Zombies on Cupcakes?  Yummy! 

The Walking Dead is a new television series based on the comic book series of the same name.  In the US, the series will air on AMC, and in the UK, FX.  Hence the Fox logo amongst the spooky frosting faces.

It was Fox who ordered the cupcakes from Clares Cupcakes of London, for a press party.  The folks at Clares really know how to make a cupcake.  I was blown away by the pictures on their website. 

They specialize in cupcakes for special events, and I have never seen more tantalizing displays.  I wish I’d had them for my wedding!  They hand deliver orders to events in the London area. Read the rest of this entry »

There are few things in life that I love more than Glee, Fox’s hit musical comedy.  While Glee did win a few Emmys last night, I was disappointed that Lea Michele, who stunningly plays the character of Rachel, did not win.  She was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and I think she should have won, but she is young, and I can root for her for years to come.  Yesterday was her 24th birthday.  I remember where I spent my 24th birthday, and it certainly wasn’t at the Emmys.  But all is well that ends well because guess what she got for her birthday?

Pre-show host Billy Bush presented her with a vegan cupcake in a jar.  And though I would be pretty darn excited about such a gift, this red carpet gal pronounced the gift both “ghetto” and “cool.”

Tonight’s episode of Fox’s Masterchef  featured a cupcake challenge!  But the contestants didn’t know that, at least not at first.  These home cooks are not necessarily bakers, but tonight, when they stepped up to their table, each of them found a mystery box full of mystery ingredients.

And when they lifted the boxes, guess what they found!  Cupcake ingredients!  They were given 45 minutes to bake a cupcake from scratch, without recipes or a chance to research.  There certainly wasn’t time for a little trial and error, which happens to be my speciality.  One of the finalists claimed he had never even made a cupcake before!  Yet they all gave it the old college try.  I couldn’t believe they did it in such little time.  I know from experience how difficult it is to decorate a piping hot cupcake!

My favorite did indeed become a finalist:  A gorgeous coconut cupcake with lemon glaze.  I could almost smell it through the television.  It was so delicious looking.  Chef Gordon Ramsay called it a “smart cupcake.”

But the winner was … Read the rest of this entry »

Next time you want to do some online shopping, you might want to check out Quilted Cupcake.  I’ve just spent well over an hour (when I was supposed to be working) browsing through her websites, and she has some really cool items, many of them cupcake related or inspired.  Visit her blog here.  You can download her podcasts here.  And you can shop from her Etsy store here.  Her stuff is so cool, but what really amazes me is her prices!  Tres reasonable!

Read the rest of this entry »

On Sunday, October 17th, Tallahassee will host its very first Cupcake Camp Tallahassee.  Cupcake lovers are invited to bring cupcakes, or to just show up and eat some! 

This celebration of all things cupcake is free to anyone and everyone.  They will hold a silent auction to benefit Jessica June Children’s Cancer Foundation.  Many, many cool cupcake items have already been donated!

You can learn more about this event at their blog or on their Facebook page!

Today’s newsletter from the Vegetarian Times features a vegan Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcake recipe! 
Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup plain soymilk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract Read the rest of this entry »

Hop on over to From Married to Merry to learn about Meg’s “semi-homemade” Hostess Cupcakes.  She’s too humble to say it, but I bet they taste better than the “real thing.”

She uses a cake mix for the cupcake, but her filling is homemade: 

• One 8 oz package cream cheese
• 1 jar of marshmellow fluff
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a food processor.  Then chill for 30 minutes.  She recommends setting aside a little bit of the chilled filling to use as topping.  To fill the cupcakes, she used a Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator.  Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations to CCSweets, the first cupcakery to open in Beijing!  The people of Beijing are in for a treat!

These tigers were made for a baby’s 100 day celebration, which is a big event for Chinese families. 

And the frogs?  Well, these were just too cute not to share with you!  You can see many more of CCSweet’s cute and scrumptious creations on their blog.

Cherish Cupcakes, of Belfast, UK, recently updated their Flickr photostream.  You should check it out, because there’s a lot more to see.  I’m just including a few of my favorites here.  They call the top one the “Endangered Cupcake” which made me laugh out loud.  And I guess it means we shouldn’t eat it.  (Are those Cheerios for ears?  How cute is that?)  

