This past weekend, Jubilee Cupcakes & Vintage Candy opened and I paid Patti and her new shop another visit! WOW! I thought the shop was cute before, but it’s 100 times better now!  The focus of the shop is definitely on the cupcakes now with some amazing vintage candy too!  There is more seating and the shop is less cluttered with non-cupcake stuff.  The candy is a perfect addition to the shelves of the store, adding a magical feel to the shop.

Oh… and remember the Ganz Cupcake Measuring Spoons I got a while back?  Jubilee sells them!!! They’ve also got a second set of those cupcake measuring spoons in TINY sizes… Dash, Pinch, and Smidgen!  Of course, I picked up a set!

Let’s have a little tour of their shop… my camera died before I could take more pictures of the outside and upstairs seating areas… so know, there’s more to the shop than just these pictures!

I can’t have cupcakes anymore… but I let Emme get one.  Triple Chocolate with a Hello, Kitty topper!  (ps… I had a little taste…. so MOIST and chocolately.  Emily wanted seconds! hehe)

Don’t forget all the toppers and goodies to go on your cupcakes!

And now on to the CANDY!!!  They had taffy and gum and all kinds of old time candy that you can’t find in the grocery stores!

Party supplies too!  (And I also heard that Jubilee is also selling Bella Cupcake Couture!)

Another great addition to Jubilee…. CAKE SPY!!! Yup. Jessie’s got her little Cuppie for-sale at this shop!  Emily wanted me to pick her up one of everything! hehe We love Cuppie and Jessie!

So, I’ve gotta say…. this shop is a great addition to the South End.  With Indulge in Sumner not re-0pening after their fire and only one other (not-to be named, and not as good!) cupcake shop in Tacoma, Patti has got a great brand on her hands to expand!  She told me she plans to expand Jubilee all across the South end of the Sound in the coming years.  I am super excited for her and wish her success!

If you’re in Tacoma… make Jubilee a MUST SEE destination!

Where you can find more info about Jubilee Cupcakes & Vintage Candy:

On the web

Facebook

Twitter

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Sabrina, The Immortal Bakery, Seattle Washington, private cupcake baker to anyone who wants something delicious, homemade and different!  I’m the new kid in the cupcake block, but a baker who has had more kitchen time than many with shops. I love baking, it’s what my life is aside from my husband and sons.  I make flavors that other cupcake bakeries haven’t done yet or look to for inspiration for their own flavors. If it’s a bit wild we’ve done it. If it’s a flavor recreation (Like Orange Creamsicle) then we’re your place.

The Immortal Bakery Facebook Fan Page-  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Immortal-Bakery/170824986991?ref=ts

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Trying to get customers without a physical location. It seems to be the only drawback so far in my cupcake world!

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Variety, never be afraid to try something  new. If nothing else you learn your strong suits and know what ingredients you should proceed with caution around.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

I had been dreaming of a bakery since I was about 20 years old, although I had thought it would be a cookie bakery since that was what I thought was my strongest ability. Little did I know cupcakes would be something I would be known for.

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Much less time, originally I thought I would be baking from dawn til dusk, being a custom made to order cupcake baker allows me to spend more time with my family and work activities around my baking schedule.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

The hand mixer, without it I would be nothing. Many bakers love their stand mixers, I am old school in this belief. The hand mixer allows me the control I need and the feel to know when my batter is perfect! I adore my hand mixer.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

A moist cake, deep with flavor and layers to the flavor topped with a frosting made not too sweet but sweet enough to carry the cake. Never too much frosting and always a frosting & cake complimenting each other!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

I’ve been very lucky with this department, about 20 of my flavors I’ve gotten right the first go. My chocolate has been the toughest of the bunch, I set standards HIGH when it comes to classic flavors. Vanilla took a few months to tinker with to perfection, but I’ve gone through and made around 10 or 12 different chocolate recipes. I’ve always felt I could do better, I could just get a better cake if I tried harder. I’m really pleased with my chocolate cake now. Hard work paid off!

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Well, favorite to me is two ways. Favorite to bake would be my banana cupcake. I love that lil guy. When he’s baking it’s such an amazing smell and the recipe is one that is engraved to memory from doing it so much. My favorite to eat? My S’mores cupcake! The cake coupled with the frosting and the graham cracker. I can’t stop eating them!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

The only thing I purchase are the ingredients, the butter, the sugar, the jam is homemade but bought from a vendor (Johnson Berry Farm) at Pike place. I make my own Dutch apple filling/Apple bacon filling, but I do try as much as possible to do what I can to give my cupcakes the homemade just like Mom/Grandma feel to them.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

A thick batter is always one that is a great baking batter, I’ve found that the thinner the batter the easier it is to have something go wrong with it. I can’t really say one batter is better than another but most vanilla recipes can be doctored to make various flavors from it with just a few basic additions.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I tend to shy away from sprinkles or froo froo on my cupcakes. Many people can do anywhere and have a fancy cupcake these days. The real challenge is finding a plain, classic and clean looking cupcake. That’s what I gravitate towards when I used to buy cupcakes from others, stores, etc before baking cupcakes myself. I feel that too much added on top takes away from the flavor and the clean design of the cupcake itself.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Never, but that’s what makes them fun! People can have uniform cupcakes at most shops but I love that mine do offer a variety in way of size. I know people like having more frosting on one, a little more cake on another, each dozen of cupcakes ordered from me offer that to people. They’re just like people, each one is different in a way. Keeping things different is definitely what The Immortal Bakery is all about.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Yes, yes I do. Do I use it often, no, no I do not. I’m all about full flavor, full fat, full everything. I made the recipe for one vegan friend, I’ve made it a couple times, it’s a great one but it’s not something I’ve ever been interested in baking full time.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Cupcake and fat free are two words that in the same sentence confuse me. Going out on a limb here and being blunt, anything in moderation as long as it’s not a health risk (like with diabetes) or an allergy is perfectly fine. Many people these days expect a miracle with baking. Many do not understand there is not a 20 calorie cupcake that tastes like a 200 calorie cupcake. It does not exist and something will always be missing from it. Full flavor, rich ingredients and great depth is what makes the cupcake perfect. Subtract any of that and it’s not my cup of tea. I have to say no, no I do not nor will not have a trans fat free cupcake.

What is the best cocoa to use?

Hershey’s because when you add other ingredients to it, it holds up amazingly.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Your basic powdered sugar, butter, milk and extract or jam are the perfect combination for me! Buttercream is everything!

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

That’s a pretty big secret that I have to keep to myself right now. I’ve got something I use in our frosting that I’ve not seen many bakers of today use, but actually was something my grandmother and Nanny were the ones who taught me to always incorporate into a frosting.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

I don’t use a pastry bag, I prefer Ziploc bags with my pastry tip on them, it gives just enough resistance for me to do our signature rose tops!

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

I have, since I was very little. I would sit and watch my Nanny and mother bake and always would be so excited when I was asked to help. I started with the standard Nestle Toll house cookie recipe, the next year I concurred a Swedish Cherry pie and a Pumpkin Jelly Roll for Thanksgiving dessert. I was hooked on baking from the youngest memory I have.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

My family inspires me, since my boys were born they’ve had home baked goodies. I always felt that extra time was well worth it and worth making the memories for them to remember. Second it’s seeing people happy. I love watching people eat our cupcakes and the expressions that come onto their faces. Especially when they try a flavor they’ve never had before like our Pad Thai or Maple bacon!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Life, and through remembering things I enjoy eating. Maple bacon was obvious to me, my husband and I love dipping our bacon in syrup when we have pancakes. He gave me the inspiration for the Pad Thai when I was trying to come up with new flavors. Pad Thai is something our oldest son absolutely loves. I love a great pork loin with apple, hence where our Apple bacon got its start. Life though, childhood and what makes me feel happy eating.

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

I’m not really big on decorating; I find that too much takes away from the cupcake. Too much time spent on what it looks like and never enough time spent on the flavor itself is a problem I have with some bakers these days. Clean, classic and full of flavor. That’s my frosting decorating motto.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Being a baker who has had quite a few of my flavors taken, it’s not an easy thing. Right now we’ve got the first Pad Thai cupcake out there. I know eventually many bakers will try their hand at that. It makes me happy they’re inspired by something  we did first but it’s also hard since I’ve had multiple flavors that were signatures (such as our Maple Bacon) taken as quickly as new menus were posted up.  I just try to stay ahead of flavor trends and sometimes not even listen, just go with my gut and create a delicious product that others aren’t doing.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Seeing people eat them!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

Remembering that I’d like to keep the figure I have!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Our banana cupcake is one of the lower calorie ones, as long as you ate one or two I don’t think you’d gain any weight! I’d be more than happy to create something for you.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Never, why get into a business where you are tired of them. I sometimes get physically tired, but never tired of the cupcakes. They’re innocent in the war for sleep. Haha.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

My kitchen isn’t too terribly big, would a walk in closet and trips to the kitchen be okay? And yes please, sometimes I worry my sons say “YUM” just so mom gets the cupcakes out of their room. Haha.

Thanks to Sabrina of The Immortal Bakery for the photos!!!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

I’m Porche Lovely and I own Lovely Confections Bakery.  We are located in Denver CO at 1489 Steele St. Unit C.

Our website is www.LovelyConfectionsBakery.com

Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/LovelyConfections

And you can find us on Twitter @Cupcakes_Denver!

Our focus is on making the finest, artisan cupcakes using organic, local and natural ingredients.  We are an eco-friendly company.  We use sustainable packaging, and we compost and recycle too.  We use compact florescent light bulbs and were able to reduce our electric bill by 50% when we switched.

We also donate as much as possible to non-profits because we want to be an integral part of our community.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

The biggest challenge was finding a location that was already a food service establishment (to minimize expenses) and finding the best source of funding.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Make your business unique.  Give customers a compelling reason to visit your bakery.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

I started writing my business plan in March 2007.  I finished it and got a loan commitment that summer and then started shopping around for location.  It took me until December 2007 to sign the paperwork on my location.  I was so surprised it took that long!  We opened the first week of February 2008.  The biggest hold-up was waiting for the oven to arrive.

