Cupcakes Take The Cake

Sriracha hot sauce on a bacon cupcake? We tried it and liked it! Hot and sweet!

2012-02-02T15:37:00.001-05:00

At our Honolulu cupcake meetup on Tuesday, I challenged podcaster, blogger and all-around awesome guy Doc Rock to put Sriracha hot sauce on one of Annie Cakes Irish bomb cupcakes, and he did! Here's what happened:

the cupcakes!

preparation

hot sauce cupcake happiness

He loved it so much that I felt compelled to try it myself:

After I added that much Sriracha, someone told me "It's not ketchup!" I'm used to spicy food so Ithought I was prepared, but that first bite was pretty hot. I tasted mostly the hot sauce, but then soon after the cake's sweetness caught up with me. Her chocolate cake was very rich and sweet and wonderful, the way a chocolate cake should be, and that made this one-two punch of spicy and sweet that was amazing. You can experiment with differing amounts of hot sauce but this would be great with savory cupcakes or ones that are rich and intense like these bacon cupcakes.

One warning: If you're at an event like a cupcake meetup, I recommend eating your hot sauce cupcake last, so that you can fully appreciate all the other cupcakes. I saved mine until I was ready to eat non-cupcake food, and it was perfect, almost like a reverse dessert, the savory/spicy/sweet thing you eat when you're done with purse sweets. Maybe someone can incorporate hot sauce into a cupcake?

Want some of Annie Cakes' amazing cupcakes? Contact her at anniecakeshawaii at gmail.com and visit her Facebook page.

For those who don't know about the wonder that is Sriracha, here's some info from Wikipedia:

Sriracha (Thai: ศรีราชา [sǐrātɕʰā]) is a type of Thai hot sauce, named after the coastal city of Si Racha, in the Chonburi Province of central Thailand, where it was first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants.[1] It is a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt.[2]

Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras and key lime cupcakes by Chicago's Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique

2012-02-02T15:03:00.000-05:00

Chicago's Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique is celebrating lots of holidays with cupcakes! All limited edition. From their newsletter and Facebook page. See sugarblisscakes.com for more information.

Super Bowl 2012 cupcakes, available February 2-5. New England Patriots vs New York Giants. Black & White and Vanilla Vanilla cupcakes with New England Patriots and New York Giants theme and a football logo.

Valentine's Day conversation heart and sweetheart velvet cupcakes, available February 6-14.

Sneak peek, Mardi Gras cupcakes: Black & White and Vanilla Vanilla cupcakes with green and purple frosting. Available February 17-21.

Key lime cupcakes available through February 5th. "Key lime cake with key lime cream cheese frosting topped with a slice of lime and a graham cracker."

How to Decorate: Superbowl Cupcakes

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's nearly Superbowl Sunday! Are you prepared for the big game already? You may have planned the snacks and even the main course but have you figured out what's for dessert? Well, it could very well be these deliciously simple Superbowl Cupcakes created by Miss Make! Devon designed an easy to follow guide so you all can have these festive treats for your own Superbowl parties! Check it out here!

US Army General Dempsey meets with Georgetown Cupcakes

2012-02-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

This past December, Georgetown Cupcake donated 10,000 cupcakes to a USO event in support of our Military troops. General Martin E. Dempsey met with Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne of GC on February 1, 2012 at the Pentagon to thank them for their support!

DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

5 groundhog cupcakes for Groundhog Day!

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Groundhog Day! Here are some cute groundhog cupcakes to celebrate.

by Hallee The Homemaker

by Sweet & S'Morsel's Cakery

by Wannabe Crafty via Flickr

by Confectioneiress Cupcakes & Sweets in Zionsville, Indiana via Flickr

Find out how to make these groundhog cupcakes at Kiboomu

Giveaway: With Love From Brooklyn's Hot & Bothered Gift Set

2012-02-02T08:55:00.001-05:00

I have collaborated With Love From Brooklyn to curate a special limited edition Valentine's Day gift set. Spice up your Valentine's Day with a selection of chili-spiked treats from Brooklyn's premier artisan confectioners. One lucky winner will win a Hot & Bothered gift set. This gift set includes Jacques Torres Wicked Hot Chocolate and Wicked Chocolate Bar, Nunu Chocolates Mezcal Chili Truffles, and Spoonable Chili Caramel, a combination sure to get your sweetheart hot and bothered.

Jacques Torres may hail from France, but he's a big name in Brooklyn where he presides over a Wonka-worthy chocolate atelier, located on Water Street in DUMBO. Nunu Chocolates proves that great things come in small packages with the dizzying array of delights they create at their jewel-box chocolate shop/wine bar on an unlikely stretch of Atlantic Avenue. Michelle Lewis of Spoonable is taking small-batch caramel in new directions with way-out flavors from chili to sesame to lavender.Enter to win a Hot& Bothered gift set by Tuesday, February 7th at 6PM.

Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Dexter, dinosaur and other fun cupcake toppers on Etsy

2012-02-02T00:09:00.000-05:00

These cute gumpaste cupcake toppers are for sale on Etsy by seller Blissful Bites, who you can also find on Facebook.

Cupcakes in Amy Thomas memoir Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (And Dark Chocolate

2012-02-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

Today is the release date for Amy Thomas's memoir Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate). I'm about take it to the beach to read! you can see more photos on her Facebook page and stay tuned for news about events. Also available as a Kindle ebook.

From Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas, from the chapter "Cupcakes--The Comfort of Home," about being a New Yorker who loves cupcakes now living in Paris and about to test out Parisian cupcakes:

The longer I analyzed Cupcake & Co.'s menu, the more my taste buds perked up. Even better than feeling the cartwheels of anticipation in my belly, my spirits started lifting. Finally, I felt ready to make a decision: I chose the Scheherazade, an irresistible-sounding combination of pistachio cake with cream cheese frosting and a raspberry center, topped with a generous sprinkling of crushed pistachios and one perfect raspberry. I've always loved raspberries but since arriving in Paris had a newfound passion for pistachios, which were included in so many delectable desserts and pastries, either whole or ground with sugar into delicious marzipan...

I bit into my first Parisian cupcake. The cake was moist. The raspberry center was bright and jammy. The frosting was thick--not too much so--and savory more than sweet, the cream cheese adding just the right hint of sourness. I took a second bite and a third. It was an unforgivably delicious combination of flavors, textures, and surprises. Relief flooded me.

Vegan Chocolate Orange Cupcakes with recipe link!

2012-02-01T16:48:00.003-05:00

Chocolate and orange.
A delicious combination that I feel is very winter-like...
Check these out:

Vegan Chocolate Orange cupcakes!!! Super easy. Super tasty. Even if you're not a vegan!

For full recipe and more pictures click here!

Valentine's Day heart and broken heart cookie topped lemon raspberry chocolate cupcakes

2012-02-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

There's a lot going on with these cute Valentine's Day cupcakes by blogger Cupcakeables, where you can get the recipe! Here's the official description: "The cupcake is a light lemon vanilla cake filled with raspberry puree and topped with a dark chocolate frosting, dark chocolate drizzled on top and sugar cookie hearts that I made for the theme." And they're made with hearts or broken hearts! Love that. Via Flickr.

Georgetown Cupcake to open February 11 in SoHo, New York City, plus Super Bowl cupcakes

2012-02-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

This just in from Village Voice food blog Fork in The Road, something that's been hinted at for months now: the opening of famous cupcakery Georgetown Cupcake at 111 Mercer Street in SoHo in New York City:

"In addition to our flagship location in Georgetown, we ship our cupcakes nationwide, and the number-one shipping destination for our cupcakes was New York City," explained Katherine. "We were also driving cupcakes up to New York City frequently for large parties and events. We had so many people asking us to bring Georgetown Cupcake to New York, so when we found the perfect spot in Soho, it was a very easy decision for us."

The shop will officially open on Saturday, February 11, and will feature the sisters' signature baked goods, including their most popular seller, the red velvet cupcake, and flavors including salted caramel and peanut butter fudge. The sweet treats will be baked daily on-site and packaged in the sisters' signature pink boxes.

And expect to see the new shop making a cameo on the television show. "We're filming a special episode on the construction and lead-up to the grand opening of our Soho shop so people can see what really goes into starting a bakery from scratch, and we'll also be filming new episodes of the show in Soho in the spring, as well as in D.C.," notes Katherine. Adds Sophie, "We're so excited to finally be opening in Soho! We can't wait to meet everyone and hope that everyone has a chance to visit and enjoys our cupcakes."

My first home in New York was a dorm at 240 Mercer Street so I'm looking forward to checking this out, though SoHo is probably the most oversaturated cupcake bakery area of Manhattan now, with Billy's Bakery, Little Cupcake, Ivy Bakery, Baked by Melissa and SoHo-adjacent Molly's Cupcakes and Sweet Revenge. I hope the lines aren't as gargantuan as they are in DC; the last time I was in Georgetown I didn't have two hours to wait. Here are the Super Bowl cupcakes they're selling, via their Facebook page.

