This weekend I held a baby shower for my boss Mary, and her second little baby, a Girl! Named Elan.  I made  vanilla and chocolate, devil’s food cake, cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream and pink raspberry buttercream, as well as some shower finger foods. Here’s some pictures of the table with the cupcakes and food. I’ll post links to where I found the recipes for the baby shower menu below. Enjoy!

Welcome Baby Elan!

Tea Sandwiches, Quiche & Cupcakes

The Table – Fruit, Veggies, Cupcakes, Sandwiches, Deviled Eggs, Quiche and Meringues!

Me and the Guest of Honor – Elan

Mary, Elan and I – Someone was hungry!

Elan enjoying all the goodies!

One day you can eat all those sweets!

Cupcakes and Raspberry Meringues!

Welcome Baby

Elan!

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Cupcakes!

Cupcake Tower – Chocolate & Vanilla with Fondant Accents

For the Baby Shower Menu I used these recipes for inspiration:

Mini Quiche – Recipe from Martha Stewart: Cheese & Tree’s Mini Quiches

Raspberry Meringues – Recipe from Beantown Baker

Vanilla & Devils Food Cake Cupakes – Recipe from Bakeaholic

Tea Sandwiches – Recipe Inspiration from Martha Stewart.

Show some love this Valentine’s Day by pouring your heart out! Or simply show you care with a cupcake choc-full of hearts! A perfect little treat for your sweet-heart! Cupcakes are quick and easy, but hey, its the thought that counts right? So whip up a batch next saturday, Feb. 14 in time for Valentine’s Day. 

Be sure not to skimp on the icing, layer it on! It’s a day of love afterall, and nothing says love like a huge dollop of frosting, at least for me that is. I have a definite sweet tooth, just ask my dentist! This is the day to indulge in a little extra sweet, so go ahead and have one, or two or three. Who’s counting? Or share one with someone you love!…and then get another one for yourslef later. Enjoy! & happy heart day!

Devil’s Food Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces (1 stick), room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
3. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.
4. Using a mixer, preferrably with paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until mixed.
5. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.
6. Divide the batter into a prepared cupcake/muffin tin with liners. About 3/4 fulll.
7. Bake about 20 minutes, or until set. Let cool completely before icing. 

My Friend Steph’s birthday happens to be on Valentine’s Day too! Heart’s to you Juggdish! xo

Happy Valentine’s Day!

For my friends 21st Birthday I wanted to make him some cupcakes that fit the occasion! Therefore, Beer cupcakes came to mind! And more appropriatley, a six pack of cupcakes!

I was going to try the Guiness Cupcakes that I’ve seen all over, but he isn’t much of a sweet tooth to begin with so I didn’t think a dark chocolate-y guiness cupcake would be good. So I went with Vanilla cupcakes instead. But I knew I had these cute little beer picks lying around, and Im sure he would consume more than enough alcohol without the extra alcohol cupcakes.

The cupcakes are just Vanilla cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream. You can find the little picks at any baking supply store. 

Happy 21st Birthday Ry!

Enjoy!

Tis the season! I had a white party this weekend to kick off the holiday season, with a little pre christmas rush get together to eat drink & be merry. I wanted to make coconut cupcakes for a while now! And of course, they fit the white theme! I tried my hand at meringues but they didn’t quite work out (hence the reason I didn’t take a picture of them!) So here’s my recipe for coconut cupcakes. My friends liked them so much they left with a few for the road!

First off I’d like to say that Box is not a four letter word (in fact its three, but it doesn’t have to be a bad word!)

Vanilla Cupcakes:

As I was running around Saturday I needed a quick and easy way to make these, so I started from a {box} and went from there. I made French Vanilla cake mix and I added some extra vanilla (mexican vanilla that my brother brought me back from cancun) and added about 1/2 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt to it. Bake for the time it says, about 17-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few mintues, so they can set before lifting and you wont smoosh them!

Let cool completely on rack.  While they are cooling, you can make the frosting!

Creamy Coconut Frosting:

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• Icing Sugar, Sifted ( approx. 4 cups)
• 1-2 tbsp. Coconut milk (Sweetened)
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla
• Shredded Sweetened Coconut for Decorating

Directions:

Cream butter and shortening together in mixer on medium speed until creamy and fluffy.

