My 100th Post

A little less than a year ago I started a blog about one of my favorite things on earth - cupcakes. Now I am already on my 100th post and have had people from all over the world visit my blog. 

For my 100th and final post this year, I thought I would let you know my top favorite cupcakes for 2011. I already narrowed down my absolute favorite cupcakeries (see side bar "My Favorite Cupcakes") but thought I would narrow it even further. I have tried SO many amazingly delicious cupcakes (at my favorite and other cupcakeries) that it was so hard to narrow it down to just five. (Quick note: Sprinkles Cupcakes Red Velvet would always make the list, but unfortunately I didn't get to visit a Sprinkles Cupcake this past year.) 

So, in no particular order, here are my top five favorite cupcakes for 2011: 

Coconut Mango 

From The Sweet Tooth Fairy

Coconut cake with coconut mango frosting topped with fresh shredded coconut

Lava Fudge

From Georgetown Cupcakes

Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a rich fudge core topped with a vanilla icing with a fudge star drizzle

Razzle Dazzle

From Kara's Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake filled with a raspberry cream filling and topped with a sweet raspberry buttercream

Little Devil

From Dippidee

Chocolate cake filled with a sweet creamy filling topped with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting

Chocolate w/ Buttercream 

 From Cakes De Fleur

Moist chocolate cake with a rich creamy buttercream frosting

So, there you have it - my favorite cupcakes in 2011. I can't wait to see what flavors 2012 bring. I hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday season!

Make Lemon Cupcakes

National Cupcake Day

Happy National Cupcake Day!! Do you know what this means? It means that you need to head to your favorite local cupcakery and celebrate! 

Marble Slab Creamery is ready to celebrate. They will be giving customers one free ice cream cupcake today between 4 and 7pm.

I was so happy that my Holiday Assortment cupcake order from Georgetown Cupcake showed up last night. The timing was perfect and the cupcakes are delicious. (Yes, I started celebrating early. The Rudolph Red Velvet was so yummy.)

Have a happy and delicious day!

Holiday Cupcake Recipes From Cupcake Wars

Season 4 of Cupcake Wars has already begun and so far the episodes have had a holiday theme. Check out some of the delicious holiday recipes from the show.

Episode: The Nutcracker

Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes with a Chocolate, Orange, and Clove Infused Ganache Filling and a Chinese Spiced Tea Buttercream

Picture from Cupcake Wars (Food Network)

Episode: Tree Lighting
Recipes: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball Cupcake, Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cupcake, Strawberry Thumbprint Cupcake, Sweet Potato Cider Cupcake w/ Marshmallow Frosting

Picture from Cupcake Wars (Food Network)

There has also been a Holiday Christmas Parade episode, but no recipes have been posted to Cupcake Wars website yet.

For even MORE Cupcake Wars recipes, click here.

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Spiced Chai Latte Cupcakes

Spiced Chai Latte Cupcakes w/ 

Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Don't these cupcakes sound divine? The spicy flavors of chai tea with a rich and creamy buttercream frosting. Heaven! This Pinterest recipe of the week comes from a website called Love and Olive Oil. You need to check out all of their delicious recipes - there is a ton and they all look amazing.

You can find their website, here, or follow them on Pinterest, here.

Cupcakes Are Happiness

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Eggnog Cupcakes With Spiced Rum

Eggnog Cupcakes with Spiced Rum Buttercream Frosting

Picture from bakersroyale.com

Are these seriously not some of the most gorgeous cupcakes you have ever seen? This Pinterest recipe of the week comes from a blog called Bakers Royale. (I posted another recipe of hers a couple of weeks ago - Toffee Crunch Cupcakes.) I just love her blog, she always gives great tips on making the cupcakes and even lets you know where to find the same sprinkles she used. What a perfect cupcake for the Holiday season. 

Cake Push Pops

Picture from mycakeschool.com

Lately it seems like Cake Push Pops (aka Cake Push Ups) are everywhere. What a fun way to eat cake, right? It's a layer of cake, then frosting, then cake, a filling, cake, and frosting again. Oh, and don't forget a cute garnish on top. With the fun Cake Push Pop containers, you push the cake up from the bottom until you get to the last bite. No forks required. I can't wait to make my Andes Mint Cupcakes into Cake Push Pops.

You can find Cake Push Pop Containers online, here. Also, check out the wonderful Cake Push Pop tutorial at My Cake School. Want to see more Cake Push Pops? Click here.