More info on them: "Each cupcake is a Valrhona chocolate cupcake, filled with dark fudge and frosted with green-tinted butter cream “grass.” The cupcakes are then decorated with fondant footballs, Patriots and/or Giants jerseys. For the Patriots, the fondant jersey has Tom Brady’s number on it, and for the Giants, the fondant jersey has Eli Manning’s number. Georgetown Cupcake Super Bowl cupcakes are available by pre-order only and are $2.75 each, $15 per half dozen, and $29 per dozen. These will be available for pick-up, local delivery, and national shipping." See georgetowncupcake.com for more information.

Free cupcake today for women over 50 to celebrate National Spunky Old Broads Day at The Cake Mamas

2012-02-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

When last we posted about Cupcake Wars winners The Cake Mamas in Glendora, California, it was about their free cupcakes for little kids doing jumping jacks for a Preschool Fitness Day. Today we bring you news that women over 50 get a free cupcake for National Spunky Old Broads Day! How cool is that? And an opportunity to post a photo of The Golden Girls (via The Cake Mamas on Facebook) and some custom 50th birthday martini cupcakes they made. Visit thecakemamas.com for more information.

From Patch.com:

Today is National Spunky Old Broads Day, which is the celebrated holiday for Spunky Old Broads month.

And, yes, someone is celebrating the holiday – The Cake Mamas are giving away free cupcakes to Spunky Old Broads.

The Cake Mamas describe Spunky Old Broads on their Facebook page as “positive, fun, butt-kicking mature women over the age of 50 who refuse to sit back quietly and get old. They want excitement!”

If you are a woman over the age of 50, visit their shop at 865 W. Route 66, Unit C, and tell them you’re there for your free Spunky Old Broad cupcake.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

2012-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

Wow! These are the most incredible Hunger Games cupcakes I've seen yet! These fantastically detailed cupcakes were posted on Tumblr! They look exactly like the book covers!

I heart you Valentine's Day cupcake by Say It With Flours

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another way to say I love you in cupcake form, by Liverpool, UK custom cake and cupcake company Say It With Flours (love their name, there'll be more by them soon!), via @sayitwithflours on Twitter.

Aloha, Hello Kitty and shaved ice cupcakes by Angel Cakes Hawaii from our Honolulu meetup

2012-02-01T04:06:00.000-05:00

Aloha! I'm still in a sugar coma from our lovely, amazing, super fun Honolulu cupcake meetup. I will post more photos very soon, but I wanted to say mahalo to everyone who came out tonight, ate cupcakes, baked cupcakes and spread the word. You are awesome. Special shoutouts to Aaron Landry, and John Garcia of The Greenhouse Innovation Hub.

I'll be posting about all the bakers who brought cupcakes; there were around 300 cupcakes and 70 guests. The beautiful ones below are by Angel Cakes Hawaii, who can be reached at angelcakeshawaii at gmail.com and you can read more at angelcakeshawaii.blogspot.com.

Valentine's Day and pretty flower cupcakes by Truly Madly Sweetly

2012-01-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day, some flower and gardening cupcakes by Truly Madly Sweetly Cupcakes in Ware, UK, via their Facebook page. They can be reached at gaynorclark59 at hotmail.co.uk or 07734 139790.

Honolulu cupcake excitement for tonight's meetup: chocolate mint marshmallow cupcakes by Tiramisu Cupcakes

2012-01-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure which type of cupcakes Tiramisu Cupcakes will be bringing to tonight's Honolulu, Hawaii Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup, but I'm excited by this photo of their chocolate mint cupcakes! From their Facebook page (email tiramisucupcakes at yahoo.com for orders and inquiries). See you from 6-9 pm tonight at The Greenhouse Innovation Hub at 685 Auahi Street in Kaka'ako! I'll post a recap for those who can't make it and will be blogging about Hawaiian cupcakes all week.

Chocolate cake w/ mint marshmallow frosting and chocolate mint bits.

More from their Facebook page:

Tiramisu [Tir-a-mi-su]:What's in the name? In translation, tiramisu means "pick me up," or "lift me up". It is also the cupcake that started the YummyCups craze. As a former co-founder of YummyCups, I found it only "fitting" to name my new adventure after the cupcake (tiramisu).

I also like that they put a cupcake on the side of a cake!

Valentine's Day chocolate heart cupcake pendant and cupcake thimble for sale on Etsy

2012-01-31T21:03:00.001-05:00

Etsy seller The Glass Chef has many cupcake items for sale, including this chocolate heart cupcake pendant ($15) and this made to order cupcake thimble $20)! Via The Glass Chef on Flickr.

Cherry chip cupcakes with cherry vanilla buttercream plus recipe link

2012-01-31T20:43:00.000-05:00

Check out The Nonpareil Baker for the recipe and more photos of these cherry chip cupcakes with cherry vanilla buttercream!