I am so thrilled to share with you this vegan-friendly satchel from Need Supply Co.  The outside is soft, textured, faux-leather and the inside is cute little pink cupcakes galore.  The purse costs $72 and comes in black and grey.  It also has an adjustable shoulder-strap.  If you choose to visit Need Supply, be prepared to stay a while.  They have lots of great stuff!

Rose cupcakes (1), originally uploaded by 2sweetiepies.

I always complain that my husband doesn’t get me flowers. But I’ve changed my mind. Sort of. From now on, these are the roses I want. They are too gorgeous to eat!

Ok, this is just too funny.  I really want one of these.  Visit Woot if you need one too!

They are only $15 with free shipping!  They come in a range of sizes, from kids’ sizes to roomy sizes for those of us who have eaten one too many cupcakes!  I am going to go order mine now.

We just love it when our readers send in cool pictures.  Thank you!  As for the crown-bearing cupcake, DeDe writes:  

I’ve wanted a tattoo for as long as I can remember, but my fear of needles and pain has prevented it for much of my life.  But my BFF finally just made me do it…and I’m so excited that I did.  I have a strange obsession with crowns and a deep love of cupcakes, so what better way to show them off than together?  Thanks to your site for the inspiration!

And thank you to Melanie for sharing her cool socks with us!  And what a great picture too! 

And Amy from Detroit writes of her tattoo:  I wanted to share my cupcake tattoo with you guys… and I only discovered your site after searching “cupcake tattoos” a while back when coming up with my idea.  I drew the tattoo, however the amazing artist really made it so much better.  It’s on my back.  I absolutely love Halloween and colorful innocent sweet things… if you couldn’t tell !!

Visit New Times to see a slideshow of South Florida chefs, cooks, and bakers and their tattoos!  Here are a few of my favorites, which belong to Amanda Linton, the co-owner of House of Sweets Bakery in Delray Beach.

Sprinkles, a cakery in Winter Park, Florida, is now offering CakeShooters.

Layers of cake and frosting in a plastic contraption that allows you to “shoot” the cake into your mouth.  It might remind you of the pushpops you had as a kid.  Or it might remind you of the jello shooters you had in college. 

Let me remind you that it is illegal to eat cupcakes and drive in most states, no matter how adorable the temptation.

These tantalizing little devils cost $3 each and come in six flavors:  Yellow Raspberry Swirl, Pina Colada, O.M.G., Signature, Vanilla, and Chocolate. 

For real:  What will they think of next?

Luau cupcakes!, originally uploaded by Lairy the Cupcake Fairy’s creations.

These sultry July days just make me want to hit the beach with a cold drink and one of those fancy paper umbrellas. Then, I saw this picture on Flickr and realized I also need to bring cupcakes with me. Isn’t this a cool idea? (The decorating I mean, not necessarily my trip to the beach.)

IMG_0075, originally uploaded by verdantmedians.

This is the yummiest caterpillar I’ve ever seen! 

Gosh, gotta love Flickr!  It’s an endless supply of cupcake ideas!

I’m off to buy some extra food coloring — going to give this one a try!

According to ShowbizSpy, Jennifer Aniston is one of us!  According to their sources (who I am certain are quite reliable), Jennifer is addicted to the Good Guy Cupcake from Crumbs Bake Shop in West Hollywood. 

The “Good Guy” is a vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles baked in, filled with vanilla cream cheese frosting, and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting, covered with rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate drizzle. A portion of proceeds from the Good Guy is donated to the SFK organization. 

But Ms. Aniston knows about moderation — apparently, she limits herself to one Good Guy Cupcake per week.

Jacob Goldstein of NPR posed the question today:  Are We in a Cupcake Bubble?

The article is hilarious, though any reader of All Things Cupcake would certainly find his logic flawed.  No, we are not in a cupcake bubble — cupcakes have always been the superior dessert!  Duh!

Goldstein, writing as part of NPR’s Planet Money series, expresses his befuddlement about the cupcake craze, the fact that cupcakeries are springing up all around him, and the fact that employment in the restaurant and bar industry is picking up in New York City — with particular strength in the cupcake business, according to the WSJ’s Metropolis Blog.

He too, gives Sex and the City all the credit.

