Disco Cupcakes: cupcake and cake decorating blog for those who love to bake!

Halloween Mosaicake

2010-10-29T14:54:00.008-04:00

Halloween Cake Pops

2010-10-29T14:52:00.001-04:00

My new fancy cupcake display stand

2010-06-26T20:31:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day 2010 - Cupcake Topiary and Bouquets

2010-05-09T18:48:00.001-04:00

Smiley Guys - just for fun!

2010-04-25T11:13:00.001-04:00

Easter Cookies

2010-04-18T12:22:00.002-04:00

Martha Stewart's Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

2010-04-18T12:14:00.002-04:00

Martha Stewart's Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Marzipan Carrot toppers

2010-04-18T12:12:00.003-04:00

Martha Stewart's Red Velvet Cupcakes - Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-15T20:48:00.002-05:00

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting - for Valentine's Day.

Super Bowl 2010 - Mosaic-cake

2010-02-07T12:43:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2009 Cupcake Kebabs and other assorted treats

2010-01-02T09:52:00.001-05:00

Martha Stewart's Chocolate Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Marzipan Gingerbread Boys

2010-01-02T09:46:00.002-05:00

These beautiful cupcakes were baked by my hubby (under my close supervision, of course). He did a great job and these cupcakes were delicious. We served them at our neighborhood holiday open house. Nice work, Joe!

Martha Stewart's Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes and Bon Apetit's 4-Layer Pumpkin Cake w/Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-11-30T20:05:00.002-05:00

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes w/Chocolate Drizzle

2009-11-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

For our friend, Fred's bday this past weekend. The cakes are Martha Stewart's recipe, the icing is Tyler Florence's recipe and the chocolate drizzle and raspberry filling ideas were mine. These cupcakes were like paperweights - really heavy in terms of weight. However, they were GOOD!!! Will absolutely make again and wouldn't change much other than to add a bit more sour cream to the cake recipe to make them a bit moister.

Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chef Cheryl's own Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-11-01T18:39:00.002-05:00

Halloween Screamin' Demons Cupcakes

2009-11-01T18:38:00.001-05:00

Martha Stewart's Wicked Witch Cupcakes

2009-10-25T21:44:00.002-04:00

Made some more Halloween cupcakes this weekend and decided to experiment a bit. I knew I wanted to make Martha Stewart's Wicked Witch Cupcakes, but instead of using one of her cupcake recipes, I had been wanting to make my Mother-in-law's Golden Glow cake recipe and see if it would produce good cupcakes. I filled the liners a little more than 3/4 full, but unfortunately, instead of the cupcakes baking up with nice puffy tops, they baked flatter, so the tops looked like pancakes. I was disappointed that this happened, so I took a knife and cut off the pancake-looking parts and then whipped up a batch of raspberry hazelnut butter cream frosting to top them off.

Turns out, the cupcakes were DELICIOUS. Didn't look that great, but tasted amazing. Isn't that the way...

So, I will definitely make the golden glow recipe again, but will fill the liners only 1/2 full OR will add a little more baking powder so the tops puff up more. Also, will definitely make this frosting again, but will not color it green next time - that was kinda weird...the color didn't match the flavor. Next time, the frosting will be colored pink or lavendar.

Guess bakers need to continue to experiment and be prepared for an occasional flop. But sometimes, the experiment doesn't flop - it just presents information that you need the next time you make a particular recipe to make it better.

Martha Stewart's Wicked Witch Cupcakes

2009-10-25T21:40:00.002-04:00

Martha Stewart's Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

2009-10-18T18:39:00.003-04:00

These don't look real fancy, but they were GOOD!!! I whipped up a batch of mint cream cheese frosting for the tops and that seemed to really bring out the peppermint patties baked into the batter. Of course I had to eat one just to see if they were any good and after the first bite, realized I had better package these up and give them away IMMEDIATELY before I ate all of them myself! This recipe only yielded 12 cupcakes - thank goodness!!! Would definitely make them again and am thinking they would be really great right out of the oven with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream on top - yum!

Martha Stewart's Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes - jazzed up with Mint Cream Cheese Frosting and Halloween Decos

2009-10-18T18:36:00.002-04:00

Still more photos

2009-10-05T11:22:00.002-04:00

More photos

2009-10-05T11:19:00.002-04:00

Photos from our Cupcake Crawl

2009-10-05T11:11:00.002-04:00

1st Annual Cupcake Crawl in NYC

2009-10-05T11:10:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday was the first of what will hopefully become an annual tradition: our NYC Cupcake Crawl. The purpose? As if I or anyone really needs a reason to eat cupcakes??? Seriously, though, there were 3 goals: To find the best vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting, to find the best overall specialty cupcake, and to have a fun day in the big city with our dear friends and fellow cupcake appreciators (yes, that was another of my made up words, but it seemed appropriate).

There were 4 of us in attendance and we visited 9 different cupcake bakeries. While initially, I had planned for us to purchase a total of 2 cupcakes at each place: one had to be vanilla/vanilla and for the other, we would all decide together which of the specialty flavors to choose, we actually wound up getting 4 cupcakes at one of the bakeries, 3 at another, and 2 at the rest. Just couldn’t seem to decide on just one specialty cupcake at Magnolia or Billy’s Bakery.

The plan was that once we had successfully collected all of the cupcakes, we would then go to our new favorite beer bar, The Peculiar Pub, to conduct our taste test. Everyone knows that cupcakes go better with beer (or, in my case, wine, but beer is also fine by me).

