Congraduations

Congraduations Class of 2015!

 We've been baking up a storm of fun graduation cupcakes around here.

I threw in a few extra with pink tassles just because this cute, pink-loving Cub graduated from pre-school today.

Fresh

 I can't think of anything lovelier than fresh lemon curd.  It makes the perfect filling for a light cupcake.  Swoon!

 Except maybe fresh hot fudge.  That comes in at a very close second in this chocolate almond cupcake.

The pretty blue and pink version is pretty cute too!

Snickers

A little boy made a special birthday request for a cupcake that tastes like his favorite candy bar.  The Snickers cupcake was born.

Chocolate Cake with a thin cookie crust, filled with salted caramel, dunked in chocolate and topped with a fluffy salted buttercream frosting with all sorts of goodness drizzled on top.

First Day Jitters

My oldest cub went back to school today.  She did great but I was a jittery mess sitting in a puddle of tears and specialty chocolate wrappers.  So I pulled myself together and kept busy by sharpening myself a bouquet of pencils and baking to keep from missing her too badly.  She took some to her teacher the next day.  I'm teaching her to brown nose right!

Baseball

God bless America.  God bless baseball.  God bless Red Vines.  And God bless babies being born so I get to make little baseball cupcakes.

New Kitchen, New Cupcakes

Guys, I am in love with my new kitchen.  50 cupcakes didn't even make a dent in the counter space!

In honor of the new space, we invented a new cupcake.  We came up with a dark chocolate cupcake, filled with salted caramel and topped with a big ol' caramel chocolate ganache flower.  Dark, dense and delicious!

Valentine Cupcake Overload

I am always so glad I'm not a florist on Valentine's Day.  I think it might be the only proffession more crazy than being a baker during Valentine's week!  I managed to pump out a record 400 cupcakes in two days AND get them all delivered.  There were lots of smiles as my little cupcake fairies went around delivering little boxes of Valentine happies.

200 German Chocolate and Lemon minis look so pretty all lined up.

The favorite this year must have been Churro cupcakes because LOTS of ladies were ordering these for their hunks of burning love.  There was also a handful of Chocolate Hazelnut and Roasted Banana Cupcakes that looked so delicious all boxed up.

Valentine's Day wouldn't be Valentine's at all without a batch or two of our favorite 'Hostess' Cupcakes.  I live for Ganache.

I need to go bake now.  It's cold and my oven needs some love!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day - Last Year

I found these gems from last year, just after the Man Cub was born.  The ladies covered him with kisses and enjoyed fat slices of chocolate cake for Valentine's Day while I madly tried to get out these cute cupcake boxes on time.  It was a Valentine miracle!

Chocolate Almond Cupcakes and Chocolate Cream filled 'Hostess' Cupcakes

Snowmen

Today we were trapped inside for the majority of the day because this guy was busy enjoying our tree Then he decided to take a nap next to the porch for a few hours.

Lil' Bit was so sad that she couldn't go outside to make a snowman for the moose so we decided to make our own snowmen inside.

These melting snowman cupcakes are spiced chocolate cake with a marshmallowy vanilla frosting.

Fruity Fun

The cubs have been singing Strawberry Shortcake on repeat for a week.  "Fruit filled fun is the secret to her recipe" has been banging around in my head.  So here are my most favorite fruits in cupcake form!

Lil' Cherry Almond Cupcakes

Raspberry stuffed chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream on top.

Raspberry stuffed devil's food cupcakes with chocolate ganache and raspberry buttercream on top.

Roasted Banana Cupcakes with honey cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Strawberries and Cream cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes stuffed with raspberry cream  and topped with chocolate ganache and raspberry buttercream.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Sour Cream Frosting.

Coconut Key Lime Cupcakes

Candy Bar Cupcakes

Not sure what to do with all the left over Halloween candy?  I find it's much easier to pawn the candy off on someone else when it has been transformed into a cupcake.  Happy baking!

 Jr. Mint Cupcakes: Dark Chocolate Devil's Food Cupcakes with peppermint ganache, vanilla buttercream and a Jr. Mint up top.

 Butterfinger Cupcakes with a frosting made out of ground up butterfinger guts.  Delicious!

 SNICKER'S cupcakes:  Devil's food, Snicker's inside, carmel butter cream on top, a drizzle of caramel and sprinkle of peanuts and Snicker's bar pieces.  What's not to love?

Heath Bars are my weakness!   Chocolate Sour Cream cake, ganache, toffee buttercream, more ganache, heath bar chunks and pieces.  I die.

Payday Cupcakes: Sour Cream Yellow Cake, caramel filling, salted caramel buttercream on top, rolled in peanuts and drizzled with caramel.  Sweet and salty!

Almond Joy Cupcakes: Devil's Food topped with a mound of Almond Joy-like topping then dunked into chocolate candy coating and topped with a little sliced almond.  This has to be a favorite.

Think Pink

I got to make these pink cupcakes for a wonderful cause.  I thought of my dear Aunts Janice, Sherry and Wendy as they baked.  Hope.

Beach Theme Baby Shower Cupcakes

I found a chocolate seashell mold and have been longing for a reason to use it.  I'm so glad a handsome man child needed to be celebrated because a few dozen of these babies all lined up with graham cracker crumb sand looked pretty cool!

Smash Cake

My Lil' Bit turned one  I think it's safe to say she likes cake.

Happy Birthday sweet baby.  I love you like a fat kid loves cake!

Toffee Cupcakes

Because I finally got my tooth fixed and I can actually chew again...

Toffee Cupcakes!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the man and his grill who have made it so I can't even enjoy eating out anymore.

S'more Please!

I was watching The Sandlot last night for the first time in for-e-vor.  So of course I had s'mores on the brain and since you can't have s'more of nothing I had to make something! I busted out power tools in the kitchen today.  I feel so hardcore holding the kitchen torch.  I'm in love with the frosting on these S'mores Cupcakes.  It tastes just like a toasted marshmallow.

The Mel

Chocolate Ganache.  I can't live without it.  This cupcake is not for the faint of heart.  I'm going to name it The Mel in honor of my lovely Aunt Melanie who is a true connoisseur of chocolate.  The Mel is a dark chocolate cupcake, dunked in Ganache, with a solid Ganache rose piped on top.  Chocolate coma!  This is definitely a slice and serve cupcake!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

Because I bought an 11 lb jar of Nutella at Costco today...

Chocolate cupcakes stuffed with Nutella, topped with Nutella Buttercream, a Ferrero Rocher candy, a drizzle of chocolate ganache and chopped toasted hazel nuts.

Gluten Free Bandwagon

Here's my first attempt at a Gluten-free cupcake.  Verdict: crazy dense but extra dark and delicious.