Cupcake water lilies and ladybugs and book tour dates from Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My!

2012-01-31T18:13:00.000-05:00

Our last two sneak peeks at Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My! in honor of today's publication date. Check back this week for our contest to win a copy. And below are author Karen Tack and Alan Richardson's book tour dates. We'll be meeting up at the New York City event; more info on that soon. If you're in New York, be sure to join our meetup group for the latest news and local events. And because they have proven so spectacularly popular, I'm posting the cupcake high heels again! Follow them @whatsnewcupcake on Twitter for the latest news and hellocupcakebook.com for more decorating tips.

Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My! book tour dates with Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

Boston

Northeastern University Barnes & Noble Xhibition Kitchen event, Demo/Q&A/Signing, Feb 1 at noon

Natick, MA: Sur La Table cooking class, Feb 1 @ 6:30pm

Connecticut

Canton, CT: Sur La Table cooking class, Feb 2 @ 6:30pm

New York

Manhasset, Long Island: Sur La Table cooking class, Feb 4 @ 1pm

Manhattan: Sur La Table cooking class, Feb 15 @ 11:30am at 306 W. 57th St. (the Hearst Bldg)

Hartsdale: Chef Central cooking class, March 3 @ 1pm

St. Louis

Event at L'Ecole Culinaire culinary school for ~75 students, demo/talk/signing, Feb 7 @ 3pm

Left Bank Books event, demo/talk/signing, Feb 7 @ 7pm

Kansas City

Offsite event at Unity Temple on the Plaza (707 W. 47th St.), hosted by Rainy Day Books, Feb 8 @ 7pm

Culinary Center at Kansas City Luncheon (Overland Park, KS), Feb 9 @ 12:00pm

Denver

Tattered Cover (Highlands Ranch location), Feb 10 at 7:30pm

The Cupboard Kitchen Store(Ft. Collins), demo & signing, Feb 11 from 10:30-12:30

Milwaukee

Offsite event at Discovery World Pilot House co-hosted by Boswell Book Company and Iron Cupcake, Feb 12 at 2pm

Sur La Table cooking class (Glendale), Feb 13 @ 6:30pm

New Jersey

Chef Central cooking class, Paramus, Feb 16 @ 6:30pm

Wegmans cooking class, Cherry Hill, Feb 17 (4-6pm)

Wegmans cooking class, Bridgewater, Feb 18 (12-2pm)

Ocean County Library, Toms River, March 25 @ 2pm

Dallas

Central Market class, Feb 20 @ 6:30pm

Austin

Central Market class, Feb 21 @ 6:30pm

Houston

Central Market class, Feb 22 @ 6:30pm

San Antonio

Central Market class, Feb 23 @ 6:30pm

Ft. Worth

Central Market class, Feb 24 @ 6:30pm

Central Market class, Feb 25 @ 11:00am

Plano

Central Market class, Feb 25 @ 6:30pm

Chicago

Housewares Show, March 11 @ 4:30pm (Goho Cooking Theater)

Housewares Show, March 12 @ 11:30am (in HMH booth)

The Bookstall (Winnetka, IL), demo & signing, March 12 @ 7:00pm

Want free chcoolate stout cupcakes with rum buttercream and bacon sprinkles? Come to our Honolulu cupcake meetup tonight!

2012-01-31T17:13:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited that Annie Cakes Hawaii (who can be reached at anniecakeshawaii at gmail.com and I'll have more about later this week) is making these chocolate stout cupcakes with rum buttercream & bacon sprinkles for our Honolulu cupcake meetup tonight! I'll be posting more about our cupcake spnsors today and this wee, but I hope you can join us. It's free and tonight and at the wonderful Greenhouse Innovation Hub, and I'm going to talk for a little while about how Cupcakes Take the Came came to be and then we are going to mingle and feast on cupcakes! 6-9 pm, Tuesday, January 31st, The Greenhouse Innovation Hub, 685 Auahi Street, Kaka'ako (808-285-3363). No need to RSVP, but you want to spread the word to your friends, here's the Facebook event page. We'll have many dozen cupcakes to enjoy! And if you're a tech type looking for a place to cowork, check out The Greenhouse, and if you live or are visiting Honolulu, check them out for amazing events each week (follow @HiGreenHouse on Twitter).

Baked Is Baking Superbowl Cupcakes

2012-01-31T17:03:00.003-05:00

The Giants vs. The Patriots...It is an East Coast showdown. If you are not fans of either, we know you love cupcakes. If you are having a party this weekend in NYC, you may want to order some cupcakes from Baked. Like them on Facebook, too. PS. Matt and Renato from Baked are joining us on the Cupcake Cruise, so make your reservation today.

