Halloween cupcake wrappers

Halloween cupcake wrappers for sale by Cupcake Style via Flickr

Free wedding cupcake samples November 1st at Cooks Boulevard's A Cupcake Affair

What a cool event for those in the wedding cupcake market...it's free, but you have to RSVP at Cooks Boulevard, hence our early posting. Click on the link above for more information about and links to each cupcake vendor.

Thinking about having a cake at your wedding? Have you thought about cupcakes?

Those cupcakes you loved as a kid are back in action by some of the best bakers here in the city. Cupcakes are popping up at weddings as a fun, trendy alternative to the traditional cake. To help you navigate the cupcake scene you are cordially invited to “A Cupcake Affair”, an exclusive event at Cooks Boulevard. We’ve invited a select group of cupcake creators who’ll be offering tastes of their amazing cupcakes.

A Cupcake Affair
Sunday, November 1st6:30pm
Cooks Boulevard1309 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA 94114

Cost: FREE


by That Takes the Cake


by Sugar Beat Sweets


by Sweetie Cups


by Cups and Cakes bakery


by Noe Valley Bakery


by Citizen Cake

Free cupcakes in NYC tomorrow + CupcakeStop at The Vendy Awards

Updated October 1st.

CupcakeStop owner Lev Ekster wrote in to correct the Vendys quote below and what we posted below regarding the giveaway on October 1st (fyi, we were quoting from the press release we were sent), I'm putting this at the top and below so you can get your free cupcakes:

We'll only be giving out 1,500 custom Animal Planet minis tomorrow starting at 11am, not more than 1,500. We'll actually be parked on 5th between 22nd and 23rd for the giveaway, not the intersection you listed.

The Vendy Awards, for New York City's mobile food carts, happened this past weekend, and cupcake truck CupcakeStop was a finalist, but wound up losing out to Wafels and Dinges.

Here's owner Lev Ekster's quote the person who nominated CupcakeStop from the Vendys site:

“As a Southerner I speak with authority when I say this Yankee vendor consistently produces top-notch Red Velvet. It’s like finding creamy grits north of the Mason Dixon line!! The constant introduction and rotation of cupcake flavors creates not just a product to be sold but an experience - every morning I check to see what new surprises have been baked overnight. Thank you for making my work life bearable, and giving me a reason to sneak away from my desk for 20 minutes of sunlight and sugar.”

Blondie and Brownie:

As you can see, Cupcake Stop brought every flavor they could pack on the truck. I decided to try their version of the Elvis cupcake, a banana cake with peanut buter frosting, and of course, bacon. I was surprised how moist the mini was, those wee ones can be tricky, and when the Great New York City Elvis Cupcake Competition occurs, and it should happen if only to find out "The King" of the Elvis', this is definitely in the running.




above photos by Blondie and Brownie on Flickr


CupcakeStop key lime cupcake; photo by h-bomb on Flickr

Dessert Buzz filed this:

The cupcake stop brought a huge menu of interesting offerings. Based on my time at the cart the red velvet and Elvis (with bacon flakes) were the two most popular varieties. With many women opting for the red velvet and men opting more for the Elvis. The caramel chocolate pretzel was also popular and was my favorite of the 6 flavors I tasted. These cupcakes were superior to most of the cupcakes I have eaten in the last 6 months in New York City. Creative flavors, moist and frosting that is not too sweet!

Spork City has some great photos of the cupcakes.

If you want an inside look at the non-cupcake aspects of the Vendy Awards and what it's like to be a judge, check out our pal Zach Brooks' writeup at Midtown Lunch.

Serious Eats wrote:

What flavors did Cupcake Stop serve? What flavors did they not serve is the question. Peanut butter, red velvet, chocolate and vanilla of course, PB&J, key lime, banana pudding, something with bacon, and new for fall, pumpkin.

And to reward those of you who've read to the end...free cupcakes tomorrow! Madison Square Park, New York, 11 am to 1 pm, from a press release:

What: Pet trainer, YouTube sensation and host of Animal Planet’s SuperFetch, Zak George, will host a stunt show with his border collie Venus, demonstrating the amazing tricks that can be taught through proper training techniques demonstrated in Animal Planet’s new series SuperFetch. SuperFetch premiers on Animal Planet on Saturday, October 3rd at 8:00pm on Animal Planet.

