The raw vegan diet seems to be all the rage lately.  Eating raw foods is uber-healthy and good for the planet too.  And “raw foodists” often claim that one doesn’t have to go 100% raw to reap the benefits of consuming raw foods.  Do I want to be healthy?  Of course!  Am I willing to give up cupcakes in order to go raw vegan?  Uh …

Well, thanks to Shannonmarie, who is known to the blogosphere as Rawdorable, I don’t have to.  She has created an amazingly innovative, entertaining, and useful “uncookbook” full of tantalizing raw cupcake recipes.

Her ebook details how to make the “cake,” gives us several different options for yummy frostings, and even describes how to make raw fondant.  Who ever heard of healthy fondant?

Her recipes range from basic to exquisite, from Pumpkin Spice to Citrus Confetti, from Basic Chocolate to Ruby Red Chai.  I’m telling you, Shannonmarie is a genius of the cupcake world.  And she’s one of those rare healthy cupcake geniuses.  (If you don’t believe me, try the Zippi Zucchini Cupcake!)

The book is jam-packed with gorgeous, inspiring photographs.  I’m tempted to blow some of them up and frame them. 

The Little Rawdorable Cupcake Book That Could is available at Rawdorable for $12.95.  It will be the best thirteen bucks you’ve invested in a while!

Curry Kay Designs is  a handmade textile business based out of West Hartford, Connecticut.  Since opening her Etsy shop a little over two months ago her cupcake prints featured on aprons, dish towels, and bags have been her best seller and it’s easy to see why.  The apron and dish towels which came for us to review are beautiful.

The apron is absolutely gorgeous; it arrived while I was in the middle of baking earl grey cupcakes and I immediately put it on.  A bright, bold violet is complimented nicely by the light green trim and ties for the apron.  Unlike many aprons the neck piece on Curry Kay’s apron is adjustable thanks to two slots and a polka dot button.  The lower corner features a big, white screen printed cupcake with sprinkles and a cherry on top.  Just above the waistline is an adorable little bird.  I really liked the apron and the dish towels matched.  The dish towels are the same rich violet and feature the same cupcake image. Read the rest of this entry »

Belle Announcements: Fine Stationery was created three years ago by a stay-at-home mom with a passion for graphics.  This passion comes across in her high quality line of products.  Since the stationery is printed on 110lb cardstock with real liquid ink, there is a not only high quality but this also adds to the desirable appearance of the final products.  But not only is the quality of the product important when purchasing stationery but it also needs to catch your eye which Belle Announcements stationery does through it’s beautiful graphics.  Of course I was particularly drawn to the cupcake images on the samples I received, one of which is shown below but there are tons of other graphics for all occasions to choose from.

One of the best things about Belle Announcements is that templates are not used so everything is customizable.  Since the entire piece can be customized this means that you can change the colors, text, and graphics to meet your needs.  You even have the option to change the type of cardstock to Linen, Pearl, or Glossy.  I personally liked the pearl cardstock which appeared to sparkle.  The colors are lighter when printed on this type of cardstock so individuals looking for bright, bold colors would prefer the linen cardstock. Read the rest of this entry »

Laptop Lunches are practical food containers that aim to promote better nutrition and waste reduction.  I was pleasantly surprised when the sample laptop lunchbox arrived.  Inside the shipping was a purple lunch box, a user’s guide and two dividers.  Inside the lunch box are the bento 2.0 Bento Buddies which nicely divide the lunch box.  I particularly like the smallest Bento Buddy which is perfect for holding a serving of salad dressing.  I also liked that when you flipped the Bento Buddies over there was space for you to write your name.  This would be really helpful for parents who send their kids off to school and want to make sure they get all their containers back.

The Laptop Lunch User’s Guide states that it provides fresh ideas for making wholesome, earth-friendly lunches your kids will love. The user’s guide seems more like a mother’s go-to-guide for lunch ideas.  Not only does the guide provide creative lunch menus and recipes  its also filled with tips on how to feed picky eaters and reduce waste.  Topics such as childhood obesity, kids nutrition and using leftovers are also covered.

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POM Wonderful recently sent us here at ATC some of their pomegranate juice to test to see how it works as an ingredient in baking cupcakes.  After looking around online to see what types of pomegranate cupcakes are out there (and one unsuccessful attempt* at replicating an online recipe) I decided to use an ingredient that compliments pomegranate juice.  I decided to bake banana cupcakes with pomegranate cream cheese frosting, topped with cocoa sprinkles.  I altered the banana butterscotch cupcakes from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans and cut down the POM cream cheese frosting recipe from the POM website. The end result was a unique and delicous cupcake, recipes below.

