Amanda's 18th Birthday Cupcakes

I have watched Amanda grow from a shy fourth-grade angel into a beautiful, smart and extremely dedicated young woman. Yesterday she celebrated her 18th birthday and I am so happy I was able to celebrate this milestone with her. Amanda is more than a "cousin" but someone I look at as a little sister.

I baked her dark chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream. The cupcakes were lined in both black and zebra liners, adorned with fondant stars and edible glitter.

Happy 18th Mandy!

Princess Jacqueline's 5th Birthday Cupcakes

Princess Jacqueline will be celebrating her fifth birthday this upcoming Tuesday but her parents threw her a Princess Tiana themed party today. The birthday girl's cupcakes were grown-up funfetti cake which is a vanilla buttermilk cake dotted with green, purple and yellow specks and the frosting was a vanilla butter cream frosting. I did eighteen cupcakes with white/violet swirl adorned with gold fondant crowns and the remaining eighteen cupcakes were white/green swirl with chocolate froggies. Lucky for Jacqueline, I was taking a basic fondant class and decide to decorate the cake for her. I baked grandma's oriole chocolate cake and covered it with butter cream fondant (which is to die for). I had so much fun baking and creating these cupcakes. I truly hope that the birthday girl and her court of friends loved them just as much as I enjoyed baking them.

Happy Birthday Princess J!

Ethan's 1st Birthday Safari Cupcakes

I met Ethan's mommy while we were planning our June 30, 2007 weddings. Back then we obsessed about wedding details and now we obsess about our children. Danielle and Joseph are such a sweet couple and they threw an amazing first birthday party for Ethan yesterday. Dani had purchased the liners and picks so all I had to do was bake these healthy cakes. They were a carrot and pineapple cake made with whole wheat flour and agave, very kid friendly and perfect for any tiny tot soiree!

Happy First Birthday Ethan, we cannot wait to continue to watch you grow!

Abby Cadabby Birthday Cupcakes

One of my most recent creations was for my nieces second birthday. I made chocolate chip cupcakes with butter cream frosting adorned with sparkling pink sugar and Abby cadabby sugar pieces. Any Sesame Street lover would go nuts over these scrumptious cupcakes.

Pretty, Pretty Princess Cupcakes

Last weekend we celebrated our niece, Makayla's fourth birthday party at our house. Now, anyone who knows Miss Makayla know's that she is a princess, and a Disney Princess-themed party was due. Another great quality about Kay is that she loves chocolate and cake/cake and chocolate. I knew that I needed an extra chocolaty cake recipe and frosting that was fit for any Queen in training. These darling little cakes were so cute and could cure any chocoholics chocolate craving!



Rich Chocolate Cake:
(Adapted from Toll House)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
2. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk.
3. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely

Sorta-Chocolaty Buttercream Frosting

(Adapted from iheartcuppcakes-retirement cupcakes )

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter
• 7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• pink and purple food coloring. I used Wilton coloring gel in rose and purple.

Directions:

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl. Add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, cocoa powder and vanilla, beat until combined. Add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (not too stiff so that its hard to pipe)
2. Take out half of the buttercream and using pink food coloring, tint to desired shade.
3. Add purple food coloring, tint to desired shade, to the remaining half and beat to combine.
4. To assemble cupcake—Fill pastry bag with both the pink and purple buttercream frosting, one on opposite side from the other. Do not mix them together to keep the colors separate until you pipe onto the cupcake.

I had extra batter so I decided to bake two small heart cakes for her cake. I piped on frosting with a star tip.