I just paid my first (apparently overdue) visit to the Sugar Shack of Lansing, Michigan. Think cupcakes are a fad? This bakery has been a family business for forty years!

Sugar Shack offers a wide and impressive variety of creative cupcakes with a rotating menu. And should someone grow tired of the menu, which would be completely impossible, the menu is completely wiped out and recreated every June 1st. So, though I’ve only paid one visit to the Sugar Shack (so far), I’m confident that no two visits could be the same.

Offerings included the “White Trash Cupcake,” a cupcake packed full of pecans, pretzels, and marshmallows, and iced with fudge frosting, then topped with more pecans, pretzels, and marshmallows, then topped with chocolate and caramel sauce. The cupcake of the day was the Menage a Trois, a cupcake with layers of strawberry and chocolate cake, topped with vanilla frosting and fresh coconut. My co-cupcaker enjoyed the Confetti Cupcake–a bubblegum flavored confetti cake. I was sorry to miss the Root Beer Float Cupcake and the Chocolate Turtle, but am grateful for a reason to go back to Lansing.

Of course, the traditional flavors were there, and I enjoyed a Mint Cookies and Cream cupcake straight from heaven: rich dark chocolate cake topped with perfect mint frosting.

While I was there, I heard another customer ask the baker what his favorite cupcake was, to which he responded, “That’s like me asking you which of your kids is your favorite.”

Seriously, I usually leave a new cupcakery happy and ready to discover the next one. But leaving this cupcakery, I just couldn’t wait until my next visit! These are cupcakes at their best!

Will you vote for the PC3 from Serendipities Cupcakes? Dark chocolate, caramel soaked cupcake topped with crushed potato chips, a layer of chocolate ganache, and deep dark chocolate frosting?

Or the Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcake from the home kitchen of a teacher from Boston?

And it’s not this simple. There are dozens of other tantalizing choices! The winning baker and decorator will win the 2012 Cupcake Crown and a $2,500 travel voucher! The Creative Cupcake Contest is hosted by Celebrations.com. Let us know whom you vote for!

I just made my first visit to Northern Michigan’s first and only cupcakery: Simply Cupcakes of Traverse City. What a lovely little spot in downtown Traverse!

An impressively wide selection of offerings included Banana Cream, Peanut Butter Cup, Hint of Mint, and Lemon Love, and while we sampled many, the winner was clearly the (pictured) Bumpy Cupcake: A rich dark chocolate cake stuffed with buttercream (which tasted more like mousse), and topped with homemade chocolate ganache and more buttercream, then dipped in chocolate ganache and finished with a few sprinkles. Holy wow! That cupcake was a meal.

I was impressed with how substantial the cupcakes were. They weren’t dense, but there was certainly something to them! And the frostings were non-traditional and left me wondering about their secret recipe.

The cupcakery itself is also a tantalizing hangout, with a “cupcake room” one can book for special events. Cupcake art hung on the wall, including the beauty below, which could be yours for $3000!

If you’re in the area, Simply Cupcakes is a must-stop for the cupcake-lover!

So many people ask me what my favorite bakery is and I always have to answer Crumbs! I love their huge, overly sweet treats. They do tend to be a bit pricey but to me, they so worth it.   And even if you don’t live close to a Crumbs, they will deliver. They have a variety of shipping options but the cheapest is  UPS ground shipping for about $20 (plus the cost of the cupcakes).  They come delivered in an insulated container with dry ice.  Check out these football cupcakes- great for the party that has a mix of Giants and Patriots fans. 

My cousin attends High Point University in North Carolina and for her birthday we decided to send her cupcakes.  Knowing Magnolia Bakery’s cupcakes are her favorite we wanted to send her a half dozen but quickly realized the shipping from New York to North Carolina was crazy and cost more than the cupcakes!  Instead we decided to try to find something more local and affordable.  In our search we came across Little Bit O’Spice and we were incredibly happy to purchase the cupcakes from them.  Little Bit O’Spice, located in High Point, North Carolina, makes custom cakes, cupcakes, and pies.  After calling to inquire about placing an order we found out how easy Little Bit O’Spice made the process, she was even willing to deliver the cupcakes to the dorm at the University!

