Monday, July 30, 2012

Bon Voyage!

Hi! I just helped make this Bon Voyage Cake for my friends who are traveling to France.


I started with the frosting
Then the cake cooled


I spread strawberry jam
for the filling

I then placed the second
 layer on top of the filling

I began to spread the
chocolate frosting

I spread the frosting
all around

I took green icing
 and started decorating

I lettered with more icing

I added just a little
 more decoration
Bon Voyage!

Cakes are almost as fun as cupcakes,                                                                                  
 ~Cupcake Girl~

News from the Cupcake Philosopher #4

Happy Mid-Summer,
~Cupcake Philosopher~



Thursday, July 12, 2012

Uniformity

Don't these cupcakes look delicious? 
As you can see, each cupcake looks just like all the others.
Uniformity is also a very important part of decorating cupcakes.
If you are going to display your cupcakes all together,
you want to be looking at a whole plate of creamy cupcakes,
and not twenty-four similar cupcakes.
If each cupcake is just slightly different,
it can make your cupcakes looks super messy.
With globs of frosting here,
and too many chocolate chips over there.
It all starts too look like a sugary mistake.

So be sure to practice your technique,
and all your cupcakes will begin to look
more like each other.
More like jewels in a sea.
Each shinning out,
but each complementing another.

Remember to have fun,
~Cupcake Girl~


News from the Cupcake Philosopher #3

Cupcakes are happiness :)
Put a smile on your face,
~Cupcake Philosopher~

I NEED THESE SHOES!

I am SO in love with these shoes!
They are totally amazing!
Happy Thursday,
~Cupcake Girl~


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

A Small Sweet Masterpiece

These cupcakes are absolutely beautiful! 
As you can see they are decorated with simple in mind instead of the cupcakes trying to be gooped up with candy trying to look like a chinese food dish or a high heel. Now both of these styles of decorating are really fun and both look great! Just remember that depending on the occasion, sometimes it's better to stay simple. You should also try both kinds of decorating, some people are born to make little caramel squares into fortune cookies, and some are born to frost with style. I enjoy both, but be careful you don't want your cupcakes to be totally over the top with sugar and candy (who wants to eat a whole Halloween in one cupcake) but you also want to have your cupcake look pleasing.





Good luck fining a balance,
                        ~Cupcake Girl~

News from the Cupcake Philosopher #2

Hi Everyone!
Since it's summer, sit yourself down on a nice lawn chair outside. Now begin to sip your cool glass of lemonade. As your fingers touch the frosty glass, the cup is misty with ice keeping its contents cool and  melting slowly away. The hot summer day lacks a constant breeze, but when it does come, paradise is made. The little blue and white china plate is only there to set your lemon cupcake down. A sip. A bite. Paradise. 

The vision of, 
             ~ The Cupcake Philosopher~

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

News from the Cupcake Philosopher #1

If everyone did live one cupcake at a time imagine how much better the world would be! :)
                        First quote from,
                                           ~The Cupcake Philosopher~

They are taking over!

The world has officially gone crazy over cupcakes!
Just look at some of these crazy inventions that have been made because of cupcakes!!!
Forget a wedding dress

No need for flowers- Let alone a bouquet




Does that count as a cake?
"Hey honey make sure the
wedding cupcake is perfect."
"Mommy I did my hair all by myself."
 Trick or Sweet!





Don't worry Cupcakes come in peace,
                                                                 ~Cupcake Alien~

How art thou frosting?

This is one of my favorite frosting recipes! When the frosting is done it makes a smooth creamy finish to your cupcakes! Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (This will vary depending if you are a sugar freak, and how much sugar you put in the cupcake)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Once you have got the basics of this recipe down it's time for experimenting!
Here are some ingredients you could try to throw in:

~Maple Syrup (A Maple Mystery Masterpiece)
~Cocoa Powder (This is for a quick and easy chocolate frosting)
~Andes Mints (Yum! Minty Madness!)
~Peanut Butter Cups (You can mush, smush do whatever you want to this Perfectly Perfect Peanut butter frosting)

These are only a few of the many different kinds of crazy cream cheese creations you could easily make! I do suggest that you really back off on the confectioner sugar if you are going to add something sweet to your frosting.

                                        Have Fun Fantastically Frosting,
                                                                                               ~Sunny~


A Poem


Sweet Cupcakes

A frosted cupcake, has sprinkles flowing
Down it like a cool lake, I visualize
I’m in a lake of buttercream rowing
Wrappers crinkling are swimmers synchronized.
Decorations spring up from the moist cake;
Each and every color blends together;
Creating a nice masterpiece. I make
The storm come. I Conjure all the weather
As tiny rainbows fall from my closed fist
A perfectly white dollop of a cloud
Is stained, like an unfinished tie-dye; why
Does each color stand out in contrast? Loud
And proud emphasizing the super sweet,
Super special all-time sugary treat.

This is a poem I wrote a few months ago for a poetry assignment at school. It is in the form of a Shakespearean Sonnet all about, you guessed it, cupcakes.

Hope you're having a fun summer,
~Writer Girl~

Decorating! (What Else!!!)

Hi again!
If you have ever baked anything, you will probably know that half the fun is decorating! Cupcakes in general need at least a dollop of frosting to dress-up the cake. To get started you should know that there are many different degrees of decorating, depending how much time and energy you are willing to spend on a simple (or what used to be simple) batch of cupcakes. If you are thinking of getting into baking, or you just want to look at a million pages of cute cupcakes I recommend these three amazing books. These books are by Karen Tack and Alan Richard they are definitely two of my baking/decorating heroes. I have actually made a few of the cupcakes from every book! They take time and you have to be patient until you get the hang of each task. These books are one of the reasons I love to bake now! No matter who you are you will find a page that makes you crack smile. Then before you know it you will be wearing an apron mixing a batch of cupcakes like an expert!

See you Decorating,
                                           ~Cupcake Girl~

Monday, July 9, 2012

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Are you are looking for a really delicious summer treat? 
Here is a great recipe that I make all the time!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar (I also use apple cider vinegar. I would play around and see what you like)
  • 1 cup water (I actually use coffee, and it gives the cupcake an amazing flavor) 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.


P.S. My all-time favorite frosting recipe coming soon! 
                                      
                                          Happy Baking,
                                                            ~Sunny~