Cupcakes Take The Cake

Parmesan Sour Cream Cupcakes with Raspberry Whipped Cream

2012-01-27T14:02:00.003-05:00

Interesting....

Made by Stef at the cupcakeproject.com.
I may have to try these babies out just to see what they actually taste like! It sounds like a Cupcake Wars ingredients challenge!

For the full recipe, click here!

Pancakes and bacon, salty chocolate trail mix, piňa colada, chocolate coconut custard, blueberry cream cheese, chocolate chip and many more cupcakes by Brandon Cakes in Kailua, Hawaii

2012-01-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

Before I share these beautiful cupcake photos that make me want to just be in a room with all these gorgeous cupcakes, I want to say that one of the things I love most about cupcake blogging is the community of bloggers, bakers, and eaters. I've been very impressed with how collegial the bakers I've corresponded with in Hawaii are, and this is a case in point: I discovered Brandon Cakes, the company whose custom cupcakes are seen below, because Angel Cakes Hawaii posted on our Facebook page. Pretty cool, right?

Also cool is Tuesday night's Honolulu Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup with free cupcakes! You don't have to RSVP, but if you're coming we ask you to so we know how many cupcakes to have on hand. So far we've got 25 people and I am thrilled about meeting local cupcake fans and bakers (whether you sell your cupcakes or not, you're welcome to bring some, but not obligated to). Any questions, email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com (if it's related to Hawaii, put "Hawaii" in the subject line).

You can order custom cupcakes from them; they're based in Kailua. These photos are from their Facebook page. They also sell their cupcakes at The Food Company Kailua at 1020 Keolu Drive. You can email them at sales at brandoncakes.com or call or text for faster service: 808-780-3505. You can see all their regular cupcake flavors here, and they also have a special alcohol cupcake menu here. Those flavors have names like angry gorilla ("chocolate cupcake baked with brandy-soaked bananas, frosted with 99 Bananas buttercream, drizzled with brandied chocolate, topped with crushed banana chips") and lava flow ("oconut rum cupcake filled with strawberries frosted with Piña Colada cream cheese, trimmed with coconut flakes, topped with a cherry & pineapple chunk"). January's featured flavor is champagne! They also sell mini cupcakes.

pancakes and bacon

salty chocolate trail mix

piňa colada

chocolate coconut custard

blueberry cream cheese

chocolate chip

pink coconut ice - white chocolate and coconut

white chocolate macadamia

peanut butter cup

Valentine's Day rose cupcake bouquet (order by February 7th)

Pretty flower and bow cupcakes by UK's Gimme Cake

2012-01-27T13:49:00.003-05:00

Pretty pretty! By Gimme Cake in the UK (Malpas, Wrexham), via Flickr. The dragees add the perfect touch. They're triple chocolate cupcakes. Contact Gimme Cake at gimmeyummycake a tgmail.com and follow them @GimmeCake on Twitter and on Facebook.

Cupcake Jello Shots!

2012-01-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

The weekend is nearly here! Do you have any plans yet? Planning a party perhaps? Well why not indulge in some grown up cupcake treats? Sweet Tooth's creator Erica adapted a recipe to create these delectable birthday cake flavored shots! After looking at the recipe the real kicker in this recipe is cake flavored vodka! Check out the recipe for yourself here!

New cupcakery alert: KupKatie's KupKakes turns moonpies into cupcakes in Maryville, Tennessee

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

This cupcake spotlight is on KupKatie's KupKakes in Maryville, Tennessee (451 High Street); the photos are via their Facebook page. They can be reached at kupkaties at gmail.com.

I found out about KupKatie's from this article at WBIR, and I liked the innovation going on here:

"I bribe them with cupcakes," she said.

That was kind of her strategy when she went to MoonPie headquarters in Chattanooga to ask about using the southern snack's trademark name.

"I made a MoonPie cupcake in every flavor and he tried it and he loved it so we're the exclusive bakery that can sell MoonPie cupcakes," she said.

Her MoonPie cupcakes have not one, not two, but three MoonPie ingredients.

"We make the KupKatie's batter, we put MoonPie in the batter," she explained.

She chops up a big MoonPie and stirs it in to her cupcake batter. The MoonPie batter goes into cups and then into the oven. After the cupcakes are baked they get another MoonPie.

"And then we put a MoonPie in the middle," she said.

Cupcake spotlight on Frosted in Honolulu, Hawaii

2012-01-27T01:26:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be meeting with Melissa, who runs custom cupcake and cake company Frosted in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sunday, but wanted to share some of her beautiful cupcakes now. They can be reached at melissa at frostedhawaii.com and you can see more photos in their Flickr account and find them @frostedhawaii on Twitter and on Facebook.

I'm starting with flip flop cupcakes because I'm excited about going to the beach and escaping the cold of New York! Before anyone gets jealous of my Hawaii trip, please note that right after I'm going to Milwaukee for the last Iron Cupcake Milwaukee, which I am so excited about attending, but am a bit scared of the cold weather.

Super Mario

and more Mario!

Owl cake and cupcake tower

last but not least, some conversation heart candy cupcakes just in time for Valentine's Day

Jon Bon Jovi, Rob Lowe and other "hot guys" cupcakes

2012-01-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

Polkadot Cupcakery in Upper Arlington, Ohio, posted this Instagram photo on their Tumblr of their "hot guys" cupcakes and...I don't know who all of them are! Anyone want to help? I feel like I'm playing photo hunt. I'm not sure of the flavor of the photo on the bottom but it looks awesome. Find out more at polkadotcupcakery.com and follow them on Facebook, @pdotcupcakery on Twitter and on Pinterest.

Pink mochi cupcakes at Honolulu's Let Them Eat Cupcakes

2012-01-26T16:40:00.002-05:00

Cute pink mochi cupcakes from Honolulu, Hawaii bakery Let Them Eat Cupcakes at 35 S. Beretania Street, who are one of our cupcake sponsors for Tuesday night's Honolulu Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup. Stay tuned for more Honolulu cupcake news and reports as I eat my way through town, starting on Saturday! Via their Facebook page. Friday's special flavor is green tea cupcakes! Visit letthemeatcupcakes808.com for more information.

They also recently made Super Mario cupcakes:

Adorable Hoggy and owl cupcakes

2012-01-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Hoggy is an iPhone game I'd never heard of until this post. Via rainbow robot on Flickr, who blogs at two little lid kids. Read about the owl cupcakes for a first birthday here. They rank up there with the cutest owl cupcakes I've seen, and I've seen a lot of cute owl cupcakes!

Awww...the I Love U Valentine's Day chocolate cupcake from Retro Bakery

2012-01-26T15:21:00.000-05:00

Sweet in every way! This Valentine's Day chocolate cupcake with vanilla fluff dipped in chocolate fudge will be available February 12-14 only at Retro Bakery in Las Vegas, who we love. Normally the grammar stickler in me would want this to say "I love you" but I will let it slide since I know that might not fit in the pretty script across the cupcake. I have a vacation to plan to Vegas soon (I somehow agreed to a "great deal" by phone and wound up with a two-night hotel credit) so I am looking forward to having more of their delicious cupcakes. Visit retrobakerylv.com for more information. Via Flickr.

Win $200 earrings and other prizes in cupcake eating contest to benefit food bank in Lawrence, Kansas

2012-01-26T14:59:00.002-05:00

We love when the cupcake community bands together and raises money for charity and has fun doing it! This just in from Lawrence, Kansas' bakery Cupcake Construction Company, who you can also find on Facebook.

EAT CUPCAKES, WIN DIAMONDS AND MORE
Cupcake Construction Company will host a cupcake-eating event on February 4th to benefit Just Food Food Bank.