Puppy Love Cake Pops

2012-01-31T12:23:00.001-05:00

This is something different for Valentine's Day. Inspired by the today's launch of Cupcakes, Cookies, and Pies, Oh My, Liz of Hoosier Homemade made these for her weekly Cupcake Tuesday. These puppy love cake pops are adorable and with the upcoming Westminster Dog Show and Puppy Bowl, these are very topical. Learn how to make these puppies!

Looking Good: Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake

2012-01-31T09:45:00.000-05:00

When picking what to post here, it is mostly subjective. I love a pretty cupcake and good food photography. I often go with my gut. The cupcake is pretty but the red plaid backdrop is so classic. This photo is from Arina Habich who is a member of our Cupcakes Take The Cake Flickr Group which has over 8500 members!

She's The First: How A Bake Sale Started A Movement

2012-01-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

Filming by Chris Vongsawat

Last year from November 1-8, thousands of students & young professionals baked & sold tie-dye cupcakes to fundraise for girls’ sponsorships in 8 countries where the majority of girls never graduate. Learn more about how we’re changing the world, one sweet cupcake at a time. It all started with one bake sale that Lindsay Brown.

Our connection to the this story is that we helped to spread the good word about the bake sale. Last fall, I ran into Tammy Tibbetts at a party, she told me about the wonderful bake sale project that She's The First was doing. We blogged about it. Later the story kept popping in our Twitter feed, on Facebook, Google Alerts. This video shows how a bake sale became a movement.

Cupcake spotlight on Battycakes in Park City, Utah: Valentine's Day, snowflakes, s'mores with bows and more!

2012-01-30T20:40:00.001-05:00

This cupcake spotlight is on bakery Battycakes of Park City, Utah, who you can also find on Facebook and @battycakes on Twitter. They've got lots of festive Valentine's day and many other cupcakes, as you can see below, I got a little carried away cause they're so lovely. For their full cupcake menu, which includes butter rum raisin, orange dark chocolate, maple black walnut, caramel apple, ginger & molasses and more, click here.

s'mores cupcakes with bows!

"This moist customer favorite incorporates tart, organic Cranberries and zesty Orange into a fall favorite that's great year round! Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese frosting is crowned with candied Cranberry & Orange morsels."

Batty Cakes
900 Bitner Road
Park City, UT 84098
435-608-1422
info at battycakes.com

Giveaway From Stay Calm Cupcakes

2012-01-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

Want to give your sweetie something memorable this Valentine's Day? Want a "jarring" treat for yourself?! Then enter to win cupcakes in a jar from Stay Calm Cupcake. Enter this giveaway by Friday, February 3rd.

Free cupcakes tonight at cupcake happy hour at Kickass Cupcakes

2012-01-30T14:46:00.002-05:00

Yes, Kickass Cupcakes is one of the most frequent bakeries where you can find free cupcakes, especially with their cupcake happy hours, but pay attention to them on Facebook for other freebie opportunities too! Tonight cupcake happy hour features Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales is 5-8 pm (or until they run out) at 378 Highland Avenue - Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. Visit kickasscupcakes.com for more information.

Fort (lemon cupcake, fort gelee center, fort raspberry icing, raspberry jam), World Wide Stout (chocolate cupcake, world wide stout frosting) and Immort (vanilla cupcake soaked with immort syrup, maple icing, juniper candy) Dogfish Head Ale cupcakes - free mini versions tonight at cupcake happy hour, full size for sale in the bakery

New York Giants and New England Patriots Super Bowl cupcakes this weekend at Sweet Avenue Bake Shop

2012-01-30T14:14:00.001-05:00

Lots more Super Bowl cupcakes are coming your way this week leading up to Sunday's big game! (If you've made Super Bowl cupcakes, email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Super Bowl" in the subject line and include photo or link to image, price, full contact/purchasing information and we will try to get them posted). Sweet Avenue Bake Shop in Rutherford, New Jersey is selling both Giants and Patriots cupcakes for $4 each, chocolate or vanilla cake, available this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Read more at their blog. Visit sweetavenuebakeshop.com for more information and call 201-935-2253 to place an order for your super bowl party (1 dozen minimum).

Does Shipping Cupcakes Stack Up? Plus, a Giveaway: Georgetown Cupcake Sends You a Dozen!

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

Thank you Georgetown Cupcake for the shipping and the cupcakes -- and the Valentine's Day giveaway.

I'd always been suspicious about how well shipping cupcakes works, even though I'd had a reliable experience before.

