Oh The Joy of Valentines Day! It’s a great excuse to make pink cupcakes. And that I did …

I used a one bowl vanilla cupcake recipe and used coconut flavoring instead of vanilla and i added one cup coconut flakes.

Here is the recipe…

One Bowl Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 cup shortening (very soft but not melted, Crisco is best)

* 3/4 cup milk (or half and half cream)

* 1 tablespoon coconut flavoring

* 2 large eggs

* 1 cup coconut flakes

Directions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour with sugar, baking powder and salt until combined.
3. Add in the shortening cream or milk, cocbut flavoring  and eggs; beat on medium speed of an electric mixer scraping the bowl constantly until just blended, fold in coconut flakes
4. Pour into paper-lined regular size muffin tins filling under just three-quarters full.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes test done.
6. Frost once completely cooled

Heather’s No  Fail Cream Cheese Frosting

* 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temp

* 8 oz cream cheese, room temp

* 16 oz confectioners sugar

* 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together with mixer  until smooth
2. Frost away

And here is my finished cupcakes on my new cupcake pedestal …

We received these photos and this email from Laura…

Hi there! My name is Laura and I have a little baking company called LollyLand Bakery in Miami, FL. I’ve been baking for a long time but I’m pretty new at this fondant stuff, so when I took on an order of cupcakes for a baby shower I was a little worried at first. But once they sent me a picture of the theme (Duckies and Froggies in a bathtub) ideas immediately started coming to me and it took me 3 straight days to create these!

Awe! These are too cute! Great job!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!!

You can find this card at Tiny Prints!

Enjoy your day … I will be baking cupcakes later. :-)

Kitschy Digital has a few cute cupcake items on their website; including an Printable PDF Embroidery Pattern.  The pattern is $4.00 and includes sample ideas.  There’s also a cupcake cut-out sheet of stickers for $1.25.

Cupcake Printable embroidery Pattern

Cupcake Cut-Out Sheet

Hi cupcake fans!  This is just a reminder to enter our pedestal giveaway by this Sunday night.  One winner will be announced on Monday morning. 

 Please click here to enter the giveaway. 

 OnceUponAPedestal informed me that she will also be posting several new cupcake items next week so make sure to add her shop to your favorites and check back often!  

It’s cold and flu season again and it seems that everyone I know (including me) is sick.  In hopes of making myself feel better, I went searching on Etsy.com to find some items to lift my spirits and help my cold at the same time.

Maybe a long bath might to the trick…

 Grape Cupcake Bath Bomb $4.50

Or maybe a heat wrap…

 Microwavable Neck Wrap $9.95

Or a sweet get well card…

 Set of 8 Cards $20

Or perhaps a tissue box cover…

Tissue Box Cover $11.50

I feel better already, don’t you?

Visit stayhomecupcake’s Etsy site too.

Annie of Frites and Fries brings us these tasty treats, an invention she created for her roommate. Not only does she give us lots of delicious looking pictures, she includes her recipe in her post, an altered version of the butter cake recipe featured in Gourmet in 2008 with Slashfood’s cream cheese frosting. And that wee little cinnamon roll on top just makes it as cute as all get out (yes, Annie has a recipe for that too!). This opens the door to a some other interesting alterations of the base butter cake recipe…crumb cupcakes, anyone?

February isn’t just about presidential federal holidays or your valentine…it’s also about bare-knuckles cupcake smackdowns.  The East Coast brings us the Iron Cupcake Challenge on February 28th at the Tortilla Press Cantina. Open to the amateur and the baking professional, the fifth annual Iron Cupcake Challenge will center (like its namesake) around one special ingredient: chilies.  Cost to participate is $15 for adults and $7 for kids under 12, and the proceeds from this event will go towards earthquake relief in Haiti.

From the left coast we have the third annual Cupcake Challenge on February 20th at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel. Over 20 Southern California cupcakeries will go head to head for the honor of becoming the Cupcake Challenge Champion. Since it’s LA, there’s a celebrity judge panel, but members of the public in attendance at the event also get an equal vote.  20 different cupcakes to sample, $40 at the door – if you have room in your stomach, the math works out in your favor.

Musician and more recently artist, Pharrell Williams was recently on the cover of Modern Painters. Inside, the article discussed some of Pharrell’s latest works of art including a line of chairs.  More importantly to all cupcake fans is the cupcake he created.  The cupcake is part of a series which features items that Williams views as underrated essentials.  The cupcake is made out of 18k white gold and 5,218 stones, including 32.61 ct. cognac diamonds, 15.39 ct. brown diamonds, and 44.5 ct. white diamond.  The piece of art stands 2¼ inches high and is 3 inches in diameter. The best part is in a vernissage interview Williams is claims “the irony and the twist of it, the poetry of the project is that no matter how good that looks to people, for me, the taste of cupcakes is worth far more than diamonds could ever be.”

