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
Monday, January 22, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
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
Hey guys! I put the Hummingbird Cupcake recipe down below look for the cute hummingbird. Check it out.
Enjoy.
A
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Cupcake Confessional 005
Hummingbird Cakes
I recently got a cupcake cook book to toy with from time to time.
It's called 500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You'll Ever Need by Fergal Connolly.
It's loaded with recipes for simple flavors, gourmet creations, and even muffin recipes for breakfast and dinner. It seemed like a fun book to put in the kitchen and it had a few cool ideas I wanted to try. Like fun flavored cupcakes with pop rocks candy mixed in the icing! I thought that was awesome to put in icing~Selling point on the book for me...sad but true. Everyone remembers pop rocks from childhood. That hard rock candy that's crushed in that little flavor pouch. They come in strawberry, grape and watermelon. When you put them in your mouth they pop and fizz. Coolest candy ever, except for Fun Dip and pixie stix of course.

I was browsing around Martha Stewart.com a few weeks ago because I'm a big loser and this is sometimes what I do with my spare time. I noticed a video with Martha and my favorite Food Network cook Paula Deen. "And listen to this Ya'll!..." (that was meant to read in a Paula Deen accent), The video was about Hummingbird Cake mainly an instructional video on how to stack cake layers using wooden dowels. After watching this video the recipe sounded so good to me I wanted to try making it myself. I went out and bought all the ingredients but then I got sick last weekend and I ended up spending a day or two trying not to think of food all together!


I made the hummingbird cupcakes and after they were done I took that big happy bite. After cooking for like 45 minutes you tend to put all of this faith in what you're making, I mean you know its going to taste great...you just know it. Unfortunately for me and my sad messy kitchen the Hummingbird Cake did not turn out to be one of my favorites. It was my first time ever tasting this flavor of cake so I can't really judge it but on my score card they ranked 4 out of 10. Ten being the highest and best ranking. They reminded me of carrot cake but with a little bit more texture. With adding banana, orange zest, shredded carrot, shredded coconut, and crushed pineapple to the batter the cake is filled with fruity goodness. All of that does give the cake huge flavor and it is really yummy. I guess it is not your traditional light and fluffy cupcake. Its chunky and hearty and a bit stringy with the coconut. I kept thinking it would be great with tea or some Starbucks like a coffee cake. The icing was the part I loved the most. It was an orange marmalade butter cream. So great. It made the flavor pop. I will definitely pair up the marmalade icing recipe with a different cake flavor. Maybe use it as a filling actually with vanilla cake and vanilla icing. Bam! The Creamcicle Cupcake has been born! Think about it! eh.
I'll post the hummingbird cake recipe on here soon so you might try it! Beware it is just like carrot cake, so you better damned well love carrot cake or you're gonna hate this recipe. Just making sure you know that so we don't have any unnecessary upsets.
Recipe from 500 Cupcakes Book:
Hummingbird Cupcakes with Marmalade Frosting
The hummingbird cake is a classic recipe from the American South.
For the Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil (I used Vegetable Oil)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (2 medium) mashed bananas
1 1/2 tbsp. grated orange zest
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup (1 oz.) flaked coconut
For the Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp. orange marmalade
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 baking cups in a muffin pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl cream the sugar and oil with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs slowly, then stir in the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir until combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool on a rack. To make the frosting, beat the butter in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Smear the frosting onto the cupcakes. Store unfrosted in an air tight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Enjoy.
Tell me your favorite ideas with candy and cupcakes by commenting on this blog or click here to send me an email.
A
It's called 500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You'll Ever Need by Fergal Connolly.
It's loaded with recipes for simple flavors, gourmet creations, and even muffin recipes for breakfast and dinner. It seemed like a fun book to put in the kitchen and it had a few cool ideas I wanted to try. Like fun flavored cupcakes with pop rocks candy mixed in the icing! I thought that was awesome to put in icing~Selling point on the book for me...sad but true. Everyone remembers pop rocks from childhood. That hard rock candy that's crushed in that little flavor pouch. They come in strawberry, grape and watermelon. When you put them in your mouth they pop and fizz. Coolest candy ever, except for Fun Dip and pixie stix of course.
I was browsing around Martha Stewart.com a few weeks ago because I'm a big loser and this is sometimes what I do with my spare time. I noticed a video with Martha and my favorite Food Network cook Paula Deen. "And listen to this Ya'll!..." (that was meant to read in a Paula Deen accent), The video was about Hummingbird Cake mainly an instructional video on how to stack cake layers using wooden dowels. After watching this video the recipe sounded so good to me I wanted to try making it myself. I went out and bought all the ingredients but then I got sick last weekend and I ended up spending a day or two trying not to think of food all together!
I made the hummingbird cupcakes and after they were done I took that big happy bite. After cooking for like 45 minutes you tend to put all of this faith in what you're making, I mean you know its going to taste great...you just know it. Unfortunately for me and my sad messy kitchen the Hummingbird Cake did not turn out to be one of my favorites. It was my first time ever tasting this flavor of cake so I can't really judge it but on my score card they ranked 4 out of 10. Ten being the highest and best ranking. They reminded me of carrot cake but with a little bit more texture. With adding banana, orange zest, shredded carrot, shredded coconut, and crushed pineapple to the batter the cake is filled with fruity goodness. All of that does give the cake huge flavor and it is really yummy. I guess it is not your traditional light and fluffy cupcake. Its chunky and hearty and a bit stringy with the coconut. I kept thinking it would be great with tea or some Starbucks like a coffee cake. The icing was the part I loved the most. It was an orange marmalade butter cream. So great. It made the flavor pop. I will definitely pair up the marmalade icing recipe with a different cake flavor. Maybe use it as a filling actually with vanilla cake and vanilla icing. Bam! The Creamcicle Cupcake has been born! Think about it! eh.
Recipe from 500 Cupcakes Book:
Hummingbird Cupcakes with Marmalade Frosting
The hummingbird cake is a classic recipe from the American South.
For the Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil (I used Vegetable Oil)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (2 medium) mashed bananas
1 1/2 tbsp. grated orange zest
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup (1 oz.) flaked coconut
For the Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp. orange marmalade
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 baking cups in a muffin pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl cream the sugar and oil with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs slowly, then stir in the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir until combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool on a rack. To make the frosting, beat the butter in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Smear the frosting onto the cupcakes. Store unfrosted in an air tight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Enjoy.
Tell me your favorite ideas with candy and cupcakes by commenting on this blog or click here to send me an email.
A
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Cupcake Confessional 004
"I LIKE YOU" Hospitality Under the Influence
by Amy Sedaris

