I'm Stacie Joy, a NYC-based photographer and editor. I'm thrilled to be joining the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog, and hope to provide a unique viewpoint, especially to you late-night cupcakers.
For my introductory post, I thought I'd share the photo-story of my birthday cupcakes for Rachel's special day. I want to show that it's possible to customize and bake cupcakes in a tiny NYC apartment (with an even tinier kitchen!).
So, here are the ingredients for my frosting: butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar. Mmm...
I like to sift my confectioners sugar, as I think it makes for a smoother frosting. YMMV.
After mixing up the yummy frosting, it's the chef's prerogative to lick the frosting off the mixer.
These were the two types of cupcake cups I used. The pretty flower ones were to make Rachel happy and indicate festivity. *grin* The metal baking cups were especially good for someone like me, who has limited space and baking equipment. They can be used without a cupcake pan. I just stood them on a baking sheet and they worked quite well! One note: I'd fill them halfway, not two-thirds, as recommended. You'll see why in a few pictures!
I transferred the frosting into a plastic bag (my homemade frosting bag!).
Then I made the filling: Sour-cherry. I love cupcakes with a surprise (a nice one) inside. I warmed some sour-cherry jam with lemon juice and the juice of one-half and orange. Then I filled the injector with the cooled mixture. I closed off the end, otherwise I'd be wearing the sticky filling. I set it aside for later, after the cupcakes had been baked and cooled.
Some additional items you might need: a timer and a cake tester. I find the cake tester much better than a toothpick, and can be reused, endlessly.
After mixing up my cupcake batter, I transferred in into the cupcake cups. I probably should have filled them with a bit less mixture.
Here they are in the oven, not done yet. I made vanilla cupcakes to coincide with National Vanilla Cupcake Day!
Here they are when I pulled them out of the oven. I would probably pull them out a minute earlier next time. Don't the flower cups look pretty?
This is where there was some overflow. To save Rachel the embarrassment of puffy lopsided cupcakes, I ate them. It's only because I care that I do that for her.
After the cupcakes cooled, I injected them with the sour-cherry mixture. It's important to let them sit for a while so the mixture settles in. Otherwise you have a bubble lodged in the center, not the smooth filling that you want.
And the filled injector:
And the finished cupcakes, packed and ready to go to Rachel's birthday party!
N.B.: It is always preferable to wear the "appropriate" outfit for any baking event.
For my next post, I'll show you how they were eaten, what they looked like inside, what people had to say about them, and how they stacked up to the other cupcakes at the party. So, thank you fellow cupcakers, I'm looking forward to more cupcake posts to come. And, I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions regarding cupcakes, baking, and small-apartment baking tips.
For my introductory post, I thought I'd share the photo-story of my birthday cupcakes for Rachel's special day. I want to show that it's possible to customize and bake cupcakes in a tiny NYC apartment (with an even tinier kitchen!).
So, here are the ingredients for my frosting: butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar. Mmm...
I like to sift my confectioners sugar, as I think it makes for a smoother frosting. YMMV.
After mixing up the yummy frosting, it's the chef's prerogative to lick the frosting off the mixer.
These were the two types of cupcake cups I used. The pretty flower ones were to make Rachel happy and indicate festivity. *grin* The metal baking cups were especially good for someone like me, who has limited space and baking equipment. They can be used without a cupcake pan. I just stood them on a baking sheet and they worked quite well! One note: I'd fill them halfway, not two-thirds, as recommended. You'll see why in a few pictures!
I transferred the frosting into a plastic bag (my homemade frosting bag!).
Then I made the filling: Sour-cherry. I love cupcakes with a surprise (a nice one) inside. I warmed some sour-cherry jam with lemon juice and the juice of one-half and orange. Then I filled the injector with the cooled mixture. I closed off the end, otherwise I'd be wearing the sticky filling. I set it aside for later, after the cupcakes had been baked and cooled.
Some additional items you might need: a timer and a cake tester. I find the cake tester much better than a toothpick, and can be reused, endlessly.
After mixing up my cupcake batter, I transferred in into the cupcake cups. I probably should have filled them with a bit less mixture.
Here they are in the oven, not done yet. I made vanilla cupcakes to coincide with National Vanilla Cupcake Day!
Here they are when I pulled them out of the oven. I would probably pull them out a minute earlier next time. Don't the flower cups look pretty?
This is where there was some overflow. To save Rachel the embarrassment of puffy lopsided cupcakes, I ate them. It's only because I care that I do that for her.
After the cupcakes cooled, I injected them with the sour-cherry mixture. It's important to let them sit for a while so the mixture settles in. Otherwise you have a bubble lodged in the center, not the smooth filling that you want.
And the filled injector:
And the finished cupcakes, packed and ready to go to Rachel's birthday party!
N.B.: It is always preferable to wear the "appropriate" outfit for any baking event.
For my next post, I'll show you how they were eaten, what they looked like inside, what people had to say about them, and how they stacked up to the other cupcakes at the party. So, thank you fellow cupcakers, I'm looking forward to more cupcake posts to come. And, I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions regarding cupcakes, baking, and small-apartment baking tips.
Comments
Sara
Sara -- how do you inject and what do you inject the cupcake with?
I'm glad you liked them, and I am pleased to be a Cupcakes Take the Cake-r as well.