Cupcake Royale's "cupcake fit for The King"

Seattle is a big cupcake town, so it’s no surprise that new styles and flavors show up all the time. Nor is it too surprising to have a flavor named after a celebrity. But Elvis’ famous favorite snack, the banana and peanut butter sandwich, transformed into a cupcake in celebration of The King’s 75th birthday? That’s original. And that’s the Velvet Elvis, Cupcake Royale‘s newest creation and present cupcake of the month.

I stopped by Cupcake Royale’s Capitol Hill location to try a bite-sized version of the banana bread cupcake with peanut butter and chocolate frosting a few days ago. It was sweet, but also rich, with a depth of flavor that is often lacking in cupcakes. If you’re a cupcake fan swinging through Emerald City, I recommend giving it a try – it’s well worth the stop.

Yummy Cupcakes is a bakery out of California. They offer unique cupcake products.

First they have Cupcake on a Stick

They also have  Cupcake in a Jar

They also have a Cupcake Party Kit that contains all the fixings to frost 12 cupcakes from the comfort of your home.

You can find all of the above treats  HERE

They also offer a Vegan Menu! And 198 flavors! (and growing)

Just a reminder that Sunday is the last day to enter our cupcake shirt giveaway sponsored by Sweet Bling.

Please click here to enter.

Yesterday was my cousin’s 24th birthday! Happpppy Birthday Meghan!

Her lovely hubby made her cupcakes while she was at work and he was at home with their baby! So Sweet!

They were Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. Aaron was nice enough to give me the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs

Directions

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting he just used store bought frosting and whipped some milk into it to thin it out.

This is  a picture of the happy lil’ family!

Aaron, Meghan & David Joshua!

The Arizona Cardinal fans in Scottsdale were in for sweet treat this weekend. The renowned bakery Sprinkles Cupcakes, which is probably responsible for the present cupcake revolution in the country, gave away free Cupcakes to the Arizona Cardinal fans.

They gave away Red Velvet Cupcakes (their most famous creation) which were renamed as Cardinals Red Velvet cupcakes for the day. The fans were asked to come wearing the teams jersey or hat to pick up their sweet present, on January 16th.

Even though the bakery was first opened in Scottsdale, it has now branches in Palto Alto, Newport Beach and Dallas. Two new stores in Houston and Chicago will be opening very soon.

The bakery offers cupcakes for $3.25 each and has two dozen different flavors. Take your pick from flavors like Chocolate coconut, Peanut Butter Chip, Ginger Lemon and many more flavors.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2010/01/15/20100115free-sprinkles-cupcake-card-fans.html

She is hardly bigger than a cupcake herself, but her heart is much bigger than many people on the face of the earth. A 4 year old girl from Louisville, KY is motivating people to help the earth quake victims in Haiti by baking cupcakes.

Little Ella Cordrey saw the devastation in the island country on TV. She, along with her parents decided to do something to help the victims. They are now baking cupcakes and selling them to people. The proceeds will go to the victims of the earth quake. The response has been astounding.  They started with just 20 cupcakes, but now they have baked over 180 cupcakes.

They have raised over $600 so far. They will donate all this money to a group called World Vision who is helping orphans in Haiti and in other poor countries.

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11855594

My family and I just got back from a wonderful trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. We saw Mickey and Minnie and all the Princesses and yet I still found myself looking for cupcakes. Even better, my family members were looking too! Here’s what we found!

At Downtown Disney I found this lovely sight in Goofy’s Candy Kitchen:

I chose the chocolate cupcake with the vanilla frosting.  I loved the Mickey sprinkles but the cupcake frosting was overly sugary and the cake a bit dry.   These cupcakes were also spotted at Epcot in a Germany treat shop.

Also at Downtown Disney in the Disney Christmas Store, this little Tinkerbell ornament caught my niece’s eye:

I also spotted Minnie’s Cupcake Mix at several stores in Downtown Disney and Magic Kingdom. 

My husband found some delicious cupcakes at the Main Street Bakery at Magic Kingdom.  My daughter picked out this pretty one with blue frosting and it was surprising delicious.  Just the right blend of buttery cake and sugary frosting.

Let us know if you have more Disney cupcake spottings to pass on!

In wake of the recent earthquake in Haiti there are tons of worthy charities to donate to.  As mentioned with a post last week about Bleeding Heart Bakery, cupcakes are helping raise donations. In case you missed this past weekends event, another cupcake charity event is being held this Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 9am-1pm.  Cupcakes for Haiti in will be hosting a cupcake stand in Toronto, ON where sales from the bake sale will go to MSF/Doctors without Borders.