Amy Sedaris is simply hilarious with her new smart hospitality book: "I Like You", Hospitality Under the Influence. With detailed tips, recipes, menus, and collective tid bit humor you will feel confident to throw your own soiree, and successfully. "It's saying "Hello, I like you", when you're inviting someone into your home without having to hear yourself say it out loud" says Amy about throwing parties. It is filled with tips for entertaining with your style with her help.
One chapter on Gift Giving includes suggestions on what gifts are appropriate for: a single man, a divorced man who works in an office, a preteen girl, a high school graduation, a college graduation, a priest, a nun, a single girl in her mid-forties living alone, for early menopause (and many more). Also, what gifts NOT to give.
Her recipes range from appetizers to desserts to full entrees. I would like to share her Vanilla Cupcakes recipe with you given that this is a blog about cupcakes so try it and see if you like it. Take pictures by all means let me know how much you love them.
[recipe quoted straight from the book]
Tattletail's Vanilla Cupcakes
Turn oven on to 375 degrees F.
You will need:
Unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, flour, milk
Put 1 1/2 sticks of butter in mixer and beat at medium speed until somewhat smooth. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of sugar and beat well. Add 2 eggs. I like to crack the eggs on the side of the bowl while it is moving, which can be really stupid. I like to take chances. Yes, I have had to throw away my batter because I lost eggshells in the mix. Yes, it was a waste of food and yes, I know how expensive butter is, but what can I say? I'm a daredevil. Mix well. Add: 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla, 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 1/2 cups of flour, and 1 1/4 cups of milk. Beat until it looks like it is supposed to and pour into individual baking cups, until they are about 2/3rds full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Should produce 24 cupcakes; I get 18 because I'm doing something wrong, although my cupcakes were voted 2nd best in the city by New York Magazine.
Tattletail's Vanilla Butter cream Frosting
In a bowl combine: one box of confectioners' sugar, one stick of unsalted butter, one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of milk or light cream and beat for a while. Really whip it, don't be afraid to get in there. I occasionally add food coloring and sometimes substitute pure almond extract for vanilla.
If you do choose to add pure almond extract instead of vanilla, you're on your own. I don't know the measurement for it, but I do know it's less than the amount of vanilla you would add.
Enjoy.