Add 1/2 cup of icing sugar, and then add a tablespoon at a time of the milk, and rest of icing sugar alternating. Mix in vanilla and rest of sugar until you reach the consistency you want. Since you are just going to use these to frost with a spatula, you dont need to worry about it’s consitency for piping.

Once you’ve gotten it to the texture you want, using a small spatula (or back of a spoon) frost the tops of your cupcakes.

After you have all the peaks frosted add about 2 cups of shredded coconut to a small bowl. Dip/Roll the tops of the cupcakes into the coconut, try not to press too hard so they keep their shape. You can also set them on the wire racks with parchment underneath, and sprinkle it on top. Reserve the droppings from the cupcakes and re-use them on the other ones.

& Voila! Some pretty yummy and pretty looking cupcakes for your holiday party! These cute little ones resemble snow balls, but I’m sure you’d rather eat them, than throw them at someone..or maybe youd like to do both! You can make the tops/peaks rounder or bigger depending on the size you want your balls (snow balls that is.)

Happy Holiday Baking!

Enjoy!

Voting is now open! Please vote for me HERE under Bakeaholic! Vote now!! Thanks =)

Voting is now open! Please vote for me HERE under Bakeaholic! Vote now!! Thanks =)

Ever since I saw the Iron Cupcake Earth challenge was CRANBERRY I began brainstorming immediately! I knew I wanted to do something out of the {cake} box, something different than cranberries and chocolate! Seeing as how my drink of choice is a Cosmopolitan, thought about making a cupcake that resembled a martini! Cosmo’s do have cranberry juice in them, but I thought a Crantini fit even better! So I began thinking of what to make them with, cranberries of course, and the frosting had to have Vodka! Let me tell you, the icing is delicious! My taste-testers could have eaten the entire bowl! So here is my entry to the IC: Earth Challenge with Crantini Cupcakes, Cran-Vanilla cupcakes with Lime Vodka Frosting. Much love to Jordan for taking the pictures again =)

If you like my Crantini-Cupcake creation please vote for me! Now! That means..right now! ( please =) )

This Months Prizes are:

• Lollipop Workshop
• Cookie Sunshine
• Lots of Sprinkles
• Cakespy
• Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery and Cupcakery Supply
• Head Chefs
• Hello Cupcake
• Jessie Steele Aprons
• Cupcake Courier
• Taste of Home
• 1-800-Flowers

You can vote Now!! here for the Iron Cupcake Earth Challenge.

If you would like my recipe click here.

My Iron Cupcake Earth Recipe for Cran-Vanilla {Crantini} Cupcakes with and Lime-Vodka Frosting. 

Cran-Vanilla Cupcakes

{makes 3 dozen small/regular size)

Cupcakes:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup superfine {berry} sugar
• 4 Large eggs
• 1 cup Vanilla Yogurt
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• Zest of 1 large lime

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl ( with a stand mixer preferably) cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy for 3 minutes (I would suggest timing this as it does make a difference, you want the butter to be light and airy). Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients alternating with the yogurt and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but make sure to not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the cranberries and lime zest until just mixed.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, about 1/4 cup, filling them about 3/4 fu

ll. I had to use my large wilton muffin pan, and two smaller ones to make all the cupcakes!

Bake about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You should always start with the lesser time, and then add more if need be.

Once they are baked, let them cool in the muffin tins for about 10 minutes, and then lift them to cool completely onto cooling racks. You can frost them with the vodka buttercream, or if you want to use regular icing you can also brush the tops of the cupcakes once cooled with vodka to soak in!

Frost with Vodka-Lime Buttercream (See Below)

It came in handy that I had to make cupcakes because I was actually going to a 50th birthday party the night I made these! Which was good because there was about 3 dozen!

Needless to say the kitchen was a huge mess afterward, but I sweetened the deal with a cupcake!

I thought I’d share some pictures of the photo shoot. Thanks to Jordan for setting it all up for me. Helps that he is a graphic designer/photographer and has all the proper supplies, ie: light box, digital SLR, Tripod etc etc. That’s what Bf’s are for! =)

Jordan working away! I let him eat a few as we we went!