Cupcake Construction Company along with other Downtown Lawrence merchants is hosting a cupcake-eating contest on Saturday, February 4th to benefit Just Food, the primary food bank for Douglas County.

Over $350 in Valentine’s Day-themed prizes will be distributed to contestants in three rounds. The grand prize is a pair of sterling silver and diamond heart earrings, donated by Mark’s Jewelers. Contestants will have five minutes to eat as many cupcakes as they can. Whoever finishes the most cupcakes will go home with the earrings, a $200 value. The other two rounds have a set number of cupcakes, and the person who finishes them the fastest will win. Englewood Florist is donating a Valentine’s Day arrangement valued at $50 to whoever eats four cupcakes the quickest. The other round will have contestants eating 6 cupcakes. The winner will receive dinner for two at Pachamama’s and a movie at Liberty Hall.

“We are fortunate to have wonderful customers in Lawrence, and we want to give back to the community,” says Michael Kricsfeld, owner of Cupcake Construction Company. “Since we’re an Interactive Cupcake Bar, we thought we should have an interactive fundraiser. Not everyone is fortunate enough to stuff their face with cupcakes, so we thought it would only be appropriate to donate all proceeds from the contest to help those less fortunate.” Kricsfeld hopes to raise between $500 - $1,000 for Just Food. “This one fundraiser could provide enough funds for nearly 3,000 meals.”

Entry fees range from $10 - $30, depending on the round. “Winning a $200 pair of earrings for $30 isn’t a bad deal,” says Zach Dillon, an employee at Cupcake Construction Company. “Plus you will be eating a lot of cupcakes!”

The first round begins at 1:00PM on Saturday, February 4th. Each hour a new round will begin. All events are open to the public, and people of all ages are encouraged to sign up. Contestants are required to register prior to the 4th. All the contest information and rules, as well as online registration, can be found on Cupcake Construction Company’s website (www.cupcakeconstructioncompany.com).

Cupcake Construction Company opened their doors at 727 Massachusetts St. in May 2011 as Lawrence’s first and only Interactive Cupcake Bar. Their concept is a little different than most cupcake bakeries. Each guest gets to choose her “foundation” (base cake), “interior” (filling), “roof” (frosting), and “luxury amenities” (toppings). In addition to the cupcake bar, CCC also offers a rotating variety of mini cupcakes daily.

Find out more at www.CupcakeConstructionCompany.com.

More about Just Food, from their website:

Open five days a week, Just Food operates as the primary food bank resource for all of Douglas County as well as an emergency food pantry for low-income customers seeking food assistance. Just Food relies on the food and cash donations of the local community to sustain its operation. To donate to Just Food, go to www.justfoodfund.org.

From Cupcake Construction Company on Facebook:

What a Very Berry Cupcake Recipe!

2012-01-26T13:00:00.000-05:00


Image courtesy of The Little Epicurean

Are you a berry lover? How about a very berry lover? If you're thinking about trying this berrilicious looking recipe, I hope you are! The Little Epicurean created a beautiful looking Blueberry-Blackberry Cupcake topped with a Blueberry Cream Cheese frosting. I told you, it's berry serious stuff! Though these cupcakes look like they should be made for special or fancy events The Little Epicurean stresses the fact that these can be made anytime! If your feeling berry creative check out the recipe here!

Cupcake topper spotlight: dinosaurs, aliens, robots, monsters, burgers and hot dogs, owls, monkeys, zebras, caterpillars, planes and more by Pinwheel Lane Parties

2012-01-26T12:34:00.001-05:00

Pinwheel Lane Parties sells all sorts of cupcake toppers in their Etsy store. Here are some of my favorite. They can be reached at Pinwheel.Lane at gmail.com and you can also find them on Facebook and Pinterest. I included owl toppers in two color schemes because they're so cute!

Ten Facts About Upcoming Cupcake Cruise

2012-01-26T12:23:00.001-05:00

We will posting regularly news of the Cupcake Cruise that will be from August 19 through 26th, 2012. Here are ten facts about the Cupcake Cruise.

You will need a passport for the cruise. If you don't have one or need to renew, then do so now. This is a good time of the year to get your passport.
We will leave from Cape Liberty which is basically Bayonne, NJ. If you are not from the New York City, know that Cape Liberty is across the river and a cab ride or car service would be the best way to get there.
We will be boarding the Celebrity Cruise Summit which just got upgraded with new restaurants.
It's a SHIP, not a boat. :)
There is childcare available on the ship.
You can purchase a daily premium beverage package where you can enjoy both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks at $54. Party!
Our instructors (Baked, Robicellis, Hello, Cupcake) will teach you something new.
If you are a professional baker, and attend the classes, you can write off a portion of your trip as a tax deduction.
There is also a gym and yoga classes.
You will have a BLAST!

Check out the recent press we got in the Examiner and Bermuda News. BTW, Bermuda is excited about our cruise!

Cupcake decorating class for kids in Greenville, South Carolina

2012-01-26T11:53:00.002-05:00

Heads up about a cupcake decorating class for kids coming up in Greenville, South Carolina, via Edible Upcountry Blog:

Get your kids in the kitchen. This Saturday, Chef Corie Martin of Pink Lady Catering will teach the basics to making the perfect cupcake in a hands-on class at The Cook’s Station in Greenville. Each child gets to bake cupcakes from scratch, make buttercream frosting to pipe on their cupcakes with a pastry bag, and mold their own decorations using real fondant. Everybody takes a 6-pack of their own cupcakes home. Ages 8-12, reservations required. Cost: $30.

Decorating Cupcakes for Kids

The Cook’s Station, January 28th, 9AM-11AM

864-250-0091

1,000 free cupcakes in London tomorrow

2012-01-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

Via Londonist, news of a new Hummingbird Bakery in London and free cupcakes!

Whatever your stance, cupcakes aren’t going away. Tomorrow, London welcomes its fifth Hummingbird Bakery to the city; the second to open in the last 12 months.

From tomorrow, you’ll be able to get your hit of sugary American baked goods in Islington. The new Hummingbird Bakery is setting up shop in the Stirling Prize-nominated Angel Building on St John Street, close to Angel Tube and Upper Street. Like the other branches (in Notting Hill, South Ken, Soho and Spitalfields), the Angel shop will continue The Hummingbird practice of baking all products on site the same day as they’re sold, “to ensure freshness and quality.”

The shop opens at 11am on 27 January, when they’ll be giving away free cupcakes to the first 1,000 visitors

Here's what it says on The Hummingbird Bakery's Facebook page:

On Friday 27th January 2012 we'll be giving away 1000 FREE CUPCAKES to the first visitors to our Islington branch. It couldn't be easier, just whisper the secret word 'ISLINGTON' to claim your cupcake!

Be there at 11am! The Hummingbird Bakery Islington is located at 405 St John Street, EC1V 4AB."

their coconut and pineapple cupcake

Black Forest cupcake: "Black cherry jam encased in rich chocolate sponge with dark chocolate shavings and creamy topping"

lemon meringue cupcake

sticky toffee cupcake (warm sticky toffee pudding with rich dates and gooey caramel sauce)

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

2012-01-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

Upon first glance, these cupcakes seem pretty cute with their chocolate cakes, fluffy frosting, and bright red cherries to top it all off. But there's more to these cupcakes than meets the eye. They're actually choclate-cola cupcakes with a cherry pie filling, a cola glaze, sweetened whippe cream, and cherries on top. For more info on the colo-cupcakes, check out the Brown Eyed Baker!