I LIKE YOU!
A
by Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris is simply hilarious with her new smart hospitality book: "I Like You", Hospitality Under the Influence. With detailed tips, recipes, menus, and collective tid bit humor you will feel confident to throw your own soiree, and successfully. "It's saying "Hello, I like you", when you're inviting someone into your home without having to hear yourself say it out loud" says Amy about throwing parties. It is filled with tips for entertaining with your style with her help.
One chapter on Gift Giving includes suggestions on what gifts are appropriate for: a single man, a divorced man who works in an office, a preteen girl, a high school graduation, a college graduation, a priest, a nun, a single girl in her mid-forties living alone, for early menopause (and many more). Also, what gifts NOT to give.
Her recipes range from appetizers to desserts to full entrees. I would like to share her Vanilla Cupcakes recipe with you given that this is a blog about cupcakes so try it and see if you like it. Take pictures by all means let me know how much you love them.
[recipe quoted straight from the book]
Tattletail's Vanilla Cupcakes
Turn oven on to 375 degrees F.
You will need:
Unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, flour, milk
Put 1 1/2 sticks of butter in mixer and beat at medium speed until somewhat smooth. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of sugar and beat well. Add 2 eggs. I like to crack the eggs on the side of the bowl while it is moving, which can be really stupid. I like to take chances. Yes, I have had to throw away my batter because I lost eggshells in the mix. Yes, it was a waste of food and yes, I know how expensive butter is, but what can I say? I'm a daredevil. Mix well. Add: 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla, 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 1/2 cups of flour, and 1 1/4 cups of milk. Beat until it looks like it is supposed to and pour into individual baking cups, until they are about 2/3rds full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Should produce 24 cupcakes; I get 18 because I'm doing something wrong, although my cupcakes were voted 2nd best in the city by New York Magazine.
Tattletail's Vanilla Butter cream Frosting
In a bowl combine: one box of confectioners' sugar, one stick of unsalted butter, one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of milk or light cream and beat for a while. Really whip it, don't be afraid to get in there. I occasionally add food coloring and sometimes substitute pure almond extract for vanilla.
If you do choose to add pure almond extract instead of vanilla, you're on your own. I don't know the measurement for it, but I do know it's less than the amount of vanilla you would add.
Enjoy.
I LIKE YOU!
A
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Cupcake Confessional 003
Cute Stuff for Cupcakes!
Well everytime I'm out shopping I always have my eyes peeled for things that relate to cupcakes. I went to World Market last weekend looking for candle holders and interesting candy and found nothing too impressive in my trip. Did find a lot of useless bobbles and knick-knacks to clutter my apartment but I refrained from spending $29.99 + tax on a scale miniature metal bicycle complete with a wire basket and rubber tires to put on these already packed plant shelves I have in my dining room. Good thinkin, because I had 4 more shops to browse while I vibrated on my Starbucks caffiene high. After World Market I found this cute cupcake spatula at Crate&Barrel and had to have it! Normally I would be turned off by the extreme pricing of kitchen utensils sold at C&B but they got me with this one. Oh and they almost had me sold on a wine cork pull but that thing was like $50. They are quite proud of their "quality" products.

I haven't baked with it yet but I love it already. haha. Just wanted you to see how happy I get over stupid little objects like this. I'm not sure if it was the coffee or the cute find but either way it made me giddy in the store so I bought it immediately. Another thing I am horrible at is shopping online. Now most of us can honestly admit to doing this during work hours. What? Of course I'm on a break. Anyways I was checking out some random website or blog (I can't remember where I was) and saw a reference to a cupcake carrier or holder that you can use to store cupcakes that has a nice little locking device and carrying handle. So I added it to my list of "Things to Google Today" and found this. [And yes, I do have a list of things to google today~I am a freak. But when the shit goes down I will know the answers to life's most ridiculous mysteries by my habitual Googling]. I didn't think to research the product I just bought it right then. Simply because I am just retarded and I had never seen it before, so no other cupcake carrier must exist if I haven't seen it, right? Eeeeeeeeeh! XXXWrongXXX! After I paid for this bad boy, days later I found one on the Crate&Barrel website for $19.99. Needless to say I paid more than $19.99. The only way I can justify my purchase is that mine will hold 36 cupcakes and the cheaper will only hold 24! ha


