had to run outside real quick. On the way back into the house I twisted my ankle, and passed out for a second. Thankfully, I had a friend helping me and she checked the cakes in the oven. But oh my the pain and timing of my injury was less than wonderful. I ended up having to miss the beginning of the retreat, BUT I made my friend prop me in the kitchen so I could frost the cupcakes. Needless to say, all 50 some odd people ate cupcakes and enjoyed them. And I am still icing my black and blue bruised ankle. Now on to the treasures...My cousin and best friend Britt had a birthday this past week! She has always had an aversion to chocolate cake but somehow now all she ever requests from me is chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and it had to be Pink!

Next, my friend Katelyn had a b-day and she requested Fuzzy Navel Cupcakes. I know, I know that's a drink, but I got the recipe here and tweaked it a little and it's very tasty! One of my favorites.

What I did last week...

OK friends so I find myself wanting to blog all the time but realizing that I really only have time to blog once a week. But it's worth it isn't it? If I had more time to blog then I would have nothing to blog about. First up we have a new cupcake flavor: Mom's pina colada. My mom has always loved pineapple and coconut so this is the perfect cupcake for her! It's a moist butter cake flavored with 100% pineapple juice and coconut milk, then it's finished with two kinds of frosting!: Pineapple butter cream and Coconut whipped cream. This might be my new favorite frosting. Originally I had planned to swirl them together but still separate but the pastry tip I was using got clogged with the pineapple so I just folded the two frosting's together and piled it on top with an open pastry tip. Next time I'll start that way first.

Next, I made some cupcakes for my friend Cameron for his birthday. Cam loves baseball so of course he had to have baseball cupcakes. I will definitely do those again if anyone wants some!

Then I went to North Carolina for a wedding and was able to visit Cupcake Shoppe Bakery in Raleigh. The atmosphere was great! The shop is downtown in the heart of coolness. And they stay open till 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights! I tried as many of their cupcakes as possible. I had, carrot cake with cinnamon cream cheese, chocolate cake with mint butter cream, strawberry cake with strawberry butter cream, chocolate cake with peanut butter butter cream, chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream and red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I did not eat a whole one, just a taste of each over the course of 4 days. Taste testing cupcakes is hard work! A box even travelled all the way back to Texas with me. I think, even with the days later testing that the carrot cake cupcake was the best, mainly because of the cinnamon cream cheese. However, I will say that this cupcake shoppe has the best chocolate cake I've had at a shop so far. The only negative at all is that the butter cream frosting's were overwhelming. They were too sweet and too much. I know, I know who ever heard of too much frosting. but coming from this frosting lover, believe it. They have the friendliest staff who put up with my ridiculous excitement and stupid questions. It is worth a trip to see them!

I'm going to be very busy over the next few weeks, but hopefully I'll have a little time to bake up some new flavors. Love ya'll.

Birthday Party Cupcakes and a 5K!

I just wanted to share two quick pictures of some lion and lamb cupcakes for a little girls' 1st birthday party. I'm going to admit that the lions are alot of detail work and I don't know if I'll do them again, but I'm sure if someone asks I'll say yes.

I also participated in a 5k on Saturday! I still am not sure I believe it. But, I did sport a running cupcake T-shirt and had a blast. I just stopped being sore yesterday.

If you have any ideas for either creative cupcake flavors or decor holla at me and I'll see if I can make it happen.