More than 1,500 mini SuperFetch cupcakes will be given away to the first customers to visit the CupcakeStop Truck parked at the intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenues at 23rd Street on 5th between 22nd and 23rdbetween 11:00am and 1:00pm.

I missed last week's Old Navy cupcake giveaway in SoHo and can't make this one, but hopefully some of you can take advantage of it.

If you just can't wait, obviously you should be following @CupcakeStop on Twitter. Here's what's happening today:

Cupcakes to make you happy

by +0+cupcakes.com (no idea how to pronounce that one!) in Gombak, Malaysia, via Flickr - the big smile one made me smile!

Animalitos!

Animalitos!
Originally uploaded by All you need is Cupcakes!

Too cute!

World's largest cupcake fatigue sets in

I'm not over cupcakes for charity, but I am kindof over the "we're building the world's largest cupcake" stunt. The first few times were entertaining, but give it a year, don't you think?

I guess it's interesting, in a sense, but after the attempted 7,000 pound cupcake that came nowhere close, I'm just more into actual cupcakes. Mini cupcakes, even! What about the world's most mini cupcake? Anyone? I mean, giant cupcake cakes that can be baked at home are cool (and we will have a contest tomorrow from Wilton to win a giant cupcake pan!) but those are at least still sortof resembling a cupcake. This race to basically just outdo someone who just tried this a few month's ago as PR stunt seems like it will get old fast, or already has for me. Have I reached the state of cupcake jadedness that requires cupcake blog retirement? Or am I just tired? I don't think so, but I want something I can at least hold in my hand.

From the latest world's largest cupcake press release.

How can a 1,500-lb. cupcake help beat breast cancer? Ask Laurie Braden, President of Global TV Concepts and the Big Top Cupcake(TM), an advocate for breast cancer research who wants to ensure the second annual THINK PINK ROCKS concert is an even more successful fundraiser than last year's event.

Accustomed to doing things in a big way, Laurie contacted Boca Raton's Passion For Pastry to see if they'd help support the cause by attempting a new Guinness world record. Braden's idea: Call attention to - and raise money for - breast cancer research, screening and treatment by selling pieces of the "World's Largest Cupcake."

And the rest will be history on October 3. That's when the Big Top Cupcake(TM) "World's Largest Cupcake" will be unveiled at Mizner Park Amphitheater prior to the 7 p.m. THINK PINK ROCKS concert.

What does it take to bake a 1,500-lb. "Worlds Largest" Chocolate Cupcake?
• 240 pounds of eggs
• 225 pounds of sugar
• 510 pounds of flour
• 225 pounds of baking powder, oil, vanilla, cocoa, salt, milk and water
• 350 pounds of icing
• 24 hours of baking time
• 5 bakers
• An oven 10 feet wide x 10 feet high


When this mega-confection is fully assembled, it will stand approximately 4-1/2 feet high and 6 feet wide, topped with pink icing, handmade 5-inch sprinkles, and a cherry that's 12 inches in circumference. A representative from Guinness World Records will be on hand to oversee the weigh-in and measuring on Sat., Oct. 3rd at Passion For Pastry. And on Saturday evening, Oct 3rd, at a pre-concert ceremony, the Big Top Cupcake(TM) "World's Largest Cupcake" will be officially proclaimed the new Guinness World Record-holder. The cupcake will then be cut and served for donations to the following beneficiaries: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York; BRCH Women's Center for Breast Care; The American Cancer Society/Making Strides Against Breast Cancer; Reach Global/Jacob International; The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation; The H.O.P.E. Project; and the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Stated Laurie Braden, "Global TV Concepts and the Big Top Cupcake(TM) are overjoyed to be a part of this important fundraising and breast cancer awareness event. A dear friend of mine, Jeannie Doll, succumbed to breast cancer not long ago, so this is a cause that really hits home. For me, this cupcake is dedicated to her."