So, 4.5 hours later, after walking, and cabbing it through the West Village, Tribeca, Soho and East Village in the sometimes pouring rain, we made our way to PP with our cupcakes and were ready for our tastings and ratings assignment.

Here’s a list of the bakeries visited and cupcakes tasted:

Magnolia Bakery: Vanilla/Vanilla, Chocolate/Chocolate, Hummingbird w/cream cheese icing and S’mores.

Sweet Revenge: Vanilla/Vanilla and “Sweet Revenge” which is a vanilla cupcake with chocolate ganach filling and peanut butter frosting.

Tribeca Treats: Vanilla/Vanilla and Peanut Butter & Jelly which is a peanut butter cupcake with peanut butter frosting and jelly drizzled on top.

Billy’s Bakery: Vanilla/Vanilla (called Yellow Daisy), Pumpkin with cream cheese frosting and Banana with cream cheese frosting.

Babycakes: Vanilla/Vanilla and Carrot.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine: Vanilla/Vanilla and Pistachio with pistachio frosting.

Baked by Melissa: These cupcakes were not regular-sized; instead, they were basically ½ the size of a mini-cupcake and they had the audacity to charge $1/each. Highway robbery!!! Against our better judgment, we stuck to the plan and tried some. They did not have Vanilla/Vanilla, so we tried 3 other flavors: Tie Dye, Mint Chocolate Chip and Cookie Dough.

Cupcake Stop: While this was not included in our original itinerary, while we were in a cab on our way to Baked by Melissa on Broadway in the Village, we spotted the cupcake truck, so we jumped out of the cab to try some (which was a good thing since the cab driver was insane and was ranting and throwing f-bombs about Obama and his radical left wing administration and we just had to get out of that car…). At Cupcake Stop, we picked up an Oreo Crumb cupcake and a Chocolate with vanilla icing (they did not have Vanilla/Vanilla).

We judged each cupcake on 4 categories: Visual Appearance, Taste of the Cake, Taste of the Icing and Overall Rating. Each category was on a scale of 1 – 4 with 1 being outstanding, 2 above average, 3 average and 4 awful.

Now for the results……drumroll please…….

Best Vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing: Tied between Magnolia and Sweet Revenge

Best Specialty Cupcake (any flavor): Sweet Revenge’s “Sweet Revenge” – gotta get a room and be alone with that one – it was absolutely yummy! Also best was Billy’s Bakery’s Banana cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Honorable Mention: Magnolia’s Chocolate cupcake with Chocolate frosting, Magnolia’s Hummingbird cupcake, Tribeca Treats’ Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcake, Billy’s Bakery Pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting, Sugar Sweet Sunshine’s Vanilla/Vanilla and also their Pistachio cupcake with pistachio frosting.

Worst Cupcakes Ever: Baked by Melissa – all of the flavors were awful. As my friend, Sue commented, “Melissa, step away from your mixing bowl!” Also awful were Magnolia’s S’mores cupcakes – Magnolia, we’re so disappointed in you – stick to what you do best: Vanilla/Vanilla, Chocolate/Chocolate, Vanilla/Chocolate and Chocolate/Vanilla. We appreciate that you are experimenting with new flavors such as Hummingbird, but seriously, what were you thinking with the S’mores cupcakes? Could you at least have taken the crumbled graham cracker out of the batter and instead, put one on top of the cupcake instead? The cake was really gritty and was just plain yucky! Tribeca Treats’ Vanilla/Vanilla: the cake was really gross and the icing tasted like pure waxy shortening.

Best overall experience: Billy’s Bakery for the bakery’s atmosphere, décor and vibe. It was just so kitchy and vintage with the old-time refrigerator, pastel colors and retro pie tins on the wall. We loved it there! Sweet Revenge was the most unique bakery as the cupcakes all looked amazing and they have a bar there, too! We’re looking forward to going back one day soon and experiencing their wine/beer and cupcake pairings. Definitely my kind of bakery!

Well, folks…there you have it! I have never eaten so many cupcakes in one sitting and am still in a sugar coma 2 days later, but what a fun day and a great experience! I’m officially “off” cupcakes for a little while and feel so guilty about my caloric intake this weekend that it has motivated me to temporarily put down my mixing bowl and start an exercise program. Don’t worry, though….once I can successfully undo the damage, I will be back on cupcakes for certain. Still have at least 160 Martha Stewart cupcake recipes left to bake…so stay tuned…

Cool billboard spotted in Union Square - San Fran

2009-09-20T12:33:00.002-04:00

Trip to San Fran and a visit to Kara's Cupcakes

2009-09-20T11:55:00.002-04:00

Our recent trip to San Fran would not be complete without a visit to at least one cupcakery. I had seen Kara from Kara's Cupcakes on the Martha Stewart show a while back and so I looked up the location and it turned out to be very convenient - right in Ghiradelli Square at Fisherman's Wharf. We had heard there was a Chocolate Festival in the Square on the weekend we would be in town, so planned our cupcake caper around it. How great to spend the day around two of my favorite foods - chocolate and cupcakes! Now, make it a chocolate cupcake and it's double the fun!

My hubby chose the chocolate cupcake with raspberry buttercream frosting and I selected the fleur de sel, which is a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and salted caramel inside. Both cupcakes were good - I was especially impressed by the frostings because they were not too sweet, but were really creamy. The only thing that was a negative for us was that we felt the cake was too moist and soft and it didn't hold up to the frosting on top. We both had to eat our cupcakes with a fork because they fell apart with the first bite. Some may consider moist cake to be a positive, not a negative, but it wasn't that we would have wanted the cake to be stale, it's just that we enjoy cakes that are a bit firmer.