Additional events that  have already occurred but are still worth mentioning include the Bake Sale held in Ashburn, Virginai where the proceeds went to Food For the Poor.   Additionally Foiled Cupcakes which delivers to Chicago and surrounding cities created a sweet deal: 2 dozen cupcakes were given to the first 5 people who donated $100 to the Haitian relief via the Red Cross.

ATC reader Melissa sent us these photos and the following email…

Hey there!! Love your site!! I just got two new cupcake tattoos and just wanted to submit them to you guys :) Keep up the fantastic work!!

Girly/Cute cupcake and Halloween/Skully Cupcake. Done by Lonny at Heaven or Hell Tattoos in Vacaville, CA.

Thanks for sharing your tattoos with us! They are awesome!

Back in December I posted a craft idea by Real Simple for using cupcake liners as light embellishments, now Martha Stewart has another creative  craft:  Hanging Bubbly Ball Decorations.  Martha suggests using these festive balls as decorations for New Year’s Eve however they could easily be used for any special occasion.  While Martha stuck to a white and silver color scheme, cupcake liners, as any cupcake fan knows, come in almost every color and pattern.  The best part is these do-it-yourself decorations seem easy and inexpensive.

I got out of work early today and I said to myself , “I can make it to the thrift store before 5!” And I am glad I got out of work early. As i was searching primarily in the kitchen section I came across a single cupcake coaster and it was only 25 cents! I had to have it, but what does one do with one coaster???  I made it into a wall hanging!! I took some twine I  had hanging around and glued it on the back of the coaster to make a loop so you can hang it on the wall. And here it is …

Such a good find!

Sweet Cupcake Shopper $11.99

By far the sweetest cupcake around. Art by 64 Colors. Made with 95% recycled woven polypropylene. 15.75″w x 15.35″h x 5.9″d

Available at Blue Q.

After half a year of losing access to our Twitter account, we have regained it again!  The official ATC Twitter account is at @allcupcakes.  Follow us for cupcake tweets!

Outside Crumbs Bake Shop in Westport, CT

While on a trip back home to Connecticut last week my best friend and I visited one of Crumbs Bake Shop newest locations in Westport.  We absolutely loved the cupcakes!  When visiting cupcake shops, we have a system, we each pick one that we really want then one we agree on for a total of three cupcakes then we share all three.  When choosing the flavors we try to pick three that are all different to get a good idea of what the shop has to offer.

Our three cupcakes: grasshopper, good guy, and coconut

We ended up with the following flavors: Grasshopper, a chocolate cupcake with chocolate ganache filling and mint buttercream frosting.  The Good Guy which was a funfetti cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and lots of sprinkles.  And a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and coconut shavings to top it off.

Inside the Grasshopper cupcake

After trying all three I would have to say my favorite flavor was the Good Guy.  A classic cupcake with a slight twist is always good.

What was left of the Good Guy

Crumbs Bake Shop has over 25 locations in the tri-state area and California with more opening soon.  The company offers shipping which is perfect for those looking for a sweet Valentine’s Day surprise.  Additionally there is a wide variety of flavors too choose from including classic and more unique flavors.

One half of the cupcake case at Crumbs!

The fifth graders of Newfield Elementary School have done something that most of can’t even imagine. They raised more than $1,000 for charity. The event was planned by Evan Hyman, a fifth grade student who lost his father to cancer last December. The teachers, students and parents, all chipped in to bake the cupcakes. The money raised from this event will go to the Richard Rosenthal Hospice Residence in Stamford.

Evan Hyman’s father Howard Hyman who was 42 years old had spent the last days of his life at Hospice. His family wanted to raise money for the hospital to mark the one year anniversary of his tragic death. Evan thought of this idea when he was competing for the post of president of student council of the school.

He said that the Hospice took very good care of his father and he wanted to give something back to them. If you also want to donate money to Evan’s fund, contact Hospice Care of Southwestern CT.

http://www.connecticutplus.com/cplus/information/news/health/Cupcakes-for-a-Cause-raises-funds-for-the-Richard-Rosenthal-Hospice-Residence-in-Stamford70927092.shtml

Who says that luxury items are always big and expensive? There are some luxury items that you can enjoy with your friends without burning a hole in your pocket. St. Cupcake which is a small bakery in Portland, Oregon is one such luxury.