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Picture from www.glorioustreats.blogspot.com

What a perfect cupcake to start off the Holiday season. This week's recipe comes from a blog called Glorious Treats. She has craft ideas, party ideas, and of course a ton of amazing recipes. She took her classic chocolate cupcake recipe and created a delicious peppermint cream cheese frosting. She even gives tips on how to achieve the red/white stripe in the frosting.

You can find her blog, here, or find her on facebook, here.

What is Pinterest? Where can I find past Pinterest recipes of the week?

Cupcakes Made "Oprah's Favorite Things 2011" List

I absolutely love Oprah's Favorite Things list that she puts together each year. This year was no exception, even though I am sad I didn't get to watch her give it all away on TV. She has a lot of fabulous things on the 2011 list that also includes two cupcake items, check them out: 

Baked by Melissa "In Chocolate" Miniature Cupcakes

www.bakedbymelissa.com

$25 for a box of eight

Oprah says "A perfect hostess gift, these miniature cupcakes come in flavors like Cinnamon and Cookie Dough. They're also - ingeniously - doused in chocolate." 

Feeling Smitten Cupcake Bath Bombs

www.feelingsmitten.com

$10.50 ($8 if you use the code OPRAH)

Oprah says "I love these calorie-free bath bombs, which come in scents like Mellow Mimosa and Mint Condition and fizz with essential oils and Dead Sea salt when you drop them in the tub."

You can find the complete list in O Magazine and online. While you're online, don't forget to enter to be one of twelve lucky winners that will win all of her 2011 Favorite Things.

Starbucks Holiday Petite Treats

Two new holiday petite treats are now available at Starbucks. They aren't cupcakes, but they both include frosting and cake. They have a Chocolate Creme' Whoopie Pie which is two small chocolate cakes with buttercream frosting in between. They also have Peppermint Chocolate Brownie Cake Pop which is chocolate cake mixed with buttercream frosting and candy cane pieces and then dipped in white chocolate and rolled in more candy cane pieces. I had the Peppermint Chocolate Brownie Cake Pop today and it was festive deliciousness on a stick. It was so yummy.

Fun news! You can buy a DIY kit to make Starbucks Peppermint Chocolate Brownie Cake Pops at home. Click here for more information.

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Sweet Potato Cupcakes w/ Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

What is more perfect for Thanksgiving than Sweet Potato Cupcakes? Break out your kitchen torches, puree some sweet potatoes, and get ready for some culinary fun. This delicious recipe comes from a website called Annie's Eats. She has a ton of recipes for appetizers, main dishes, breakfast, baby food, and much more. Check out Annie's Eats website, here, and find them on facebook, here.

I have to make this recipe for my husband because his #2 favorite cupcake is a sweet potato cupcake from The Sweet Tooth Fairy (a November flavor of the month).

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Picture from bakingdom.com

The Pinterest recipe of the week comes from a fabulous baking website called Bakingdom. She has very easy step-by-step instructions with pictures (love that!). These would be perfect for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning with a glass of milk and some fresh fruit, don't you think? I am totally planning on making them from breakfast (if eating cupcakes for breakfast is wrong - I don't want to be right). If you make this recipe I would love to hear your comments.

Check out this week's recipe and Bakingdom's website, here, or you can find them on facebook, here. You can also follow them on Pinterest, here.

What is Pinterest? Where can I find past Pinterest recipes of the week?

Goodie Girls Owner And Winner Of Cupcake Wars Announces Opening Of New Store In LA

You're Invited

To:           Goodie Girls Store Opening Celebration
.
When:     November 20, 2011 from 5-8 pm
.
Where:   415 East Broadway #100, Glendale, CA 91205

One of the most popular posts on my blog was about the Cupcake Wars Season 3 Premiere Winner, Annette Starbuck (click the link to read the post). I just received an invitation to celebrate the opening of her highly-anticipated storefront, Goodie Girls, in Los Angeles on November 20... and you're invited too!

Annette will serve up her gourmet cupcakes including her signature Pumpkin Pancakes cupcake along with her popular Cake-Ups push pops during the 'petite treat affair' taking place from 5-8 pm. The first 75 attendees will receive an awesome gift bag including products from Pink Pewter, NuBar, Scentsy, H2O+, Soap Cafe, and pop artist a.n.t., plus a Cake-Up from Goodie Girls.