We needed to order a minimum of a dozen cupcakes so we chose six vanilla and six Oreo.  Little Bit O’Spice offered to include a card and was willing to work with us on the delivery date.  She took PayPal for payment and for a $3.00 fee was able to deliver the cupcakes to the dorm as long as she had the dorm name and the recipients phone number.  I talked to my cousin on Saturday after she received her birthday cupcakes and she loved them.  She said that it was a great surprise and the cupcakes were great.

You can place orders by calling 336-905-4353 or through Little Bit O’Spice’s website where you’ll find other items like cupcakes on pretzel sticks!

Check out these awesome Star Wars cupcakes from the now very famous Wicked Good Cupcakes of Massachusetts.

Just the other day I blogged about how we spoil our dog and how you can find some fun cupcake treats at Petco.  Today our dog got a special surprise, dog cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes!  Upon returning home from a business trip in Dallas, Texas my dad presented me with half a dozen cupcakes for me and a small bag.  The bag had two mini cupcakes with fondant bones on top for our dog! The doggie cupcakes cost $2.50 each and are sugar free cupcakes topped with yogurt “frosting.” Read the rest of this entry »

We know you want to take your cupcakes everywhere, but don’t take them on a plane! Recently, a Massachusetts woman’s cupcake was confiscated by TSA when she tried to take the cupcake through security. We wrote about it here too. Her cupcake was in a jar, and the security agents said that the frosting was a liquid that exceeded the legal limits of 3 ounces.

The TSA wrote on their blog, “Unlike the thin layer of icing that resides on the top of most cupcakes, this cupcake had a thick layer of icing inside a jar.” In other words, this was a good cupcake! Who is out there handing out cupcakes with “thin layers of icing”? That’s just sad! The TSA blog also called this woman’s cupcake “the newfangled modern take on a cupcake.” Wow, that just really makes me want to take a bite of it!

Wicked Good Cupcakes, where the woman bought the cupcake, is planning to capitalize on the publicity of this pastry confiscation! They now offer a cupcake on their menu called “National Security Velvet” (pictured above). Yum!

In all seriousness, we don’t mean to make light of the importance of airport security. We know these security officers work hard to keep us all safe, and we are grateful. The moral of the story is definitely to just eat your cupcake before getting on the plane!

So my theme word of the year is “sparkly,” and what better place to start than with sparkly cupcakes!

There are cupcakeries named “Sparkle Cupcake Company.”

There are cupcake products with “sparkle.”

And then there is “Sparkle and Hay” with step by photo step illustrations of how to make these beautiful, sparkly cupcakes.  Their website and Facebook are all about rustic country chic weddings, so kick up your heels and get into your kitchen, turn on a little Sugarland, and start the new year off with sparkle!

Just in the nick of time, Magnolia Bakery now offers a monthly cupcake club with nationwide shipping.  Pre-orders are being taken and shipping begins on January 2 with caramel cupcakes, followed by a different cupcake each month.

So if you find yourself in a line that’s too long for someone who is too hard to please, how about putting at least yourself in the spirit?  And while you’re placing your order, why not order Magnolia Bakery’s “Truffled Chocolate Cupcake.”

I know what I’m going to click on as soon as I click on “publish!”

Hot off the press!  Apparently, gel cupcake frosting qualified as a potential security threat at the Las Vegas Airport, causing the TSA to confiscate a cupcake!

The cupcakerie is Wicked Good Cupcakes and just looking at their website has me wanting to fly to their shop to get samples.  The ‘wicked good’ cupcakes made for the MSPCA are pictured here.  If the TSA dogs had discovered these puppies, I might understand what took place.

But my conclusion will simply be this:  it’s just another part of this year’s great cupcake recipe operation…

So, I was recently shopping for yummy vegetables at Healthy Living in Burlington, Vermont, and of course, I was magnetically attracted to the cupcakes. The “Hummingbird Cupcake,” a heavenly combination of cream cheese frosting, chocolate, banana, and pecans, was AMAZING! You might not think of Healthy Living as a cupcake destination, but it is! While you are exploring Healthy Living, check out their recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Zuccini Cupcakes. Maybe a little bit healthy and a lot delicious? I’ll let you know!