ATC Reader Jessica sent us these photos and this email…

Hi! I really enjoy reading your blog. Everything always looks SO
delicious and I get lots of fun ideas =)

Just wanted to send a couple cupcake pics.

1  Chocolate Dream cupcakes: dark chocolate cupcake, semi sweet
ganache filling, chocolate buttercream frosting

2  Vanilla cake filled with cookie dough, coffee frosting

3  Cookies n cream cupcakes

4  Pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon brown sugar frosting

I generally make these for fun in my NY apartment, but am thinking
about starting to sell them. They are all kosher and non dairy.

Enjoy and thanks for everything you do on your amazing blog!

Sincerely, Jessica

These cupcakes look awesome Jessica! Thank you for sharing them with us!

I stumbled across this blog the other day with an interesting title, Dudes With Beards Eating Cupcakes.

And the title of the website says it all, its photos of dudes with beards eating cupcakes. I love cupcakes and I love dudes with beards so this is perfect for me.

Here are a few of my favorites … Check out the websites and maybe you will find a hunky man enjoying a luscious cupcake.

Valentine’s Day gift giving can get complicated. There as so many choices: flowers, cupcakes, adorable stuffed animals, a massage at the spa…mmmm, massage at the spa… So which one should you get your sweetie? Ok, after you make sure to get that massage for your significant other (and one for you, too!), I recommend making your life easier by getting two gifts in one: a cupcake bouquet.

Two cupcakeries with notable bouquet showings are Bettie’s Cakes of Saratoga Springs, New York and The Blushing Bakery of Charlotte, North Carolina.  The Blushing Bakery chooses to go with five pink (fitting!) frosting cupcakes arranged in a bucket.  Bettie’s Cakes does a classic dozen red roses in a long florist’s box.  Either way, that’s some fancy frosting work. Too good to eat? Never!

Since as we recently told you how popular red velvet cupcakes are right now, here is a recipe for “Shortcut” Red Velvet Cupcakes.  These cupcakes were posted on Alice Q. Foodie’s blog last year for Valentine’s Day but is sure to please any Valentine this year!

Ever wonder what type of cupcake you would be? Here is  your chance to find out with the Teen Nick What Kind of Cupcake are You Quiz.  Answer a few questions, click “get evaluated” and you’ll be told the type of cupcake you are!

 This week’s giveaway comes to us from new Etsy seller OnceUponAPedestal.   In her shop you will find lovely dessert stands and pedestals.  OnceUponAPedestal gathers new and used plates in all shapes, colors and sizes and matches them with unique bases of different heights to create beautiful trays.  These are great for displaying your deliciously sweet treats.  I have thoroughly searched Etsy and have found no one else that makes these unique cupcake pedestals.

I am so happy to own this well-made and whimsical cupcake pedestal.  It holds 1-3 regular size cupcakes and is the perfect centerpiece for my cupcake displays.  The glass base is just as pretty and perfect.  This stand is now my favorite item in my cupcake collection!

This week OnceUponAPedestal is giving away this wonderful cupcake pedestal: 

 Just go toOnceUponAPedestal’s Etsy shop and look at all her amazing creations.  Then come back to ATC and click on the comment area below.  Please tell us what item is your favorite AND what kind of pedestal you think she should create next.  This contest ends on Sunday, February 14th. 

Special thanks toOnceUponAPedestal for sponsoring this week’s giveaway!

My best friend emailed to inform me that she had a cupcake from Cinnabon!  At first it sounded a little strange, Cinnabon if famous for cinnamon rolls, not cupcakes but the company’s website says “After 25 years of making our world famous cinnamon roll, we’re kicking off the next 25 years by introducing the world’s best cupcake!” There are four flavors to choose from including, Cinnacake Classic, Chocolate Passion, Vanilla Bliss, and 24-Carrot Cake.

My best friend tried the Chocolate Passion (pictured above) and said that “it was really good but messy!”  She also noted that “they warm them up so the frosting melts a bit.” These cupcakes sound like they would be worth trying and  are available in 4-count, half dozen, and dozen packages.

We’ve covered cupcake bath bombs before, but since bath fizzies are SO GREAT (and rather seasonally appropriate), I think it’s high time we wrote about them again.

My neighborhood bath goodies store, Bliss Soaps, carries chocolate, vanilla and strawberry cupcake bath fizzies with bubble bath frosting (cupcake fizzie lovers who live outside Seattle, never fear – follow the link to order online). I really like Bliss because all their products are hand-made from all-natural, high quality ingredients. Maybe not good quite enough to eat, but certainly much better for you and your skin than the run of the mill mass-produced bath product.  Also, how can you feel bad supporting a small business in times like these?

If you’re looking for something to decorate your valentine with Martha Stewart has cute Candy and Cupcake stickers.  You get one sheet of 17 stickers for $3.99.

Martha Stewart also has a cupcake tote for $17.99.  The tote reads “It’s a good thing” and would make a fun Valentine’s Day gift or great packaging for any present.

