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Wow. This moose on mousse cupcake by The Lone Baker (via Flickr) is outrageous!
golden cupcake, chocolate mousse topped with golden moose dresden
The Lone Baker writes:
Ok, I couldn't resist making mousse topped cupcakes for my moose dresdens. Dresdens are German die-cut and embossed paper trims, often with a metallic finish. These lovely scraps popular in Victorian times are beloved by scrapbookers and crafters alike, they also make for unique cupcake picks by just adding a toothpick the to back.
Visit her for more information and links to buy what you need to make your own. I can guarantee that if you brought these to a party or event you would steal the show and people would not be able to stop talking about them!
These over-the-top chocolate-covered cherry cupcakes are by Little Big Cakes via Flickr. They're based in Brookville, Florida, and can be reached at eat at littlebigcakes.com or 352-269-ICED (4233).
How can farm animal cupcakes not be fun, actually? Love these! They're by blogger Megann of NutMeg Confections via Flickr.
Pig and cow closeups, because those noses (and the pig's tail!) are too cute to resist.
All part of a grander farm cake! I love when cupcakes are used to complement a cake, especially like this, where each would be the worse off without the other.
Today's Flickr cupcake spotlight is on London's Society Cupcakes, who also have a Facebook page. All photos are from their Flickr account.
baby shower cupcakes
birthday cupcakes
spring cupcake pops
new baby cupcake truffles
more happy birthday cupcakes
Check out this fun cupcake wine glass.
It's for sale from Kohl's:
Delish™ Cupcake Wine Glass
regular $29.99
Celebrate sweet style with Delish stemware. The hand-painted cupcakes on this wine glass are a definite treat. Delight your style senses with this Delish Cupcakes wine glass.
* Multicolored dots and hand-painted cupcakes offer tasty appeal.
* Stem decorated with a coordinating bow completes the look.
* Glass construction promises lasting beauty.
* Details:
o 16-oz. capacity
o Hand wash
Via Twitpics from @JennyBeeCakes, a Philadelphia cupcake enthusiast, come these adorable cupcakes! You know I've never met or seen a s'mores cupcake I didn't like, the bacon French toast cupcakes with maple buttercream look irresistible, and the bachelorette bride to "bee" cupcakes are simply charming.
I love seeing any kind of innovation when it comes to cupcakes, whether that's a new way of decorating or displaying them, baking them, serving them, etc. These red velvet cupcakes by Los Angeles' B Sweet Catering fit the bill, via their Facebook page. You can also find them on Flickr and with two Twitter accounts: @mybsweet and @bsweet_ing, the latter about what's on tap at the ING Direct Cafe.
Below are a few other cupcake photos from their Flickr account.
4th of July cupcake gift box (it's still July so it counts, right?)
flower cupcakes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cupcakes!
I love all these extremely adorable dog cupcakes by blogger i Bake Cupcakes, who wowed us with her summer fun lobster cupcake cake - make sure to go there to see more. Photos via her Flickr account.
Golden retriever cupcakes - Luna and Chelsea
French Bernese Bette cupcake
Pomeranian Bear cupcake (my personal favorite - is it because of the color pink? the multicolor ears? the little smile?)
German shepherd/hound Duke cupcake
Lots of doggies and a few other cupcakes
I must admit, I'm not even that much of a dog person, but these cupcakes made me want to meet all these adorable dogs, so thank you, i Bake Cupcakes - visit her to see the poodle, black lab and puggle cupcakes.
Name: Terry Lee Stone
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Writer and Graphic Design Management Consultant
URL: http://boozecakesbook.com/ and on Facebook
How did you and co-author Krystina Castella get the idea for Booze Cakes?
The original germ of the idea was mine, but Booze Cakes was a very collaborative effort. Krystina Castella, who is also a product designer, and I both were both teaching at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena CA, and she was a consistent guest lecturer in my class. After several terms of hearing her talk about her cool cookbook projects, including her great Crazy About Cupcakes (Sterling Publishing), I knew I wanted to work with her. So while making my mom’s 1970s-era Harvey Wallbanger Cake one night, it hit me that what the world really needed was a Renaissance in boozy baking. And I knew Krystina and I were just the people to kick it off with a book and she agreed. Actually, I knew it was a “go” when she broke out laughing at the title!
What was the most challenging part of creating the recipes? How did you go about taking, say, a drink like the Fuzzy Navel or the Screwdriver, and turning them into cupcake form?
One of the interesting things about our development process was that we linked up new combinations of alcohol type + baking style + physical structure of the cakes. Being designers, we’re both very visual people and we sort of instinctively combined tastes and shapes first.