Of course, this did not prevent us from finishing every last bite of those cupcakes - that would have been foolish to say the least and very wasteful...all-in-all, I would recommend Kara's Cupcakes. That being said, my all-time favorite cupcakes remain Vanilla with Vanilla from Magnolia in the West Village in NYC. Let's see how our first Cupcake Crawl goes on 10/3...we will be visiting 7 cupcake bakeries in NYC to see which has the best Vanilla with Vanilla and also, to see which has the best unique flavor combination. I will report back after this event to let you know where we went and whether or not any other cupcakery will de-throne Magnolia.

Martha Stewart's Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

2009-09-20T11:52:00.002-04:00

Martha Stewart's Tres Leches Cupcakes

2009-09-20T11:42:00.002-04:00

Martha Stewart's Apricot Glazed Black and White Cheesecakes

2009-08-24T20:46:00.001-04:00

Pretty Summer Cupcakes with light purple buttercream and irridescent pastel sprinkles

2009-08-15T17:02:00.003-04:00

Martha Stewart's Sharks and Dunes Cupcakes

2009-08-15T16:56:00.002-04:00

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream Frosting turned into Martha Stewart's Sharks and Dunes Cupcakes. This counts as 2 recipes as the Chocolate Chip Cupcakes recipe is also from her Cupcakes book. Only 168 more recipes to go...

Darryl and Chantel's Baby Shower Cake - to feed 160 people!!!

2009-08-03T21:11:00.002-04:00

I know this blog is dedicated to cupcakes, but occasionally, when it is for a friend or family member, I can be convinced to make a cake. This was a bear-themed cake to celebrate our dear friends' baby shower. It was a co-ed party for 160 people - more like a wedding, ya know? Anyway, this cake took a total of 40 man-hours spread over 3 days. 15 hours the day before the party! But, I had some good music on, the disco ball was spinning and I had 2 helpers this time: my hubby and our best friend, Adam. Adam was the chief cake engineer and constructed the crib and mobile and my hubby made a big batch of icing all by himself! It came out great - just like if I had made it myself :) He's really the cook of the family and he leaves the baking to me, but this time, he put his baking hat on and did me proud! Our friends loved the cake and some of the guests even commented that they typically don't like raspberry filling in their cake, but really loved this cake - filling and all! I think about 7 different people asked me for my card and when I told them I only bake as a hobby for friends and family, they all gave me a hug and told me I was their new best friend :)

I love when my cakes make people happy and this one definitely pleased! Our friends really appreciated all the work we put into this and I really appreciated my new helpers :)

Wanna know how stupid I am???

2009-07-14T21:26:00.002-04:00

This evening, I waited in line at the Costco in Bridgewater, NJ for 2 hours to get my Cupcake Book signed by Martha Stewart. The line was a mile long and there were at least 350 people in front of me. Anyway, after I got the book signed, I grabbed a cart and did my shopping.

I guess I was so excited to have met her and with all the commotion, I loaded my stuff into my car and accidentally left the book in my cart. I got home and realized what I had done, but the store was already closed, so there was no one who could check the parking lot for my book.

I went to Martha's websites and blogs and was hoping to write to her and let her know what happened and send her the photo of us to prove I was there. I thought that maybe, just maybe, she would feel sorry for me and send me another signed book.

I got that book a few weeks ago and my plan is to make each and every recipe in that book. So far, I have made 5 of the recipes. Each time I make one of the recipes, I take a photo of my cupcakes in front of the correct page on her cookbook and then post it to this blog (as evidenced by my recent posts).

I could not find anywhere on Martha's sites to write to her or post to one of her blogs. If any of you know Martha or anyone who works for her, maybe you could pass along my story. I would really love another signed copy of the book and am so sad I lost it :(

Martha Stewart's Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

2009-07-14T07:35:00.001-04:00

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes - Fourth of July Cupcakes

2009-07-07T21:06:00.002-04:00

Recipe #2: Along with the Cupcake Kebabs, for July 4th, I made Martha Stewart's Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes with my own famous Lemon Butter Cream frosting. As you can see, this also was Martha's Fourth of July Cupcakes decorating project. So, does this mean I really covered 2 of Martha's recipes at once? 2 birds with one stone? I think so!

So, 3 down, only 172 to go...

Martha Stewart's Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

2009-07-07T19:24:00.002-04:00

My husband recently bought me Martha Stewart's new Cupcake Book and I am so excited about all the great recipes and decorating projects that I have decided I am going to bake EVERY cupcake recipe in the book. That means, 175 different cupcake recipes!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, I wonder how long it will take me to cover all the recipes???

Do you think that if I send Martha photos of all of these cupcakes, she will invite me to be a guest on her show??? Yeah, I doubt it, too. But, in any event, I have decided to make a photo journal to capture all of my work.

This is the first recipe: Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting. They were really yummy!

Stay tuned for the next recipe...

Better Late than Never...Memorial Day Cupcakes 2009

2009-07-07T19:23:00.002-04:00

More Cupcake Kebabs

2009-07-07T19:21:00.002-04:00

Fourth of July Star Spangled Cupcake Kebabs

2009-07-05T21:48:00.003-04:00

I got the idea for these cupcake kebobs after seeing a bunch of others on "Cupcakes Take The Cake". How clever! These cupcake kebobs were made for my cousins' Fourth of July BBQ and are comprised of: blue Twizzlers, home made rice krispies treats, marshmallows dipped in blue sanding sugar, gumdrops, and mini buttermilk cupcakes (Martha Stewart's recipe) with my own home made lemon butter cream frosting topped with red, white and blue quins. YUMMY!!!