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

There isn’t enough time in the day to run a small food business.  I closed the bakery for Thanksgiving weekend last year and those were the first real days off I’ve had since I’ve opened.  That’s right, I went almost 2 years without a full day off.  I haven’t had one off since then!  Twelve to fourteen hour days are the norm.  Longer days make appearances regularly.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

A good oven that bakes evenly, a good mixer, ice cream scoops and piping bags.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

Both should have flavor!  I don’t like cake and buttercream that just tastes like sugar.  Yes, sweet is good but give me flavor too!  Our cupcakes tend to be more dense than others, especially places that use cake mix.  The buttercream too is a bit more substantial because we use a lot of butter.  I love butter.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

It took me the longest to develop by Red Velvet cupcake recipe.  I use a natural food dye so that took some time figuring out how to use correctly.  I tend to wing it a lot of times, especially weekend flavors.  Thankfully I’ve been baking long enough that I have a good feel on how to make things work.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

My carrot cake recipe!  And the coconut, vanilla, and chocolate too.  It’s hard to pick!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

1000% scratch made!  We grate carrots, zest lemons, make our caramel sauce, ganache, etc..  We also make our own fondant.  I’ve even colored my own sprinkles.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Hmm….  We actually have different recipes for the different flavors.  I don’t just put coconut in the vanilla cake.  Or lemon extract in the vanilla cake to make lemon.  When you bake from scratch, the technique can be just as important as the recipe.   Like I said above, make your cupcakes your own.  Make them unique so my foolproof recipe won’t help. 

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

A fabulous wholesale company who shall remain nameless.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Ice cream scoop.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

No- I love butter and eggs.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Simple- don’t use hydrogenated shortening.

What is the best cocoa to use?

I prefer a 22-24% cocoa powder.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Start with any good butter and flavorings and you’ll have a great buttercream.  I won’t share my recipe though.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

I’ve found sweetness to be subjective.  Some people think my buttercream is perfect and some think it is too sweet.  Some think my chocolate buttercream is too chocolately!  (Who knew there was such a thing.)  And others love it because it isn’t too sweet.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Don’t overfill your bag and hold it from the very tippy top.  If you do, it’s like writing with a four foot long pencil.  It just won’t work.  The stronger your hands get the more you’ll be able to fill a bag.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes!

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Both.  I have a deep love for the craft and science of baking.  I’m a big nerd so the chemistry of it all is fascinating.  Baked goods are magic.  They can turn peoples’ days around and make a good day a great one.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Everywhere!  What are new, interesting flavor combos that aren’t currently a cake but could be?

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

We have a signature look for most of our cupcakes.  We do make custom cupcake fondant toppers though.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I think the most important thing is that you are unique in your area.  Surf around the internet for inspiration, read books and magazines and then put your own spin on it.  This is why it is important to be unique.  Being unique allows you to put your spin, touch, etc. on something that you saw someplace else.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

All of it!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

It is a business.  Remember that!  The business’ job is to make money.  Yes, we make people happy with cupcakes and it is wonderful but you have to make money.  The reason you can’t eat it all up as the bakery owner is that it (your cupcakes) is your profit margin.  Your profit margin keeps you in business.  Your profit margin is your paycheck.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Julia Child said “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”  Seriously though, with a balanced diet and exercise a cupcake isn’t going to make you gain weight.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

No, but a lot of these days I can’t smell how yummy the bakery is.  It just smells ‘normal’ to me.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

If customers come in at the right time, they are my taste testers.

All photos courtesy of the Lovely Confections website.

The exterior of the cupcake shop was really neat.  They had big windows so you could see inside to all the cupcakes and the happenings of the store as well as some tables with fun umbrellas and decorations on them.  On a hot sunny day, Saint Cupcake would be a fun place to grab a cupcake and a drink and enjoy the outdoors.

Upon entering Saint Cupcake, I was flooded with a sea of pink!! Pink walls, pink decorations… everything was sweet, fun, cute and pink! This shop would be a little girls dream!  The shop had a small interior, some bar seating and a few tables and chairs and a case loaded with cupcakes!

On one wall, they had this huge mural with the “Story of Saint Cupcake” written on it! So fun!

What I loved about this shop was their huge assortment of mini cupcakes!  There were TONS of them!  I love it when shops have so many mini’s to choose from… it makes me want to order as many as I can!!

So we picked our 4 mini cupcakes and headed out!  I couldn’t wait to try these little yummies!! We didn’t eat them right away though because this was our third stop that day and we were getting cupcaked out!  So, we saved them for later at the hotel.

Oh, and I couldn’t pass up taking a picture of their delivery truck! So cute!

Unfortunately, the cupcakes didn’t survive the heat in our car or my daughter.  Emily stacked the adorable Saint Cupcake box into the soft sided cooler and all the cupcakes were smushed by the time we got to our hotel… so I have no pictures of the cupcakes we chose.   I was so angry… tried to piece together the cupcakes, but didn’t take any pictures of them.  They however, still tasted DELICIOUS!

Saint Cupcake’s website has tons of pictures if you want to see more of their cupcakes!!  This shop is definitely a sweet spot in Portland and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to get cupcakes or host a little girls party!

I was really excited to stop into Sweetpea because their name is special to me.  My husband, who was home on leave from Iraq while we were in Portland, calls me his Sweetpea.  :)  So needless to say, I really didn’t care what Sweetpea Baking Company had in terms of cupcakes, I was just happy to be there with my husband! hehe

As we walked into Sweetpea, we could immediately tell that this bake shop was unlike your typical cute, sweet cupcake store.   Sweetpea is more urban, earthy, more natural with an organic feel.  Perfect match for their vegan cupcakes!  They had a very chill, industrial vibe and I was liking it!

We get up to the counter and find a small selection of cupcakes to choose from along with some other baked goods.  We each pick our cupcakes and then sit down with a big glass of water to enjoy them.  It was quite warm, muggy, and overcast in Portland that day.

I chose the Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcake. It was a very moist, yet dense cupcake with a whipped pb frosting topped with a chocolate piece.  It was full of flavor and the pb/choc combo was to die for!  This cupcake was definitely Vegan, I could taste the grittyness of the natural ingredients.  It wasn’t your typical fluffy, made with real butter and all that yummyness, but it was still good.  If you’re a Vegan, these cupcakes are a great choice for you!

My husband picked the black bottom cupcake (which I didn’t try) but he had the same reaction I did to mine.  He could tell it was Vegan, not being a bad thing, but said it was also really tasty!

My daughter had the vanilla with chocolate frosting.  She ate it all up… so I’m assuming she thought it was delicious! hehe

Overall, I had a really great time at Sweetpea.  I’d definitely come back there if I was in the neighborhood and I’d definitely recommend it to my Vegan friends in the market for an excellent Vegan cupcake!  Sweetpea was also serving up some other Vegan baked goods, but we didn’t try any.  Next time, I’ll branch out and try one!

Thanks Sweetpea for a great visit!!! You were an excellent addition to our Portland Cupcake Crawl!

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/07/portland-cupcake-crawl-sweetpea-baking-company/feed/ 0 http://javacupcake.com/2010/07/july-2010-cupcake-of-the-month/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/07/july-2010-cupcake-of-the-month/#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:30:58 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=2525 This month’s Cupcake of the Month comes from Food Network’s Cupcake Wars winner Chef Chloe Coscarelli and is her “Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake” cupcake – 100% Vegan!

Photo courtesy of Chef Chloe’s blog.

I chose this cupcake because of my own personal life changes and desire to find healthier alternatives to my favorite dessert, cupcakes!  Chloe bakes only 100% vegan masterpieces using the finest of ingredients!

For the recipe to this cupcake and to read all about Chef Chloe’s other delicious Vegan creations, make sure to visit her website and blog!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Sarah Smallwood, Owner and Baker at Life is Sweet in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

http://www.lifeissweetni.com/

http://twitter.com/LifeIsSweetNI

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Belfast/Life-is-Sweet/198174293954?ref=ts

I grew up in the kitchen as my mom’s little helper and a passion for baking stuck with me.  Just about everything I know is through experience (trial and error) and research.  After attending a baking demo last summer, I couldn’t help but wonder why I wasn’t baking professionally.  It very quickly went from spontaneous idea to a business plan in the works (with endless support from my husband!).

Life is Sweet is a home-based baking company specializing in American desserts.  A large part of my business is cupcakes, but I also do whoopie pies, Hello, Dollies, cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, etc…and my menu is ever-growing.  As an American expat, I bring the wonders of the American baking tradition to those in Northern Ireland.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Even without a rented space, there are a lot of start-up costs.  The list of things you need, things you would never have considered, takes on a life of its own.  Baking supplies, not just the ingredients but cake pans, fondant cutters, gum paste, glitter, it’s all quite expensive and it can be a long time before you start to earn all that back, and make a profit on top of it.   It can be quite daunting, and sometimes discouraging.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

My business is still so young and new, but from my current position, according to things I’ve already experienced in the field, I’d definitely say to always try to be distinctive. There are so many bakeries out there.  Of course offer the classics everybody loves, but be creative when devising flavours and designs.  Set yourself apart one way or another.

Also, relating to costs, don’t feel like you have to have a formal website, flashy logo, business cards, flyers, stickers, custom packaging, etc right off the bat.  It is very easy to get caught up, seeing what competitors have and trying to match them, thinking if you don’t have all of those resources up front you won’t succeed.  But I say determine what you think is absolutely essential and expand as needed.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

Cupcake perfection for me means chocolate, salted caramel, and fresh fruit; cake that is moist with a compact crumb but is soft and not dense; slightly more (buttercream) icing than cake.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

There is no standard number of re-dos.  I find my recipes using fresh fruit in the batter require a lot more testing to get the right ratios to achieve both a delectable texture and distinctive flavour.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I use as little packaged materials as possible.  Batter, mousses, curds, frostings, caramels,…it’s all made by me.  I do not use pre-made sugar flowers or figures.  Toppers of this sort are handmade in my kitchen.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Be patient.  If making quick/American buttercream, add the (sifted) confectioner’s sugar slowly and allow time for it to be absorbed by the butter and milk (or whatever liquids/flavouring you’re using).  Taste it through the process and stop adding sugar when it meets your taste.  If you’re afraid your frosting isn’t thick enough, a good trick is to whip it on high for a few minutes to incorporate air rather than adding more sugar.  The result is a light and fluffy buttercream, rather than an overly-sweet, gritty one.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice makes perfect.  You don’t need to make a batch of cupcakes to practice your technique.  Make a small batch of frosting, any kind, and pipe with various tips on a convenient surface.    You can add the icing back to the bags and reuse to test other techniques.  The more practice you have, the easier you’ll find it to keep your hand steady and get consistent swirls, flowers, etc.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

These days, with the business, it’s becoming more of an obsession and compulsion rather than a simple passion, but definitely.  I’ve always loved seeing all the ingredients come together in the bowl.  My favourite part though is the decorating, it’s a great creative outlet, if sometimes frustrating and exhausting!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Simply, I think of desserts or flavour combinations I enjoy elsewhere and try to translate them into cupcake form.  Right now, I’m working on Peach Green Tea and Spumoni cupcake ideas. Random designs, seasons, and even colours serve as inspiration sometimes as well.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a frosting fiend, but I love when all components of a cupcake – moist cake, fluffy, creamy frosting, and maybe even a yummy surprise centre! – meld and you’re hit with an incredible taste and texture experience.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Yes!  When I’ve been on my feet all day and can’t fathom doing anything but putting my feet up and vegging out.