The grand opening will feature live music by DJ Arthur Galestian, appetizers catered by Kitchen 12000, a chocolate photo booth by Images Printed on Chocolate, wine from Cupcake Vineyards, decorations by Pom Flair, and lots of Goodie Girls samples. You don't want to miss this delicious event!

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Toffee Crunch Cupcakes w/ Caramel Frosting

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Picture from Bakers Royale

I seriously can't wait to make these these! They are cupcakes dipped in chocolate, rolled in toffee, and then topped with a frosting made with homemade caramel. Yum! This recipe comes from a blog called Bakers Royale. It is a whole website of delicious recipes (be sure to check out all of their cupcake recipes, here). You can also find Bakers Royale on facebook, here.

Cupcake Gifts For Girls (Ages 0 and Up)

If you have a little cupcake fan in your life, here are some perfect gifts just for them (click on the brand to find out more information or to order): 

Trend Lab Cupcake Blanket Gift Set

Includes a velour blanket and three bibs

$26.99

Ages 0 and up

Little Tykes Cupcake Kitchen

Comes with all the cupcake accessories they could need. It also makes interactive cooking sounds.

$39.97

Ages 2-6

KidKraft Cupcake Stand Set

Wooden mix and match tops and bottoms with a 2-tier stand.

$24.17

Ages 36 months - 8 years

Melissa and Doug Wooden Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set

Wooden cupcakes, frosting, candles, and baking sheet with wipe-off markers so they can decorate their cupcakes. 

$19.22

Ages 3 and up

 

Hatley Kids Umbrella

You can even order a matching rain coat and rain boots.

$19.98

Ages 3 and up

Creativity for Kids Bath Time Bakery Cupcake Soaps

Includes soap clay, glitter, shaping tool, cupcake holders, and bath salt sprinkles.

$19.19

Ages 5 and up

Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker

It comes with everything to make and decorate real cupcakes. Refills are available at an extra charge.

$19.99

Ages 8 and up

And for the older cupcake lovers, here are a few gifts for you too (this list could go on and on, but I will just share a few of my favorites):

Assorted Cupcake Banks

It's a perfect place to hide your cash. You can choose from three different colors.

$5 

All Ages

Home Classics Cupcake Flannel Sheet Set

Includes fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcases.

$29.99-$59.99 (on sale at Kohls)

All Ages

Christmas Cupcake by Yankee Candle

They also have Vanilla Cupcake.

$22.99

You can also check out these posts for more great gifts ideas; The Cupcake Diaries by Georgetown Cupcake,  Cake Pops DIY Kit by Bakerella, Cute Cupcake Aprons, and Sprinkles Cupcake Mixes.

Cupcake Popcornopolis

Do you love popcorn? Do you love cupcakes? Well, you are in for a treat, Popcornopolis has Cupcake Popcorn. It is so delicious and sweet! I love it! Like their website says, it's like biting into a delicious cakey, creamy, vanilla cupcake with plenty of icing... and lots of colorful sprinkles.

I found my bag of Cupcake Popcornopolis at Harmons, a Utah grocery store chain. You can find a store that sells it near you by clicking, here. Or you can order online, here (if you order soon enter the code get25off for a 25% discount).

And The Winner Is...

Crystal!

The winner of The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake is Crystal! (Crystal, I will be in touch.) Thank you to all who participated. 

Please check back soon for more contests.

This contest was for the followers of this blog only. You needed to become a follower by November 1, 2011 at 5:00 PM MST to have participated in this contest. The winner was randomly selected from the followers of this blog using Random.org. 

News From Georgetown Cupcake/DC Cupcakes

Picture from Georgetown Cupcake - "Holiday Dozen"

Attention early Holiday shoppers! Katherine and Sophie, owners of Georgetown Cupcake (and stars of DC Cupcakes), will be on QVC's "Gourmet Holiday" show this Friday, November 4th, at 4:00 PM ET (click here to check the time in your area). They will have a one-time only special price on Georgetown Cupcake's Holiday Dozen. Don't forget to tune in!

Their cookbook, The Cupcake Dairies: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake, goes on sale November 8th. To buy the book or other DC Cupcakes products, click here.

Last, but not least, don't forget to catch the DC Cupcakes Wedding Special (Katherine's getting married!) on November 11th at 10PM ET on TLC.

Mind-Blowing Decorating Tips

Watch this short video for tips on mixing several colors of frosting and only using one bowl and one spoon and how to fill bags with frosting with no clean-up. Her tips are genius!