Mom and Tom's Wedding Brunch Cupcake Favors

2009-04-19T21:12:00.003-04:00

Lemon Cheesecake with Brownie Bottom for Easter 2009

2009-04-19T21:09:00.003-04:00

Easter Cupcakes 2009

2009-04-19T21:06:00.003-04:00

Rubik's Cube Cake for Joe's "40 is the new 20" Party

2008-09-21T20:34:00.001-04:00

Cake and Cupcakes for Randi's Baby Shower

2008-09-07T23:41:00.005-04:00

This cake and cupcakes were inspired by the work of Pink Cake Box in Denville, NJ.

Bug Cakes for Julie's Birthday

2008-07-29T09:07:00.004-04:00

Baking with Chef Cheryl

2008-07-16T12:32:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone and happy summer to those of our readers here in the Northern Hemisphere! Given how widespread the love of cupcakes seems to be and the readership we've enjoyed, I can't always assume all of you are located up here in the ol' US of A! Like Chef Cheryl said in a previous post, baking during the summer can be quite a chore around here and especially if the heat and humidity is blasting and the air conditioning is not but she did prepare a special treat for our girl Isis and her birthday that I was lucky to be a part of!

Yes faithful readers, I got to bake with Chef Cheryl.

Now I know what you're thinking: what fun! Oh sure, it seems like fun but for a chef like me who hasn't measured something since 1983, I can tell you it was quite stressful! See cooking is more about trying new things, blazing new trails and well... not measuring. Apparently that does not work when baking. It seems to be all about precision - which is precisely the reason why I tend not to bake.

Recipes? HA! Who needs that!

Needless to say I am proud to announce that I did not screw things up that bad. Perhaps I didn't screw them up at all but I wasn't sure as Chef Cheryl is quite intense when baking! Me, I like to juggle, sing and dance around but it seems you actually have to pay attention to get things to come out correctly.

Weird. I had no idea.

So I guess I owe all of you bakers an apology as it was quite difficult and required copious amounts of time which given the rate I scarf down cupcakes seems a shame. 4 hours of work, 30 seconds to eat them - not a great trade in my opinion but Chef Cheryl seems to disagree.

Chef Cheryl let me "mise en place" all the necessary ingredients for the S'mores cupcakes you see in the picture below. I measured everything the best I could, chopped, sifted, cracked and food processed until all ingredients were rightfully lined up and ready to go into the giant bowl of creation known as the Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer.

I, of course, was not allowed near it. Good call on Chef Cheryl's part. I would have eaten most of the batter uncooked.

However, what was interesting is I actually learned a few things. I learned:

Waving a batter-covered spatula over your head while dancing and signing "YMCA" by the Village People is the best way to ruin a white ceiling.
Chef Cheryl does not appreciate my version of "YMCA," "The Macarena" or any other such silly dance while baking. I can't imagine why.
When you mix all the liquid ingredients together in a glass measuring cup, it looks like a brain. Especially if there is egg or oil involved... Cool!
Do not drink the brain as tempting as it looks. Trust me on this one.
Food processors do not do a great job of chopping chocolate if you fill the entire bowl all at once. Better to add it a little bit at a time. Eat the leftovers that fall on the counter.
A marble rolling pin can smash the heck out of pretty much anything you roll over it. Including the dog.
Do not rolling pin the dog.
The dog does not like it.
Correction - the dog liked it - Chef Cheryl did not.
Butter makes everything taste better.

So as you can see, it wasn't a total waste letting me bake as I actually learned a few things! Oh and I learned one other thing:

Chef Cheryl notices such small details about her creations that not a single other person would ever notice. It is quite humours (some may say psychotic) about her attention to detail but in the end as you can see by the pictures (and the happy faces on the people when eating them) it was all worth it.

Next time I think I'll do the Chicken Dance and see if that goes over better.

Happy Birthday, Isis!

2008-07-13T12:59:00.004-04:00

We had a BBQ this weekend to celebrate Isis' 8th birthday and also a belated birthday for Lola, who turned 1 in April and Calleigh, who joined our family this past May.

I made S'mores Cupcakes and Pina Colada Cupcakes for the humans and Pupcakes for the dogs. I wanted something that recognized the birthdays, but didn't need another dessert, so instead, I made a centerpiece with a fondant dog and fondant bones. I have such admiration for Lorraine from Extra Icing (http://www.extra-icing.blogspot.com/) - she is quite an amazing artist and creates beautiful fondant and gum paste figurines. After watching some of her free tutorials on YouTube, I attempted the fondant dog. I was pleased with the end result and am looking forward to finding time to continue practicing this art.

Anyway, here are some photos of the desserts and centerpiece...Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting and Fondant Flowers

2008-06-21T15:52:00.002-04:00

The head of our department is leaving the company and we're having a luncheon for him on Monday, so these cupcakes are for the luncheon. Good Luck, Bob!

Recipe for Doggie Cake or Pupcakes

2008-06-19T21:02:00.000-04:00

Someone recently wrote to me and brought to my attention that I forgot to include the recipe for the dog-friendly pupcakes that I made for my dog, Lola's first birthday. I found the recipe back in 2004 on a website called "bellaonline". Here's the recipe...please note it can also be made as a layer cake.