All photos courtesy of Sarah Smallwood.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Hi, I’m an American who grew up in Southern Virginia, has lived in 3 continents (NorthAmerica, Europe & Asia) and eaten at almost every cupcake place in between!  Currently residing in the Netherlands (Holland), I started my cupcake business after becoming a stay-at-home mom who was craving good cupcakes.  There are NO (other than my own) good cupcakes here in Holland!  I was looking for something creative & lucrative to do with my spare time.  “Alice in CAKEland” aka “AliceinCUPCAKEland” was born in October 2009…

www.aliceincupcakeland.com

www.twitter.com/aliceincakeland

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Netherlands-Holland/Alice-in-Cakeland/156056398983

(sorry i dont have any good photos of me!?!? ….booo! but here’s a good photo of my cupcakes and oven!)

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Setting up a website in both English & Dutch!

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Study your competitions carefully…find their weaknesses and don’t do the same.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

About 2-3months

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Definitely more! I eat, sleep, breath cupcakes….what to do next, things to improve along w/ the baking, social networking (twitter is worth every minute I spend on it), replying to potential customer emails and order taking etc….

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Ah! There are 2 kitchen gadgets I would not live without …not sure I want to share my secrets though!

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

The cake should be moist, fluffy.  The icing should be airy and light yet packed with flavor and its sweet all around!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

This varies.  The icings I get them right after 3-4 attempts.  My cake I’m still working on!….its yummy but I feel it could be better.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

My new deep dark chocolate cupcake i call “New Moon”……oooooowwww weee its SWEET!

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

Oh its all from scratch!

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Yeah someone share that answer with me, please!  I’m a perfectionist so each flavor has its own recipe….not really one flavor fits all kind of cupcakes here.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

The good ol’ USA! (import them into the Netherlands!)

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Very carefully!  I need to establish more of a methodology to this but this is where my right brain takes over and I just eyeball it.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Not yet but it’s in future plans!

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

To my knowledge, butter is a saturated fat.  And trans-fat is not found in saturated fats only in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated (quoting wikipedia here).  (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!) Therefore, going back to the question, my cupcakes are trans-fat free!  (Sorry not sharing the recipe)

What is the best cocoa to use?

That’s a secret!……hehehehhe

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

Butter, sugar, and milk……then add the added flavor chocolate, berry juice etc….

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Lots of milk.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Talent? )

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes but i had suppressed it thinking I’d never be successful at it.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

I love making yummy, creative, pretty things….they happen to be cupcakes that makes people happy.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors? How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Researching what other people around the world are doing!

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Luckily there’s a huge gap in the cupcake market here in Europe which leaves everyone here with plenty of opportunity to bake & sell “new & unique” flavors.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The icing!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I do eat it all up!  But i also drink lots of water, do bikram yoga and do not eat anything fried, do not eat bread or any other “bad” stuff.  And I only eat good veggies/good foods after 6pm!  It’s not what you eat, it’s how much you eat at what time!  Eating a pizza at noon then staying active all day is probably better than eating a pizza then going to bed 3 hours later.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Yes, just eat it for breakfast and stay active the rest of the day!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Never!

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

You’ll have to fight my husband for that position

All photos courtesy of Alice in Cakeland.

We pull up to the shop nestled in a quaint neighborhood shopping center and can immediately smell the cupcake goodness coming from the bake shop.  A sign for story time greets us as we make our way into the bright, fun filled cupcake shop!

Immediately, I notice the decor of the shop… a little bit retro, a little bit modern… a lot fun!! The bright blues just popped against the bright white walls.

Ooohhh the cupcakes!!! They had so many to choose from! The first thing I noticed was that Bliss had their mini cupcakes displayed right next to their regular size cupcakes… this is something that most of the cupcake shops in Seattle don’t do.  So, I was surprised to see a complete assortment of mini’s!  Also on the menu was a selection of gluten-free cupcakes!  The very kind girl behind the counter told us they had been asked to serve some and they are slowing getting more popular and hope to expand their selection when demand increases!  How awesome is that?

We chose 4 mini’s to sample.  Rainbow bliss, Mocha bliss, Vanilla bliss, and Chocolate Chip Mint bliss.   All of them excellent… moist and the buttercream was smooth and full of flavor!

I loved this little shop so much, that my husband bought me a Bliss Bake Shop t-shirt that says I <3 Cupcakes on the front!  The people at the shop were so great to chat with, there was even a little play area for the kids to hang out while Moms enjoy their cupcakes.

I also should mention that Bliss also serves ice cream, cookies and makes milkshakes!  My husband got a mocha ice cream milkshake and he said it was one of the best he’s ever had! Yay for Bliss milkshakes!

You can find Bliss on Facebook and Twitter so make sure to follow them… and stop by their shop the next time you’re in Portland!  It’s a must visit Pacific Northwest destination!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Jamie, I operate the site mybakingaddiction.com. My blog started on a whim almost two years ago when I was suffering from summer boredom. I teach school full time, so I have the summers off and I am usually going a little stir crazy by mid-July. Within in the past couple of years, I have watched my blog grow and have enjoyed every minute of it. I adore my readers and always get so excited to read their comments, opinions and ideas.

I love being in the kitchen cooking and baking delicious recipes for my friends and family. Since starting my blog, I have ignited my passion for photography…especially of food. I love being behind the camera and trying new techniques in an effort to perfect my skills and take my photos to another level. I dream of baking and photographing for a living…hopefully one day it will turn into a reality!

If you want to connect with me, you can check out my blog at www.mybakingaddiction.com

Follow me in on twitter: www.twitter.com/bakingaddiction

Hook up with me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/My-Baking-Addiction/380020751696?ref=ts

Or Subscribe to my feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/mybakingaddiction

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

I do not own a bakery at this time, but it is definitely a dream of mine.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

I adore Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake recipe for cupcakes. If has an amazing texture and crumb. Top it off with delicious lemon buttercream and I am in heaven!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

It all depends on the recipe. I am pretty good at following an existing recipe, but if I am attempting to adapt or create an original recipe, it can take multiple attempts to get it right.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I would say 90% of everything I bake is from scratch.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter?

Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I mainly purchase my items from: shopbakersnook.com bakeitpretty.com

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

I use the OXO large cookie scoop to measure my batter.

What is the best cocoa to use?

I love me some Scharffen Berger Cocoa.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

My fave is featured on this blog post…the cupcakes are pretty amazing too! http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/guinness-cupcakes/

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes, my nana had me baking and cooking at a very early age.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

I love cupcakes, but I find true pleasure in baking for people. Baking often evokes fond memories and I love hearing childhood stories from friends and family that involve food, smells, and flavors.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

I get inspiration from everywhere!

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The frosting…definitely the frosting!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I always take a taste…everything in moderation is key!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

LOL, I would love to develop this product, I’d me rich! You’ll be the first to know if it ever happens!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Yes, if I have a ton of them to do for an order or an event…I get cupcaked out!

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

You sure can, I can set up a futon next to my oven!

All photos courtesy of My Baking Addiction.

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Rhienn Davis and I’m a professional cake snob.  I’ve always been a food person and baking sprang naturally from that beginning.  I’m also somewhat creatively inclined. I spent years in various careers (horse trainer, media- maven, book keeper, etc.) struggling to find a job that would stimulate both the creative and the analytical sides of my brain.  The entire time I was making cakes for friends.  That turned into friends of friends.  Then friends of friends of… you get the idea.  It was time to get serious.  My (unflappable, amazing, and unbelievably patient) husband gave me the final push to go out and start a business.  So I did.  Look Cupcake was born.  We have a commercial kitchen in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.

We’re also all over the interwebs:

http://www.lookcupcake.com

http://www.lookcupcake.blogspot.com

http://www.flickr.com/look_cupcake

http://www.facebook.com/lookcupcake

http://www.twitter.com/lookcupcake

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Initially – figuring out the seasonality and the busy/slow cycle timing.  Because we specialize in custom wedding and event displays our business is very seasonal.  It took time to level things out.  It was feast or famine at first.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

I think unwavering commitment to quality has been the key for us.  We don’t make your average, every day cake/cupcake and we know that it’s not for everyone… and we’re OK with that.  We put that out there in every marketing message, every conversation and every.single.order that goes out our door.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Years and years and years of baking.  About six weeks of actively starting the business (paperwork, permitting, etc.)

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

More time than you ever have.  Always.  There are always fifteen things you just didn’t quite get to today.  It consumes your every waking moment and way more of the sleeping ones than you’d like it to.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Dishers (ice cream scoops) are invaluable, lots of spatulas, a scale and piping bags.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

A moist buttery cake with a fine crumb, a pocket of delicious filling and topped with smooth, creamy, not-too-sweet buttercream.  That’s the magic formula.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

Sometimes the first try is magic, sometimes you tweak for months.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Something tells me giving out my favorite cupcake recipe PROBABLY wouldn’t be a very savvy business move on my part.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

EVERYTHING is made from scratch.  I’m an evangelist about this.  We house make everything… right down the the fruit purees and salted caramel.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Find an awesome yellow cake recipe and a magical chocolate cake recipe and you can make just about anything happen from those two bases.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

We don’t use sprinkles very often.  The majority of our decorations are hand made.  You can get awesome, natural sanding sugars and such from India Tree.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Dishers (ice cream scoops)

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Yes and it’s spectacular.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

We don’t use trans-fats in any of our products.

What is the best cocoa to use?

We use Pernigotti cocoa.  It’s from Italy and has a very high fat content.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

We use Swiss Meringue buttercream.  Once you go to a European meringue based buttercream, there’s no going back.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice.  Lots and lots of practice.  Don’t be afraid to try new things with different tips.  You may find something gorgeous you wouldn’t have discovered had you stuck to the “norm.”

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Yes.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Love of making things people enjoy.  We do a lot more than just cupcakes.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Most of our flavor inspirations come from genres of food and/or drinks that we love.  Mojito, anyone?