Sunflower cereal cupcakes and sunflower candy cupcake toppers to ease your stress

2012-01-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but when I'm having a stressful day, like today (I leave for vacation in Honolulu tomorrow and there is a lot to do to get ready), I find that looking at cute, cheerful photos of cupcakes helps me relax a little, or at the very least, smile. These are extra adorable examples by Skip To My Lou - find out how to make the sunflower cupcakes here (cereal fans unite!) and the candy sunflower cupcake toppers here. You can also follow Skip To My Lou on Facebook.

Vanilla Poké Ball Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting and recipe link

2012-01-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

I know almost noting about Pokémon but I find these cupcakes by What Katie's Baking utterly adorable! Visit her blog for the recipe and more photos.

Eek! Mouse and cheese cupcakes

2012-01-25T19:03:00.001-05:00

This mouse and cheese cupcake combo actually freaks me out. I'm too afraid of rats and mice to find it cute, but I do admire the effort. What do you think? It's by Krista's Kupcakery, via Flickr. Not sure where they're located but Krista's Kupcakery, let us know at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com and we'll update this post!

Lemon cupcakes with lemon Swiss meringue buttercream

2012-01-25T18:00:00.001-05:00

Check out these lemon cupcakes with lemon Swiss meringue buttercream - visit The Beachside Baker for the recipe!

From the post:

These lemon cupcakes begin with a sweet lemon cake base, lemon infused Swiss meringue buttercream, and a homemade candied lemon peel. I really recommend you try the candied lemon peel step. Not only does it make the flavor of the cupcake more obvious, but it makes the cupcake look so professional! They taste very good too!

Happy hour cupcakes! Ciroc, Moscato, Seagram's gin, brandy, Courvoisier, Hypnotiq, Hennessey, and other alcohol cupcakes by Neco's Cupcake Bar

2012-01-25T17:30:00.000-05:00

Neco's Cupcake Bar in Richmond, Virginia specializes in alcohol-based cupcakes. All these photos are from @NecosCupcakeBar on Twitter. I'm posting this at 6:00 New York time, which I think is still fair game for happy hour. Contact them at info @ necoscupcakebar.com or 804-433-8331 for custom orders and see their full menu on their website. Here's what they say about their cupcakes:

*Moscato Nights: Moscato spiked cupcakes featuring Moscato Buttercream frosting.
*Ciroc (Peach, Berry, Coconut and Original) featuring spiked Buttercream frosting.
*Patron-Lime Cupcakes (An #RVA favorite)
*Patron-Lemon Cupcakes
*Nuvo Lemon Sorbet Cupcakes
*Pink Nuvo Nights Cupcakes
* Verdi Cupcakes (Raspberry Sparkletini, Peach Sparkletini, & Green Apple Sparkletini )

berry Ciroc cupcake

Moscato and chocolate cupcakes

Seagram's gin cupcakes

E&J Brandy chocolate cupcakes

Hypnotiq cupcakes

Hennessey cupcakes

Courvoisier cognac cupcakes

Guilty Pleasure cupcake

Mini Boston Cream Valentine’s Day Cupcakes with Recipe Link

2012-01-25T16:12:00.001-05:00

Blogger, Pink Martinis and Pearls, shares a divine Boston Cream Cupcake recipe and a step by step photographic tutorial on how to make these adorable Valentine's Minis! If you're looking for cute and delicious, this post is one you do not want to miss!

Mail order Valentine's Day cupcakes in jars and custom cupcakes in Florida

2012-01-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

These cupcakes in jars are being sold by Stay Calm Cupcake on Etsy for mail order. Great for Valentine's Day or to treat someone far away. You can also find them on Facebook, where the last photo is from. In addition to mail order cupcakes in jars, they make custom cupcakes in Volusia County, Florida, and can be contacted at staycalmcupcake at yahoo.com at 386-366-1737.

Photo Spotlight: Rise And Shine Bakery

2012-01-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

Awesome mustache cupcakes (with glitter!).

Stars!

Monsters? Happy monsters?

Wedding and engagement rings.

Turkeyday cupcakes.

All images courtesy of riseandshinebakery. See more of the Austin, TX, bakery here.

Hawaii cupcake spotlight: Fairy Cakes mobile cupcakery in Honolulu

2012-01-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

As I prepare for my vacation in Honolulu, Hawaii and the Tuesday January 31st meetup with free cupcakes (please tell anyone you know in the area!) I'll be spotlighting as many Hawaiian cupcakeries as I can. Have questions or tips? Email cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Hawaii" in the subject.

This post is about >Fairy Cakes, a mobile cupcakery in Honolulu who do events, delivery and custom cupcakes. They can be reached at info at fairycakeshawaii.com or 808-447-8862 and can also be found >@FAIRYCAKES808 on Twitter and on >Facebook. Their van is named Lola!

from a sprinkle party

this is actually rocky road fudge, not a cupcake, but I thought it was a rocky road fudge cupcake when I first clicked on it (wouldn't that be an awesome flavor?)

Valentine's Day heart cupcakes for charity on Etsy, for delivery in Austin

2012-01-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Etsy seller anadrummond is selling this 4-pack of Valentine's Day heart cupcakes, with 25% of the proceeds going to the nonprofit Without Regrets. Order until midnight on February 11th for Valentine's Day delivery to your door. Only bad news is that it's serving Austin and Dripping Springs, Texas, only, but still, what a cool idea.

**Your cupcake order comes with 4 tasty cupcakes decorated with an adorable fondant heart and a personal note from you. You're sweetheart will receive:

1 - Bleached Blonde (French Vanilla Cake topped Vanilla Buttercream Icing)1 - Triple Chocolate Trifecta (Fudge Cake with a Chocolate Filling topped with Fudge Icing)1 - Sugar & Spice (Spice Cake topped with Cream Cheese Icing)1 - Chocolate Covered Strawberry (Strawberry Cake topped with Fudge Icing)

About Without Regrets:

Without Regrets Foundation assists terminal adults who are the parents of minor children accomplish a pre-established goal with their family before the end of their life. We provide the families with memories that will last forever and allow our clients to Leave Without Regrets.

Prepare to drool on your screen: a Reese's peanut butter cup and an Oreo cookie baked inside a cupcake!

2012-01-25T12:27:00.001-05:00

Blogger The Sweet Life deserves some kind of award for these very special filled cupcakes, which feature not just a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on top and inside, which in my book would make them awesome enough, but also an Oreo cookie and Oreo peanut butter buttercream. Hello, best of all worlds in one cupcake! There is something about the dessert item baked inside a cupcake that always makes me pause for a moment and wonder how that happened. It just takes cupcakes to a whole new level, and I especially like that you'd have no idea that the Oreo was inside just from looking. Visit The Sweet Life for the recipe and instructions!

Melanie's totally fitting caption:

I think this picture is saying, “Hello. I am a chocolate cupcake stuffed with an Oreo AND a peanut butter cup. I am topped with OREO PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM and I taste like a dream come true. I taste like Christmas morning and smush-face kittens and all the best things in life. I am the reason you are fat. Goodbye.”

Spotlight on giant cupcake cakes

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Check out these colorful giant cupcake cakes by The Ribbon Cupcake Company in Croydon, UK, via their Flickr account. You can also keep up with them @ribbon_cake_co on Twitter or on Facebook. They do regular cupcakes and have some amazing cupcake towers posted in their Flickr account, which I'll feature another time because I wanted to focus on their giant cupcake cakes. They can be reached at mail at theribboncakecompany.com or 07540 244 711.