3 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 cup margarine, softened
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup corn oil
2 jars strained chicken baby food
2 cups finely shredded carrots
plain or vanilla yogurt 2 or 3 strips of bacon, fried crisp, then crumbled, or use bacon-flavored jerky strips, cut into bits.

Preparation - Generously grease and flour two 8" round cake pans; set aside. Combine flour and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat softened margarine until smooth. Add eggs and corn oil; mix well. Add strained chicken, and shredded carrots and mix until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour batter into the 2 prepared 8" cake pans. Bake at 325° for 60 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Place one layer on a serving plate and spread yogurt over top. Place second layer on top, then spread yogurt on top and sides of entire cake. Sprinkle crumbled bacon or bits of jerky strips over top. Use "Pupperoni" sticks instead of candles.

To make pupcakes instead of a layer cake, 1/2 the recipe to yield approx. 10-12 cakes. Lightly grease a cupcake pan and fill each opening 2/3 full with the batter. Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then on a wire rack until completely cool. "Frost" with the vanilla yogurt and top with crumbled bacon as "sprinkles". Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container. When I gave the refrigerated pupcakes to the dogs, I microwaved them for a few seconds to warm them up so they weren't so dry. Be sure not to give them to your dog all at once as you don't want them to get sick. These are a treat, not a meal!

Enjoy!

Recipe for Black and White Cupcakes

2008-06-15T20:49:00.003-04:00

As promised, here is the recipe for Black and White Cupcakes:
(yields 12 cupcakes)

For the chocolate icing:

1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbl light corn syrup
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the white icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbl whipping cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the cupcakes:

3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup buttermilk

1. For the chocolate icing: bring cream and corn syrup just to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; whisk until melted and smooth.

2. For white icing: whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend. Let both icings stand 1 1/2 hours at room temperature to thicken.

3. For cupcakes: pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

4. Whisk eggs, vanilla and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. Mix cake flour, baking powder and salt in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually beat in egg mixture. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each.

5. Divide batter among cups. Bake until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.

6. Spread chocolate icing over half of each cupcake. Spread white icing on second half of each cupcake. Let stand until set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)

Alternative icings: (from the black and white cookies recipe in "The Gourmet Cookbook", the world's BEST cookbook!)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbl light corn syrup
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbl water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Stir together powdered sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and 1 tbl water in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water 1/2 tsp at a time to thin to same consistency as white icing.

This icing will be thinner than the icing recipe above - the consistency is more like poured fondant. When you are frosting the cupcakes with this icing, go easy because it will drip down the sides of the cupcake. You can always cover in one thin coat of white icing, let set, then do a second coat of white icing, same with the chocolate icing - if necessary.

By the way, my Mom liked the cupcakes even with my substituted home-made buttermilk (lemon and milk) and didn't think the cakes were too lemony!

Black and White Cupcakes with Fondant Daisies

2008-06-13T11:26:00.003-04:00

These are black and white cupcakes - just like the famous NY black and white cookies! The recipe came from the newspaper a few months ago - they were doing an article on cupcakes. I didn't have buttermilk in the house, so I made my own buttermilk with milk and lemon juice (stay tuned to my blog for other substitutions which will be posted in the upcoming weeks). The next time I make these, I will be sure to have actual buttermilk, though, because the batter tasted too lemony. Lemon and chocolate are not a great flavor combo, so the batter really needs to be more plain/vanilla. I am bringing them to Mom's for dinner tonight, so I'll let you know what she thought of them (isn't your Mom your toughest critic???)

I will post the recipe for these cupcakes shortly, so if you make them, please send me some photos and let me know what you/your guests think of them...

Orange Mango Triple Sec Layer Cake Recipe

2008-06-10T18:02:00.001-04:00

This cake took a few hours to make, but was AMAZING!!! I plan to make these as cupcakes, and will be sure to share a photo and a review once I have had the chance, but for now, wanted to share the cake recipe which came from the May 2003 Coastal Living magazine.

If any of you make this cake, please send photos and let me know what you/your guests thought of it. This is a great dessert for summer! Happy Baking!!!

You can find the recipe online by pasting this link into the address bar of your web browser: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=434200

Measuring of Dry and Wet Ingredients

2008-06-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

Baking is more scientific than other cooking techniques and requires careful measuring. To ensure success, it is important to accurately measure ingredients using the correct measuring utensils.

Dry measuring cups

Available in nested sets of 4 to 8 cups. Made of metal or plastic, these cups do not have a pouring spout.

Liquid measuring cups

Made of glass or plastic, these cups have a lip for pouring. Measuring cups made of glass or clear plastic are easiest to use and most accurate.

Measuring spoons

Available in metal or plastic, measuring spoons are used to measure small quantities of liquid and dry ingredients.

Measuring Dry Ingredients

Nested graduated dry measuring cups are used to measure flour, sugar and other dry and solid ingredients. To measure all-purpose flour, stir flour first, then lightly spoon into dry measuring cup. Use a metal spatula or the straight edge of a table knife to level flour so it is even with the top of the cup. Do not pack flour into measuring cup or tap filled cup on counter. (Please note that many recipes call for sifted flour - this will be covered in another post)

To measure granulated or powdered sugar, corn meal, wheat germ and oats, spoon into dry measuring cup and level even with the top of the cup with a metal spatula .

To measure brown sugar and vegetable shortening, firmly pack into dry measuring cup, then level even with the top of the cup with a metal spatula.

Liquid Ingredients

Measure liquid ingredients such as milk, vegetable oil and fruit juice in a glass or plastic measuring cup with a spout for pouring. Place measuring cup on a level surface, pour in liquid and read the level of the liquid by looking at the cup from eye level. (You will need to bend or stoop down to see at eye level.)