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

See above.  There are no rules.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Everything has been done.  You just have to put your own twist on things.  It’ll drive you MAD if you get caught up in worrying about other people copying your ideas.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

No need to dirty a dish to have great cake!  Just peel and eat.

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I eat more cake scraps than I care to admit.   Thankfully, chef coats are cut generously!

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Would that be worth it?  I mean, the naughty indulgent aspect of it is half the fun, right?

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

I haven’t yet.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

How are you at scrubbing cake pans?  Maybe we could work out a trade.

All photos courtesy of the Look Cupcake blog and website.

With that said… this will be JavaCupcake’s last post until June!  To tide you over until then… check out the great posts of JavaCupcake past!

Here are some links to get you started!

Index of all recipes posted on JavaCupcake

Our amazingly successful “Ask the Baker” Series

Reviews of cupcakes and cupcake shops

Recipes and articles by Guest Bloggers

Novelty Cupcakes – Creative cupcakes and some cupcakes that you can’t eat!

Photo by: Clane Gessel Photography

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/05/rest-relaxation/feed/ 3 http://javacupcake.com/2010/05/ask-the-baker-jessie-oleson-of-cakespy/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/05/ask-the-baker-jessie-oleson-of-cakespy/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 15:04:50 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=2262 JavaCupcake Note: This is the sixth post in the “Ask the Baker” series featuring interviews with bakers and bakery owners! Click here to see the complete list of bakers being interviewed.  This is the last interview until June! My husband is coming HOME and “Ask the Baker” will be taking a break!

From the CakeSpy website:

Cakespy.com is a Dessert Detective Agency dedicated to seeking sweetness (literally) in everyday life. We do this by writing about bakeries, conducting baking experiments, and picking the brains of bakers and food artists, and finding awesome products for lovers of baked goods.

The Cakespy crew is comprised of several Cake Gumshoes throughout the US, and is headed up by Head Spy Jessie Oleson. Jessie O is a freelance writer and illustrator, whose writing appears on DailyCandy.com, and has a weekly column on Serious Eats, and who has illustrated for various companies including Microsoft, iPop, All-Mighty, Taylored Expressions, and is a regular contributor to Taste of Home.

CakeSpy Headquarters is in Seattle, Washington.

Photo credit: Erica Daking, All-Mighty Clothing

You can find CakeSpy all over the web!

CakeSpy.com
Flickr
Twitter
Facebook

Recipe/Ingredients questions

What do I consider to be the perfect cupcake?

Vanilla buttery cake with pink buttercream. Basically, the cupcake character I draw all the time. I draw what I want to eat! Constantly!

How many times do you have to re-do a recipe?

I am guilty of being a little bit ADD with baking — I get bored. I like to mix it up, so I will rarely do a recipe more than 2x.

My favorite cupcake recipe?

I love the basic cupcake recipe from Magnolia Bakery’s cookbook – but I love to mix up the frostings.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

The Home Cake Decorating Supply Company! And Bake it Pretty, online!

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

eh…They’re maybe not always all the same size, but I imagine that measuring out your batter carefully would be the key here.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

As a matter of fact I do! It’s the avocado cake that I found on Joy the Baker. It’s vegan but also the most decadent chocolate cake I’ve possibly ever come across. Here: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/07/vegan-chocolate-avocado-cake/

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

um…I don’t think so! Maybe that vegan one is though?

What is the best cocoa to use?

I know that some people get all fancy, but I actually like Hershey’s Special Dark.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

My favorite way to do it is usually sans recipe – start out with 2 sticks of butter at room temperature, creaming it until fluffy, and then adding confectioners’ sugar and a dot of vanilla (and whatever flavorings etc) until it’s reached a desired consistency.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

I taste it as I add in the sugar – it is easy to add too much. I love sweetness but too much is too much!

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Still working on that one!

Inspiration questions:

Did you always have a passion for baking?

I absolutely did–my mom says that my first real word (other than mama and dada) was “chocolate” after tasting frosting for the first time. Yeah!

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

What inspires me? Love of making things people enjoy. I like eating other people’s baked goods better than eating my own!

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

The internet, silly! Isn’t that what it was made for?

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Um, definitely Hello, Cupcake (the book) and their new follow up!

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I just don’t google it. Because if I have an idea and google it, someone has probably already done it. But if I don’t, I can at least pretend the idea was mine and have my own spin on it.

This and more original CakeSpy artwork can be found for sale at cakespyshop.com.

Fun questions:

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The part where the frosting and cake touch. Magical!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I do eat it up though.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

I can draw you one!

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

N.E.V.E.R. When I met a girl who made custom perfume once, I asked her if she could make me smell like a freshly baked birthday cake, so does that answer your question?

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

OK! You have to clean the dishes though. Sorry.

**************************************************************

Note from Betsy about Jessie:

Jessie recently bought the Bluebottle Art Gallery in Seattle and have transformed it into her very own CakeSpy Shop!!! This weekend is the GRAND OPENING of the shop and I couldn’t be happier for Jessie!  For more details of the opening, visit the event page on Facebook!

Photo Credit: Jessie Oleson of CakeSpy

I had the pleasure of meeting Jessie for the first time at Trophy Cupcakes when Rachel of Cupcakes Take the Cake came into town.  It was my first ever cupcake meet-up and it was a blast!! Jessie was as sweet in person as she is online and I was thrilled to be able to have an opportunity to chat with her.  My daughter, Emily, absolutely adores Jessie’s art and her famous Lil’ Cuppie!

Rachel from CTTC, Jennifer Shea owner of Trophy Cupcakes, Jessie Oleson of CakeSpy, Unknown, Betsy Eves of JavaCupcake

Jessie and my daughter at Cupcake Camp Seattle

Knowing Jessie has been such a pleasure.  I never realized what a blessing it would be to someway be involved in the cupcake community… And although I’m a newbie, Jessie has made me feel completely welcomed and appreciated for what I do.  Thank you Jessie for being a kind, welcoming, strong woman who inspires me to do better and be better! You are truly a rare gem in this world Jessie and I am proud to know you!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

My name is Clara (aka CB or Ms. Cuppycakes to my blog readers).  I was introduced to blogging in December 2007 by my bff, Nikki of Crazy Delicious Food, b/c it was a way to hold me accountable while she was teaching me how to cook via the internet.  (She lives in Boston and I live in California.)  At first it was more of a recipe holder to store recipes that I found via other food blogs and the internet but over time and encouragement from Nikki, I started posting things that I was baking and cooking in my own kitchen.  After a while I started noticing how many cupcakes I was baking and decided to break off my original food blog into a Cupcake Only blog.

http://iheartcuppycakes.com

It’s actually kind of fun to go back to the first few recipes and see how much I’ve learned, grown and created in the last 3 years.  I don’t have any formal training besides “graduating” from Wilton’s 4-class cake decorating series at Michael’s craft store.  My cupcake blog is proof that anyone, with no baking experience outside a cake mix and butter knife (Yes, I really did use a butter knife in the old days), can learn to bake from scratch and pipe a purdy swirl with some imagination, willingness to learn and an encouraging teacher.

Actually Nikki thinks it’s pretty funny that I’m not the one asking her questions anymore.  I’m the one getting emails, tweets, texts from other newbie cupcake-ers asking me questions.  And I love it.  I’m a strong believer that teaching is the best way to learn.  I know learn from every question.

Please feel free to contact me via email: iheartcuppycakes@gmail.com or twitter @ihcuppycakes.

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Definitely my KitchenAid mixer.  I have the Artisan Red 5 quart 325 watt model. (I fondly named her Ginger Spice.)  I know the price seems daunting but trust me.  Worth every penny.  If you are diligent online bargain shopper like my bff, you can find it for less than you think.  She found mine on Amazon for $199+free shipping.  I think retail would have been $350.  Score!  Some of my other cupcake staples are:  Wilton 1M (favorite star tip), Wilton 1A (favorite round tip), piping bag (I prefer disposables), offset spatula, cupcake liners, cupcake pan, oven thermometer, various decorations (I’m addicted to dragees! Sshhh! They are illegal in CA though), food coloring gel (I prefer gel instead of liquid), measuring spoons and teaspoons, digital scale, various size mixing bowls, sifter, whisks, spatulas, ice cream scoop (makes it easy to fill cupcake liners!), cooling rack, food safe markers/writers (I prefer Americolor).

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

I’m a frosting girl so my perfect cupcake needs to have the higher ratio of frosting to cake.  Honestly.  The cake is just a vehicle for the frosting for me. HA!  I’m a fan of Swiss Meringue Buttercream because it has a smooth not overly sweet texture and flavor.  I also won’t turn down Cream Cheese Frosting or anything caramel flavored either.  As for the cake.  I need my cake to be light and fluffy not dense.  If I can throw the cupcake against the wall and it lands with a “thud” I aint eating it!

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

It really depends.  I’m pretty confident *knock on wood* with basic recipes (ie vanilla or chocolate) but when I create something new it might take me 1x (if I’m lucky) or 3-4-5x to get it right.  I aint gonna lie.  It’s a lot of trial and error.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Favorite is a tough word!  I have many different favorites.  And they change all the time.  But right now I’m a fan of Shelly Kaldunski’s Vanilla Cupcakes, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cupcakes and Elisa Straus’ Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I tend to use these basic cupcake recipes and spruce them with my own spin.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

I tend to bake from scratch more than mixes but it’s not because I’m against cake mixes like my fellow cupcake-ers.  It’s more of a control thing.  When I create different flavors, I want to be in control of everything that goes into it so that if I need to adjust any ingredient it won’t be a guessing game.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

You really can’t go wrong with a basic vanilla cupcake recipe.  (See link in question above)

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

I’m very lucky to have a variety of cake supply stores near me.  Two of my favorites are ABC Cakes in Orange, California and Calico Cake Shop in Buena Park, CA.  I have also ordered from Confectionary House and Bake It Pretty online.  Don’t forget to check your local Michaels, Macys (Martha Stewart collection) and grocery stores too!  You can find some cute things in stock sometimes.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

I use an ice cream scoop to help me keep the cupcake batter the same volume for each cupcake liner.  I know many readers ask me what the size is.  Honestly?  I have no idea.  It’s just a regular ol ice cream scoop that I bought on sale at my local Target.  It just took me trial and error to estimate the amount of cake batter for each liner.  Am I perfect now?  Not in the least because all recipes aren’t created the same and how much batter can vary for every recipe.  Short answer. I just don’t worry if they aren’t the same size.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

I can’t say that I’ve done much in the vegan cupcake realm but I would recommend Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz if you are looking for a vegan cupcake cookbook.  I’ve heard rave reviews from many vegan and non-vegan cupcake bakers.