"Cake toppers include Mulberry Bag, Laboutins, Yoga Mat and Anya Hindmarch Bag. Finished with Glitter and Edible Diamonds - of course!"

raspberry and white chocolate wedding cupcake cake

5 karaoke cupcakes for your inner party animal and instructions on how to makethem

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

This post started with the karaoke cupcakes at the top, but once I started looking I found lots more (I feel like that could be true of half my cupcake posts!). So cue your favorite music and enjoy these karaoke cupcakes! Most I believe were inspired by the cookbook What's New, Cupcake? Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, makers of the fashionista cupcake high heels and purses (follow them at hellocupcakebook.com), speakers on our August 2012 Bermuda cupcake lovers cruise and fabulous cupcake makers.

You can find out how to make these fun, glittery cupcakes at iVillage - here's what you'll need:

- Vanilla cake mix
- Cupcake pan
- Foil cupcake wrappers
- Vanilla frosting
- Red food coloring
- Mini ice cream cones
- Pink licorice pastels
- Plain doughnut holes
- Edible silver sprinkles

image from the book, via Healthy Wealthy Moms

by Mixed-Up Cupcake Creations, for a first birthday

by custom cupcake company Sugar Happy

by Dee-Vil's D.I.Y.

by blogger Kristine Carlson Asselin

Fashionista cupcake alert: cupcake high heels and handbag cupcakes with flowers, bows and tassels from new cookbook Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My!

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

More cupcake fun, this time around for the fashion lovers, specifically high heels and purses (I'm a big fan of both), from the new cookbook Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, which comes out on Monday, which is also when we'll be posting a chance to win a copy. Visit them at hellocupcakebook.com and @whatsnewcupcake on Twitter.

Chinese New Year and New England Patriots football cupcakes by Sweet in Boston

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sweet in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, celebrated both Chinese New Year and the New England Patriots, who will play in the Super Bowl February 5th, this week, in cupcake form. Via @SweetCupcakes_. Get location information, hours and more at sweetcupcakes.com

The golden cupcake plus other beauties by Hey There, Cupcake!

2012-01-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Or cupcakes, in this case. These look like they belong at a very fancy event. They're by Hey There, Cupcake in San Diego, California, via Flickr. Official description: "Dark chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream. Black & white chevron pattern highlighted by edible gold glitter circles." Get ordering information at heythere-cupcake.com and on their Facebook page. They can be reached at info at heythere-cupcake.com or {858} 790-8929.

I had fully intended to stop with just the golden cupcakes, but then I got sucked into looking at their Facebook page and couldn't resist adding a few more:

Chocolate & cheesecake layered w/ cheesecake buttercream. Sugar pearls & silver dragees

a different kind of red velvet cupcake

rich chocolate cake, creamy peanut butter frosting, caramel drizzle, pretzel salt & a crunchy pretzel topper

Caramel apple cupcakes: "Sweet organic apples baked into a lightly cinnamon'd apple cake topped with salted caramel buttercream chopped peanuts and a dolop of dulce de leche."

Lemon cake with raspberry buttercream

s'mores! "Graham cracker bottom, chocolate cake dipped in ganache topped with freshly made marshmallow meringue toasted with my handy kitchen torch."

Cute chick and giraffe baby shower cupcakes by Ivy Bakery

2012-01-24T20:30:00.000-05:00

I just found out the other day that Ivy Bakery had opened a new location at 138 W. Houston in SoHo in Manhattan; they were closed when I passed by, but I'm looking forward to visiting as I'd been a fan of their Brooklyn shop (now closed) for a while. Here's some cute chick and giraffe red velvet cheesecake baby shower cupcakes they made, via their Facebook page. Visit ivybakery.com for hours and more information and follow @ivybakery on Twitter for the latest news.

Free cupcakes tomorrow in Williamsburg, Virginia at grand opening of Extraordinary Cupcakes!

2012-01-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Free cupcake alert! Celebrate tomorrow, January 25th, at 2 pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony and free samples at Extraordinary Cupcakes, located at 1220-C Richmond Road in Williamsburg, Virginia, via Daily Press:

The shop will feature their Extraordinary Cupcake, a crème-filled chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, as well as numerous other cupcake flavors, including Marvelous Madagascar, Wicked Chocolate, Curious Coconut, Uncommon Carrot Cake, Remarkable Red Velvet and Amazing Chocolate Twist.

You can also find Extraoardinary Cupcakes on Facebook.

Craft beer cupcake: lager cake, bourbon buttercream, chocolate-covered potato chip!

2012-01-24T18:06:00.001-05:00

Plus a free Chocolate City draft beer Thursday night for those in Washington, DC!

Here's the scoop on the collaboration between DC bakery Hello Cupcake and Chocolate City Beer, via City Paper blog Young & Hungry. They're $3.50 and will be sold from this Friday, January 27th, through February 15th, so don't delay. Nellie's Sports Bar is at 900 U Street, NW.

Before DC was known for their craft brews, they were recognized for their craft cupcakeries. This week, two iconic DC brands will collaborate to create a new dessert. DC Love Child, a decadent cupcake made with Chocolate City Beer, will be sold starting Friday in Hello Cupcake’s Dupont and Capitol Hill locations.

DC Love Child, the first cupcake to be made with a DC craft beer, is a rich chocolate lager cake with bourbon buttercream frosting topped with a chocolate covered potato chip. The batter is created with Chocolate City’s, Cerveza Nacional, a unique take on a traditional dark, malty, creamy, smooth and slightly roasted Vienna Lager.

Hello Cupcake and Chocolate City Beer will celebrate their offspring with a “Shot Gun Wedding” on Thursday night at Nellie’s Sports Bar. From 7 to 9 p.m. guests will get taste a sneak preview of the cupcake along with a free Chocolate City Draft.

This graphic below, via Chocolate City Beer on Facebook says to RSVP to staceydeniseprice at gmail.com or 202-674-2005.

Mint oreo cupcake with mini cupcake on top!

2012-01-24T17:30:00.000-05:00

This mint Oreo cupcake on cupcake is by Tanya Doughty on Flickr, and she writes: "with a sidecar of its own mini cupcake. Like a dessert appetizer before the actual dessert. Because that's important." Isn't it?

Edible Valentine's Day cupcake toppers: fish, hearts, cupcake and bunny

2012-01-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

These edible wafer cupcake toppers are by Etsy seller Ooh La La YUM! So cute!

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! 10 peanut butter cupcakes, including Elvis, bacon, PB&J, Reese's peanut butter cups and hi hats, to enjoy

2012-01-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

Another food holiday: today is National Peanut Butter Day! I love anything involving peanut butter; I take after my grandmother and eat it out of the jar. I know lots of people, including our own Nichelle, are allergic to peanuts, but for those who are peanut butter fans, this post's for you! By the way, when I searched "peanut butter" in our Flickr cupcake photo pool, there were 2,038 results - that's a lot of peanut butter.

Reese's peanut butter cup on the bottom chocolate peanut butter cupcake by Jamieanne of The Sweetest Kitchen via Flickr

Nutella ganache and mini Reese's peanut butter cups by DeliciousDelights on Flickr

these take the concept of a PB&J cupcake to a whole new level! They're peanut butter cupcakes filled with strawberry jelly, topped with whipped peanut butter frosting and fondant PB&J sandwiches by oh, sugar! via Flickr

the namesake Sweet Revenge cupcake at Sweet Revenge in New York has peanut butter frosting and chocolate inside!

peanut butter and chocolate swirled cupcake via extremecupcakes on Flickr

Elvis peanut butter bacon banana cupcake by Y-Lime's Gourmet in Portland, Maine (I took this photo and can vouch that this was delicious!)