It arrived in fine condition, bright pink and happy-looking, very distinctive. Once you see this box you won't forget it anytime soon (check out these amazing shots of the boxes arriving for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during "Operation Cupcake"). When I opened the box there was a foil wrap around the cupcakes:

Inside that was a small gel-type pack of ice.

And a card, although it had no information abut the cupcakes inside. No names, flavors, ingredients, nor the name of the collection, which was a Valentine's Day special. That was kind of a bummer, not sure why it was overlooked.

The cupcakes arrived partially frozen, with sticks in them to keep them in place:

A tiny bit of movement showed but for the most part the cupcakes arrived looking great!

Flavors were:

Red velvet.

Strawberry Lava Fudge.

Chocolate squared.

(I looked them up.)

The red velvets were my favorite.

Yummy and sweet cream cheese frosting with a dense moist (but not oily or greasy) cake. My cupcake-tasting partners (in crime) felt the cupcakes had a slightly alkaline aftertaste but I didn't notice.

The strawberry lava fudge was exactly as advertised:

A lava-type cake with a sweet and gooey fudge center. The frosting is also very sugary, with a fruity strawberry taste. I thought I also might have tasted some raspberry but no one else agreed with me. *sigh*

Warning: this cupcake is messy! Gooey and drippy and best eaten with a fork or spoon. Also, the frosting had a tendency to separate. Maybe due to the fact there was so much of it?

The chocolate squared was so rich and dense and obviously made with quality ingredients.

My friend took one bite and said, "Are these made with Valrhona?" Wow. Impressive. Yes, they are. We both agreed that the cake was just a vehicle for the frosting. So decadent. And really a grain-free taste, which I think is hard to achieve in a chocolate frosting.

I love how the cupcake wrappers were decorated on the bottom:

So cute.

The cupcakes are hard to remove from their container. It's best to remove them while they are still frozen, or you will have fingerprints all over your frosting:

As an aside, Senator Harry Reid received a similar box and regifted the treats to the press! Nice move, Senator Reid. Media people love cupcakes.

Georgetown Cupcake is home to TLC's show DC Cupcakes and they are expanding soon to NYC and Boston. Excellent shipping, quality ingredients, popular TV show, busy bakeries (4 by the end of the year) -- is there anything these women can't do?!

Anyway, Georgetown Cupcake and Cupcakes Take the Cake are giving away a dozen Valentine's Day cupcakes plus some cupcake merchandise, shipped directly to your home (USA lower 48 only due to shipping restrictions). To enter, leave an email address where CTTC can contact you below, in the comment section, on or before February 6, 2012 at 5:00 pm ET. We will choose one winner at random and contact you via email, the gifts will be shipped from the cupcakery.

The small print:

"Georgetown Cupcake ships all of its cupcakes overnight via FedEx. Due to the FedEx shipping schedule, Georgetown Cupcake cannot ship cupcakes for arrival on Sundays or Mondays. Unfortunately, we cannot ship to P.O. Boxes, APO, or FPO addresses.We do not require signature upon receipt of any shipping order. However, due to the perishable nature of our product, it is best for someone to be present to receive the delivery.

Please be aware of any specific delivery policies at your shipping destination.Georgetown Cupcake cannot guarantee delivery if we are provided with an incorrect address, or for shipping delays resulting from inclement weather.Georgetown Cupcake will provide you with a FedEx tracking number via email once your order has shipped."

Best of luck to y'all!

;)

Cupcake and cake pop love for Valentine's Day by Ganache

2012-01-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

This Valentine's Day cupcake spotlight is on custom dessert company Ganache in Washington, DC, via their Facebook page. They can be reached at ganacheonline at gmail.com or 240-593-8444. (The last photo isn't necessarily a Valentine's Day one but is ganache-y and looks good, so I'm including it.) Here are a few of the flavors they offer (see Facebook link above for full listing): Good Morning (Soft coffee cake infused with cinnamon with a caramel hot cocoa frosting), Cocolimon (Fresh lemon infused moist vanilla cake with a coconut lemon cream cheese frosting), Refresh (Moist white cake infused with fresh lemon zest with a raspberry cream frosting), Indulge (Rich chocolate brownie cake with a vanilla caramel frosting).

Bumblebee cupcake cuteness

2012-01-30T11:40:00.000-05:00

A front view and a side view of these adorable bumblebee cupcakes by Zoey Cakes of Baldwinsville, New York, via Flickr. Find out more at their Facebook page.

Cakespy Cupcake!

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

Via Tumblr

I was "tumblr'n" around when I found these cupcakes that looked awfully familiar...when I realized that these were real life versions of the Cakespy cupcake! How cute are they! They look pretty easy to recreate as well!

