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!

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!

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.

Just Desserts

I've been busy making cupcakes that taste like other desserts.  This way you can have your cake and eat it too!  Here's a roundup of some of our favorites.

I fly Delta just for the Biscoff cookies.  The new Biscoff spread makes a perfect fluffy buttercream to compliment this sour cream spice cake.

Churro Cupcakes filled with Dulce de Leche.  Muy delicioso!

Mini donut cupcakes for National Donut Day.

Angel Food is a fickle friend.  It was mostly kind to me today.  Angel Food cake with blackberry compote and whipped cream up top.

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes because I have never been able to say 'no' to hot fudge.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.  Because there's nothing better than classic yellow cake and chocolate frosting, except maybe pastry cream between the two.

Pour a glass of milk for these babies.  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcakes.  'Nough said.

Jumbo Tres Leches Cupcakes.

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.