We created an outline for the book including the chapter topics and then had frequent meetings to brainstorm recipe ideas. Breaking the book down into chapters, we decided that one of them should be Cocktail Cakes. These cupcakes come from the idea of turning your favorite cocktail into a cake. Krystina and I thought about a range of flavor combos and drew up a list of cakes based on popular drinks that we enjoy. From there we each chose recipes to test and expand on and reported back to each other with the results. Our favorites were chosen for the book.
The cocktail cakes are really fun to make, because essentially you are mixing multiple ingredients into the batter in a similar way to mixing a cocktail. Plus garnishing cakes is just as fun as garnishing drinks!
Screwdrivers are a casual drink- and one of the most popular introductory cocktails for the novice drinker. Our cupcakes with orange zest, coconut, and sweet vodka buttercream frosting are tasty casual cupcakes and are easy to make. The Fuzzy Navel is a total 80’s cocktail. Krystina always loved the term “peachy keen,” and it fit so well with fuzzy navel, that we named the cupcakes after that. I love the variation on that cupcake— I mean, who doesn’t want Sex-On-The-Beach? You’re definitely going to make people happy by just telling them the names of some of our cakes.
You write that during Prohibition and the 1970’s, booze cakes had a revival. What about now? Are they gaining popularity again?
Let’s hope so!
What’s your favorite of the recipes that appear in the book and why?
Okay, that’s kind of like choosing your favorite child. If I must though, I’ll admit to having a sweet spot for that Harvey Wallbanger Cake because it is one drunk Bundt cake, and because it was so inspirational in terms of the book’s initial kick-off. This summer though, the Tres Leches Cake is a favorite. That cake is making my friends very very happy at birthday parties and BBQs because it is so light. This recipe is inspired by having lived in Miami for a long time and enjoying it often in restaurants there. The addition of Cachaça (Portuguese pronunciation: [ka__as_], a Brazilian sugar cane vodka-like liquor) makes the cake even more delicious.
How much booze do you wind up tasting in most of these recipes? Can you get drunk or buzzed from eating these cakes and cupcake?
In creating this book, we challenged ourselves to use a wide variety of booze, and explore the possibilities of alcohol as a flavoring. Personally, I ended up really loving to bake with Drambuie (a scotch liqueur), Jägermeister (a 70-proof German digestif) and tequila! All of which taste amazing with chocolate. Plus I experimented a lot with the range of flavored vodkas. In fact, I’ve got some Absolut Mandarin sitting in the freezer right now because I made Screwdriver Cupcakes (but with Dark Chocolate Frosting) last night. Flavored vodka… now, really, isn’t that a great idea?
Can you get buzzed? Sure. There is alcohol retained in these cakes. It all depends on when it is added and how long the baking time. For example, when booze is mixed into the batter and baked 40 % is retained for cupcakes baked for 15 minutes and 25% for a cake baked an hour. But when soaked into the cake after baking 70% of the alcohol is retained. Heat and exposure to air is what makes alcohol dissipate a little. Most of our frostings and creams are not heated, so 100% is retained. When making a boiled icing or cream we remove the mixture from the heat and let cool a bit to retain the alcohol. Bottom line: If you want your cakes boozy: soak them. Give them a “booze bath” by putting some alcohol in a shallow pan and setting the cupcakes in it. Or, you can drizzle more booze on top before frosting. Either way, the cake will absorb the hootch.
For the cupcakes, is there anything people baking them should know before they proceed?
Have fun! Baking is fun. Drinking is fun. Combining the two is even better. I’m not the kind of baker who will spend hours and hours on frosting and decoration, I want cakes that are simple to make, and taste amazing. Adding booze makes cupcakes taste amazing. We hope that people agree and enjoy making our recipes!
And now for some personal questions...
How often do you eat cupcakes?
Not as often as I would like!
What's the best thing about eating cupcakes?
I love that they are individual cakes— pretty much the perfect ratio of cake to frosting served up in a pretty paper wrapper. They are sinful and decadent and personal. You don’t have to share your cupcake with anyone!
What's your favorite type of cupcake?
I do have a weakness for Mint Julep Cupcakes, and the ridiculously cute Blue Hawaii Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes that we have in Booze Cakes. Also Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, which we didn’t include in our book.
How do cupcakes compare/contrast to other baked goods for you?
For the most part, they are easier to make and often easier to serve. Sometimes I really screw up my layer cakes, structurally. Cupcakes are more of a sure bet.
Is there any innovation you'd like to see made to the cupcake that would improve it for you?
In Booze Cakes, we’ve taken the idea of small cake bites that is such a great thing about cupcakes and developed a whole series of recipes that we call “Cake Shots.” I hope everyone tries our little Wine Tasting Cakes, Long Island Iced Tea Cakes and of course, Jelly Shot Cakes (based on that Frat Boy favorite, Jello Shots). Super fun.
Do you bake your own cupcakes? Or (even better) have someone who bakes them for you?