If you would like to check out the website for this item click here.
Until next time,
Stay sweet.
A
Well everytime I'm out shopping I always have my eyes peeled for things that relate to cupcakes. I went to World Market last weekend looking for candle holders and interesting candy and found nothing too impressive in my trip. Did find a lot of useless bobbles and knick-knacks to clutter my apartment but I refrained from spending $29.99 + tax on a scale miniature metal bicycle complete with a wire basket and rubber tires to put on these already packed plant shelves I have in my dining room. Good thinkin, because I had 4 more shops to browse while I vibrated on my Starbucks caffiene high. After World Market I found this cute cupcake spatula at Crate&Barrel and had to have it! Normally I would be turned off by the extreme pricing of kitchen utensils sold at C&B but they got me with this one. Oh and they almost had me sold on a wine cork pull but that thing was like $50. They are quite proud of their "quality" products.
I haven't baked with it yet but I love it already. haha. Just wanted you to see how happy I get over stupid little objects like this. I'm not sure if it was the coffee or the cute find but either way it made me giddy in the store so I bought it immediately. Another thing I am horrible at is shopping online. Now most of us can honestly admit to doing this during work hours. What? Of course I'm on a break. Anyways I was checking out some random website or blog (I can't remember where I was) and saw a reference to a cupcake carrier or holder that you can use to store cupcakes that has a nice little locking device and carrying handle. So I added it to my list of "Things to Google Today" and found this. [And yes, I do have a list of things to google today~I am a freak. But when the shit goes down I will know the answers to life's most ridiculous mysteries by my habitual Googling]. I didn't think to research the product I just bought it right then. Simply because I am just retarded and I had never seen it before, so no other cupcake carrier must exist if I haven't seen it, right? Eeeeeeeeeh! XXXWrongXXX! After I paid for this bad boy, days later I found one on the Crate&Barrel website for $19.99. Needless to say I paid more than $19.99. The only way I can justify my purchase is that mine will hold 36 cupcakes and the cheaper will only hold 24! ha
If you would like to check out the website for this item click here.
Until next time,
Stay sweet.
A
Cupcake Confessional 002 - New Icing Recipe: Failed
New Icing Recipe - Failed but Cute!
Check these out!
Bringing cupcakes to every potluck at work has labeled me "the cupcake lady". I think people may think I'm a little weird or maybe even lacking creativity for doing this, but that doesn't stop them from devouring them. Although there wasn't a potluck, I got industrious and I made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing last week and took them to work for who I'm now calling my "guinea pigs". I made everything from scratch including a new recipe for buttercream icing. I picked up some pastry bags and icing tips a week or two ago and wanted to experiment my ametuer skills with decorating. I had never made buttercream icing before so I had no idea what to expect other than supersweet stuff. The icing started out nice and fluffy but after I finished my 8th cupcake it seemed to break down and run. I added some food coloring to make a batch of blue, purple and green icing. I let the cupcakes cool so I don't know if it was the heat from my hands making it melt or the food coloring making it melt. No one seemed to care about that because they were so tasty! All the while I thought they weren't my best but everyone loved them. I think they actually cheered everyone up! Afterward they all emailed me and said thanks for the afternoon pick me up. Fridays are officially cupcake days and this is how I'll either get them hooked or sick of my cupcakes haha. I think this week it will be hummingbird or strawberry, but with cream cheese icing. Any suggestions on flavors are welcome just email me.
Check these out!

Bringing cupcakes to every potluck at work has labeled me "the cupcake lady". I think people may think I'm a little weird or maybe even lacking creativity for doing this, but that doesn't stop them from devouring them. Although there wasn't a potluck, I got industrious and I made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing last week and took them to work for who I'm now calling my "guinea pigs". I made everything from scratch including a new recipe for buttercream icing. I picked up some pastry bags and icing tips a week or two ago and wanted to experiment my ametuer skills with decorating. I had never made buttercream icing before so I had no idea what to expect other than supersweet stuff. The icing started out nice and fluffy but after I finished my 8th cupcake it seemed to break down and run. I added some food coloring to make a batch of blue, purple and green icing. I let the cupcakes cool so I don't know if it was the heat from my hands making it melt or the food coloring making it melt. No one seemed to care about that because they were so tasty! All the while I thought they weren't my best but everyone loved them. I think they actually cheered everyone up! Afterward they all emailed me and said thanks for the afternoon pick me up. Fridays are officially cupcake days and this is how I'll either get them hooked or sick of my cupcakes haha. I think this week it will be hummingbird or strawberry, but with cream cheese icing. Any suggestions on flavors are welcome just email me.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Cupcake Confessionals 001 - Intro
Send me Mail:
cravingcupcakes@yahoo.com
Much love <3
A
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