But you and I know … cupcakes have earned their place at the top.  Goldstein, obviously, just hasn’t had a good one lately.  Maybe we should send him some.

The new issue of People Magazine will hit the stands this Friday and it will feature 5 pages of photos from Carrie Underwood‘s July 10th wedding, where she tied the knot with professional hockey player Mike Fisher.  

The wedding cake was a cupcake tower made by bridesmaid Ivey Childers, who runs the IveyCake Bakery in Franklin, Tennesse.

Underwood describes her cupcakes as “as the most amazing cupcakes in the universe.”

IveyCake features cupcakes with names like:  Two-Faced, The Apology, Big Dreams, Crazy Ex, Gold Digger, Goody Two Shoes, and my favorite:  Lucky in Love.  

Having sold more than 98,000 cupcakes in 14 months since opening, Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery in Madison, Wisconsin  is poised to sell its 100,000th cupcake.

Seriously, that’s a lot of cupcakes.

The person who purchases the lucky cupcake will be presented with a prize package that includes: dinner at the Daisy Café & Cupcakery, a night’s stay at any one of seven North Central hotels in the Madison area, a bottle of Champagne, and two Strawberry-Champagne cupcakes. In addition, the Daisy Café & Cupcakery will donate $1,000.00 in the name of the winner to Porchlight Inc, the Madison non-profit organization committed to reducing homelessness in the city.

Would it be silly of me to fly to Madison just to buy a cupcake?  I’m thinking about it.  I really love Wisconsin this time of year.  

Further, the Daisy Café & Cupcakery will donate $100.00 to Porchlight Inc in the name of each of the next five customers who buy cupcakes. So, I should probably bring five friends.

Daisy’s co-owner, Daryl Sisson, says, “We were the first to bring premium cupcakes to Wisconsin and, although we hadn’t thought 100,000 cupcakes would come so soon, we’re thrilled to be here. And we are not standing still–we’re rolling out new cupcake flavors every month.” Co-owner Kathy Brooks adds, “We are especially happy to continue our support of Porchlight with donations in the names of our loyal customers.”

Here is a video about the 4 C’s of Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery!  Gosh, I don’t know when I’ve been so impressed!  Gotta go now, I’ve got plane tickets to buy.

You’ve got to see it to believe it! 

“Sweet Cake” as one is called, is a gift for anyone who loves a fun, yet practical design.  Or for someone who loves cupcakes, of course.  Not only are they versatile in use, but they also come in 10 different colors. 

Dutch product designer Beerd Van Stokkum says the giant cupcake liners can be used as a sandbox, baby bath, planter, or dog bed, but really, the options are probably endless.    A”Sweet Cake” measures approximately 11×28 inches and costs € 149 or $225.

I have fallen in love with this necklace from Lucius. 

This Sterling Silver necklace is handmade by a Chicago artist. 

This is a cupcake necklace you could get away with wearing to work.

Lucius offers this pendant with a 16″ or 18″ double rolo chain and toggle clasp. It measures approximately 1″W x 1.3″H and costs $85.  (With free shipping to US and Canada!)

   Would you like to be part of the next Cupcake Wars? 

              Here’s your chance! 

                       And here’s the official casting call …

NOW CASTING SEASON 2 OF THE FOOD NETWORK’S HIT NEW COMPETITION SHOW, “CUPCAKE WARS”!

 We are casting bakers (store owners, caterers, pastry chefs, new bakers…)

NATIONWIDE, so get in touch with us ASAP to apply for the show.

 If you think you and your cupcakes have what it takes to compete against the best bakers in the country, then we want to hear from YOU! The winner of the show will have their cupcakes featured at a HOLLYWOOD EVENT and receive WORLDWIDE PRESS!  The winner of each episode also wins $10,000!!!

 We’re looking for great bakers with AMAZING personalities in every city.

 To be considered for the show, please e-mail us your name, phone number, photo (and website if available!) to: [email protected]

Be sure to tell us what makes you the perfect candidate for “Cupcake Wars”!

The Meringue Bake Shop of Placentia, California is celebrating the 4th in creative style with cupcake kabobs!  They almost look too sweet to be true.  Click here for a complete tutorial on how to make your own kabobs!  I am thinking these would be fun for the winter holidays as well (of course, with a slightly different color scheme)!