Cupcake Confessionals 015

Doggies Want Cuppacakes Too!

Peanut butter, carob, flour, turkey, chicken gravy...mix it all up and you have a doggie cupcake! Just kidding, but these are some of the ingredients that go into making cupcakes for our little furry friends. They love them. Especially topped with peanut butter or yogurt. Once they lick away the yummy frosting they gobble down the cake. Believe it or not there are many doggie cupcake recipes out there for your dog. All of which are very safe for their delicate digestive tracts and great for their appetites. I know my little Missy would think she had died and gone to heaven if I actually whipped up some doggie pup-cakes for her one of these days! Like other dogs she is a sucker for peanut butter. I am researching the best ingredients to use even for dogs who only eat dog food (no scraps). I've noticed that when I feed my dog things meant for humans she can react by giving it back to me (haha), and other times it's fine. However, what are the long term effects of a dog consuming "human" foods. I think that the popular recipes use peanut butter or yogurt with a cake mix that includes doggie friendly ingredients that taste good to the little guys too! I know that this might be something that my Cuppacakes followers might be interested in, and think of how cute these pup-cakes could be decorated. Everyone knows a lil' pup they could indulge with the cute cakes. Got a doggie bday coming up or just want to get your dogs together for a little pup-party? Pup-cakes could be a total hit with your canine!

Check out these websites that specialize in cupcakes for dogs:
www.sprinklescupcakes.com/doggie
www.kooldogkafe.com
www.pawpalaceonline.com


Gimme feedback!







Aimee & Missy

Cupcake Confessional 014

Cupcake Mix in a Can

I read that Sprinkles Cupcakes has brought their cupcake to a "do-it-yourself" level with their mixes sold in Williams-Sonoma stores nationwide. They made the mixes for their followers to bake their wonderful treats themselves in their own kitchens but I had never seen them in stores. I was at the Galleria in Dallas and went into the Williams-Sonoma to look at state of the art kitchen accessories (as if I can afford them), and saw the Sprinkles mixes. Packaged in cute tall paper cans and the trendy Sprinkles logo they were definately a novelty item. With a price tag of $14 you get one of 3 flavors: Red Velvet, Dark Chocolate or Vanilla. Created by the celebrated Beverly Hills cupcake shop, the mixes bake up to 1 dozen scrumptious cupcakes per can. The ingredients, including rich Callebaut cocoa and Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, are of the highest quality. With the mix, you’ll receive the confectioners’ “dots” that are the visual signature of Sprinkles’ cupcakes, as well as a simple recipe for frosting.

15 oz. of fun. I definately think it's a good business move for them and I was tempted to buy it just to see what's inside. I was actually told to do the same thing with my Cuppacakes. Unfortunately, these things take financing. It can definately be added to my "to do" list.


Can you make your cupcake look just like Sprinkles?

Cupcake Confessional 013

V-day Success!

Well the Cuppacakes orders for Valentine's Day were a complete success! I had 9 1/2 dozen to bake last week for Tuesday and Wednesday deliveries. They varied from cuppacake singles, 1/2 dozen, and 1 dozen sizes. I was up until 2am on Tuesday night baking and decorating. I thought ahead on Monday night and baked extra so that I could freeze them for decorating on Tuesday. This saved me some time and stress. I think that making each batch different is a little bit of a hassle considering how many cupcakes I make. Only for V-day will I make each cupcake unique. I offered the mix and match flavor option with Red Velvet, Vanilla, and Chocolate cake but soon realized that this was more like a math equation when preparing all of the batters for baking. I believe in the future the rule will be 1 flavor per order. Unless it's a special request. For which, I will charge an extra fee. However, one of my customers told me that this is what adds appeal to my cupcakes. The fact that they are each individually designed. So, each dozen is completely random in style. I like the idea, but need to come up with an easier way to do this. Creativity bottled into 5 or 6 designs. Or maybe just flavor of cake and icing combinations. Instead of thinking up new ways to put icing and candies on cakes in the process of mixing, baking, decorating, and boxing. It could save me from going insane.

So overall the holiday was a bit stressful, but I loved taking and making the orders. It is an excellent way for me to express creativity and make a few $ on the side. I've made somewhat of a name for myself here at work. Also, I've given out 3 business cards per order. So, hopefully I can get plenty of exposure from that and word of mouth. A friend here at work is chummy with a local Irving florist and told me that she could speak with her regarding my little business and possibly arrange that my business cards be displayed in her flower shop. This way her clients are exposed to Cuppacakes as well. I'm not sure if I am equipped to handle selling to the general public seeing as how I'm not licensed and do not have a tax payers ID as of yet. These things will come. I am researching some business options for my next move. Which would be to have a space to cook and possible expand my website. Stay tuned for more cuppacakes talk. Also, if you have any advice or suggestions leave comments here on this blog or send me an email.