My daughter and I just made our first trip to The Cupcake Place, a new cupcakery in Winslow, Maine. My daughter chose the peppermint mocha cupcake (pictured), and I tried the chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcake. I was sooo pleased to learn, upon biting into my cupcake, that it was filled with actual strawberries. I quickly wished that I had purchased the rest of them to take home!

My daughter, after munching on her cupcake for a minute, announced, “Wow Mom, this frosting is way better than yours!” You can also visit The Cupcake Place on Facebook!

Have you tried Gigi’s Cupcakes?  Gigi’s cupcakes are a cupcake franchise and over the Halloween weekend I stopped by the Raleigh, North Carolina location.  Since it was Halloween weekend they had several cupcakes with Halloween decoration and were very crowded.  Sadly the pumpkin cupcake was sold out and most of the cupcakes were selling quickly.  I decided on the red velvet cupcake and the four year old I was with chose the scary boo Halloween decorated cupcake.  I have to admit that I almost didn’t get a cupcake and had a hard time finding a cupcake to choose. The cupcakes did not look appealing and after trying them I felt like they were lacking in flavor.

The cupcakes were topped with a huge pile of frosting.  I have realized from these cupcakes that there is an appropriate cupcake to frosting ratio that you should aim for.  In my opinion, if your cupcakes have more frosting than there is cake, that is too much frosting.  These cupcakes really had a mountain of frosting on top and we were shocked to find more frosting inside!  Also most cupcake shops have a design that they seem to trademark like the magnolia swirl, or the dollop that a lot of shops will use.  At Gigi’s there was no consistency with the frosting design, which affects the visual quality of the cupcakes.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the past several years The Cupcake Bar has been a custom order bakery service for the North Carolina Triangle region.  They bake and deliver cupcakes to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and some of the surrounding areas.  I have had the opportunity to try their cupcakes at their “Singles Nights” where individual cupcakes were available for purchase, you could buy only one cupcake instead of placing a whole order.  The Cupcake Bar has decided to expand and have decided to open a shop in downtown Durham, NC.  To help them open up their retail shop they’re asking fans of their cupcakes to be “bar backers.”  There is a catch to being a bar baker but it’s a good catch.  For each donation you make you receive something in exchange; for example, a $10 donation will get you one cupcake, a $25 donation will get you four cupcakes.  As the monetary amount increases, the exchange gift gets larger and you get more than just cupcakes T-shirts, donations to charity, letterpress prints, and invites to a special party are offered for larger donations.  I like the idea of getting something in return for given and supporting a cupcake company. Watch the IndieGoGo video and check out the website for more details.

Dominique of  Sugarplum Cupcakes from across the pond over in England shared her masterful animal cupcake creations with us.  My favorite is the sheep.  The pearls woven together to simulate the wool is adorable.  She will be offering a “Novelty Cupcake Workshop” to share her tips and tricks:

Forgot to mention I host cupcake workshops in Suffok, UK. These four
characters are stars of my latest ‘Novelty Cupcake Workshop’. Haven’t
named them yet, but really excited about filling a whole class with
them in the New Year! – Dominique

Too bad we are on the wrong side of the pond to attend.  Register by contact her at her website contact form or on her Facebook page.

Sugarplum Cupcake
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sugarplumcupcakes
Website: http://www.sugarplumcupcakes.co.uk/

What do you get when you take a steak house owner and put him in a cupcakerie?

Answer:  Coke + Ruffles cupcakes!

Now I know that everyone is thinking holiday cupcakes and presents, but, after all, Santa Claus is a man, so perhaps our stockings would become a bit more plump if we left guy-inspired cupcakes beside the fireplace on Christmas Eve?

4 Rivers Sweetshop owner John Rivers has come up with several of these “sweet and savory” cupcake ideas, including Moutain Dew + Doritos cupcakes.  Rivers told The Today Show that he’s working on Nehi grape soda cupcakes, and that the secret to using sodas in frosting is to boil it down to syrup thickness.

Now that’s one Ho-Ho tip I’m headed into the kitchen to try!