"The Big Top Cupcake(TM) is 25 times larger than a regular cupcake. . .and the "World's Largest Cupcake" is 1000 times larger than that. For additional information about "The Big Top Cupcake(TM) please visit www.bigtopcupcake.com

Two vegan cupcake classes at Natural Gourmet Institute

I love what I find on Twitter! Thanks, @naturalgourmet.

Details from their site:

# 78 Vegan Cupcake Extravaganza
hands-on

Cupcakes are red-hot commodities, served in fine restaurants, at elegant catered events, and even sold from cupcake trucks cruising the city. Learn to turn your favorite cake recipe flavors into cupcakes, plain and fancy. You’ll participate in making and decorating various flavored cupcakes which will be matched with a kaleidoscope of cream fillings, frostings, glazes and organic vegan sprinkles. Plus, you’ll leave class with your own box of cupcakes and a wealth of ideas. Cakes: Very Vanilla – Basic and Variations; Chocolate Fudge; Orange; Light Lemon; Chocolate Espresso. Fillings, Frostings, and Glazes: Espresso and Semi-Sweet Glazes; Lemon Curd-Like Cream; Maple Butter Whip; and Cocoa-Agave Frosting.


Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Instructor: Fran Costigan
Fee: $110


# 79 Extra Luscious Vegan Cupcakery
hands-on

Explore two distinct styles of cupcake: the kind that are cake through and through and the kind with the cushy cream fillings. Besides being all vegan, there’s a soy-free and gluten-free offering as well. You will leave with a box to nibble on at home. Chocolate Cream Soy-Free Cupcakes with Light Chocolate Cream; Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Water Glaze; “Buttermilk” Cupcakes with Pinkish Icing; Moist Carrot- Coconut Cupcakes with Magic Coconut Cream and Marzipan; Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream and Chocolate Glaze; Hostess with the Mostess (Gluten-Free option); Chocolate Pudding-Filled & Frosted Chocolate Chip Cupcakes; and Pumpkin-Cranberry Spice Cupcakes with Cranberry Coulis Filling & Orange-Agave Glaze.

a) Thursday, November 12, 6:30 – 10:00 p.m. - or -
b) Thursday, March 25, 6:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Instructor: Fran Costigan
Fee: $110

Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health
48 W. 21st St., 2nd floor
New York, NY 10010
(between 5th & 6th ave.)
info at naturalgourmetinstitute.com

Raphael, clearly the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

I used to work with this lovely lady, Laura, at an unrelated gig. But cupcakes (as they are wont to do) brought us together. Laura recently celebrated her birthday and was given a sweet tray of happy Raphaels!


Made by Rosanne, who has given express written permission for me to display these photos:

A tray of Raphaels!

A very happy Laura with her fun birthday cupcakes.




You can see the whole set here, all photos by rosanne fotografias.

Cupcake vs. cake faceoff and $200 cupcake business lecture in 2010 at NY Cake Convention

(click through above for larger version)

Another save the date - the NY Cake Convention is coming up!

Cakespy is one of their sponsors and, I believe I recognize, artists, though I don't want to make that definitive claim just yet.

Here's info on the $200 cupcake lecture from their site:

How to Start your own Cup­cake or Cake Busi­ness” Lecture

Have you been dream­ing of open­ing your own cup­cake or cake spe­cialty shop? Learn what
it really takes to turn your dream into a real­ity. Lis­ten as guest speak­ers pro­vide you with the infor­ma­tion you need to get your start in the busi­ness. They will cover all the nec­es­sary steps and infor­ma­tion that you need to launch your own cup­cake or cake busi­ness. The lec­ture will pro­vide you with infor­ma­tion on com­plet­ing a busi­ness plan, start­ing your busi­ness with lit­tle funds, var­i­ous ways to raise cap­i­tal for your busi­ness, dif­fer­ent kinds of insur­ance you will need, apply­ing for SBA backed loans, pro­duc­tion sched­ules, pric­ing, get­ting press cov­er­age, cake con­tracts and forms, avoid­ing cake deliv­ery prob­lems, effec­tive mar­ket­ing, adver­tis­ing your ser­vices and so much more. You will be given all of the tools you need to open and run a suc­cess­ful cup­cake or cake business.