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

My motto is:  If you are gonna do something wrong.  Do it right.  So I don’t have any trans-fat cupcake recipes.  I tend towards moderation instead.  But don’t ask me how that’s working out.

What is the best cocoa to use?

I use either Valhrona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder.  Which one is the best?  I think that’s more personal preference.

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

As I mentioned in question #1, I’m a Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) girl.  I love Martha Stewart’s recipe.  You can find her basic recipe on page 304 of her Cupcakes book or (here) via her website.  I’ve also tried her caramel and strawberry variations.  Yum!  I could eat it straight from the mixing bowl.  Click (here) for SMBC recipes I’ve made on my blog.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Don’t dump in all the powdered sugar at once!  I add my powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time and pinky taste before adding more.

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice Practice Practice! Patience and a steady hand.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Not always.  I loved baking with my mom when I was little (I was her beater licker pastry sous chef) but it wasn’t until after I got married that I really got into cooking and baking for my new husband.  I call it the domesticity bug.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Here’s my cop out answer.  It’s a little bit of both.  Everyone loves cupcakes so it’s really easy to bake something I love and also bake something that friends and family enjoy eating.  Show me someone that doesn’t love cupcakes and I’ll show you someone that hates puppies. I think it’s actually been scientifically proven.  But don’t quote me.

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

I get inspired by fellow cupcake-ers, books, art, colors and random ideas that pop into my head.  Sometimes I even dream about it.

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Ditto Question above.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I think it’s harder and harder to have a truly original idea these days.  Every cake recipe is gonna need similar ratios of flour, sugar, butter, eggs but I think the thing that sets cupcakes apart from before to now are unique flavors (bacon!) or decorating ideas that are complicated in an easy way (think Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson).  For me I do what I like and hope that others like what I’m doing.  If not, at least I’ll enjoy eating the cupcake!

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Frosting!

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

Who says I don’t eat it all up?

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Honey, if I could do that I’d be Oprah’s personal pastry chef making frillion dollars.  HA!

Do you ever get tired of the sight or smell of cupcakes?

Nope.  I think that’s why I love baking cupcakes.  I don’t get bored.  I don’t get tired of it.  I enjoy every minute thinking about cupcakes, eating cupcakes, dreaming about cupcakes.  It’s a sweet life.  (No pun intended.)

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

Sure!  But I warn you.  Many of my personal taste testers can’t keep up with my constant cupcake baking.  Eventually they leave me for steak.  HA HA!

THE END

I wanna take this opportunity to THANK the following people:

My husband, my best friend, my rock, my soul mate.  Everything I am is because of you.  I love you.

Nikki of Crazy Delicious Food, my baking+cooking mentor and virtual cupcake taste tester, the one that answers my questions at 1am with only a “little” bit of complaining about interrupting her beauty sleep.  Remember we’re 3 hours time difference apart. (s.pisp.lsp.osp.vsp.espy.sp.ospu.spgs.pi.sp.rspl.sp)

Betsy of Java Cupcake for the opportunity to be interviewed.

All my IHEARTCUPPYCAKES! readers.  My blog would be lonely without you.

Makes approx 3 dozen (36) cupcakes.

Cupcakes:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
Zest of one lemon

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla
¾ cup milk
The juice of ½ a lemon

4 cups strawberries, roughly chopped + 1 cup sugar + 2 tbsp butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pans with 30 liners.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter.  Add the strawberries and coat with melted butter.  Stir in sugar and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until strawberries begin to reduce and a thick strawberry sauce is made.  Divide in half and then set aside to cool.

Prepare the sugar by working the lemon zest into sugar by pressing the back of a spatula down into sugar, thus releasing the oils from the zest into the sugar.  This process should take about five minutes, and the sugar will become very fragrant.

Cream the butter for 2-3 minutes using electric mixer and the paddle attachment.  Add the sugar to the butter mixture and continue creaming until fluffy.

While butter/sugar are creaming, in another bowl sift together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Sift at least twice to ensure all ingredients are combined.

Add eggs one at a time to butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly after each egg.

In a measuring cup that pours, mix together the milk, lemon juice and vanilla.

SLOWLY alternate adding the flour and milk mixture to the butter/sugar.  Begin and end with the flour and make sure to mix very well after each addition.

Scrape sides of the bowl and fold in ½ the strawberries.  Do not over mix.

Fill liners 1/2 full with batter.

Bake for 13 minutes and rotate pan 180 degrees in oven. Bake another 3-6 minutes.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to completely cool.

Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lbs (approx 8 cups) powdered sugar
1/4 -1/2  cup milk
Zest of ½ a lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tbsp light corn syrup

Directions:
In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter.

One cup at a time, add the powdered sugar.  Between each cup, add a splash of milk.   Mix until smooth & scrape down the sides after each addition

Before the last cup of sugar, add the zest and juice of the lemon.  Mix until smooth.

Add the corn syrup.

Add any remaining milk until you get the texture and consistency you want.

Mix on high for 4-5 minutes.

Remove ½ the buttercream and set aside.  Add 5-7 drops of yellow food coloring to the remaining frosting and mix until it’s the color you want.

To Assemble:
Strain the second half of the strawberries, reserving the juice for later.

Spoon a small dollop of strawberry on top of each cupcake.  (NOTE:  My cupcakes sunk in the middle because I DIDN’T use ROOM TEMPERATURE butter!!! Eeeek)

Put half yellow/half white frosting into a pastry bag with a star tip and frost the cupcakes.

Drizzle cupcakes with reserved strawberry juice.

Top with a fresh, clean strawberry.

Take pretty pictures of your cupcakes!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

It’s me Monica Serratos, owner of Two Parts Sugar, Orange County CA.  I literally never used a mixer until October 2008… haven’t stopped mixing since! I am a mother of 3 first…I have 3 y/o Alicia, 2 y/o Anabelle, and 4 mo old Angelica. I rent a commercial kitchen in Irvine and bake at night into the wee hours of the morning while my girls sleep soundly in bed. I then come home to be a “stay at home mom”…naps are golden. I absolutely LOVE what i do and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twopartssugar/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-Parts-Sugar/276707580173?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/twopartssugar

http://twopartssugar.com

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Finding the time and convincing my husband.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Hard work, determination (although my husband might call being stubborn), and most importantly a good heart.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

It just kinda happened….

How much time does it take to run your business?  More or less than you anticipated?

Waaay more! It gets tricky juggling 3 girls 3 and under, a husband and baking.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

My Kitchen Aid mixer is my god.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

Moist, soft, and held together, icing sweet but not overly so and PROPORTION people…I like a little cake with my icing please.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

I’m getting frustrated just thinking about it.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Our raspberry red velvets…get’s em every time

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

ALL made from scratch

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste?

You wish!

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

OC Novelty in Santa Ana…they rock!

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

My other god…the handy dandy ice cream scoop

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

Nope…possibly in the future

Do you have a delicious recipe for a trans-fat-free cupcake?

Desserts should be indulgent…leave your diets at the door please

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

You wish

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

See above

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

Practice

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Baked occasionally, but NEVER pictured myself doing this….always been creative and dabble in making kids clothes, baby blankets, scrapbooking all that kinda stuff…found out I had a knack for cakes/cupcakes

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

There really is nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up when they see and taste your creations. I am a huge people person…I sometimes have to check myself, cause I like to add that little extra

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

EVERYWHERE….ice cream flavors, cookies, drinks, you name it

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

Just bring me a theme and my mind goes crazy

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

The decorations

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I usually do

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

It probably would not taste good

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

Yes, when it’s 6:00 in the morning, I know my girls are waking up and I am stuck in the kitchen finishing up and order I decided to add a “lil sumin” to that ended up taking way longer than I thought.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

Hmmmm…that’s the best part of the job…sorry.

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/04/ask-the-baker-monica-of-two-parts-sugar/feed/ 0 http://javacupcake.com/2010/04/guest-blogger-katherine-shares-her-secrets-to-taking-amazing-cupcake-photos/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/04/guest-blogger-katherine-shares-her-secrets-to-taking-amazing-cupcake-photos/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:19:24 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=1988 Katherine Moore is a friend I met through the power of Twitter and social media. We realized quickly that we lived only a few miles from each other and had a lot in common… our husbands are both deployed and we both have a love for cupcakes! I met Katherine in person by complete chance at the Cold Stone Creamery in our neighborhood and then got to spend time with her again at Cupcake Camp Seattle. I feel truly blessed to have become friends with such a talented baker and photographer. You can find Katherine on Twitter and her photography on Flickr.  All the photos in this article were taken by Katherine using her Canon 30D.

First of all, I must say I am completely overjoyed by the oh-so-wonderful Betsy, or Java Cupcake, as she recently asked me to be a guest blogger and write a brief photography piece for her fantastically delicious blog! Cupcakes and photography? Both are individually delightful and together they are enough to provoke an over the top happy dance. I‘m not even kidding. Seriously, baking yummy cupcake treats, photographing those little lovelies and then of course the taste testing, can it get any better?

I think not!

Although I must admit, I’m quite new to the world of photography. So new that I just recently celebrated the first anniversary with my lovely little Canon 30D. I genuinely do not consider myself a real photographer and I’m primarily blaming this on my unwillingness to read instruction manuals or directions. I’ve always been the type to figure things out on my own and in my own way. My creativity is continuously improving and I’m finding myself more inspired each and everyday with the incredible people who do photography professionally. I’d like to think every picture I take is a new adventure – So, let me share my top three favorite pieces of advice with you.

First, the two most common techniques I absolutely believe in, is to utilize natural lighting and to style your subject attractively. Yep. That’s it. Very simple and extremely effective.

Although, in this wonderful State of Washington, utilizing natural light can be quite tricky. At least that’s my primary complaint during those forever long, dark and rainy winter months. I often found myself rushing to finish decorating the cupcakes to simply run outside and take a picture before the sun disappeared. In most cases, I would end up saving my cupcake creations until the next afternoon simply to take a better picture. So, if possible, take advantage of any natural lighting when it is actually available.

Second, most of my food and cupcake pictures are taken right in my own dining room – Hurrah for a sturdy window sill! Not only do I have ample amounts natural light but the presentation is also clean in appearance. I’m personally drawn to the simplicity and minimalism as it directs your focus to what really matters, your subject. Props and backgrounds are fun and can certainly add nostalgia to your photograph; however, using items or backgrounds that are too busy can often distract from the fabulousness of your subject. I like to think a bit of simplicity is often enough to make a photograph ‘pop’ on its own.