I left the lovely Island of Martha’s Vineyard this weekend and went on an adventure to New Hampshire to visit my family and friends.

There is a little Cupcake Shop a few miles away from where the Ferry unloads, Cupcapes of Falmouth. I’ve driven by many times and never stopped and this time I did.

I walked in and immediately fell in love the the place. I wish I had taken more pictures but I didn’t get the chance.

They had a lovely display case of cupcakes right when you walk in. They also had cute tables set up, cupcake art on the wall, along with funny T-shirts to boot! There was also the cutest cupcake ornaments hanging on the wall.

I chose the Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake ! I couldn’t resist the looks of it. My favorite thing about the look of the cupcakes was the the liner that they were put it. So cute, adds so much character. And it was even put in the CUTEST cupcake box. And the lady who helped me was very nice and inviting as well. They also use all organic ingredients!

Anyone who lives in the area should definitely try and make a trip to indulge in these cupcakes! Very much worth it.

Being there gave me lots of inspiration for my own cupcake adventures! It also made the 3 hours drive back to New Hampshire much more enjoyable.

I tried to wait aslong as I could to eat the cupcake because I wanted to get proper pictures of the Cupcake and the box, that didnt last long. The delicious smell of the Raspberry and Chocolate just over took my car. And I am glad I didn’t wait because it was so worth it! The frosting was perfect and the raspberry and chunk of chocolate were da’ bomb. It cake was so moist and perfect. I enjoyed this cupcake as much as i did because it was something along the lines that I would make!

Website: CupCapes of Falmouth

Facebook Group: CupCapes of Falmouth

Also become and FAN on Facebook:  CupCapes of Falmouth

This Image was taken from their Facebook Page …

An  ATC Reader sent us this photo and email…

I’d like to share the two cupcake tattoos I had done on my feet last year. They were done (on separate occasions) by Mark VanNess at Blue Flame Tattoo while visiting Raleigh, NC.

Thank you for sharing your tattoos with us! They are really cool!

If you are ever looking for some amazing cupcake pictures, two great groups on flickr are sugary sweetness and Cupcake Obsessions!

Sugary Sweetness’s contributed  pictures all consist of mouth watering photographs of cookies, cakes, donuts, pies, candy and of course, cupcakes! There are so many delicious looking pictures you’ll have to look for yourself but her are a few of my favorites that are great for Valentine’s Day:

I Heart Cupcakes "Love Cupcake"

Tutu Cupcake By Jennifer Squires Ross

Cupcake by Lulu's Cupcakes

Similarly, Cupcake Obsessions has tons of pictures that look good enough to eat.  In addition to actual food pictures, the group contains any image that is related to cupcakes.  This means that there are cute cupcake rain boots, dishtowels, earrings, tattoos and more.

Happy World Nutella Day!  In honor of the worldwide celebration various blogs submit Nutella inspired recipes.   Here are just a few awesome cupcake ideas from years past.  If you have a Nutella cupcake recipe you love be sure to share it with us!

Carrot Squash Nutella Cupcakes

Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

Nutella Filled Cupcakes

Double Choclate Chunk Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

We’ve all seen this face on our friends and loved ones. The adorable furrowing of the brows, squint of the face, and the anticipation of the sweet and soft hit of the bite into bliss!  Photo from MandyMoons Twitpic.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday for lovers. So what the heck are you supposed to if you’re single?  Cakelab of NYC has a solution: their Sourpuss Cupcake Pack. Instead of the usual romantic sentiments, the Sourpuss pack features conversation dot cupcakes with messages like “H8 You”, “Let it go”, and “WTF”.  You can also drown your sorrows in the accompanying Sourpuss pack flavors of banana split, chocolate chip cookie dough and black bottom.

Cakelab is not one to drive off customers – they’ve got a Sweetheart pack too, for those who have them :) This assortment comes with more conventionally messaged champagne-flavored conversation dots as well as red velvet, chocolate turtle, and chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes.

I really appreciate Cakelab’s approach to cupcakes for the upcoming heart-shaped holiday. They’re willing to be typically adorable and inventively bitter, thus capturing both sides of the Valentine’s Day market.

You’ve seen it here at All Things Cupcake, you’ve seen it everywhere:  the  pink and red and heart-shaped wave has come and it’s sweeping up our favorite little confection in its wake.  Red Velvet cupcakes are enjoying a seasonal bump in popularity (no surprise there) as cupcakeries across the nation make a run on flavors in the right color range. Ex-pat bakery Little Miss Cupcake is taking the trend to Paris with their special Valentine’s flavors La Vie En Rose, Linger, & Go All The Way.  In my own hometown, Cupcake Royale just came out with this year’s version of the Deathcake Royale,  a chocolate-packed supercake that’s only available for two weeks per annum right before Valentine’s Day.

This is just a proverbial taste of what is to come.  All Things Cupcake is here to bring you daily coverage on the latest in Valentine’s Day themed-cupcakes (and cupcake shaped items!).