Yes, I baked some Screwdriver Cupcakes last night! Los Angeles does have a number of very good cupcake bakeries— but I try to keep my patronage down to a dull roar. I do wish I could teach our pugs to bake. That would be hysterical.
What's your first cupcake-related memory?
My Mom made them for my kindergarten class and brought them to school for my birthday. They were a huge hit. The kids just loved my Mom for bringing them. I immediately made note of it: Cupcakes will make you popular.
What's the most fun you've ever had with a cupcake?
That just sounds so naughty!
Do you have anything else to add?
Have a good time playing in your kitchen. My philosophy is basically: “Have fun, it's just cake.” What’s the worst that can happen? Even cake wrecks are pretty yummy, especially when they have booze in them. Oh, and, Please Bake Responsibly. Thank you!
Buy Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked With Spirits, Wine, and Beer from:
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound (search your local independent bookstore)
Chronicle Books
That is the bold claim being made over at The Stir. Here's a sample of the list (starting with ones I personally find interesting):
26. Bacon cupcakes with maple frosting
27. Dark chocolate cupcakes with mint frosting
28. Oatmeal cupcakes with white chocolate frosting
29. Espresso cupcakes with chocolate frosting
30. Cherry vanilla cupcakes with white chocolate frosting
31. Caramel apple cupcakes with cinnamon cream frosting
32. German chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting
33. OIive oil cupcakes with lemon-thyme frosting
34. Green tea cupcakes with chocolate frosting
35. Butternut squash cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
After five-plus years of cupcake blogging, my take is that it's all subjective. There can never be a best. For instance, I don't as a rule like cream cheese frosting or red velvet cupcakes, but tons of people do. It's all good. They are cupcakes, after all. What do you think?
These very colorful, fun cupcake photos are from the Facebook page of Yum Cupcakery.
Yum Cupcakery
3345 SW 34th St.
Gainesville, FL 32608
877-YUM-CAKE
Yum at TheYumShop.com
On Tuesday, Rachel Shukert, a friend of Rachel and mine, had a reading and party for her second book, Everything is Going To Be Great
People.com not only has news about Katie Holmes's latest on-set cupcake delivery, something she's done many times in the past, but about the long-awaited Boston cupcake company Isabelle's Curly Cakes, which last I'd heard, was opening around Christmastime in Boston. I guess that didn't happen, as it sometimes goes in the cupcake bakery business. Instead, they do custom cupcakes. Click on the People link for a red velvet cupcake recipe from Isabelle's Curly Cakes.
Katie Holmes is the latest A-lister to feed into the cupcake craze.
Recently, the actress ordered a batch of red velvet and grasshopper flavored Isabelle's Curly Cakes cupcakes delivered to the Canadian set of her History Channel miniseries, The Kennedys, where she is playing Jacqueline Kennedy.
And we bet Jackie O. would want in on these goods.
The cupcakes are sold exclusively at Todd English's Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel in N.Y.C. The chef behind the fluffy batter and frosted treat? English's 16-year-old daughter, Izzy, who was thrilled about her new client.
And from the Isabelle's Curly Cakes website (which seems to contradict what the above says about them only being sold at the Plaza Hotel):
Olives Restaurant now offers cupcake delivery services within a five mile radius of Boston.
Choose from a variety of “Everyday Flavored” cupcakes. The minimum order for delivery will be a half-dozen cupcakes and there is a $15 delivery fee.
You may also pick up your order, with advance notice, at Olives Restaurant, 10 City Square, Charlestown, MA.
email your order to curlycakes@toddenglish.com, or call 617.242.1999
Please place orders by 3pm & allow a 48 hour notice. Special arrangements may be considered for large orders.
These cupcake wrappers are by the company Well Dressed Cupcakes, whose shop you can find on Etsy, and some of the photos are from their Flickr account. I've linked to their shop where the items are available. You can also visit their blog. Prices vary slightly, from $5-$6 for 12.
Summertime cupcake wrappers, 12 for $5.20 on Etsy - from the listing:
Celebrate summer with your choice of Petal Pinks,Pastel Blues, Rasberry and Blueberry colored cupcake wrappers.
Each set of 12 - already assembled wrappers comes with a set of 12 matching cupcake flags. Mix and Match your choices. They all look beautiful together.
Blue Selection will include 4 flowered and 8 blue with a pale leaf/flower pattern.
Rasberry Pink Collection
your choice of 12 solid pink rasberry , 12 flower pattern or a mix of the 2.
Palm tree cupcake wrappers
Happy birthday cupcake wrappers
Polka dot cupcake wrappers
Cupcakes wrapped around your cupcake! Click here for Etsy listing.
These wrappers were for a December wedding (via Flickr), and I think they're just charming.
I don't see these in the Etsy shop so they may no longer be available, but how could I resist a leopard print cupcake wrapper?