Finally, my absolute favorite piece of advice is to photograph absolutely everything you see. Yes, continue to photograph everything even if your significant other looks over to find you attempting to balance a cupcake on top of your pet Chihuahua’s head. Just ignore those judgmental stares and continue on with the silliness! You can read an instruction manual all day but the real lessons will come once you pick up the camera and begin shooting.

Enjoy the endless creativity!

I was so excited to see the cupcakes at the counter that I didn’t even check out the other goodies they had for sale at the Double Play Desserts counter! The lady behind the counter said they were all out of the chocolate Oreo cupcakes, but they had plenty of the rest!

• Vanilla with Vanilla frosting topped with Oreo
• Vanilla with Vanilla frosting topped with Sliced Almonds
• Vanilla with Chocolate frosting topped with Sprinkles
• Chocolate with Vanilla frosting topped with Mini M&M’s
• Chocolate with Vanilla frosting topped with Nuts

I let Emily pick which one we were going to try… the Oreo cupcake was the winner.  They handed us the cupcake in a little tray and I could feel the warmth of the cupcake immediately.  They served their cupcakes WARM!!! FRESH out of the oven and topped with frosting and Oreo goodness.  After getting over the shock of the warmth of the cupcakes, I realized how big they were.  For $3.75, these cupcakes were worth every penny just for their size!

So, we sat down at our seats and well… had to eat our garlic fries before we tasted the cupcake.  hehe

After those were devoured, we conquered the cupcake!  It was too big to just take a bite into, so I took the bottom of and tested the cake part first.  OH MY GOODNESS… it was moist and flavorful.  You could actually taste the vanilla flavor in it.  I was so pleasantly surprised by it’s yummy-factor!  Next, it was on to the top, where all the oreo goodness was.  And let me tell you… it was heaven!!! Just the perfect amount of sweet frosting topped with crushed Oreo.  YUMMMM-O!!!!

I will say though… that compared to the pictures of the cupcakes I saw that the Mariners put out before the season started to hype these little bad boys… these cupcakes weren’t quite as gourmet as I anticipated.   But… over all, these cupcakes are definitely worth the trek to Section 185 to try!

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Crumb
founded by Carrie Nickerson and David Menestres
Raleigh, NC

http://justCrumb.com
http://twitter.com/justCrumb
http://facebook.com/justCrumb

Cups of cake are a very small part of our business. We are custom bakers who bake just about anything. Cake in cupped form is just a useful way for serving great cake in a pre-portioned fashion.

Photo from IndyWeek.Com and by Jeremy M. Lange

Start-up questions:

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

Finding backers that can provide the type of support and money that we need has been our hardest ongoing challenge. Maintaining full control of our creative vision is the most important thing to us.

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

Be creative. No one will pay for something they can buy from a local supermarket. Use as many local products as you can and forge relationships with local foodies. If you can make the foodies happy then the rest are easy. Find a banker you can work with and an accountant you trust.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Very little. Most of your planning time needs to be spent working on great, original recipes which is an ongoing process. Stasis is not a good thing. Evolution and ingenuity are what drive all successful businesses.

How much time does it take to run your business? More or less than you anticipated?

Running a business is a constant thing. If we’re not baking we’re thinking about new recipes, supplies we need, and the next few days, weeks, and months. It’s rare to spend more than an hour to two a week when we’re not thinking about or doing something business related.

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Tools, gadgets, and gizmos are all shit. You need a few mixing bowls, some measuring cups and spoons, a few cup cakes pans, and a pastry bag with a few tips. If you can make something awesome with minimal equipment then you will be golden.

Recipe/Baking questions:

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

We make everything ourselves.  Freshness is one of the most important consideration in a quality baked good. Pre-made items have too many chemicals and preservatives that will do nothing to enhance your cake.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Practice.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

We have vegan options, gluten free options, and other options for people with dietary restrictions.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Use less sugar.

Inspiration Questions:

Did you always have a passion for baking?

Learning to cook and bake is fundamental to life. You are what you eat.

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?  With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

We’re creative people and come up with everything we do (or maybe we just play creative people on TV). Many times they come about as a result of a random conversation with someone, from a great cocktail at the local watering hole, or from whatever is fresh at the local farmer’s market. Listening to your own cravings is an excellent source of inspiration.

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

Everything that can be done has been done and will be done again. Most of what’s easily available is shit that isn’t worth recreating so you can save yourself the time.

Fun Questions:

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

Eating

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

Lots of cycling.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

No. Your weight issues are your own to deal with.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

No.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

No that position is already taken by the gimp we keep in the floor.

Over 5000 cupcakes were devoured in less than two hours and the line to get into the venue wrapped around the block! Bella Cupcake Couture did an amazing job putting this event together and I can’t wait to see how much money it raised for Hope Heart Institute.

Wink Cupcakes posted a VIDEO of the cupcake eating contest that you MUST watch.  It was AWESOME!  CakeSpy also posted a video… you can see it below!

My cupcake was enetered into the “Best Seattle Themed” contest, but unfortunatly didn’t win.  But, it’s okay… I had so much fun at Cupcake Camp!!

I met so many great people too!  People kept coming up to me asking, “Are you JavaCupcake?” It felt so good to get recognized!  I’ve never been a part of a community like this where everyone is welcome and loved!

Thank you to all my friends and family who helped me prepare my cupcakes for this event.  I could not have done it without you!! (Sarah, Heather, Desi, and Mom!!!)

Here are a couple links to recaps by host of Cupcake Camp, Bella Cupcake Couture.

1st year + Raised $5267.50 = Huge Success!

Baked with Love and a lot of (Hope) Heart! – The WINNERS of the competitions are announced!

CakeSpy also put together a Top 50 moments from Cupcake Camp… and JavaCupcake is #19!

Up next…. Johnny Cupcakes at Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford on April 25th!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In an electric mixer, combine sugar, egg, vanilla and baking powder.  Mix 2-3 minutes on medium-high.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add peanut butter and mix until combined.  Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Mix in by hand the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop 1 ½ inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet using an ice cream scooper.
6. Press down on dough a crisscross pattern with a fork.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes.  Do not over bake.
8. Let cool on cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes until transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Please introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Hi, I’m Mari Luangrath and I own Foiled Cupcakes in Chicago. We’re Chicago’s only exclusively online personal delivery cupcake service. Our website launched in July 2009, and we service the entire Chicago and west suburb area.

www.foiledcupcakes.com
www.twitter.com/foiledcupcakes
www.facebook.com/foiledcupcakes
www.foiledcupcakes.com/blog

Here’s a picture of me and my best friend, Jocelyn, who’s our Executive Cupcakeologist, based in Southern California.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Starting this business was a labor of love that took a good year before we even thought to launch our site. Everything from branding, cupcake flavors, recipe testing, and ingredient sourcing are all things that we put a lot of deliberate time and effort into.

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

We make everything from scratch, as far as our cupcakes and fillings go. All of our toppings are imported from Europe.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

Bringing the community together. There’s no better way to do that than with food. And no better food to do that than with cupcakes. (That’s just our humble opinion.)

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

When you’re surrounded by cupcakes all day long, it’s not hard to want something like empanadas. Or chicken parmesan. Or a box of salt.

For starters, I ordered these super cute pastel tulip cupcake liners… perfect for spring!

To decorate these cupcakes, I used:

• Shredded coconut
• Green food coloring
• Sour Punch Green Apple Straws
• Jelly Beans
• Baby chicks
• Sprinkles

Please introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about what you do in the cupcake world and how/when you got started.

Kari Haskell, Owner and Head of Cupcakes at Retro Bakery in Las Vegas!!!

I am a home-baker gone pro. I have no schooling, just over 20 years of practice. I was a stay-at-home mom for 9 years, then decided to open up Retro two years ago when they were building a new building down the street from my house (GREAT COMMUTE!!). Retro is on the outskirts of Las Vegas (a $150 round-trip cab ride from The Strip), but it’s quickly becoming a MUST-EAT Vegas destination, which is exactly the success I wanted. I don’t want to rule the cupcake world. I just want to be Vegas’ BEST BUTTERCREAM.

Retro is ALL over the internet so you can DROOL while you book your ticket to Vegas to come VISIT US!!

http://www.retrobakerylv.com
http://www.twitter.com/retrobakery
http://www.twitter.com/retrocakeguy
http://www.twitter.com/retrocounter
http://www.retrobakery.blogspot.com

OH YEAH: follow my insanity about building a bakery on a weekly basis from start to finish at my personal blog: http://www.buildingabakery.blogspot.com

Bakery Start-Up Questions

What was the biggest challenge in starting your bakery/baking business?

A menu. Our original plan was to be an EVERYTHING bakery: pies, cookies, cupcakes, cakes…BUT, then I realized that it’s just TWO OF US doing the baking and runnin’ the place. We had to scale DOWN to be able to manage baking all day, helping customers, folding boxes, doing dishes, cleaning messes, watching LUCY (our daughter) doing the bookkeeping, etc… (there’s MUCH more than baking involved with running a BAKERY).

Any business tips you can share that has made your bakery a success?

INTERNET: KNOW IT, USE IT. Don’t be afraid.

How much time did you spend planning before you decided to take the steps to make your bakery a reality?

Three months…I’m a GO GETTER! Remember, I was a stay-at-home mom, so I had HOURS to think about it all day…while changing diapers…and picking my other kid up from school.

How much time does it take to run your business? More or less than you anticipated?

You can’t even IMAGINE how time FLIES after you open. You BLINK and you’ve worked 10 hours. I average about 90 hours a week (and that DOES NOT include internet time or menu changes, or test baking…). I also only have ONE DAY OFF per week (and even THAT day is spent talking about Retro…)

What type of tools, gadgets, and gizmos are necessary for fantastic cupcake production?

Too many to write…BUT, the main one is an ice cream scoop. It is my best friend. It makes scooping batter WAY easy and consistent. Oh yeah: a PIPING BAG for frosting cupcakes.

Recipe/Ingredients & Baking Questions

What do you consider to be the perfect cupcake? What flavors and textures would it have?

I love Vanilla/Vanilla. I’m a purest. BUT, I do tend to love wacky flavors like PB&J. I’ll take vanilla over chocolate every time.

How many times do you have to “re-do” a recipe before you get it right?

I baked every day, twice a day one I decided we were opening…STILL didn’t have it right. Honestly, we didn’t REALLY have it right until about two months after we opened because commercial baking vs. HOME baking is like NIGHT and DAY.