Measuring Small Amounts of Dry and/or Liquid Ingredients

Measure small amounts of dry and liquid ingredients, usually 3 tablespoons or less, in measuring spoons. These are sold in sets typically 1/8 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon. To measure small amounts of dry ingredients, use measuring spoons using the same technique used with dry measuring cups. To measure small amounts of liquid ingredients, use measuring spoons by carefully filling with liquid until it reaches the top of the spoon.

Measuring Fats

Many baking mistakes are made when measuring fats. We measure it by sticks, by cups, by weight, and by tablespoons. No wonder that if a baker is going to make a mistake, this is where it happens! For example, a common error is to think that one stick of butter is equal to one cup. Unfortunately, this is not true. One stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup. Shortening, on the other hand, contains 1 cup in a stick. For this reason, Quaker has begun to list fat measurements in recipes by the number of sticks, tablespoons (so that they can be "counted" on the stick of fat) and/or the weight. We believe that this method will be less confusing to the many novice bakers who are just discovering the joys of baking!

To measure stick butter or margarine -- If the recipe calls for less than 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons), count the number of tablespoons on the wrapping markings. With a sharp knife, carefully cut on the lines found on the butter/margarine stick wrapper. It is best to cut the butter while it is at refrigerator temperature, as you will not get an accurate measurement if the butter is too soft. REMEMBER, one stick of butter or margarine is equal to 1/2 cup and not 1 cup!

To measure an unquartered, 1 pound block of butter or margarine -- Allow butter to soften just slightly -- do NOT soften in the microwave as it typically will become too soft or it will melt. Or, pack it into a dry (nested) measuring cup. Then use a metal spatula or the straight edge of a knife blade to level it even with the top of the cup. You can also measure by weighing: 1 tablespoon of butter = .5 ounces.

To measure butter or margarine in a tub -- Do NOT use butter or margarine found in tubs. It is not suitable for baking!

To measure stick solid shortening -- Keep in mind that shortening sticks contain one cup of shortening as compared to the 1/2 cup found in a stick of butter or margarine. With a sharp knife, carefully cut on the lines found on the stick wrapper.

To measure solid shortening in a can -- Using a spoon or rubber spatula, scoop shortening out of can and pack into a dry (nested) measuring cup. Then use a metal spatula or the straight edge of a knife blade to level it even with the top of the cup. I have also discovered a baking gadget called a Wonder Cup, which is a tube-shaped piece of rubber or soft plastic fit into a clear plastic tube with measurements on it. You would fill up the tube with the amount of shortening required, then push the rubber part up through the clear tube to release the shortening. When you use this gadget, you do not leave most of the shortening in the measuring cup because you couldn't get it out with your rubber spatula.

Introduction to Baking 101

2008-06-10T18:00:00.000-04:00

It has been pretty hot outside lately, so the thought of using the hot oven to bake cupcakes has not been very appealing. Until things cool off and I return to my weekly cupcake baking projects, I have been thinking about what other interesting stuff I can post on my blog to keep you coming back. It occurred to me that in addition to the many pro and semi-pro bakers out there, there is a growing number of people who are very interested in learning to bake and decorate and they have been visiting many blogs and websites looking for instruction on basic baking techniques as well as some useful tips and tricks. I am no expert by any means, but I am have been baking and decorating for about 8 years and would like to share some of what I've learned with you. If any of you have more to add on a particular topic, please feel free to add your comments, as much of what I have picked up has come from speaking with other baking enthusiasts and I welcome the opportunity to continue to learn from you.

I hope to post at least once a week or more and some of the topics I will be addressing are:

Measuring of Dry and Wet Ingredients
Mixing
Use of different types of pans
Storage of baked goods
Baking Ahead
Conversions
Substitution of Ingredients
Different Types of Frosting
Store-Bought vs. Home-made
Using a Pastry Bag
Decorating Cupcakes
Useful Baking Tools and Gadgets

Finally, I'm all about sharing, so I plan to share my favorite cake, cookie, cupcake and frostings recipes. By the way, I would certainly appreciate it if you would share your favorites with me - it's only fair :)

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy it so much, that you will tell your friends to check it out, too!

Happy Birthday, Michele!

2008-05-28T22:40:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I made jelly-filled cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and chocolate sprinkles to celebrate my friend, Michele's birthday!

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-25T18:40:00.002-04:00

Last night's cupcake project - Pac Man Cupcakes!!!

2008-05-22T21:17:00.002-04:00

These were inspired by a photo I saw of someone else's work - I thought these were amazing and I had to make them. 5 hours to make 16 cupcakes is not good, but I am very pleased with the finished project. Think anyone would pay $300 for dessert that feeds 16? If so, I'd be happy to make these for them :)

Confessions of a Cupcakers Husband

2008-05-22T09:47:00.002-04:00

As the old saying goes "when the cat's away, the mice will play" so it's Chef Cheryl's husband Joe here, sneaking a post onto her blog while she's at work and giving all of you out there something else to look at besides pictures of cupcakes you'll never get to eat! Did you come here for a photo of her latest creation? Sorry to disappoint, but it's just me, representing all the lost and lonely husbands out there who have lost their wives to cupcakes although something tells me the project she working on until midnight last night will somehow make it up here...

