Red Velvet's

Last weekend I made 80 red velvet cupcakes! 50 standard size, and 30 heart shaped mini's. From start to finish it only took me 4 hours. Im getting MUCH faster. I went with a simple design because I, once again, was pressed for time (Im seeing a pattern here) but I still think they turned out great!

We brought them to work and people were literally talking about them the next day!

Also, I recently booked a wedding for later this fall; I cant wait! The wedding colors are lavendar and dark purple, so I'll really be able to have fun with that! 150 cupcakes wont be too bad either! ;)

Next weekend I'll be making some birthday cupcakes for a girl at work, and then after that, its on to the valentines day project, with fondant! I cant wait!

Monkeyin' Around...with PB & 'nanas.

These little cakes werent the best designed, but they were SO good. The monkeys that I made for the tops turned out being too big. Live and learn.

The cupcake is a chocolate peanut butter/banana with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. I didnt pipe the frosting on this time, and the cake itself was so rich that a lot of frosting would have killed it, and because I was running low on time. I wasnt entirely happy with how these turned out appearance-wise, but I loved the recipe and am definitely going to try them again with some better planned decorating skills.

Nuveau Snowflakes

I did an abstract snowflake design for Kevin's work party last night and they turned out fantastic! I was really impressed with how pretty they were.

I also had the chance to work with Pearl dust for the first time; silver and gold. It was MUCH easier than I had previously imagined it being and I would really like to find opportunities to use it more often.

Check out the cupcakes below:

I also got the chance to use my new cupcake carrier and discovered that I should have no problem with "crushing issues" for my more elaborately topped cupcakes.

...so this is the last "winter" cupcake that I think I'll do for the year. I did go to Michael's yesterday and stocked up on a few wintery cupcake items for next year, and also bought a bunch of cute Valentines day themed stuff. I think for Valentines day, Im going to try a tiered cake with cupcakes. This will also be my first venture with fondant, so Im VERY excited!!

A Very Cupcake Christmas

Christmas treated this cupcake hobbyist WELL!!! My family has certainly provided much support in my journey through my new hobby, and for Christmas, everyone wanted to make sure that I was well equipped for cupcaking in the New Year! I got standard size and mini-sized silicone cupcake pans, a collapsable double-teired cupcake carrier, Betty Crocker's Cupcakes (book), Crazy about cupcakes (book), 2 flour sifters, and a red (to match my "fat chef" kitchen) professional 600 series kitchenaid mixer!!! This baby is the Lambourgini of mixers!!!

I wanted to post some pictures of the cute little cupcake trinkets my sister got me too...

A 50's style vintage cupcake apron!

Cupcake recipe holder

Cupcake Magnets

Cupcake Potholders!

Needless to say, I am very excited to continue cupcaking into the new year, and cant wait to see all of the fun and creativity that 2010 brings!

Quinceanera!

My latest cupcake adventure almost turned into a disaster. I definitely learned my lesson that when making more complicated cupcakes, I need to break up my tasks. I spent about 6 hours in the kitchen and, when done, I was a mess, my kitchen was a mess, and I had a party to get ready for!

Kevin's step-sister, Emily, had turned 15 that weekend and since she is of "latin" origins, I made some themed cupcakes for her Quinceanera!

The cupcakes were apple flavored with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I made white chocolate cactus molds and sombrero molds. I tried experimenting with making some maracas out of hollowed out white chocolate but didnt have any luck. I had found some techniques online using balloons dipped in white chocolate, then popped when dry, but the problem I ran into was that even with the chocolate at nearly room temperature, the heat was too much for the little balloons...after about an hour of trying and brainstorming, I gave up on the maracas. Balloons-1, Michelle-0. :)

Check out the completed cupcakes below:

OLE!!