Beach Cupcakes

Lemon Cupckaes, Raspberry Filling
topped with lemon buttercream frosting

Today is my boyfriend’s mother’s birthday.  Now anyone who has met Chris’ mom; Marlene will know these two facts:

• Fact 1: She is obsessed with Florida and her brand new Cape Coral Condo
• Fact 2: she is obsessed with shoes, especially flip-flops.

Half water- Half beach Cupcake

In honor of her birthday and the above two facts, I made these beach cupcakes. They were so much fun to make and decorate. Special thanks to Katrina for helping me put these together.

Ocean Cupcake with teddy graham swimming
and shark gummie

Instructions:

Step 1: Bake and frost cupcakes, we used a lemon buttercream but any light or white frosting would work fine

Step 2: Divvy out cupcakes in sections for each area of the beach. Katrina and I decided to make 5 fully sand, 4 half sand and 3 completely water.

Step 3: Cover a plate with graham cracker crumbs and gently dip the top of the cupcake until its appropriately covered. Repeat as necessary until each cupcake is covered with sand (or half covered)

Step 4: Add some blue food coloring to the remaining icing. Cover the remaining cupcakes with blue frosting using a meringue method to add peaks and waves.

Step 5: Add beach umbrellas, teddy grahams, candies and fondant flip-flops to create a beach scene.

Fondant flip-flops

I used this “How to” link from Sweet Creations for my flip-flops

http://www.sweetcreationsbystephanie.com/2010/06/fondant-flip-flop-tutorial.html

Chai Latte Cupcakes

Chai cupcakes, Vanilla Buttercream,
topped with spices and a cinamamin stick

My friend Katrina and I made these cupcakes for her mother’s birthday a few weeks ago.  Full of a variety of spices and steeped black tea, these cupcakes taste just like a chai latte from your local coffeehouse. These would be perfect for a coffee date with your girlfriends. 

Cats & Kittens

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with
Peanut Butter Buttercream Filling and Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

A friend of mine is soon-to-be married. In celebration of her very last days as a single woman we hosted a “cats & kittens” bachelorette.  The ultimate girls-night-in: animal print, pedicures, saunas, fancy cocktails and romantic comedies.

This friend is absolutely obsessed with cats; skinny cats, fat cats, orange cats and black cats….  If it wasn’t for her awesome husband-to-be, she would probably have many more than her current three.

In honor for my dear friend Lorena; kitty-cat cupcakes. 

Kitty-Cat Decorating Instructions:

1. Make ears out of fondant by molding into triangles, attach to cupcakes using icing
2. Pipe two round balls of pb buttercream in the middle for the cheeks
3. Add black licorish wiskers,  followed by a jellybelly nose
4. Finish with gumdrop eyeballs

Black Forest Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake, Cherry filling, Vanilla Buttercream Icing

The other day a coworker of mine did something nice for me. I wanted to do something as a thank you in return. But what? After much deliberation and careful consideration I have decided that cupcakes are the perfect thank you present.

I mean honestly, who doesn’t love a cupcake or two as a quick little thank you?

I have definitely attempted black forest cupcakes in the past unsuccessfully.  They were dry and muffin like with a gooey jello-like filling, gross.   After making a few alterations to the recipe, these little guys turned out awesome.

Cherry filling:

Ingredients:

•        1.5 to 2 cups of fresh cherries pitted and diced
•        2 tbsp sugar
•        ¼ of water
•       1 to 2 tbs tapioca flour (mixed with some of the water before adding)

Instructions:

1.  Heat cherries sugar and most of the water on medium heat until saucy and soft
2. Add tapioca stirring continuously until thicken, let cool and side aside to fill cupcakes. 

Summer Cupcakes

Creamsicle & Strawberry Shortcake cupcakes

I wanted to make some cupcakes that reminded me of summer days, hanging out and relaxing with my childhood friends.

vanilla orange cupcake, orange pudding filling, 

orange buttercream topped with a candied orange slice

My best friend's grandma used to always have a box of creamsicles in her freezer that she would hand out on the hottest days of summer.  In memory of the days of playing sharky in her pool and eating popsicles on her back step.  The creamsicle cupcake.

Vanilla cupcake, strawberry purree filling
Strawberry butercream icing & sliced strawberries on top

Summer isn’t complete without strawberries. As a child my parents used to take us to the berry patch to pick bushels and bushels of berries to make jam out of. Often I would sit there and eat more than I put in the baskets.  Behold; the strawberry shortcake cupcake

Cookies N ' Cream

Chocolate cupcake, Vanilla Buttercream with Oreo crumbs, 

topped with an Oreo cookie

Last week in an attempt to bribe my team into working some extra overtime, 

I created a little event now known as the ‘Cupcake Incentive’.  The cupcake

 incentive was simple, work overtime and receive a cupcake…

These Cookies n’ cream cupcakes are the first of four flavors baked for the 

event and probably the most popular. Stay turned for the remaining 

cupcake incentive flavors: Banana split, strawberry shortcake and creamsicle.

The event was a huge success and all 48 cupcakes found themselves, devoured.

 So I leave you with one question….What would you do for a cupcake?

Vintage Inspired Aprons

Designed and sewn by Sassy Apron
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sassyapron

I just think these are the most amazing fabulous handcrafted aprons I have 
ever seen in my entire life. Polka dots, cupcakes, 50's style! Sigh... 
These are a cupcake makers dream. 

After Eight Cupcakes

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes 

Mint Buttercream Icing 

with Mini Chocolate Chips and Mint Candies

A coworker of mine is obsessed with all things chocolate & mint. Recently,
this coworker celebrated his 26th birthday. As a special "working on your
birthday" birthday surprise I made these chocolate mint cupcakes. They
turned out amazing, moist chocolaty deliciousness with just a hint of mint.
These are definitely a new favorite of mine.