Giant cupcake in Louis Vuitton window at Ala Moana Center

2012-01-29T21:34:00.001-05:00

I hung out at very amazing open air mall Ala Moana Center in Honolulu today and saw this in the Louis Vuitton window!

We Have a Winner!

2012-01-29T19:30:00.000-05:00

Toni from Hawaii (who hopes to meet Rachel at the Hawaii cupcake meetup this week!) was, coincidentally, our winner for the Sweets on a Stick cookbook giveaway. Yay for Toni and congratulations!

Thanks to all who entered and keep your eyes peeled (ew!) for a few more giveaways happening this week, including a special one from Georgetown Cupcake.

Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes

2012-01-29T17:59:00.000-05:00

Looking to impress your friends at your super bowl party? Check out these Buffalo Chicken cupcakes by Cupcake Project. Now, this isn't just a cupcake with a buffalo chicken wing thrown on top. It's a cupcake made with hot sauce, sour cream, and crumbled blue cheese. It's topped with a blue cheese butterfream frosting, and then the buffalo chicken wing. These cupcakes will definitely impress yuor guests at your super bowl party!

Cupcakes riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle

2012-01-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why these cupcakes are about to go for a ride on a Harley, but I love this photo! By White Mountain Cupcakery in North Conway, New Hampshire, via their Facebook page! Find out more at wmcupcakery.com and stay tuned for a more in-depth photo spotlight on them, but this photo deserved its own post.

These Hawaiian pineapple flower cupcakes made me tear up (in a good way)

2012-01-29T14:16:00.000-05:00

I'm a totally sappy person, and I just have to say that these Hawaiian themed cupcakes by Man Bakes Cake in New York in honor of my trip to Honolulu brought tears to my eyes! Beautiful, and so thoughtful. Email martinez_rudy at msn.com for orders and visit Man Bakes Cake on Facebook and manbakescake.blogspot.com for many more gorgeous cupcake photos. The flower cupcakes are pineapple cupcakes with orange-pineapple buttercream! My only "complaint" is that they look too pretty to eat. Mahalo! The love cupcakes are an additional Valentine's Day option.

For those in Honolulu, please do join us Tuesday night for free cupcakes - no need to RSVP but you can if you like or invite people on Facebook. January 31, 6-9 pm, The Greenhouse Innovation Hub, 685 Auahi Street, Kaka‘ako. So far this is who is bringing cupcakes: Let Them Eat Cupcakes, Angel Cakes Hawaii and Tiramisu Cupcakes! Want to bring cupcakes to share? Email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Hawaii" in the subject. Stay tuned for local Hawaiian cupcake bakery spotlights all week!

Twitter postings lead to Cupprimo Cupcake Wars appearance tonight!

2012-01-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

From Austin Business Journal comes some cool news about Austin, Texas bakery Cupprimo that is a major reminder that social media is extremely important and is in no way just about reaching your local community, but about reaching the entire world:

“Cupcake Wars” usually chooses combatants from audition tapes, but producers approached Brown after following her tweets that constantly promote Cupprimo.

“I never dreamed [Twitter] would lead to such an incredible opportunity,” Brown said. “I know people in this business who have been trying to get on ‘Cupcake Wars’ for three years.”

And if you hadn't heard, Cupcake Wars is now casting for Season 5!

You can follow those Tweets @Cupprimo on Twitter and also find them on Facebook and cupprimo.com and watch them tonight on Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. They're located at 8650 Spicewood Springs Rd Suite 105 in Austin and can be reached at cupprimo at gmail.com and 512-335-7746.

Below are some photos from their Facebook page, including fun chalk art. They have Thin Mint cupcakes! Or had them yesterday. Again, keep up with their social media to know what flavors they have each day. "It is a thin mint cupcake, chocolate mint cake, filled with a magic concoction, topped with mint buttercream and of course, that persnickety little girl scout cookie." Sorry I couldn't grab a larger size of the photo (if anyone is making Girl Scout cookies, now is the time to email us those photos! cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Girl Scout cookie" in subject line).

Kids + Cupcakes: Growin' Owen

2012-01-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

Here's my buddy Owen from Los Angeles-area, California, making cupcakes all by his lonesome. Well...maybe momma Shannon helped?

Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix with Pillsbury Valentine's pink vanilla frosting, and getting ready for Owen's favorite special touch: extra sprinkles! Way to go, Owen. Cell-phone snapshot courtesy Owen's momma Shannon and his poppa Mike, via Facebook.

Pretty hearts baked inside a cupcake for Valentine's Day

2012-01-28T22:40:00.000-05:00

This Valentine's Day chocolate cupcake was cute to start with, and then Something Sweet for You, a custom cupcake baker in Barnaby, Canada, made it even cuter by baking a heart (or two hearts, if you like, once you cut it open) inside! Via Flickr.