Pinterest Recipe Of The Week: Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes w/ Maple Buttercream Frosting

Since there are so many amazing cupcake recipes on Pinterest, I have decided to share one recipe from my 'Cupcakes and Cake Pops' pin board each week. I haven't made this recipe yet, but they look delicious, don't you think? 

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting

Picture from Your Cup Of Cake

This recipe is from a blog called Your Cup Of Cake which has a lot of yummy cupcake, muffin, and cookie recipes. You can follow Lizzy, the blog owner of Your Cup Of Cake, on Pinterest at Lizzy's Cup Of Cake.

The Night Shift Coffee Company

Red Velvet and Strawberry

If you live in Salt Lake City, UT, you are in for a real treat - The Night Shift Coffee Company located at 5171 Cottonwood St, Ste. 160 (on the Intermountain Medical Center campus) sells gourmet bite-sized cupcakes. They are only $1.00 and they are so decadent, moist, and delicious. You can literally eat them in one to two bites, but I promise these cupcakes will leave you satisfied. Did I mention they are only $1.00? Stop by for a cup of coffee and try one (or six) of these fabulous little cupcakes.

Cupcake Confidential

New cupcake show alert! This one is on Cooking Channel and it is called Cupcake Confidential (I was channel surfing the other night and came across this fun new show). On this particular episode they followed three different cupcake entrepreneurs through the triumphs and trials of running a successful cupcake business. I am not sure if they will following the same three each week or if they will introduce others - I haven't quite figured this show out yet.

Here are the stars from this week's episode:

Brandon from Mission Minis in San Francisco, CA
Erica from Sweet E's Bake Shop in Los Angeles, CA
Hollis from Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly in Orlando, FL

All three have been on Cupcake Wars, so it was fun to see each of them in action and running a successful cupcake business.

You can find the TV schedule for Cupcake Confidential, here.

Cupcakes - There's An App For That

Do you want a free Sprinkles Cupcake? All you need to do is download the Sprinkles Cupcake app. Each day Sprinkles makes a limited supply of FREE cupcakes. With this app you will get an alert that gives you the secret "whisper words" of the day. Then be one of the first into a Sprinkles Cupcake store and whisper the words to the Sprinkles employee for a free cupcake.

With this app you can also view the flavor schedule, send family and friends virtual cupcakes on facebook for their Birthday, find Sprinkles locations, and play games.

The app is completely free. You can download the iPhone version, here, and the Android version, here.

Cupcake Wars Season 3 Top Recipes

Now that the third season of Cupcake Wars as wrapped, they have posted The Top 12 Winning Recipes on their website. You can find the recipes for Peaches n' Cream Cupcakes (shown above), Banana Toffee Cupcakes, Peach-Berry Shortcake Cupcakes, and more. To find all of the season 3 winning cupcake recipes, click here.

To read more about the Cupcake Wars season 3 premiere winner, Annette (her winning cupcake was the Peaches n' Cream), click here.

To find the winning cupcake recipes from Cupcake Wars season 1, click here. And season 2, click here.

I Pin Cupcakes

Picture and recipe for Lime Cupcakes from Whisk Kid

I pin, do you? I have no idea what I did with my spare time before I discovered Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard were I can collect all the beautiful, fun, creative, and delicious things I find on the web. In the past I would print, save, or bookmark cupcake recipes and now I have one place to keep all of my favorites.

On Pinterest you can browse through pins created by other people or you can create your own. If you browse through the millions of pins already on Pinterest you can discover new ideas and be inspired to try new things. Pins are pictures (or quotes) and if there is a how-to or recipe just click on the picture to get the web address. You can create categories for all of your pins. I have 16 different categories, including; things I want to make, places I want to go, things I love, styles I love, ideas for my little one, cupcakes (of course), and more.

There are so many cupcake recipes on Pinterest. So, if you are looking for beautiful photos along with delicious cupcake recipes, Pinterest is the place to find them and keep them organized.

You can follow my cupcakes and cake pops pinboard (and my other boards that interest you), here. Happy Pinning!

The History Of Cupcakes

Click on picture to enlarge (this will open a new window - click again to zoom)

These fun facts are brought to you by All Culinary Schools. Are you are interested in starting your own cupcake business? You can learn more about baking school, here.