More bacon from our food blogging friends Blondie and Brownie - this Elvis cupcake was made for my birthday in 2008. Awww...

one of the best chocolate peanut butter cupcakes I've ever eaten, from Sweet E's Cupcakes on Martha's Vineyard

Reese's peanut butter cupcake banana cupcakes - get the recipe at Bake it in a Cake!

chocolate peanut butter hi hat cupcakes!! Get the recipe at Cupcake Project

Also, one I couldn't download but you should check out, by The Urban Housewife: Chocolate cupcake filled with Peanut Butter Caramel & topped with Chocolate Ganache, a callback of sorts to our fauxstess cupcake roundup!

Beautiful guitar cupcakes by Mily's Cupcakes

2012-01-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

I love everything about these guitar cupcakes by Mily's Cupcakes of Buenos Aires, Argentina, via Flickr, from the dragees to the guitar toppers to the guitar heaven wrappers! Together, they look like they're about to form a cupcake band (to me, anyway). Plus they go with this giant guitar cake. Email them at milyscupcakes at gmail.com and find out more on their website and Facebook page.

Reminder: Giveaway Ends Soon

2012-01-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

Don't forget our Sweets on a Stick cookbook giveaway ends soon!

Sunny Oreo cookie cupcake.

Double decker strawberry cupcakes, chocolate chip, pretty flowers, snowmen, chocolate hearts and more by Fairy Cakes in Vancouver

2012-01-24T13:50:00.000-05:00

These are all by Fairy Cakes in Vancouver, British Columbia, via their Facebook page. They do custom cupcakes and delivery, and can be reached at fairy_cakes at live.ca or 604-442-YUMM (9866) and can be found at fairycakescupcakes.ca.

Sweetheart Cupcakes with Recipe Link

2012-01-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Is it already nearly February already?! This year is already flying right by so take some time to bake your sweetheart these Sweetheart Cupcakes! Glorious Treats has created a fantastic looking and simple to follow tutorial on how to recreate these Valentine's Day themed treats yourself!

Giveaway: Win Vera Cruz Vanilla Extract

2012-01-24T13:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our Vanilla Cupcake Twitter Chat back in the fall, Vera Cruz Vanilla asked us to do a giveaway with their Mexican vanilla extract. One lucky winner will win. Entries will be accepted from today until January 31st.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Where else to find Cupcakes Take the Cake

2012-01-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

We post here on Cupcakes Take the Cake as often as we can, but you can also find us elsewhere, both offline and in person at our monthly NYC meetups and parties (stay tuned for fun February events), our occasional other outside events, like the January 31st Honolulu, Hawaii meetup (with free cupcakes!) as well as elsewhere online. Adding your photos to our Flickr pool is the BEST way to get them to our attention, but you can also post on our Facebook page and can always email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com but please note that we cannot respond to every message, but we try our best. Here's how to keep track of us:

@cupcakeblog on Twitter

our Facebook fan page

our Tumblr

our Flickr pool

Google+

Pinterest

Foursquare

How to make red velvet hidden heart cupcakes for Valentine's Day, by Hoosier Homemade

2012-01-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

Many of you loved the video about how to make hidden heart cupcakes, and now the always creative and timely blog Hoosier Homemade also serves up tips to make your Valentine's Day cupcakes perfectly festive with red velvet cake hearts inside these cupcakes. Via Flickr.

Who would know that this, can turn into...what you see below?

Chinese New Year cupcakes by Seattle's Trophy Cupcakes

2012-01-24T11:30:00.001-05:00

We'll be posting Chinese New Year cupcakes all week, as long as you're still making them. I saw this yesterday on Seattle bakery Trophy Cupcakes' Facebook page. They've also just launched the TrophyMobile, which will deliver cupcakes right to your door! See trophycupcakes.com for more information.

The art of the cupcake swirl

2012-01-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

I'm always intrigued and drawn in by a cupcake's presentation, and the way Confectioneiress Cupcakes & Sweets in Zionsvile, Indiana, frosts and decorates their cupcakes, totally made me want to try them. Even the coconut one, the fourth one down, which isn't frosted like the others, looks adorable and fun and enticing. All via their Facebook page. Find out more at confectioneiress.com and follow them @ on Twitter.

Also, "Today's flavors are orange sherbet, salted chocolate caramel, vanilla bean latte, hummingbird, red velvet, choc/choc, choc/van, cookies & cream, malted vanilla caramel, chocolate mousse, chocolate chip cookie dough, van/van, & van/choc. We also have oatmeal cream pies & chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies!"

Do you have a favorite bakery in terms of how they decorate their cupcakes, or a way of swirling your own frosting?

Surprise! Harry Potter cupcakes inside book box mockup of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

2012-01-23T22:17:00.001-05:00

Harry Potter fans, check out these fun Harry and co. cupcakes by Animated Cupcakes in Garden Grove, California. Not only did they make character cupcakes, they made a special surprise box to put them in that looks like a giant version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! Very cool all around. Visit animatedcupcakes.com, their Facebook page, @AnimatedCupcake on Twitter and their Flickr page, and contact them at 714-643-2214 or Animated.Cupcakes at gmail.com for ordering information. On Facebook they wrote:

Personally, I find that presentation is key to a good surprise. That means...no detailed spared! This was created for the biggest Harry Potter fan in the universe. The cupcake box was re-embellished and custom made with cupcake holders. You won't find this anywhere else. It's one of a kind!

Book is wooden with custom features:
Altered exterior design
Altered interior design
Embellishments
Cupcake holders

French Vanilla Cupcakes with Maraschino Swiss Meringue Buttercream and a glitter cherry, plus recipe link

2012-01-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

These pretty Valentine's Day cupcakes, topped with a fondant cherry coated in cake glitter (!!), are by blogger and custom cupcake maker Sweet Revelations, where you can find the recipe.

Their cupcakes are available for sale in London, Ontario (Canada), and you can find out more at sweetrevelations.net. Check out their flavors - cake flavors include cookie dough, pineapple, banana, mocha and coconut, among others, and icing and filling flavors include maple, hazelnut, cranberry, lime, mocha, eggnog, Bailey's and more!

Apple pie, pumpkin pie inside a cupcake, pecan pie, lemon pie and mini apple glitter pie topper for National Pie Day

2012-01-23T19:41:00.000-05:00

Happy National Pie Day! Here are some fun, festive pie cupcakes to give you ideas for how to celebrate.

apple pie cupcake from Molly's Cupcakes in New York

apple pie cupcakes by Pixie's Treats in Sandwich, Massachusetts (custom cupcake makers, gamma1158 at yahoo.com) via Flickr

pumpkin pie Thanksgiving cupcakes by BAKE Cupcakery in Appleton, Wisconsin, via Flickr

pumpkin pie inside a cupcake by Kayla's Cupcakery via Flickr - specifically, "A mini Pumpkin Pie baked into a vanilla cream cheese cake and topped with a cinnamon butter cream frosting"

pecan pie cupcakes by blogger Sweet Simple Stuff, who tells you how to make them via Flickr

lemon pie cupcake by Piece of Cake - Cupcakes! in Buenos Aires, Argentina via Flickr

Another treat from Wisconsin, by Amanda Cupcake, who makes custom cupcakes, via Flickr - she's got a tutorial on how to make the mini apple crisp pies, and here's what it looks like inside:

Chinese New Year cupcakes by Swirlz in Chicago

2012-01-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

Chinese New Year cupcakes by Chicago bakery Swirlz, via their Facebook page. Visit swirlzcupcakes.com for more information and custom ordering info (they serve regular and gluten-free cupcakes).

And a flavor that loos delicious, chocolate butterscotch, plus some I saw too late but still is cool, Martin Luther King cupcakes.