Guys, you know what I'm talking about. It's 10 at night, it's been a long day, the kids / dogs / e-mails are finally put to bed, all is finally quiet in the house, dinner is cleaned up and you're just about to settle in to watch CSI Miami and this happens:

Chef Cheryl: "Babe - what are you going to do now - I think I'm going to make some cupcakes!"
Joe: "But it's 10 o'clock at night and CSI Miami is on."
Chef Cheryl: "Aren't you recording it?"
Joe: "Yea, but it's late and don't you want to.."
Chef Cheryl: "Alright then. Cupcakes it is!"
Joe: "Wha??????"

As you can see by the above exchange, it seems the laws of physics are defied when it comes to baking cupcakes. Time stops and somewhere in an alternate universe, Chef Cheryl is sitting quietly on the couch, giving her strength to bake in this one. And somehow I'm still getting older. Unfair...

Now what fascinates me is that she claims this is relaxing. Relaxing? IT'S MIDNIGHT PEOPLE. Most normal humans are asleep by now, especially on a school night, and so I continue to be fascinated in this study of sleeplessness in the pursuit of the perfect cupcake. Wouldn't logic tell you there is a diminishing return and you're results would actually get worse late at night when you're all bleary eyed and can't hold a pastry bag? I mean really, you do not want an errant pastry bag to explode on you at that hour. Ask me about the chocolate on my ceiling that won't come out. Go ahead, ask me.

Uh-huh... it's true. And our ceilings are (were) white.

And here's the cruelest part about it - I don't want to eat the cupcakes! I am no longer of the age where copious amounts of sugar speeds thru my metabolism and doesn't add 20 pounds to my waistline just by looking at it. Sure I miss those days but c'mon - an entire closet full of candy, cereal, Twizzlers and icing and I'm not supposed to stare at it like the dog stares at the front door 2 minutes before a stranger rings the bell?

Seriously - side note - how the heck do they know someone is coming WAY before I do? That kinda freaks me out.

So here's what I'm proposing and guys feel free to comment and add rules as you see fit:

1. For every hour you cupcake after 8pm (9pm on weekends and alternating holidays), that's one hour of football you have to watch AND enjoy. No reading People while the game is on. Be involved.

2. Effective immediately, all cupcakes are to be made from liver, pigs feet and gizzards. This way they are completely unappetizing to me and there will be no temptation for me to bang down the door on the magic closet and get me a big heapin' helping of gizzards. The dogs on the other hand, can make no promises.

3. While I can pretend to be interested in what you're doing, do not expect me to get as excited about marshmallow fondant as you do. Batter - yes (I can lick the spoon so) Fondant - no.

4. Provided they are made with delicious materials such as chocolate, candy and cake, all cupcakes must be out of the house no more than 15 minutes after the completion of any given project. This will give you ample time to admire your work, snap a few pictures and put them outside for the deer, foxes, bear, raccoons, squirrels and whatever other assorted wildlife may or may not live in your neighborhood.

By following these simple rules I think we can all achieve a happy and harmonious household and strike a delicate balance between your freakish love of baked goods and my sanity.

Now let me go, I have to go watch CSI Miami...

First Attempt at Marshmallow Fondant

2008-05-11T20:43:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2008-05-11T20:40:00.002-04:00

Pretty Hummingbird Cupcakes

2008-05-03T12:49:00.002-04:00

More of today's projects...

2008-04-27T14:40:00.002-04:00

Today's Cupcake Projects - Panda-monium, Popcorn and Chef Cupcakes!

2008-04-27T14:36:00.002-04:00

Cupcake Truffle Pops

2008-04-25T12:47:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, I made Bakerella's cupcake pops - the ones featured on Martha Stewart's cupcake week. They were a big hit at the office and at yoga class. Many different steps and a little time-consuming, but overall, pretty easy to make and the recipe yielded 40, so you can get a large quantity for your time. What do you think of them?

Lola with her birthday cupcake

2008-04-22T10:39:00.003-04:00

Lola's 1st Birthday and her very own puppy-friendly cupcake!

2008-04-22T10:20:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday, Lola, our Weimaraner puppy, turned one! To celebrate, I baked up a batch of pooch-friendly cupcakes for her (recipe follows). She now knows the word "cupcake" and spins in circles when it is spoken. Despite all of the excitement, she managed to sit still and pose with her cupcake and party hat for this photo...

Sunflower Cupcakes with Ladybugs

2008-04-18T09:32:00.002-04:00

I couldn't sleep on Wednesday night, so I decided to stay up and make a batch of sunflower cupcakes, which I brought to work on Thursday. They traveled well and everyone loved them! I really enjoy making people happy with cupcakes. Work can be pretty stressful at times, but somehow, a cupcake makes everything easier to deal with!

Doggie Cupcakes

2008-04-13T18:50:00.002-04:00

The other night, I made a few doggie cupcakes from the "Hello, Cupcake!" book. They were pretty challenging, as they required carving Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies to make the ears and parts of the faces. I heated the cookies for a few seconds in the microwave as the book suggests, however, I broke more than a few in the carving process and those cookies are pretty expensive. My husband said that these cupcakes were not my best work. I would have to agree with him. What do you think? Keep practicing???

Corn Cupcakes

2008-04-10T15:27:00.003-04:00

Last night, I made the corn cupcakes and the owl cupcakes from the "Hello, Cupcake!" book. I had a lot of fun making these and hope you like the photos...

I think my next project will be the panda cupcakes, but stay tuned to see...

Corn and Owls?

2008-04-10T10:14:00.004-04:00

I mean really, what do these two things have in common, right? Well, the only thing that I can think of is that these two projects were the two I completed last night. Well, maybe Owls like corn but I'm not sure I'll ever find that out but I digress!