Having trouble deciding between cupcakes and cookies? Don’t! With cupcake cookies, you can have the best of both worlds. These darling creations are courtesy of The Sweet Cupcake Company of Dublin, Ireland. You can visit them and view more tasty treats on Facebook!

I was treated to a local production of Red Velvet Cake War this past weekend, and they did a very cool thing! A local bakery (renowned Hilman’s Bakery of Fairfield, Maine) donated a giant red velvet cake, along with many, many mini red velvet cupcakes. During intermission, actors in costume came out into the audience with trays of the mini cupcakes, handing them out. Then, as we were all contentedly munching away, they announced that one of the cupcakes had an X on the bottom. The person who got the X’d cupcake got to take home the giant cake! What a great idea! (And the play was great too!)

This is what I had for lunch: a Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake from The Bankery in Skowhegan, Maine.

It’s difficult to beat a peanut butter cupcake topped with light and creamy chocolate frosting and crumbled peanut butter cups! What a treat! The Bankery is a full service bakery located in an 1856 bank in downtown Skowhegan, Maine.

Amanda from The Clever Little Cupcake Company, a custom cake and cupcake bakery in Lanconshire county of northwest England, is responsible for these brilliant creations for her own father.

Your eyes do not deceive you. There are pills and intestines on that cupcake. Click on the picture for larger image. Please check out more of Amanda’s delicate work at her cupcake gallery. Amanda writes:

These are for my Dad as a token good luck as he is having an operation on his bowels on Monday. He won’t be able to eat things like this for a while, so I thought the bowel cupcakes might cheer him up (or he might hit me!!).

I just found these Halloween delights at a local bakery, The Bankery, in Skowhegan, Maine. The decorations are all done by hand, and all in frosting. Talk about talented! My son was thrilled, because I couldn’t bring myself to eat the spider, so he got the whole thing! The cat is my favorite, paws down! Happy Halloween!

Whom are you cheering for? If you’re undecided, let these Rangers Cupcakes from Cupcake Fabulous convince you!

Cupcake Fabulous is a delivery only cupcakery in Rockwell, Texas. They will deliver anywhere within a 40 mile radius of the surrounding Dallas area. So if this describes you, you could order 2 dozen of these Rangers cupcakes for only $24 (plus delivery). These particular Rangers delights are mini vanilla cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting.

This family-owned bakery has been creating custom-made, homemade cupcakes for all occasions since 2007. You can also visit Cupcake Fabulous on Facebook and Twitter.

While visiting Boston last weekend I was amazed at how many food trucks can be spotted around the city!  Of course I tried several food trucks including a red velvet maple ice cream sandwich from Frozen Hoagies and at the SoWa Open Market I had The Green Munster Melt grilled cheese which consisted of munster cheese, homemade avocado and applewood bacon from Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese.

Most importantly at the Boston Book Festival I tried a cupcake from The Cupcakory, Boston’s original cupcake truck.  Feeling seasonal I decided to try the Apple Crumble cupcake, shown at left.  A fresh apple cake with vanilla butter cream, rolled in a traditional baked apple crumble topping of oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, and autumn spices.  I enjoyed watching my cupcake be frosted and rolled in the apple crumble topping as opposed to being handed a pre-decorated cupcake.  The cupcake was delicious and despite not being a huge fan of whipped frosting I really liked the apple crumble topping. The best way to find The Cupcakory is to check their Location/schedule section on their website for follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Oh and don’t you love their cupcake display window?

Located in the Burlington Mall Food Court in Burlington Massachusetts, Shot Cakes are ice cream for cupcakes!  The idea behind Shot Cakes is simple, you combine ice cream and cupcakes for one delicious treat.  At Shot Cakes you choose the cupcake flavor for a selection of over 30 cupcakes and the decide the soft serve ice cream flavor you would like to fill your cupcake with.  Visit the Shot Cakes website to view the unique cupcake technology used to fill the cupcakes with ice cream.  All pictures are courtesy of my sister who was lucky enough to try these cupcakes and said that they were awesome!  For more traditional dessert fans, shot cakes also offers frosted cupcakes, as shown below.  Additional menu items include ice cream cones and mini shot cakes.