Entrepreneurially Yours,

A

Cupcake Confessional 012

Be My Cupcake.

The Cuppacakes by Aimee biz is taking off. At least for the first few weeks I've been in business. Valentine's Day is going to be a big cupcake day that's for sure! I have 5 orders on 2/14 alone, and 8 orders since I started up in January. That's an order and a half each week! It's really fun and exciting for me and there is more to come. I think I'm going to start up a Mardi Gras/St. Patrick's Day/Easter promo next. Or maybe a birthday's only promo. Pictures seem to really show off the cuppacakes I make. Friends, family, and people at work have been so supportive, and when they see me with a box of cupcakes they go crazy for them. Especially people in the elevators in my building, who don't even know me. They start begging me for the cupcakes I'm carrying. It's reassuring to see that I am doing something that can make people smile and get giddy over something as simple and small as a cupcake. It's awesome and makes me smile too. Hopefully I can build from this point and keep livin' my cupcake dream for a while!

Here is the promo for the Valentine's Special I'm running. As if you already haven't seen it. (ha) Go to Our MySpace or website to view the special.

If you wanna place an order just shoot me an email: cuppacakesbyaimee@yahoo.com

Just remember to get your order in by 2/11/07 if you want them on or before Valentine's Day! I will be offering the Valentine's Cuppacakes throughout the Month of February so you can still get them even after the Day of Love has come and gone!

i heart u,

A

Cupcake Confessional 011

There's No Bluffing....You'll want to double down on these cupcakes!
I got a birthday order for cuppacakes this week, and they turned out so cute! The theme of the birthday party was a Texas Hold 'em party. So, the customer wanted something poker-like. I had no simple ideas at first, more like complex drawings of detailed playing cards in icing, and going store to store finding decorations that fit the cards theme.

I had no luck until I just simplified it to just suit symbols and sprinkles. I found these Bicycle brand poker chips at the grocery store and thought to use those as toppers to add some variety between my first try at drawing clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds in icing. I was a little nervous about how I would do, but to my suprise...I lucked out and did not mess them up! They were chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream icing.

Here is what they looked like:



Happy Birthday to this Lucky Person! Hope you enjoy these!

A

Cupcake Confessional 010

Happy Groundhog Day! 2/2/07


Today the infamous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow on Friday, which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter. Since 1886, Phil has seen his shadow 96 times, hasn't seen it 15 times and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The last time Phil failed to see his shadow was in 1999. Each Feb. 2, thousands of people descend on Punxsutawney, a town of 6,100 people about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate what had essentially been a German superstition. More than 15,000 revelers milled about in a misty snow waiting for the prediction, as fireworks exploded overhead and the "Pennsylvania Polka" and other music blared in the background. So, according to the lack of shadow we're going to see spring a lot sooner than we thought. I love spring but I'll be sad to see the unexpected days of pretty snow, like yesterday.

Thank you Phil! Kisses from us all!

This week I had a Cuppacakes order from one of my coworkers and she gave me a photo she found of a cupcake decorated with a candy groundhog on top. So, I made a dozen for everyone here in our work area.

Here is what they turned out looking like:



These were chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing. The cute little groundhogs were made with almond joy candy for their bodies, m&m's for ears, sour patch kids cut for noses, sprinkles for eyes, and the rest is vanilla and chocolate icing for the white of the eyes, cheeks, and teeth. I used a little chocolate icing as glue to keep the m&m ears on. Everyone loved them. It was almost sad eating the little guys, but they sure were delicious!

If you have any holiday ideas for cupcakes send them my way...I'm sure I can pull off anything....I love getting creative!

Craving Groundhogs,
A

Cupcake Confessional 009

Cuppacakes by Aimee is Here!

Well I finally jumped in and started up the cupcake biz. I'm calling it Cuppacakes by Aimee. I've already completed 2 orders, and have 4 more in the next week or so. They are all coworkers at Idearc so far except for one, but I hope that all of this will lead to word of mouth about Cuppacakes! I ordered some business cards and include a few in each cupcake box for exposure. Also, I created another blogspot for the biz. You can visit it at: www.cuppacakesbyaimee.blogspot.com. I'm currently running a Valentine's special called Be My Cupcake. Check it out!