Space is lim­ited, reserve your seat today.

From their press release:

The US Confection Connection
Presents
The NY Cake Convention

Date: January 2-5, 2010

Location:
Hotel Pennsylvania
401 Seventh Avenue (33rd Street)
New York, NY

Among many of the competitions taking place at the NY Cake Convention will be the first ever “Face-Off” Cupcake vs. Cake competition. The first prize winner of the “Face-Off” will take home a cash prize of $2,500! Not to mention, bragging rights.

Register here - general admission is $10, other events, prices vary

Groovy rainbow cupcake indeed

"Groovy rainbow cupcake" was the title breeleed on Flickr used for this photo and I think it's perfect. How much fun is captured in all the many colors inside and with the sprinkles here?

Save the date: CupcakeCamp Montreal coming November 22nd

From the CupcakeCamp Montreal site - you can also follow them on Twitter (@CupcakeCampMTL)



Cupcake Camp Montreal will be on
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
from 2pm to 5pm at
Bitoque Restaurant
3706, Notre-Dame Ouest
Montréal (Québec) H4C1P7
www.bitoque.ca

More details to come.

SAVE THE DATE! Yumminess to ensue!

CupcakeCamp is an opportunity for our community to come together and share their enthusiasm for cupcakes with all proceeds going to a local charity. Everyone who brings cupcakes will have the opportunity to brag about their creations and have their cupcakes evaluated by esteemed judges. There will be lots of eating, cupcake related demos and cupcakey-fun for the whole family.

And of course, see CupcakeCamp.org for everything you ever wanted to know about CupcakeCamp, including how to host one in your city and details about this Sunday's (October 4th) San Francisco CupcakeCamp.

Giant Alice in Wonderland cupcake

via kristin_a on Flickr for Meringue Bake Shop of Orange County, California.

For a baby shower. The theme was Alice in Wonderland. The giant cupcake is Cheshire Cat, the mini cupcakes are the queens roses (like, painting the roses red) and tea cakes in black and red.
Giant cupcake is red velvet filled with cream cheese buttercream, the rose cupcakes are vanilla with vanilla buttercream, and the tea cakes are Campfire.

Cupcake Tea at the NYC Ritz-Carlton

Cupcakes Take the Cake took on the Cupcake Tea at the Ritz-Carlton and it was lovely.

I'll leave it for Nichelle, Rachel, and intern Melissa to give their opinions on the tea, as I wasn't feeling my best, but I will share the pictures of the yumminess with you guys.








Here's intern Melissa, Suzet (our sweet server), Nichelle, and Rachel.





The tea included five mini-cupcakes:






Sicilian Pistachio and Almond, Coconut Cream, Valrhona Chocolate, Strawberry Shortcake, and Red Velvet.





The Sicilian Pistachio and Almond:




And split open:










The Valrhona Chocolate:






The Strawberry Shortcake (bisected):




and intact:





This was my favorite flavor, mostly because it wasn't too sweet and the strawberry was pronounced. I favor fruit-flavor desserts over chocolate.





The Red Velvet:







Cut in half:








The Coconut Cream:





The Coconut Cream was the other filled mini.









I had my first Chai Tea (and it as very, very sweet):












Nichelle, Melissa, and Rachel, with cupcakes.



The tea is at 50 Central Park South and I believe it costs $25 per person. There's also a holiday cupcake tea coming up, from November 27, 2009 to January 3, 2010, and will feature:

Rudolph's Red Velvet, "The Big Apple," Santa's S'mores, The Great Pumpkin, and Holiday Candy Explosion. And tea, of course, as well as hot chocolate and/or milk. All for $28.


Keep your eyes peeled for Rachel, Nichelle, and Melissa's thoughts about the tea and cupcakes.



All photos by Stacie Joy, see the complete set here.

Guest review of Daisy Cupcakery and Café, Madison, Wisconsin

This is a guest review of Daisy Cupcakery and Café, Madison, WI by Carly Schuna.