The cupcakes from this bakery are unbelievably popular. The cupcakes are available in wide range of flavors and are made in home baking style. Plus, you can get these home delivered to you or send them to your friends and family as present too. The owner of bakery Jami Curl got the idea to deliver the cupcakes via mail order when many of her customers suggested that they would like to send them to their friends and family. They have now launched online deliver of their cupcakes.

You can choose your favourite flavor, icing, and color of the sprinkle etc. on the net. Basically, you can design your own cupcake and create your own unique taste. The bakery offers all kinds of flavors from vanilla to pumpkin spice and carrot.

http://www.luxist.com/2010/01/17/st-cupcake-offers-bespoke-mail-order-cupcakes-yum/

Our first giveaway of 2010 comes to us from a sweet site called Sweet Bling. They specialize in exquisite cupcake charms and shirts. I proudly own this Sweet Bling t-shirt:

The shirt is very comfortable and allows me to show my love for cupcakes without looking like a kid! The best part are the little Swarovski crystals used as embellishments on the frosting.    I have worn it many times and have received many compliments.

Take a look at a few other fabulous items found at Sweet Bling:

Sweet Bling is offering a 15% discount on all purchases made by All Things Cupcake fans this week!  Just type “ATC” in the coupon code area upon checkout.

In addition, Sweet Bling is giving away one black “One Haute Cupcake” shirt to a lucky reader.  To enter this giveaway, go to www.sweetbling.com and look around at their items.  Then come back to ATC and tell us in the comment area below what your favorite cupcake charm AND favorite shirt design was.  One winner will be chosen on Monday, February 25th.  Thanks again to Sweet Bling for sponsoring this sweet giveaway!

My sister passed along this image titled “Sweet Music” was created by Sarah Illenberger, a Berlin based photographer.  After looking around on her website you will notice a common theme throughout her portfolio, food! Illenberger has worked in various media outlets including magazines and advertisements, she has even won several awards for her work.

Limited Edition Pink Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes

These sublime little cakes conceal an irresistible surprise inside – a luscious center of Godiva chocolate ganache. Our rich, moist, chocolate cupcakes are offered by the half dozen, all iced in pink vanilla buttercream especially for Valentine’s Day, or three each in chocolate and vanilla buttercream for a romantic weekend’s worth of indulgent nibbling. Sure to delight youngsters while sending adults into a state of chocolate bliss. 6 pcs. (1 lb., 5.5 oz)

They also have Chocolate Cupcakes.

Please visist Godiva for more information.

When your world is getting out of control just take a look at this print and relax …

Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake

I found this at JennysBakeShop on ETSY They sell lots of other unique baking prints.

Taste of Home recently posted this yummy looking Chocolate Cookie Cake recipe. 

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
• 16 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed
• 1 package (3 ounces) Kraft Philadelphia® – Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Additional cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

Directions

• Prepare cake batter according to package directions; stir in crushed cookies. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.
• Bake at 350° for 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in cream until mixture begins to thicken. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Frost cake. Garnish with additional cookies. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.

Most cake recipes can be easily modified to make cupcakes and Sassybellewares recently blogged about how she did this.  She called them Crazy Good Cupcakes so they are definitely worth a try!

I found this adorable Birthday Cupcake Card on MadeByGirl.com!

B-Day Cupcake

The recent earthquake in Haiti has had a real affect on everybody’s mind, body and soul. We all want to help the victims of this tragedy. And the Bleeding Heart Bakery is doing their bit by cooking cupcakes to help raise money for the people of Haiti.

The bakery will cook up special cupcakes in coconut, banana and pineapple flavors. The owners of the bakery wanted to their bid for the victims and have decided to sell these special cupcakes this weekend. All the proceeds from this sale will go to Red Cross in the aid of the earthquake victims. The cupcakes are priced at $3 per cake.

So, go to the Bleeding Heart Bakery and purchase as many cupcakes as you can. They are not only delicious, but also have a type of goodness and kindness attached to them.

http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2010/01/14/cupcakes_for_haiti_at_bleeding_heart_bakery/

ATC Reader Colleen sent us these photos and email…

Here are some photos of my Christmas Cupcakes.  3 Flavors—Gingerbread, Lemon and chocolate.
I love your site and would love to see some ideas for Valentines cupcakes…..

Thanks!
Colleen

Awe! They are so cute! Thanks for sharing them with us! As for Valentine Cupcake ideas here are a few…

• Strawberry Sweetheart Cupcakes
• candy heart valentines cupcakes
• valentines day cupcakes
• Valentine Cupcakes
• Trio of Valentine Cupcakes

I am sure we will be posting even more Valentine Cupcakes soon!