My dad's birthday

My dad is the best father on earth. Really, I'm not just saying that because I'm biased. He is disciplined, loving and more than anything has led my mother and sisters in such a Godly manner all these years that I just appreciate how he has pointed us back to Jesus over and over again. And he turned 60 this year. We have never thrown him a birthday party where we invited other people outside the family, so we decided it was high time. I really wanted to do something special for the 70 party people we were having so I decided to go against my rule of not doing stacked cakes and make one just for him. The biggest element was the handmade belt buckle out of white chocolate candy clay, hand stamped and painted with edible sliver. I wish you could see it in person, I surprised myself with it. The cake is my dad's favorite: Chocolate with pecans and fudge frosting. Really it should just be called chocolate death, but I'd rather name it after my dad than death. So just ask for The Dad.

I love little ones.

My good friend has the cutest little girl and let me do her 1st year birthday which had a pink poodle theme, how cool is that! They had her party at a park on the windiest day ever, but the cupcakes survived. They are pink strawberry with very vanilla frosting. Some have dots and some have poodles. I think they turned out pretty cute!

Finally...

Finally, I have a second to update some cupcakes. Some are forever old. This first one I wanted to show you is a super easy way to put cute, tasty decorations on. I just melt down some white chocolate and line a cookie sheet with wax paper, spread out the melted chocolate on the sheet and let it just barely set up. Next take your favorite mini cookie cutter and stamp out as many as you want. Decorate and then top your cupcake. So fast, so cute.

Old stuff

I have been so cupcake and iGo busy that posting updates has taken forever. These cupcakes are from months ago. Made for all the boys and staff out at Miracle Farm. The first one is The Turtle: Chocolate cake with marshmallow butter cream frosting, caramel center with pecans and chocolate drizzle. Second up is Banana Puddin': Banana cake with Banana Cream Frosting and a Vanilla wafer. One of the new favorites.

Happy Birthday! Secrects Revealed

Well, it has been weeks since I have posted anything....seems like I go through stages like that. BUT, I have been working on a lot of things. Today I have a very special treat for you! One of my favorite people had her 18th birthday, and I was asked and given freedom to create a custom flavor and cupcake tower for her. Tex is a very unique girl and I wanted her cake to reflect that. So the super secret flavor I was testing at Valentines can now be revealed: Tex's Chocolate Passion. It's chocolate cake with passion tea ganache and marshmallow butter cream frosting. I had to take the pictures with my phone so they aren't the best, but hopefully you can get a glimpse of what the cakes looked like. The decorations are handmade out of candy clay (my new favorite alternative to fondant!)

New Cupcake Flavors

First up, possibly a new fav. Chocolate Pie. My 2nd favorite dessert, but not just any 'ole chocolate pie will do. My Grandmother's is the only pie for me, or DeeDee as everyone calls her. This cupcake is in her honor. Butter Cake stuffed with DeeDee's chocolate pie and topped with toasted meringue. The test group called them excellent.

Next, Maple Bacon. My sister LOVES sweet and salty and loves syrup on her sausage or bacon. It literally tastes like pancakes and bacon. It's maple, brown sugar and chopped bacon in the cake and then it's topped with Brown sugar and maple butter cream and a piece of crispy bacon. They are rich and can be eaten any time of the day. Not for your average cupcake eater.

Valentine 2009 is fine!

This is my favorite of the whole holiday.....given from someone far far away to someone they love very much. Next up, Easter? Father's Day? Birthdays? Happy Friday? Who knows....holla at me if you have a unique flavor you would like to eat in cupcake form!

Shh.....it's a secret

I'm working on a new cupcake flavor for a VERY special person. I can't tell you who yet. But, I thought I would give it a test drive for valentine's day. I can't even tell you what's in it because that would give it away who it was for. But it's got chocolate, exotic flavors and ooey, gooey goodness. And I'm still working out the kinks. The frosting completely migrated off the top...

Another Valentine

Very berry cake with Vanilla-Vanilla Buttercream....and of course some girly pink zig zags.

With a Cherry On Top

My cousin/best friend Britt is very fond of no bake cheesecake, and I like it pretty well myself. In her honor we have created cherry cheesecake cupcakes, and they might be my new fav. It's butter cake topped with cheesecake frosting and cherry pie...I'm gonna need another one right now!

Peanutbutter Valentine

I don't know if I've told many stories lately, but every one of my cupcakes is based on someone either I know and love or someone that someone else knows and loves. Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my all time favorite combos. Much like our friend Sarah: the perfect combination of sweet and sassy.... AND just so happens to L-O-V-E peanut butter cups. So, for her valentine that's just what she got: Peanut butter cup-cupcakes! They have moist chocolate cake with salty peanut butter frosting, then are dipped in chocolate and topped with a PB cup.

Hot Pink Valentine!

These are going to a very special friend of mine. They are also the Vanilla-Berry cupcakes but with crazy pink and turquoise frosting. Forgive me for getting a little crazy. And I needed to be a little creative?

2009 Valentine (So Far)

Yay! the first ones of Valentines....have I mentioned lately that I love Valentines Day? These first ones were for a special order that were shipped. My very first shipment of Cupcakes, hopefully they will arrive in one piece and taste just as lovely as they did at home. (Even though I couldn't find fresh raspberries anywhere and had to settle for raspberry yogurt and extract.)

These were made specifically to match the special someone's favorite things, so I give you Vanilla-Berry. Here are the Raspberry Cupcakes getting their tummies full of Raspberry jam.

Then they were topped with Very Vanilla cream cheese frosting and rolled in purple sparkly sugar.

Next the special message was added.

Then the very important stabilizing lollypops and box to keep them from shifting around in the shipping.

And this pic, just because I like it.

A view of the insides....

Baking GALS

This week I joined a group called Baking GALS (Give A Little Support). They put together packages of homemade baked goods to send to our troops. I have been looking for something like this for awhile now and I'm so excited to be a part of it! This morning I got up and baked dozens of cookies, packaged them up and shipped them out. I just hope that they get there in one piece. Since it's so close to Valentines Day, I decided to make the cookies valentine-y. Get ready because next week is my favorite baking week of the whole year!!

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.