Oreo cupcake love for Valentine's Day

2012-01-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

These pretty Oreo cupcakes have an Oreo cookie at the bottom too! By blogger Fresh from the Farm!

pHD Hat Cupcakes

2012-01-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

Fantastic!

From the baker/photographer, "these were a pain to make!" But oh so worth it, I'm sure. By Like_the_Grand_Canyon.

How many jumping jacks would you do for a cupcake? Watch these little kids earn their cupcakes by exercising!

2012-01-28T15:11:00.001-05:00

If this video doesn't make you smile, I'm tempted to say you're dead inside, but that sounds mean so...I hope this makes you smile! I found it utterly adorable. For a Preschool Fitness Day, kids earned a free cupcake for doing some very enthusiastic jumping jacks. And jumping jacks are easier than kettlebells, right? It's by recent Cupcake Wars winners The Cake Mamas in Glendora, California, via their Facebook page, along with a few kid-themed cupcakes and some fun cake pops. Visit thecakemamas.com for more information.

Free cupcakes and champagne tonight, plus red velvet cupcakes form Kickass Cupcakes truck!

2012-01-28T14:59:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't like free cupcakes? As the sign below says, RSVP to 617-350-5555. Via Somerville, Massachusetts bakery Kickass Cupcakes on their Facebook page. I think this is at Boston nightclub Felt, 533 Washington Street. Visit kickasscupcakes.com for more information.

Can't make it? This is also your last weekend to enjoy their cookie cupcakes (one of which is featured below). And: "Cupcake of the day Red Velvet! Store open til 10pm, cupcake truck at Harvard til 2:30, on Clarendon after 3."

and their Chinese New Year cupcakes

Cupcake Card Twofer

2012-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Looks like "just" a cross-stich but it's actually a handmade greeting card (with cross-stitch)!

Neat, huh? Picture by Jo Laikin, card for sale at Etsy.

Neopolitan cupcake by Kara's Cupcakes

2012-01-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

I would say when it comes to ice cream and cupcakes, I prefer my chocolate, vanilla and strawberry to be eaten separately but I don't think I've ever actually eaten a Neopolitan cupcake, so I can't say for sure. Must fix that in 2012! I will also say that I think Neopolitan cupcakes are gorgeous. This one's by Kara's Cupcakes in the San Francisco Bay Area, via their Facebook page. Also via their Facebook page: Happy National Chocolate Cake Day! Every day is a food holiday, apparently. See karascupcakes.com for store locations and ordering information.

Free cupcake alert, streetcar popup shopedition: tomorrow in Toronto

2012-01-27T18:33:00.000-05:00

From Post City, the scoop on tomorrow's free cupcake giveaway in Toronto. If you go, we'd love a photo, either email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com or Tweet us @cupcakeblog - this is definitely upping the cupcake popup shop ante!

For the few who don’t tune in to W Network (i.e. straight dudes), Heather White and Lori Joyce are Gemini-award-winning, Dragon’s-Den-triumphing, Canadian reality TV royalty right now. Their “docu-soap,” The Cupcake Girls, is the story of how the best friends build their B.C. cupcake franchise, Cupcakes by Heather and Lori. Put simply, the show rocks. But how good are the cupcakes? Torontonians will soon find out, because the girls are taking over a streetcar this Saturday. Starting at 5 p.m., the pair will give out cupcakes to unsuspecting TTCers in a totally unique pop-up.

What we know is this: the outside of the streetcar will look normal, and will stop at normal stops. But there is no set route. The plan is to drive anywhere the tracks will take them and take on unsuspecting TTC riders at each stop.

The inside of the car is a different story. It will be decorated to look like a Cupcakes by Heather and Lori shop, with a TV crew, organized Toronto fans, Heather and Lori and of course, cupcakes, inside.

“We wanted something different, especially having competition in the city,” Joyce says. “We’re going to have our classics, and a special cake that will tie in with Toronto.”

Classics include the Blue Hawaii, which is coconut cake with blue butter cream and sprinkled with coconut, and the Sweet 16, a vanilla cake with pink vanilla butter cream topped with pastel sprinkles.

Here's the official Facebook event page.

Chocolate cherry cupcakes and recipe link

2012-01-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

I used to dye my hair Feria's Chocolate Cherry so I like the way those two words sound together. Personally, I enjoy fresh cherries but not "cherry flavor" though I think cherries on top of cupcakes are beautiful. These chocolate cherry cupcakes are by blogger Food Snots, where you can get the recipe! They say: "A perfect balance of chocolate, cherry, and frosting. "Via Flickr.

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