Honolulu Cupcakes Take the Cake Meetup January 31st

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so looking forward to my first trip to Hawaii and to meeting cupcake fans and bakers in Honolulu! Below are all the details about our free meetup next Tuesday, January 31st in Honolulu. You are welcome to bring cupcakes if you'd like to, but the event is free. If you know you're attending we'd love it if RSVPed on Facebook (you can also spread the word there). We're going to talk and mingle and eat cupcakes. Questions? Email cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Hawaii" in the subject line. I'll also be posting reports on my cupcake tastings throughout the week. And for those of you who aren't in Hawaii but know someone who is, please pass this news on.

photo by Hilary McHone

Tuesday, January 31st, 6-9 pm, freeHonolulu Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup
At The Greenhouse Innovation Hub, 685 Auahi Street, Kaka‘ako

Love cupcakes? Calling all fans, bakers and makers. Cupcake connoisseur Rachel Kramer Bussel, founding editor of popular cupcake blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake, is in Hawaii and wants to meet you. Join us for a night of cupcake eating, talk-story, trading and tasting as Rachel exposes us to the world of these bite, sized treats.

I'm very excited to be partnering with The Greenhouse Innovation Hub on this project, a coworking and event space. We at Cupcakes Take the Cake are big fans of coworking spaces and networking and community and I think this will be a very special event. (Big thanks to Aaron Landry for the connection too - if you're in Honolulu you should come to this and also come to Aaron's February 1st talk from 6-8 at the address above about Foursquare and "the Future of Geolocation.") Follow HIGreenHouse on Twitter for their latest news.

Valentine's Day cake pop class February 4th in Vista, California

2012-01-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

Get your tickets to this cake pop class here.

Valentine's Cake Pop Class
Saturday, February 4th, 11am-1pm
Price: $30 - supplies included
Location: Vista Palomar Park Shopping Center, 3225 Business Park Drive, Vista CA 92081 - where Carlsbad, Vista, and San Marcos meet
Learn how to make and decorate cake pops in time for Valentine's Day! In this hands-on class, you will create and decorate your own delicious Valentine cake pops.

Kids + Cupcakes: Flora's Birthday

2012-01-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

Celebrating Flora's birthday with cupcakes, of course. Adorable.

Charley.

And the birthday girl herself, Flora:

All images courtesy dmhergert.

Go on our Cupcake Cruise to Bermuda for free!

2012-01-23T14:08:00.000-05:00

Many of you have heard about our August 2012 cupcake cruise to Bermuda and thought, I'd totally go but I can't afford it. Well, good news: if you refer 15 people, you cruise for free! Details are below, and if you're interested, make sure to email info at cupcakecruise.com or call 800-828-4813 (Hartford Holidays, the travel agency we're working with) and tell them you're going to be referring people so they can put your name into the system. Make sure people give your name when they call to put down their room deposits.

Help Us Promote The First Ever "Cupcakes Take The Cake" Cruise and You Could Sail With Us For Free*!

We are very excited to host our first ever Cupcake Lovers Cruise, and we would like to give anyone willing and able to help us promote this cruise the opportunity to sail for FREE*

Simply agree to distribute flyers, e mails or any other information pertinent to the cruise to your customers, friends, family, neighbors and if a minimum of 15 cabins get booked through your efforts, you & a guest will cruise with us for free!

We will supply you with flyers for distribution as well as assist you with email or websites campaigns you may wish to create. We will keep track of those you refer and let you know when you have reached your 15 cabins! Many of our guests are hosting their own Cupcake Cruise Parties to promote their efforts. We will supply you with Cupcake Cruise Party invitations that you can send to friends, family & customers and if you are in the NY/NJ area we are happy to attend and help you! We will design special dollars off promotions for you to offer during your party!

* Port charges, government taxes and fee's and gratuities will be extra. For Bermuda itinerary typically $390 per person total

Confirmed events include:

Cute cupcake decorating class taught by New York Times bestselling cookbook authors Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
Perfecting your cupcake recipe class taught by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, owners of Baked and cookbook authors
Cupcake baking master class taught by Allison and Matt Robicelli of New York City bakery Robicelli'sCupcake business class on how to start your own custom cupcake company or bakery
Pantry tour with a Celebrity Cruises pastry chef
Cupcake beach party in Bermuda
Cupcakes and champagne cocktail party

Cupcake and wine pairing event February 2nd in Wilmington, North Carolina

2012-01-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

A cupcake and wine pairing! Via Facebook, takes place at The Frosted Glass, 29 South Front Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Coastal Cupcakes and The Fortunate Glass are teaming up once again for our delicious cupcake and wine pairing. The event will take place on Feb. 2 from 5:30-7pm. Featured pairings:

Moet & Chandon “Imperial”, Epernay, France &Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Cupcake with Cherry Buttercream FrostingSt. Andre Figuiere Magali Rose, Cotes de Provence, France &White Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcake with Cream Cheese IcingBacio Divino “Pazzo” Proprietary Blend, Napa Valley, California &Chocolate Cupcake with Blood Orange Infused Cream CheeseLayer Cake Primitivo, Puglia, Itlay &Chocolate Chipotle Cupcake with Chocolate, Raspberry FrostingOriginal Sin Hard Cider, New York, New York &Apple and Carmel Crumb Cupcake

The pairing is $25 per person and reservations are required due to limited seating. Please call 910-399-4292 to reserve your seat.

Penguin and sweet glitter love cake pops for Valentine's Day

2012-01-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

Penguin and love cupcakes by New York Cake Pops! All photos via their Facebook page. They can be reached at hello at nycakepops.com and you can find out more at nycakepops.com.

personalized birthday cake pop

Gung Hay Fat Choy Year of the Dragon cupcakes

2012-01-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

More Chinese New Year sweetness! Almond Cupcakes with Black Sesame Buttercream by New York's Man Bakes Cake, via their Facebook page. Contact martinez_rudy at msn.com for orders.

Wonderland Custom Cakes: A Review

2012-01-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of attending Wonderland Custom Cakes' Grand Opening in Old Town Pasadena. If you're a regular reader of CTTC you'll know I posted an interview with the owner, Anthony Valerio. Even under the stress of running his brand new shop Anthony and Vandy were kind enough to show me their kitchen! When I arrived at 11:00am they had already completely sold out of cupcakes! One of the employees let me know that they were baking more cupcakes at the moment and to come back in a few hours. I came back around 2:00 and they were still out! Fortunately, Anthony was kind enough to offer to send me cupcakes so I could still post this lovely review for you all!

Outside the Store Front

Anthony Valerio and his Aunt Vandy

Special Home Delivery!

Perfectly Packed!

Per Anthony's promise I came home late this week to a box of five perfectly packed cupcakes waiting for me! After carefully unwrapping and snapping shots of all of them I sat down with my family to begin the tasting!

Chocolate Bacon Caramel

Chocolate Bacon Caramel (Inside)

The first one we tried was the Chocolate Bacon Caramel cupcake. This cupcake is a "rich chocolate cake dipped in bacon-caramel and topped with a chocolate buttercream". I've had Maple Bacon cupcakes before but the combination of chocolate and bacon was completely new, and might I say, completely welcome! The cake itself was extremely moist and decadent. When they say rich they mean it. The frosting was fluffy and not overly sweet. The bacon and caramel flowed nicely together while the bacon also provided enough saltiness to balance out all the sweet factors of this cake.

Chai Latte

Chai Latte (Inside)

I'm obsessed with Chai Tea Lattes. Love them, can't get enough of them. This cupcake brings those flavors to life in a more satisfying way. Rather than only being able to drink chai I now have the option to eat it and savor an actual texture. The frosting was a spiced vanilla-orange buttercream topped with a star anise pod. This might have been my favorite of the bunch. I was hesitant about the orange mixing with the chai flavors I'm familiar with but they blended quite nicely together.