The Daisy Cupcakery opened a few months ago in Madison, and being new to town and a passionate lover of cupcakes, I decided to check it out. The inside is gorgeous—it's a huge room with roomy wooden tables and wooden chairs like you might find in a relative's house.



Daisy serves breakfast, lunch, and coffee in addition to cupcakes, and I've heard those options are all good, but dude, I'm here for the cupcakes. They hit you with them right when you walk in the door—nice strategy.



As I understand it, they used to just make an assortment of "regular" flavors, but now they've added vegan cupcakes and "deluxe" cupcakes to the menu. The "deluxe" flavors include mouthfuls like "Chocolate-Caramel Cake with Dark-Chocolate Ganache Frosting and Caramel Drizzle" and "Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate."



I decided on a lemon cupcake with raspberry-buttercream frosting and one of the 4x-chocolate deluxe cupcakes (is it even possible to have too much chocolate?). Here's the lemon/raspberry:



And here's the chocolate monster:



Pretty beautiful. It's funny to me how they pipe frosting vertically on the cupcakes so that they're tall but you can still see so much of the cake underneath. I prefer full coverage in terms of frosting on my cupcake. But that's an aesthetic detail. What really matters is the taste . . .



The lemon/raspberry was a tad disappointing. The cake tasted like lemon pound cake, which isn't bad, but I was hoping for a lighter and fluffier texture and more flavor. The frosting was good. I think they might use Swiss buttercream, since it wasn't overly sweet, didn't crust, and had a nice, smooth consistency. I do wish the raspberry taste had been stronger. The fresh raspberry on top was a nice touch.

On to the chocolate:



This cupcake was GOOD, as in "holy crap, I should have bought 10 of these" good or "I need to break into the kitchen during the night to steal this recipe" good. The cake itself was not extra special but did have a richness to it that was very nice. The ganache in the cupcake was incredible, and the frosting was smooth and lovely. If I had a bottomless stomach, I would like to eat this cupcake approximately every five minutes.

So that's Daisy! Thumbs-up overall, but the regulars are forgettable, so if you go, remember to spring for the deluxe. Mmmmmm . . .

This post was contributed by Carly Schuna, who writes about Halloween costumes over at StarCostumes.com.

Identity Crisis! Mini Cupcake or Petit Four?

A question popped into my head as I was tracking a server holding a silver tray of alluring treats during Lucky's Fashion Crawl a few nights ago: Are small cakes with frosting on them considered mini cupcakes minus the wrapper, or are they petit fours?




















As per the previous post, fashion and cupcakes tend to go hand in hand. The most common choice for fashion events then, is the mini cupcake. These scaled down sweets to distribute, more cost-efficient, and they act as good eye candy as well as a less guilt-inducing treat.Petit fours can take on the form of most desserts in a small bite-sized version, whereas mini cupcakes are strictly, well, smaller versions of cupcakes. So the question is, at what point is a plate of small cakes with frosting considered one or the other?

I'm curious to know what would you call it. Petit Four? Mini Cupcake? Does it even matter, or was I silly for even holding out before popping this cute little number into my mouth?

Now that's an Oreo cupcake

These are by Dots Cupcakes of Argentina (hola at dots-cupcakes.com), via Flickr.

from the side:



Cupcakes de choco con merengue y Oreos.
Cupcakes de Vainilla rellenos con ddl y buttercream de vainilla.

Wilton's ridiculously fun Halloween cupcake ideas

Prepare to laugh out loud and spend a good hour or five oohing and aahing over Wilton's very fun cupcake ideas. There are ghosts, bats, mummies, graveyards, pumpkins, monsters, spiders and much more.


This one is my personal favorite as it describes me to a T a lot of the time...the extremely stressed cupcake!

I loved these as well but whether you plan to dress up or even celebrate Halloween or not, I'm pretty sure these will bring a smile to your face.

Click on each image below to be taken to the Wilton page on how to make them.


Boilin' Cauldron cupcake


Smirking spider cupcake


Fearsome monster cupcake - Gotta say, I am not a candy corn fan, just don't like the taste, but I think they work perfectly as little monster teeth!

>
They've also got these fun cupcake and cookie stencils.