Too cute!

Isn't this just tooooooo cute! I think in the far future when it's my time for a little baby, just is a must have for them in winter. A cute pink one for a girl and a pretty blue one for a boy! Then even the children can share in cupcake cuteness.

Motivational posters...

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So this year I attempted a lot of chocolate inspired cookies. Some filled with strawberries, some decorated, some just plain delicious. I then packed them nicely into a pretty box, put the decorations on (seen below) and ended with pretty ribbons. I give these away as Christmas presents to my family every year. Even sold a few this year.

But let me just tell you baking is a lot of work. I thought when the clock struck 1 in the morning, and a layer of butter, sugar and flour was caked onto my skin, that I would not come out alive the other side. I was poofed. Baking almost 1600 cookies is no joke. Just wish my family were a bit smaller… Anyway, I enjoyed every minute of it, actually. The list of cookies were Chocolate Gingerbread, Nutella Dream cookies, Chocolate strawberry Wafers, Chocolate and Strawberry Spiral cookies and Chocolate shortbread (mmmm my favourite) I baked up a storm, packed and decorated, drank some wine in between, slept, ate (a few cookies to), but most of all I felt the Christmas spirit coming alive. The spirit of giving, sharing and loving. I will post the complete boxes, cookie recipes and pictures later this month. Keep a look out.

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WEDDING BOOKED

I am proud to announce...I am doing a wedding cake. Thank you for everyone that supported me and helped me along the way. Now the hard work starts. I know the bride will be so happy and her breath will be taken away when see tastes and sees these wedding cupcakes on her special day...hehehe!!! Whoohoo dreams can come true!

Wedding Cupcakes

So here they are. The wedding cupcakes. I experimented a bit with the icing. I think it still needs some work, but the chocolate cupcake is divine! Making those damn little flowers were really hard, but worth it. I learned a new skill, and had the pleasure of working with fondant for the first time. Wonderful! I just want do more and make more...but alas time is little. I will get there and make 100 of beautiful fondant decorations. I take my hat off to people who do this full time, it really is an art form. 

Teaser

I made test wedding cupcakes. These are the fragapani flowers (my very first attempt at fondant i must say). At attempt number 4 I was reasdy to give up. And then magically i figured out the trick and i was good to go! Will post pics of the cupcakse later this week.

Blog Love

http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/2011/11/dead-mans-peanut-butter-cupcakes.html

I have found this amazing blog…WOW!! check it out.  Ms humble those Dead mans peanut butter cupcakes, made me drool! Can’t wait to make them!

Cupcakes sayings

I found these great cucpakes sayings. 

I need some positive cupcake power. 

I feel very drained of any cupcake happiness.

Cocktail creations

After a hectic week I’m only getting to post these now…have been working like a dog, dreaming beautiful cupcake dreams and wishing holiday would come!!! And the cocktail drama continues. As said before just let your imagination flow. My favourite was the Tequila sunrise cupcakes. The orange flavour of the cupcakes were incredible…I must admit I ending up eating 4 (blush) and they have all gone to sit on my hips…my pants are just closing! Disaster!!!

Anyway recipe time…jipee!!! I started off with a basic vanilla cupcake recipe. This is one of my favourites. I like to use them as a base for most of my vanilla cupcakes.

Tequila Sunrise Cupcakes

Cupcakes (12-15 medium sized)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup            flour

1 ½ tsp             baking powder

¼ tsp                salt

125 g                butter

1 cup                sugar

½ tsp                vanilla

2                      eggs

½ cup                milk

orange gel colouring

orange oil flavouring.

Pre heat oven to 200 °C.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a separate bowl.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture, mix well.

Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix through.

Add orange gel colouring and oil flavouring. As you know I have a heavy hand, so I like a lot of orange oil flavouring. It’s all up to you.

Pour into cupcake liners.

Bake for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick/stick. If it comes out clean, remove cupcakes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Poke a few holes with a toothpick, not all the way down.

Add tequila over the cupcake and allow to cool completely.

Frosting:

250 g                        white butter

3 cups                       icing sugar (sifted)

½ tsp                        vanilla extract

yellow gel colouring

Beat the salt and butter until light and fluffy.

Slowly add icing sugar, mix until the icing sugar becomes a light and fluffy texture.

Add vanilla extract and yellow food colouring.

Beat until well combined.

Decorations:

Slice of orange

Cocktail umbrellas

Pina colada Cupcakes

Cupcakes (12-15 medium sized)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup              flour

1 ½ tsp              baking powder

¼ tsp                 salt

125 g                 butter

1 cup                 sugar

½ tsp                 vanilla

2                       eggs

½ cup                milk

pineapple oil flavouring.

Pre heat oven to 200 °C.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a separate bowl.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture, mix well.

Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix through.

Add pineapple oil flavouring. More is always better!

Pout into cupcake liners.

Bake for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick/stick. If it comes out clean, remove cupcakes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Poke a few holes with a toothpick, not all the way down.

Add Malibu rum over the cupcake and allow to cool completely.

Place a slice of pineapple in the middle of the cupcake for an extra pineapple twist

Frosting:

250 g                         white butter

3 cups                        icing sugar (sifted)

½ tsp                         vanilla extract

coconut flakes (fine)

Beat the salt and butter until light and fluffy.

Slowly add icing sugar, mix until the icing sugar becomes a light and fluffy texture.