What is your favorite cupcake recipe?

Cinnamon Toast: vanilla cake topped with cinnamon buttercream and dusted with cinnamon and sugar (my favorite cupcake of ALL TIME)

How much is made from scratch and how much is purchased pre-made?

Trade secrets.

What is the recipe for a foolproof cupcake batter? Just a perfect basic recipe that can be doctored with extras to suit any taste.

Yes. EXACTLY that last sentence.

Where do you purchase all those fun different sprinkles you use to decorate your cupcakes with?

Trade secrets.

How do you get your cupcakes all the same size?

Ice cream scoop and LOTS of practice. Sometimes they’re small…sometimes they’re HUGE…depends on my mood.

Do you have a Vegan Chocolate cupcake recipe?

ALL of our chocolate cake is Vegan. It’s a little-known fact…it’s FABULOUS, and no one knows…

I love buttercream… what’s your favorite recipe for it?

NO WAY, JOSE.

How do you make the icing just the right sweetness?

Practice…and EATING that practice

How do you get great control of a pastry bag and make those mile high swirls of perfection on top of each cupcake?

THAT is an actual talent. It’s about squeezing and swirlin’ at the same time.

Inspiration Questions

Did you always have a passion for baking?

YES. No one else baked in my immediate family, so whenever dessert was needed, I just stepped in. Pies were my first baking LOVE…cookies and cake quickly followed.

What inspires you the most? Love of cupcakes or love of making things people enjoy?

PEOPLE. I LOVE to see them smile after they take a bite…it keeps me going “What will they like NEXT??”

Where do you get new ideas for new cupcake and icing flavors?

Everywhere…grocery stores are the BEST. Each section is FULL of ideas for the next cupcake flavor

How do you come up with new, creative ideas for decorating cupcakes?

I don’t…I’m lazy that way. I’m all about the TASTE instead of the DESIGN

With the internet and easy availability of so many recipes and decorating ideas, how do you come up with new and unique recipes that someone else hasn’t already done?

I just don’t look. I am SURE that everyone has done my stuff SOMEWHERE…but, I just try to think of stuff that I think no one else has…usually someone ELSE tells me that it’s available at another shop. OOPS.

Fun Questions

What’s your favorite part of cupcakes?

BUTTERCREAM

How can you be around all that yummy and not eat it all up?

I eat it ALL DAY…in small amounts…and usually don’t eat anything else.

Would you bake me a cupcake that wouldn’t make me gain any weight please?

Just walk in place while eating it. It cancels out the calories.

Do you ever get tired of the site or smell of cupcakes?

I can’t smell them anymore. I’m around baking SO MUCH, I can’t smell cake. It’s very sad. People come in and say, “OH!! It smells SO GOOD in here!” I can’t smell it at ALL.

Can I live in your kitchen and be your personal taste tester?

YES, but you’d have to fight my 4 yr old for the position.

Because I Can Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes by Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Devil’s Food Cake

9 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup water
½ cup whole milk

Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter (or use the baking spray) two regular size cupcake/muffin pans or two mini. I personally made 12 large cupcakes and 20 mini cupcakes.

Sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

Mix together the water and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the water and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake pans 2/3 of the way full with cake batter. For regular size bake 20-22 minutes. Mini bake 13-15 minutes.

Cake recipe  from David Lebovitz.com

Crème Egg Filling Buttercream Frosting

the centers of 20 Cadbury Crème Egg scooped out (save the chocolate shells for décor and filling)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 to 8 cups powdered sugar
1 TBSP vanilla extract
milk to thin frosting

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add the creme from the eggs and beat until incorporated.

Add 4 cups of the sugar and vanilla extract.

On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. If too thick, thin out with milk.
You can take half of the icing and color it yellow for effect. You will also probably have little bits of chocolate that stayed with the crème filling, no worries, it’s tasty.

Chocolate Shell Ganache

10 ounces of chopped up Cadbury Crème Egg Shell, if you don’t have enough to make 10 ounces, then add some milk chocolate chips to it
1 cup heavy cream

Put chocolate in a medium bowl.

Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes.

Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Let set up at room temperature.

To assemble the cupcakes:

Take chocolate shell filling and place into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip.

Take tip and place into cupcake squeeze filling into cupcake using the cone method (or just poke into center and fill if making mini).

Frost cupcake and top with chocolate shell piece. If making the mini, they do make mini eggs. Cut those in half and use as décor.

Emme’s Banana Bread

1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter
2 large eggs

3-4 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

¼ cup cinnamon/sugar mixture

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

3. In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.

4. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each.

5. In a small bowl, peel the bananas and mush them with a fork until most chunks are gone.

6. Add the cinnamon, milk, vanilla and nutmeg and stir with the fork until combined.

7. In another bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

8. Add the banana mixture to the butter/sugar and mix until just combined and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.

9. Slowly, add the flour mixture in three parts to the batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix just until incorporated.

10. Pour batter into loaf pan and spread evenly with spatula.

11. Generously sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the batter.

12. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

13. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Sugar Cookie Flowers…um, Cupcakes

Wow, the title of this blog post was hard to come up with! hehe. I didn’t know whether to call them cookies or cupcakes because…well, see for yourself. =)

Here are the cupcakes…

Here are the decorated sugar cookies…

And these beauties are the finished product!

See what I mean? I promise the next post will have a less confusing title. hehe. Anyway, I thought these cookies/cupcakes would be a good way to celebrate Spring! It’s officially here! Although, I’d have to say that I’ve been quite confused about time-of-year since arriving in SoCal last week. The temperature has been around 80-85 degrees F this whole time! It makes me feel like we should really be celebrating summer! I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only March. =)

Anyway, more about these cookies/cupcakes…I saw them in Martha Stewart’s Cupcake book last month and knew that I had to make them. The cuteness was irresistible. I have a major weakness for aesthetically pleasing food.

And since the cupcake-shaped Sugar Cookie Pops I made last month turned out to be such a big hit, I knew these would be awesome!

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on how to make these because I already featured them in the cupcake-shaped pops entry. You can reference it for tips and step by step photos.

Just make sure your flower cookie cutter isn’t too big. Something around 2-3 inches in diameter would be perfect. And get the 6 inch lollipop sticks.

Here are some additional helpful links that I mentioned in my previous post:

Click HERE for Our Best Bites’ Sugar Cookie Decorating Tutorial
Click HERE for Our Best Bites’ Sugar Cookie Pops Tutorial
Click HERE for Our Best Bites’ Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe

Decorating these was really fun! I picked out three colors: white, pink, and yellow. Perfect shades for spring!

I outlined them in white and used yellow for the centers.

Then I very carefully filled in the pink petals.

Allow the icing to dry. Let the cookies sit uncovered for about 24 hours.

(2) The Leafs

These were really easy to do. All you need is some gum paste, a small leaf-shaped cookie cutter, and green food coloring.

Color your gum paste and roll it out. If your gum paste it too sticky, you can use corn starch to dust the surface of your work area.

And there you have it! Easy peasy.

I like to stick the leafs on right away, before they have a chance to harden. When it’s soft, you can bend it slightly in the middle to mimic a real leaf. But I’m getting ahead of myself here…

(3) The Cupcakes

Use your favorite cupcake recipe. Chocolate cupcakes would be awesome too! In retrospect, chocolate probably would’ve been better, huh? hehe. Oh, well. Maybe next time. And use whatever frosting you like! What about cute liners? Maybe green polka-dotted ones! My point is: you can get super creative with these! Go wild!

For the frosting, I used Wilton’s grass tip. Here’s a good tutorial on how to pipe it. I thought it was going to be way hard, but it actually turned out to be quite intuitive! You’ll know what to do when the time comes. hehe. I didn’t like for the grass to be super uniformed. So instead of pulling straight up, I pulled every which way, to make it look more real. Because grass never just grows straight up, you know? It’s more like “artistically messy,” I’d say.

(3) Putting it all together

No explanation needed, really. Stick the cookies in the middle of the cupcakes, then add leafs. Some of them had one, some had two. I’m very unpredictable like that.

Ok, and here’s one more picture. Because I couldn’t resist. =)

Happy Spring and Happy Baking!

I had never worked with whole wheat flour before, so I needed to do a bit of research on how to use it.  I read a lot of articles online and talked to other bakers and felt confident that I could make these scones successfully!  You can find the “how-to’s” of using whole wheat flour in my “Tips & Tricks” post here!

I had my doubts during the baking process…. the dough was really sticky (a lot more than with the chocolate scones) and I thought maybe I had done something wrong.  Until…. they came out of the oven and smelled… and tasted SOOO GOOOD!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Scones

Loosely adapted from Evil Shenanigans Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Scones

Makes 8 Scones

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces and kept very cold
1- 1½ cups thawed, drained & patted dry frozen blueberries (you can use fresh as well)
1/3-1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, well beaten
Sugar for topping

Here are some of the specialty ingredients I used.  King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour, Homemade Vanilla Extract, and local Remlinger Farms frozen blueberries.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper. (Don’t use wax paper, it will burn!)

2. In a medium bowl, sift the wheat flour 3-4 times. This will help bring some air into the flour so your scones won’t be so dense.

3. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and combine using a whisk.

4. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingers until the butter is in small pieces, no larger than peas.

5. Strain and pat dry the thawed blueberries. Fold them into the dry mixture making sure they are coated well.

6. Starting with 1/3 cup cold buttermilk, pour in the milk and vanilla and gently combine with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time just until the dough comes together. (The blueberries will add a lot of moisture, so be careful not to add too much milk.)

I love that the homemade vanilla has little bits of Tahitian vanilla in it!!
7. With your hands, gather the mixture into a ball in the bowl, making sure to incorporate all the dough. Mixture will be wet and sticky!

8. Turn out onto cutting board and GENTLY knead the dough three times by pressing the dough into a fat disk, folding the dough in half , turning it 1/4 turn and repeating. You can add a bit of flour to the cutting board to help with sticking. Do not over knead you don’t want to smash the berries!

9. Once kneaded pat and press into an 8″ circle and cut the disk into 8 wedges.

10. Using a spatula, transport the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet. Since the dough is wet and sticky, make sure your scones keep their shape by forming them with your fingers or spatula.