Email us if you would like to place your order: cuppacakesbyaimee@yahoo.com

Cupcake Confessional 008

Pop Rocks Cupcakes Rock!

As I mentioned in Confessional 005 the Pop Rocks candy cupcakes recipe was the selling point of the 500 Cupcakes book I bought a few weeks ago. I tried the recipe out yesterday. I actually added too much sugar to it because I read the damned recipe wrong. Whoops! So I adjusted it a little by adding a little more butter and flour and 1 egg. They actually baked over the cupcake pan due to the extra butter and egg I think, but before I iced them I just trimmed off the tops to make them not so ugly. I was a little nervous as to how these super sweet cupcakes would taste, but once I took a bite I knew my screw up was a good one. The cake was fabulous. I made vanilla cream cheese icing that turned out nice, but I ran out half way through my batch so I had to whip up some vanilla butter cream icing to top the rest. I actually got to use my cupcake carrier to take them to work. I love it. So many people want one now. Ha. I think they had never seen one before. Makes you look like you're a serious baker lady or you have a serious problem with cupcake addiction. Either way they loved the cupcakes. I could only find 2 packages of Pop Rocks candy. I went to 3 stores to find the suckers. Its funny how when you want something like that they're never around, but when you don't need them there is an abundance of Pop Rocks flooding the damned stores. Frustrating. I sprinkled on the pop rocks last night thinking I'd go ahead and decorate them, but I noticed that the candy started popping the minute it hit the icing. So for the rest I just waited until I got to work to add them. Overnight the candy kind of disintegrated on the icing. These were Watermelon pop rocks and they were a hit on top of these vanilla cupcakes. Try it as a topping, you will have a lot more fun licking the icing of your cupcake!

Toodles.
A

Cupcake Confessional 007

Sprinkles Cupcakes Coming to Dallas!

Already based out of LA, Sprinkles Cupcakes' posh Beverly Hills and Newport Beach locations have had some big exposure in the media since their openings in 2005 and 2006. Mentioned on shows such as Oprah, The Tyra Banks Show, and Entertainment Tonight to name a few, this cupcakes only shop is taking cupcake loving cities by storm. It just goes to show, it truly is all about location, location, location. Sprinkles claims that they had no advertising at all within their first year of opening. Word of mouth has been their only form of pull for new customers. That is amazing. Especially when the word of mouth is mainly celebrity and the hard to impress upper class who reside in and around the Rodeo Drive area. No wonder they were on Oprah. That kind of exposure is priceless. Now Sprinkles will be opening up 2 new locations this year in Dallas and Phoenix-Scotsdale areas. Cupcakes from Sprinkles are going worldwide. Shortly after 15 more major city locations, one will actually be based in Tokyo, Japan! I believe that the Dallas location will be located within Preston Center at University Park (Northwest Hwy & Preston Rd.) and should be opening up by March 2007. So get ready for Sprinkles! It will be my first experience with one of their cupcakes, I am excited to see what everyone is talking about! :P



I must say when I heard they were coming to Dallas I was a little put off since my little pipe dream of cupcake catering is still in the works. Sprinkles has made a huge name for themselves and after a while they will have a lot of exposure in Dallas with their swanky store front and stylish appeal. But hey, the little ma and pop bakeries still have the one up on pricing. Maybe it's just L.A. pricing but on their web page they list $3.25 per cupcake and $36.00 for one dozen. Yes they are made from all of the best ingredients and some of those ingredients are from France (rolling eyes). I think that this may be a little over the top but it does make you justify spending that much on a cupcake knowing that the ingredients had to fly all the way from France (not really). I did a little research in the D/FW area on what average bakeries charge for single cupcakes. It seems to run anywhere from $1.75-$2.75 for one of the sweet treats. Sprinkles may adjust for the local economy of cupcakes in Dallas, but who knows. Still, I felt like my dream was squashed for exactly 5 minutes and then I moved on. I do keep up the idea of starting this business and hopefully possess enough drive to do something about it. Support is always needed. So cheerers-on please submit as many kudos as possible whenever possible. All forms of support are welcome in the form of blog comments, emails, spreading of the word, small $ donations, heck prayers even. I'll take everything I can get to keep my dream alive.


Hopeful and Baking,

A

Cupcake Confessional 006

Hummingbird Cupcake Blog Updated Below

Hey guys! I put the Hummingbird Cupcake recipe down below look for the cute hummingbird. Check it out.




Enjoy.

A