Add vanilla extract and coconut flakes.

Beat until well combined.

Decorations:

Slices of pineapple.

Maraschino cherry

Cocktail umbrellas

Cocktail creations

I have to admit, I have been dreaming of cocktails all winter, and finally summer has arrived and my inspiration station has launched. It is cocktail mania…and what could be better then a cocktail cupcake! And we all have to thank the Tipsy Ladies for starting this all!

So I’m happy to introduce to you Pina Colada Cupcakes and Tequila Sunrise Cupcakes. These were so fun to make, I absolutely loved thinking and tinkering with my current recipes. The colours are also a slam-dunk! They just came along and brightened up my Monday. I am already two down in the eating department…and looking at the third one, should I or should I not? I just think one should let your imagination flow. Don’t ever be scared to experiment. If it’s a bit way off, try and try again. The possibilities could be endless!

Tomorrow the recipes will follow, and you can also have awesome sundowner cupcake cocktails!

Cupcakeipsum - WOW!!!

http://cupcakeipsum.com/#

OMG!!! this has just made my day. If you are tired of boring old lorem impsum generators, go check this cupcake ipsum generator out. I LOVE IT!!!

Cupcake heaven lunch...

So usually my 1 hours lunch is either non-existent (too busy working) or mindless dwelling in the mall. But today I wondered into the Wordsworth Books. I started to slowly move towards the food section…

It was absolutely divine...I found myself looking at an awesome book. Cupcake Heaven edited by Jennie Milsom. All I can say is OMG!!! I felt like I was in heaven. I simply have to get this book and start baking. Thank you Jennie, you just made my lunch the best treat I could of asked for.

(Hint hint this would make a could Christmas present!)

Tipsy ladies – as promised!!!

So these delicious ladies are a combination of recipes I have found all over. I am still looking for the prefect chocolate cupcake (I think this one gets close). I want one that peaks…I love cupcakes that peak! This is an adult cupcake (over 18’s please) but I’m sure if you like them so much, you can take away all that sherry and just do it without! Just remember to keep your ingredients fresh, at room temperature (unless otherwise stipulated) and to have fun. If you want to add a little bit of this or that, don’t be afraid, follow the basics and then let your creative baking juices flow! 

Cupcakes (12-15 medium sized)

Ingredients:

1 cup                water

½ cup               cocoa

1 ½ cup             flour

1tsp                  baking soda

¼ tsp                baking powder

125 g                butter

1 cup                white sugar

2                      eggs

½ tsp                vanilla extract

1 cup                 dark chocolate (chopped)

½ cup                sherry

pinch of salt

Pre heat oven to 180 °C.

Boil water. Mix in the cocoa, whisk until smooth and leave to cool.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a separate bowl.

Add vanilla extract and eggs (one at a time) mixing well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture alternatively with the cocoa mixture.

Beat on medium until the batter appears light and fluffy.

Fold in pieces of dark chocolate.

Scoop into cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Check with a toothpick/stick at 18 minutes. If it comes out clean, remove cupcakes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Poke a few holes with a toothpick, not all the way down. Pour a little sherry over cupcakes (this can get messy) Paint the cupcakes with brush drenched in sherry every 5 minutes, for about half an hour.

Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

¼ cup                        frozen strawberries

250 g                        white butter

3 cups                       icing sugar (sifted)

½ tsp                        vanilla extract

1/8 tsp                      strawberry oil

Pink gel food colouring

Pinch of salt

In a food processor, puree strawberries.

Beat the salt and butter until light and fluffy.

Slowly add icing sugar, mix until the icing sugar becomes a light and fluffy texture.

Add vanilla extract, strawberry oil and the puréed strawberries. (My hand tends to slip a bit with the strawberry oil, I like an extreme strawberry taste)

Beat until well combined.

Add a few drops of pink gel food colouring. (Add as much as you like to get your desired pink colour)

Decorations:

Cocktail umbrellas

Blocks of dark chocolate

Drunken strawberries:

Castor sugar

Strawberries cored

Sherry

Place the strawberries in a container that will be able to seal.

Submerge them with sherry and add a lot of castor sugar.

Leave overnight in the fridge.

Tipsy Ladies

WOW! these are definitely for the girls.

They are delectable dark chocolate cupcakes, infused with a sherry twist. And to top it off strawberry flavoured frosting, a block of dark chocolate and a drunken strawberry! These were truly my first creation, in collaboration with a dear friend (I love her creative juices). I enjoyed making them and couldn’t resist eaten two.  I think they would be ideal for girlie weekends away, bachelorettes or even just if you need some light-hearted fun!

Recipe will follow tomorrow.

Cupcake quote by Emily, use (clipped to polyvore.com)

Hello blog world!!!

so...this is my first post! So excited, what to say, what to show, what to do? Well I have seriously been thinking about this, since I had lunch, which was sort of healthy, Tuna salad! (don't fret will give you that recipe soon).

So I think we will kick it off with Christmas.

So it's the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la! Every year, I have been doing Christmas cookies. Tins/boxes, any type of container filled with scrumptious cookies for all to enjoy. A lovely design on it, with ribbons to hearts content, and message of Christmas loving cheer! I will be updating with recipes of each cookie, and how my design and sanity is going over the next couple of weeks...so be prepared for flour, fun and oh so sweetness of home baked goodness!