11. Brush with beaten egg and top each scone with as much sugar as you like.

12. Bake the scones for approximately 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

13. Cool ten minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Scones Yield 8 scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces and kept very cold
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used a 60% cocoa dark chocolate bar that I cut into chunks and slivers)
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 1 1/2 tsp of my homemade vanilla)
1 egg, well beaten
Sugar for topping

1. Heat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I didn’t have parchment paper so I used non-stick spray on a baking sheet.)
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingers until the butter is in small pieces, no larger than peas. Add the chocolate chips and mix well.
4. Pour in the cold buttermilk and vanilla and mix until the liquid is absorbed. The dough will look very dry and shaggy.
5. Turn out onto a cutting board and knead the dough three times by pressing the dough into a fat disk, folding the dough in half , turning it 1/4 turn and repeating. Do not over knead.
6. Once kneaded press into an 8″ circle and cut the disk into 8 wedges. Places the wedges on the prepared baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Top each scone with as much sugar as you like.
7. Bake the scones for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Cool ten minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
8. Enjoy warm, or at room temperature.

Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

It’s my favorite cookie time of the year. And yes, there are cookie times of year. Don’t fight it. Acceptance is the key that unlocks the door to happiness.

At least that’s what my Chinese horoscope says. Right now Samoas are here. As are Thin Mints. And Tagalongs. And some weird new flavors that nobody wants. But I’ll forgive them their dried-cranberries-in-a-cookie misstep just this once.

I just can’t resist those cute little gals in uniform in front of the grocery store. I’m their best customer, and especially so this year because I decided to take on a baking project involving my all time fave—the aforementioned Samoas. Crunchy cookie covered in chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut? What could be better?

Making it into a cupcake, of course. You could do this with any of your favorite cookies, Girl Scout or non—see my suggestions at the end of this post. To match the flavors of the Samoa, I chose a basic vanilla cupcake and a frosting lightly flavored with coconut.

I now accept that I am ready to begin. So I will.

First we need to get some coconut milk reducing to make it more concentrated.

Pour a can into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for about a half hour. Give it a stir once in a while. It will froth and get really big, but the liquid is really reducing in there.

Meanwhile, grab the basics: flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.

4 eggs. Hippie eggs. I wrote a song about them earlier but I felt it would be inappropriate to share with you.

Unsalted butter. 2 sticks. Cubed.

One cup of whole milk. And I’m definitely not going to share my song about hippie milk with y’all.

Pure vanilla extract. Don’t ever buy imitation vanilla flavoring, pretty please. I will come over and throw it out your window.

And, most importantly? The cookies.

I used two boxes for 24 cupcakes. I accept that there are far too many calories in Samoas alone, let alone in a Samoa cupcake.

Somewhere Jillian Michaels is doing push-ups in her magical trainer castle and plotting what she’ll have in store for me tomorrow.

Stick ‘em in your food processor and pulse away.

Not even close.

Getting closer….

…perfect.

Toss ‘em in a shallow bowl and let’s get ready to make our cupcake batter.

Toss your dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Give it a quick spin on low to combine the powdery stuff.

Throw in your butter…

…and mix just until those little buttery chunks are coated with flour.

Crack your 4 hippie eggs into the milk and add one tablespoon of vanilla.

Mix well.

Add the milk/egg/vanilla mixture to the dry ingredients a third at a time, stopping before each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

One…

two….

…three. It’s alright if it’s a little lumpy. Those little chunks of butter will serve to keep the cupcakes moist.

Now here’s my trick for filling cupcake liners. Grab a big freezer bag and anchor 3 inches of one of the bottom corners under something heavy. Your stand mixer works perfectly for this.

Pour in the batter (I usually hook one edge of the bag onto the little metal thingie that the mixer attachments hook onto. Yes, that is it’s proper name.).

Seal the bag, hold at the corner and cut off the tip. This is for those of us ghetto-fabulous chefs who don’t own pastry bags.

Fill your liners about 1/3 full…

…and then sprinkle on a light layer of the crumbled cookies.

Then squeeze more batter over the top so that the entire thing is about 3/4 full.

Throw into a preheated 325F oven for 17-20 minutes.

By now your coconut milk should be about a quarter of what it once was. It’s also creamy and thick—perfect! Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Ready to make frosting? Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and reduced coconut milk in your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Mix until light and creamy.

Once the cakes are done, set them on a rack to cool completely before frosting.

I’m fairly certain my cupcake army is plotting to take over my home.

Once they’re cool enough, frost with about 1 tablespoon of frosting each. We’re really using frosting in this case to serve as “glue” for the cookie crumbs—we don’t want to overdo it.

After frosting, give ‘em a light dunk in the cookie crumbles.

Perfect!

I found one stray cookie in the box, so he gets the seat of honor.

Uh oh. Maybe he’s commander of the army. I think I’ve just done myself in.

And, just because I feel like being sued for copyright infringement*, I stuck a purdy little Girl Scout logo on one of these beauties.

*Rainy Day Gal has no affiliation with the Girl Scouts. She admires and respects the organization and hopes that they will not sue her, but instead send her boxes and boxes of cookies.

Alright, let’s get down to it: how did they taste?

Pretty darn good. The cake was moist and a tad on the dense side, with a crunchy little layer of cookie halfway down.

The frosting added to the flavor of the cake, but didn’t overpower the taste of the cookies on top.

I simply loved the texture: crunch is always good.

These cakes are not for the faint of heart, however—they are incredibly rich. I would make two Girl Scouts share one.

A chaser of milk is definitely in order.

I now accept that this post has come to an end. But before you go here are some ideas I have for making cupcakes using other flavors of GS Cooks (that’s my new nickname for them. Go with it.):

• For Tagalongs: Ina Garten’s recipe for chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
• For Thin Mints: Simply Recipe’s chocolate mint cupcakes
• For Dulce de Leche: Sugarlaw’s caramel cupcakes

I hope you’re enjoying Girl Scout cookie season as much as I am! Well, who am I kidding—I don’t think anyone enjoys Girl Scout cookie season as much as I do.

Have a totes fab wed, y’all.

-RDG

Samoa Cupcakes

• One batch Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake batter
• 2 boxes Samoas cookies, pulsed in a food processor until crumbly
• One batch Slightly Coconut Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 325F. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full of batter. Sprinkle a light layer of cookie crumbs on top of batter. Pour the remaining batter on top until liners are about 3/4 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Once cool, spread one tablespoon of frosting on top and then lightly press frosted side of cupcake into cookie crumbs. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Slightly Coconut Frosting

• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pour coconut milk into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 75%. Let cool. Combine 4 tablespoons of the reduced coconut milk and remaining ingredients and beat until light and creamy. Refrigerate any unused frosting.

The cupcakes are a moist chocolate cupcake topped with a perfectly smooth mint buttercream all topped with green sugar crystals.  A perfect combination of chocolate and mint.  Yummm-o!

Here’s the recipe, click on the image to make it bigger!  The cupcake is my basic chocolate recipe and  the frosting a very easy to make mint buttercream.  I also recorded a video tutorial while I made the mint buttercream, it’s a bit wobbly, but it shows you how to make the perfect minty goodness!

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/02/chocolate-mint-cupcakes/feed/ 0 http://javacupcake.com/2010/02/how-to-make-mint-buttercream-video/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/02/how-to-make-mint-buttercream-video/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:05:07 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=1392 While making cupcakes tonight, I decided to try out my new iPod Nano video and make a buttercream tutorial.  It’s my very first video tutorial! The video is “How to make Mint Buttercream”! Enjoy

Mint Buttercream

• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
• 2lb or 8 cups sifted/whisked powdered sugar
• 1/2 heavy cream or milk
• 1/8-1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1. Cream butter.
2. Slowly add sugar, 1 cup or so at a time.
3. Scrape sides.
4. When mixture becomes too hard on the mixer, slowly add milk.
5. Continue adding sugar and milk until completely creamy and combined.
6. Scrape sides.
7. Add peppermint.
8. Mix on high 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Inside, the bar stools invite you to sit down as you decide what you’d like.  Cupcakes and coffee are their specialties.

Since it was the end of the night, their cupcake stands were a little sparse, but they still had a great selection.

Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream
Vanilla with Chocolate Buttercream
Granny’s Chocolate with Chocolate Buttercream
Granny’s Chocolate with Vanilla Buttercream
Chocolate Chip Mint
Southern Red Velvet with Vanilla Buttercream
Lemon with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon Swirl
Caramel Macchiato
Orange Dreamsicle
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Coconut with Coconut Buttercream
Cookies-N-Creme – NEW!

My favorite part of Indulge was the side room that was set up like a living room.  It was a big leather couch, coffee table, book shelves and a TV.  It was a cozy little room where you could sit, enjoy your cupcakes and hang out with your friends.  A perfect spot for local teens,  Moms with kids or a couple of girlfriends catching up.  If I lived closer, I could totally see myself visiting Indulge often!

Now on to the good stuff!! The cupcakes!  I ordered a half dozen cupcakes to sample and share with my daughter Emily and my cousin Andrea (former Indulge employee).

Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream
Chocolate Chip Mint
Lemon with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon Swirl
Orange Dreamsicle
Cookies-N-Creme

First, I need to comment on the actual size of the cupcakes.  They were HUGE and the frosting piled at least 3 inches high on each cupcake!! By far, these are some of the most generously sized cupcakes I’ve seen in a cupcake bakery in the area.

My personal favorite was the Cinnamon Swirl.  It was moist and crumbly at the same time and the frosting was TO. DIE. FOR.  And honestly, it was very similar in flavor to my favorite Cinnabon cupcake, the Cinnacake Classic.

The mint chocoalte cupcake was also just as heavenly! The chocolate cupcake was full of flavor and the mint icing was a perfect compliment.

My daughter tried the Oreo cupcake, her favorite!  And of course, it was also delicious.  The frosting is killer… made this cupcake a hit!

The vanilla cupcake was also a great classic.  Super flavor and a perfect cupcake.

The orange cupcake tasted just like a creamsicle popsicle.  But, it was a lot of orange.  Almost too much for me.  But, my cousin Andrea LOVES this one and said it’s her favorite.  I think this one is just about preference.

Finally, the lemon, my least favorite.  From the get go this cupcake was at a disadvantage, it’s frosting was 2 inches shorter than the rest… probably due to the cream cheese frosting.  I saved this one for the last and unfortunately, I can’t say I loved it.  I like lemon, but something about this cupcake just didn’t do it for me.  Probably the cream cheese frosting, which I’ve never been a fan of to begin with.

Overall, I was VERY impressed with Indulge Cupcakes.  They were moist and the buttercream was incredible!!! I highly recommend this cupcake shop to anyone in the area and only wish they’d expand and open one up in Tacoma!

Indulge website:  http://www.indulgecupcakes.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/indulgesumner

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