Royal Red Velvet

Royal Red Velvet (Inside)

With a name and look that's fit for a queen, this Royal Red Velvet is one of the best I've ever had. Red Velvets have become quite monotonous, in my opinion, in the cupcake world seeing as how there are little ways to redefine it from the standard Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting but this one actually does set itself apart from the rest. The cocoa was more prevalent here than in others I've tasted. The cream cheese frosting was extremely fluffy while the cream cheese wasn't overpowering. I love the texture that the red nonpareils added to the overall bite.

CinnaSwirl

CinnaSwirl (Inside)

Cinnamon buns. This is exactly what this cupcake emulates. A delicious, gooey, cinnalicious cinnamon bun. I barely got a bite of this treat because my little brothers devoured it in the blink of an eye. I wish there had been more of the cinnamon sugar swirl in the cake or at least maybe adding cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting. The ratio of cinnamon taste to frosting was delicious but I'm just someone who really enjoys cinnamon.

Biscotti

Biscotti (Inside)

This was the last cupcake I tasted. At first bite I couldn't place my finger on the flavor combo I was getting. I defnitely could taste some coffee in the frosting but the cake was confusing me because for some reason I kept tasting black licorice. At first I thought, "wow Ashley, you've had too many cupcakes and now you're on a sugar high losing your mind" but after some insightful googling I came to discover that anise tastes like black licorice. The Biscotti cupcake is described as being an "anise cake topped with coffee buttercream" so yay me for not going sugar crazy! I'm not a huge coffee fan so that's my main reasoning for this being my least favorite of the bunch but like all the other cupcakes in the box the cake was incredibly moist, creamy frosting, bursting flavors, which in turn results in yet another satisfying cupcake.

All in all, Wonderland Custom Cakes is a cupcakery that everyone needs to visit or order cupcakes from. These Cupcake War champions definitely earned their win. Anthony and his team aren't afraid to push the boundaries of conventional flavors and works hard to ensure that his cupcakes emulate what he bases them on.

If you're in the LA area head over to the new storefront to grab one of these sweet treats for yourself! If not, order online! Wonderland Custom Cakes ships!

Wonderland Custom Cakes
107 South Fair Oaks Avenue
Pasadena, CA
www.wonderlandcustomcakes.com

Today only: Green tea, Black Sesame, creme brulee and dark chocolate dulce Lunar New Year cupcakes by Robicelli's in Brooklyn

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

These Lunar New Year cupcakes are available today only at Robicelli's - see their Tumblr for the latest info about their flavors, locations, specials and events. They will also be joining us this August on our cruise to Bermuda and are always coming up with new cupcakes and ideas, and you can also keep up with them @robicellis on Twitter and Facebook. Need a custom order? Email info at robicellis.com or call them at 917-509-6048. They also have a special going on today with Urban Daddy!

Official description (via email): "In the foreground you have the special ones- Green Tea Mandarin (mandarin cake, matcha buttercream, honey glazed mandarin slice) and Black Sesame (Black sesame cake, vanilla buttercream, black and white sesame seeds). In the back are our Creme Brulee and Dark Chocolate Dulce cupcakes."

A little bonus because I was reminded last night at our cruise talk that one of the best things about the Robicellis as a couple, aside from their amazing cupcakes, is their sense of humor. They are just a lot of fun and hilarious and they work extremely hard but never take themselves too seriously. Their Tumblr has all sorts of fun stuff in it, and you can see their entire online holiday card here.

How to make dragon cupcake toppers and what it means to be born in the Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Blogger Bake Happy has a wonderful name because her blog makes me happy, and I imagine it does the same for lots of you too! So not only does she now tell you how to make dragon cupcake toppers, she looked up the year of the birth of her blog!

Visit Bake Happy to find out how to make these dragons, but to further entice you, here are the supplies you'll need (and no, I've never heard of a "Polvorpn Shaper" before either!):
Fondant in purple, orange, black and white
Fondant rolling pin
Medium sized oval fondant cutter
Polvorpn Shaper
Knife
Waste as glue/paste
Small brush for the water

Here's a little more info on the Year of the Dragon from About Sichuan China, which I find interesting, and I also like the fact that since it's the year of the dragon we can keep on posting dragon cupcakes for a good long while!

Therefore in Chinese astrology the dragon person born under this Chinese Zodiac sign tends to be a "doer" – they do things and achieve power by getting things done.

A dragon can breathe out fire so the person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be a hothead. Watch out if you make them angry!

However, the dragon has a soft underbelly and so in Chinese astrology the dragon person born in this Chinese Zodiac year has a "soft spot" to them. They may get angry at someone who annoys them but they also show great compassion to people in need.

A dragon has a long tongue which is often seen.

So in Chinese astrology the dragon person born in this Chinese Zodiac year has a sharp tongue – they will say things that can be quite sarcastic and biting.

The person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be quite a confronting person but if you can reach their "soft heart" they are worthwhile allies.

Year of the Dragon cupcake cake from new cookbook Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My!

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Celebrate Chinese New Year by making your own dragon cupcake cake! You can find out how to make this in the new cookbook Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, which will be out January 31st (so it won't exactly fall on Chinese New Year, which is today, January 23rd) and is full of some amazing cupcake creations. You'll have to get the book to find out exactly how to make this dragon, but I can tell you that some of the ingredients are an wafer cup ice cream cone for the head of the dragon, mini breakfast treat cookies, black licorice laces, Necco wafers, M&Ms and 19 cupcakes! Pretty impressive. I'm not sure if the eyes or the teeth are my favorite, though teeth on edible animals always wow me.

As you very likely know, they're also the authors of Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake?. The new book has lots of extremely fun treats that will wow you and would make any party attendee smile. And they tweeted from @whatsnewcupcake that soon there will be a Hello, Cupcake! app for your phone!

We'll be sharing more photos from the book and stay tuned next week for a contest to win a copy and I'll be catching up with them in Milwaukee February 12th at the last Iron Cupcake Milwaukee. Keep up with them at hellocupcakebook.com and you can learn from them in person on our Cupcake Cruise to Bermuda in August!

I love you cupcakes, love, mini pink heart sprinkles, cupcake cookie, and a glittery heart cake pop for Valentine's Day

2012-01-23T07:09:00.000-05:00

Lairy the Cupcake Fairy is a Kent, UK-based custom cupcake company. You can contact them at lairy at btinternet.com and find out more at their website, @Lairyfairycakes on Twitter as well as their Facebook page. Via Flickr and their website. They have Valentine's Day specials going on now and also sell a cupcake kit where you assemble the cupcakes yourself and a cupcake in a jar.

They also sell this adorable cupcake cookie, and it can be mailed.

And the cupcakes below aren't for Valentine's Day but they are from a wedding cupcake set and I felt compelled to share them - the white rose with glitter and the chocolate heart toppers are my favorites!

A giant New York Giants cupcake to celebrate them going to the Super Bowl

2012-01-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

Why not celebrate tonight's win by the New York Giants over the San Francisco 49ers with a cupcake? This giant Giants football cupcake cake is by Blue Sheep Bake Shop in Green Brook, New Jersey, and can be ordered by contacting them at contactus at bluesheepbakeshop.com or by calling 732-667-7557. They make cakes and cupcakes. Via Facebook.