Between the two projects, it tooks me about 2 hours to complete (having the cupcakes pre-baked, of course) which in the scheme of things, isn't too bad given how long some of the others I've attempted have taken. I am hoping that with more practice, this will become a faster process as every time I do one of these, I wonder how bakeries make money! This is seriously time-consuming!!! I'm glad this is just a side-business / hobby for me.

If any of you out there do own a bakery and can give me any tips for speeding things up, I would certainly appreciate it! Until next time and the next project, keep on cupcaking!

They're all starting to expect cupcakes on a regular basis

2008-04-08T21:00:00.004-04:00

Last week, I brought the bowling cupcakes to yoga class because the rule in my house is that baking is OK as long as the finished product does not remain in the house. Everyone said really nice things about them - my instructor told me that her son said the bowling ball cupcake was the best cupcake he ever had! Wow, that's huge! Anyway, tonight, I was asked where the cupcakes were...I didn't bring cupcakes to class this evening. I guess that was a compliment, but I don't want to start a routine where I am expected to bring cupcakes all the time. It needs to be something that is a nice surprise when it happens, know what I mean?

Anyway, the people in my yoga class are really nice, so I think I'll have to make them some special yoga-themed cupcakes next week. I wonder what those would look like....hmm....

Slumber Party Cupcakes

2008-04-07T14:55:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I made the Slumber Party Cupcakes from the "Hello, Cupcake!" book. I made 5 cupcakes and this project took almost 3 hours to complete. There are many different candy elements needed and the piping of the facial features and hair is very intricate because of their small size. I was having a particularly steady hand that day, so I must say I was very proud of my finished work. I brought these cupcakes, along with a few sharks I made this weekend, to work today and again, they were such a hit that they disappeared in less than 5 minutes. It's great to make people smile by sharing my creations with them. I am not sure what my next project will be, but I am thinking it might be the panda cupcakes or the fishbowl cupcakes...Guess you'll have to check back soon to see for yourself!

The Disco Cupcakes Store!

2008-04-06T22:50:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone! It's probably a common problem we all have: not enough Disco or Cupcakes in our life! That's why we're pleased to announce the opening of our Cafe Press store! You can see all the cool designs we've got by clicking here.

And once we get the website together, we'll be sure to keep you posted so please keep checking back. A lot!

Thank you Haribo!

2008-04-06T14:52:00.002-04:00

By now many of you who are also "cupcakers" know that the right tool for the job can make all the difference! The same is true for ingredients. I live in New Jersey and kinda in the middle of "everywhere" so I didn't think that finding some of the materials I needed for these cupcakes would be such a challenge!

Today was a joyous day as I finally found black lace licorice to use for hair. Exciting! I know, it's the little things in life but hey, if it makes a project more realistic and easy, then I'm all for it. It looks like it's time to hit the Internet and do a little shopping!

I have been looking for local suppliers of quality materials in the Central NJ area so if any of you have any ideas other than Candyland Crafts, I'd like to hear from you!

Now off to my next project...

The results are in...

2008-04-01T20:53:00.002-04:00

...and the cupcakes were a BIG hit!

Today I brought in my first project to the office as my husband told me that while he's OK with QA testing a cupcake here and there, to have a house filled with hundreds of them, isn't exactly good for his waistline! Talk about a chubby hubby! So I promised that as I made them, I'd bring them out into the real world for others to experience. I guess it's my way of spreading joy and love and a few extra calories around! it's funny the joy that a cupcake can bring as you should see the faces on people when a plate of cupcakes shows up! it's like they're 5 all over again and their mom just brought out a plate of the sweet confections to their birthday party.

Sorry if your mom didn't make you cupcakes.. now I feel bad. I'll make you some...

But seriously, the Spaghetti & Meatballs you see in the slide show above were the cupcakes in question and based on the feedback (and the speed at which the disappeared off of the plate) I am guessing they were good! I made a promise to myself not to eat my own creations and so I am going to stick to it the best that I can.

Let's see how long that lasts...

Hello, Cupcake has arrived!

2008-03-31T13:53:00.003-04:00

I guess the one good thing about the web and blogging is that you have a history of your thoughts, projects and progress and so this weekend, my first foray into cupcake madness began. I spent the weekend, baking and decorating cupcakes found in the Hello, Cupcake! book and the results were mixed. The good news, I learned a lot about technique and found that you have to follow the recipe to a T! I guess unlike cooking, sometimes there is no substitute!

I guess it goes to show that no matter how much experience you have, or how easy it looks, you should never stop in the pursuit of the prefect cupcake! here is a photo of my most successful venture: the Spaghetti and Meatballs cupcake platter! Let me know what you think! I also tried a few others but I am not super pleased with the results but I'll keep on baking until I get it right or my husband exploded from QA testing too many cupcakes!

Cupcakes, here I come!

2008-03-24T17:34:00.000-04:00

Since I am new to this blogging thing and this is my first post, I thought I'd share a little more about me and what I hope to do here. Since I love cupcakes (have I mentioned that?) it is my hope, dream and goal to create some of the coolest cupcakes you have ever seen! I hope that the text and the photos in these pages will serve as an inspiration to all of you out there who wonder "gee, can I do that!?" The answer is YES YOU CAN! I'm no professional, just someone who loves cupcakes and with a little patience and a lot of practice, you'll get there. I promise!

So thanks for joining me on this journey and be sure to check back often as I plan on sharing my trials and tribulations with all of you in every last delicious detail!