Kara's Cupcakes and Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar

For one of our family trips this year we traveled to Northern California. We drove to San Francisco and spent a couple of days, then headed north up the coast to Eureka and toured Redwood National Forest, and then we went to Napa to spend the last couple of days. It was such an amazing trip. During our travels I was lucky enough to visit two cupcakeries that have both made appearances on Cupcake Wars - Kara's Cupcakes and Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar. 

First cupcake stop - Kara's Cupcakes. They have six locations in California with two of those locations in the heart of San Francisco. We went to the Marina location (inside of store shown above). It was a small store with a beautiful display of cupcakes. I was so excited to try them because I had heard so many good things about them. To put it simply, they were delicious. Very moist cake, rich flavors, and perfect frosting. My favorite was the Raspberry Dazzle. I will definitely visit again.

 Kara's Cupcakes

Second cupcake stop - Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar. They were winners on Cupcake Wars and ever since their appearance I have been excited to visit.  They are located in the heart of the wine country (Napa Valley). Again, the cupcakes did not disappoint. They were delicious. Especially the Almond Cupcake with Blueberry Tequila Filling (click for recipe). The Acai Berry Cream Cheese frosting was one of the best tasting frostings I have ever had. I seriously could eat it out of a bowl with a spoon. Also, when I bought the cupcake I didn't really know (or remember) that the center was a tequila filling. I bit into the cupcake and it was definitely the taste of tequila. It just caught me a little off guard and actually made me feel a little warm inside - like how you feel after taking a shot. I will definitely want to visit them again as well.

If you would like other recipes from Sift on Cupcake Wars, click here.

Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar

Georgetown Cupcake on Dr. Oz

Photo from www.doctoroz.com

Did you happen to catch Katherine and Sophie from Georgetown Cupcake on Dr. Oz? They shared their recipe for Georgetown Cupcake 50-Calorie Mini Carrot Cupcakes (click for the recipe). They are delicious and healthy mini cupcakes with a low-fat cream cheese frosting. Also, the DC Cupcake sisters announced that you can enter in a contest on Dr. Oz's website to win a trip to Washington DC for a personal baking lesson with them. To enter, click here.

For another healthy cupcake recipe by Georgetown Cupcake, click here.

My Favorite Tips From Cupcake Reality Shows

Over the years I have learned some great tips from cupcake reality shows that have completely improved my own cupcake baking. I am not a gourmet baker at all, but I am good at following recipes and I know that making the smallest adjustment can make my cupcakes turn out even better.

I am going to share a few of the tips I have learned. They are simple things that will make your cupcakes even more amazing.

Tip from: Cupcake Wars

Add espresso to your chocolate cupcake batter to give it a more intense chocolate flavor. You can add a couple of tablespoons of liquid espresso up to 1/2 cup. Since all recipes are different you may need to taste your batter and adjust the amount you use.

Tip from: The Cupcake Girls

Make sure all of the ingredients that go into your cupcakes and frosting are at room temperature. This one made a huge difference in my own baking. My cupcakes turned out more fluffy and more consistent. Eggs, milk, butter, cream cheese, and other cold ingredients should all be at room temperature before mixing and baking. Not only does it make everything easier to blend, it will make your cupcakes more light and fluffy.

Tip from: DC Cupcakes

The girls on DC Cupcakes suggest using Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. This is the king of all vanillas and is perfect for all types of baking. It's a rich and creamy vanilla and will make a big difference in your cupcakes flavor. I like the madagascar bourbon vanilla by Nielsen-Massey Vanilla. You can find this brand in fine grocery stores, culinary supply stores, or at Williams-Sonoma.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas also sells vanilla bean paste, whole vanilla beans, vanilla sugar, and other cooking vanillas (shown below: Mexican, Madagascar Bourbon, and Tahitian). They also carry hard-to-find extracts like rose water, orange blossom, and more.

I hope these simple tips help you as much as they helped me. Happy cupcake baking!

Cupcake Wars Top Recipes

Picture from Food Network

Do you love Cupcake Wars and you want to get your hands on the recipes from the show? Cupcake Wars has the Top 70 Cupcake Wars Recipes posted on their website. Now you can make delicious cupcakes like Mint Chocolate Chip and Fresh Mint Buttercream, Pretty in Pink Strawberry Champagne, and Pumpkin Spice with Brown Butter Buttercream.

If you want to narrow your search, you can find the winning recipes from season three, here, season two, here, and season one, here.