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon! Chinese New Year cake pops

2012-01-22T20:52:00.001-05:00

We'll be posting more Chinese New Year cupcakes and cake pops, so send yours our way at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "CNY" in the subject line and images or links and your URL and let us know where to buy them if they're for sale! These are by Kiss and Bake Up in Exeter, Devon, UK, via Flickr. They can be reached at Exeter, Devon based rock and fun bakery. Bespoke cupcakes, cakes, cake pops, cake truffles, cookies, whoopie pies and other yummy stuff for any occasion! Custom orders welcome! Email kissandbakeup at yahoo.com for orders, and see more at kissandbakeup.net and on their Facebook page.

Official description: "Celebrating the year of the dragon for Chinese New Year on Monday, here's a scarlet dragon racing around jade clouds. White Chocolate Cake inside and modelled, piped carved and sculpted entirely from candy melts."

Chocolate frosting with glitter Halle Berry cupcake

2012-01-22T18:37:00.001-05:00

Chocolate frosting with glitter Halle Berry cupcake, a photo by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake on Flickr.

Delicious! Milk chocolate frosting on vanilla cake by Lux Sugar.

Free cupcakes right now at our cruise talk in NYC!

2012-01-22T18:04:00.001-05:00

Free cupcakes right now at our cruise talk in NYC!, a photo by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake on Flickr.

Get these free cupcakes by Lux Sugar while they last and learn about our cupcake cruise! 6-8 pm, Madame X, 94 W. Houston St., NYC.
lux-sugar.com and www.cupcakecruise.com for more information!

Cupcakes are Halle Berry, Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page! Vanilla cake with milk chocolate frosting, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.

Forever, text me and be mine Valentine's Day cupcakes in New York City

2012-01-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite New York custom dessert companies, who takes cupcake and cake art to a new level, is Man Bakes Cake. They're serving up these custom Valentine's Day cupcakes with special messages: "Forever" and "Text Me" and "Be Mine." Via their Facebook page. Contact them at martinez_rudy at msn.com (and, as always, if you heard about a bakery or custom cupcake company through Cupcakes Take the Cake, let them know!).

And while it doesn't technically have anything to do with Valentine's Day, I love s'mores cupcakes, so here's one of theirs!

Easel, painting, music, chocolate chip cookie cupcakes and more by Frosted Bliss

2012-01-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

These fun custom cupcakes are by Frosted Bliss in Raymore, Missouri, via their Facebook page. They can be reached at frostedbliss at ymail.com or 816-769-1633. Because they do custom desserts, you not only get to pick your design, but mix and match your cake and frosting flavors. Full cupcake menu is here. I like the build your own possibilities (I think I would do dark chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and caramel drizzle, maybe with toffee pieces!):

1. pick your cake : butter yellow, carrot, chocolate, cinnamon, dark chocolate, lemon, strawberry, vanilla, etc.

2. pick your frosting : banana, chocolate, champagne, cinnamon, cream cheese, maple, mocha, oreo, peanut butter, vanilla, etc.

3. accessorize it : caramel or chocolate drizzle, chopped pecans, colored sprinkles, colored sugars, graham cracker crumbs, semi-sweet or white chocolate chips, toffee pieces, shredded coconut, white or dark chocolate shavings, etc.

White Chocolate Raspberry: chocolate cake with a raspberry puree then topped with a white chocolate buttercream and garnished with raspberry puree and a fresh raspberry

French Toast: Light cinnamon cake topped with maple buttercream and garnished with a brown sugar glazed piece of applewood bacon

Valentine's Day cupcakes with edible heart ring chocolate toppers

2012-01-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

These cute Valentine's Day cupcakes have ring toppers on them! I love how cute they are and they're made from chocolate. What could be sweeter? Find out how to make them and see more photos at i am baker, who you can also find on Facebook.

New York Giants football playoff cupcakes

2012-01-22T13:32:00.001-05:00

Giants football cupcakes for the playoffs, by New York City bakery Buttercup Bake Shop, via @buttercupNY on Twitter. They're located at 972 2nd Avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets, and you can reach them at 212-350-4144 and find out more at buttercupbakeshop.com as well as on Facebook and Flickr.

Moving Day Cupcakes

2012-01-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

Via Clever Cupcakes Flickr

In honor of my upcoming moving day this week I found these adorable Moving Day cupcakes! These treats are topped with tools essential for ensuring a successful move, plus I thought they would be adorable for a housewarming or going away party!

Super Bowl chocolate cupcakes with football gingerbread cookies on top!

2012-01-22T12:30:00.001-05:00

Blogger Mini Baker is ready for the Super Bowl two weeks from today (February 5th) and has made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and football gingerbread cookie cupcake toppers! Visit her blog for the recipe, and here's her video and a photo of these celebratory sports cupcakes. Via The Cake Bar on Tumblr.

Cat + Cupcake: Grady!

2012-01-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Review to come (soon!), but here's an outtake shot of my cat Grady expressing interest in a delicious Georgetown Cupcake red velvet:

Hey Grady, you know what they say about curiosity and cats...

New York Cupcakes, Angry Birds, and Microsoft... OH MY!

2012-01-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

New York Cupcakes has been BUSY lately! If you've been following them on Facebook you would have seen their amazing display of cupcakes they put out at the Seattle Wedding Show... hundreds of beautifully sculpted cupcakes topped with fresh flowers! It was amazing!

But, I bet you didn't know that at the same time, they were preparing 2000 cupcakes for a special order from Microsoft. 4 beautifully decorated blue and white cupcakes for one of the biggest computer companies in the world!!

Oh... and the amazing baker at NYCC, Heather, created these super cute Angry Birds cupcakes this week too. Seriously, there is nothing this cupcake shop can't do!!

Make sure you go visit New York Cupcakes at their Seattle and Bellevue locations and tell them that BETSY sent you!!

Cupcake jello shots with cake vodka and whipped cream and sprinkles on top!

2012-01-21T23:32:00.002-05:00

This one's for the adults, but these cupcake shots look as adorable as any real cupcake. They're from the blog Sweet Tooth (go there for the recipe, which involves cream soda, cranberry juice cocktail and heavy cream, among other items), and were for a friend's birthday. She made them purple because that's the birthday girl's favorite color! Via Bit Rebels. We last featured Erica and Sweet Tooth with her teeth cupcakes. These were made using cake-flavored vodka from Pinnacle Vodka, but you could also use Cupcake Vodka for even more cupcake goodness. Maybe we can serve them on our cruise to Bermuda this summer, or at the very least, at a party. They just look so cute.

Erica's official description: "These adorable concoctions are jello shot 'cupcakes' with bases made out of cake-flavored vodka, cream soda, gelatin, and cranberry juice topped with fresh whipped cream and pretty sprinkles."

Video: How to make hidden heart cupcakes

2012-01-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

Another great how to cupcake baking video by Yoyomax12! The red heart inside a cupcake photo below is by Desert Living Today, where you can get the recipe Yoyomax 12 used.

Put an Owl on It

2012-01-21T18:27:00.000-05:00

Everybody loves owl cupcakes. Universal truth. And how sweet is this assortment for a child's birthday party?

I'm really digging the detail that went into these. As usual, excellent work by DixieBelleCupcakeCafe. Dixie Belle people -- I have been to Fredericksburg, Texas, before (on a Hill Country vacation) and if your cafe had been there I might not have left!

"The stars at night are big and bright (clap clap clap clap) deep in the heart of Texas!"

Love, heart, xoxo and flower Valentine's Day cupcakes by Phoenix company Whipple Scrumptious Cakes

2012-01-21T18:09:00.002-05:00

These lovestruck Valentine's Day cupcakes are by custom dessert company Whipple Scrumptious Cakes in Phoenix, Arizona, who can be reached at WhippleCakes at gmail.com or 480-586-4476 and also found on Facebook and @WSCakes on Twitter. All photos via their Flickr account.