Read the rest of this entry »

This week we are featuring a giveaway from longtime All Things Cupcake friend, Red Velvet Stefanie.  In January, Hungryrunner shared a review of Stefanie’s famous Red Velvet Cupcake Mix (so yum!). 

More recently we also posted a piece about her updated and expanded website.

This week, Stefanie is giving away a box of her favorite Red Velvet Cupcake Mix.  To enter this giveaway, we ask that fans either visit Stephanie’s website or her Facebook fanpage.  Then come back to ATC and click on the comment area below tell us your thoughts.  Did you like her assortment of mixes or is there a flavor you’d like to see?  Maybe you like her cupcake photos or realized that you tried her delicious cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory.   Give Stefanie your thoughts by entering this giveaway!  One winner will be chosen on Monday,  April 26th. 

Before the review, from left to right: Pancakes & Bacon, Tomato Soup, Mexican Chocolate (picture courtesy of Amy Sutedja)

I recently got the chance to take a cupcake run with my friend Amy down to Belltown’s Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. I’ve heard good things about them for awhile, but I’d never had a chance to try their wares.

Amy and I decided that since this was for a review, we’d be adventurous. Between the two of us we sampled some of the more interesting selections from Yellow Leaf’s menu: Pancakes and Bacon, Tomato Soup, and Mexican Chocolate.

Pancakes and Bacon tasted like it sounds: it was just like a bacon-studded cupcake with maple butter and bacon bits on top. Even the texture of the cake was reminiscent of pancakes. The finish was identical to the aftertaste of breakfast at a pancake house, sans eggs. (Amy said it was a “breakfast sensation”, but she couldn’t say it with a straight face). The cake was very good, firm and moist with enough bacon to give a nice smoky accent to the sweetness, though hard-core bacon fans might wish there were was more bacon.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Tomato Soup. As it turns out, tomato cake totally works – it’s like carrot cake but with more acidity, basil accents, and none of the texture from carroty bits.  The cake was the driest and densest of the three cupcakes we sampled, but it wasn’t too dry and was complimented well by the rich, moist frosting. As for the frosting – I felt like I was eating dark chocolate butter. The cake and the mousse went well together, but the dark chocolate overpowered the subtle accents of tomato soup.

After the review :) (picture courtesy of Amy Sutedja)

Mexican Chocolate turned out to be less chocolate and more cinnamon and spice. The cake was great, light and fluffy with a muffin-y texture and a wonderful crunchy top.  The buttercream frosting was very rich and buttery with a light cinnamon flavor. The cake flavor was similar, spice cake with a hint of cocoa.

All in all, excellent cupcakes. I can safely say they’re the best I’ve had in Seattle so far. One word of warning – Yellow Leaf’s buttercream frosting is very rich. One and a half cupcakes was almost too much for one sitting. These are cupcakes with gravitas –  make sure you approach them with an appropriately empty stomach :)

image courtesy of No One Puts Cupcake in the Corner

I was cruising the cupcake blogosphere when I noticed that not only is No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner a good blog with a hilarious title, it is also the host of the cupcake challenges Iron Cupcake Milwaukee and Iron Cupcake: Earth. IC Milwaukee, I expected, seeing as the blog is brought to us by the Milwaukee Cupcake Queen. But Iron Cupcake: Earth? Holy crap. That is like the World Cup of Cupcakes.

Nobody Puts Cupcake in a Corner just announced the IC:E Passion/February winner, Stephanie of the Keckie’s World blog’s Lavender Love Cupcakes. In the words of the champion herself:

If you’re in the mood for a very adult cupcake, this is definitely it! The flavors in this one are mature, subtle, and layered. The cupcakes have a distinct fruity olive oil undertone, which is lighted by lemon and sweetened by the blackberries. The lavender gives the entire cupcake a lightly floral aromatic quality. There is a hint of salt to add the the complexity of the final flavor. These are some serious cupcakes!

That sounds like a fine fancy cupcake. Also, flowers plus cupcakes plus olive oil equals good for your heart!

If you want to throw down the gauntlet with cupcake bakers from around the globe, you too can join the Iron Cupcake: Earth Challenge. Just email the Milwaukee Cupcake Queen your information (first and last name, city/state/country and blog web address) and keep an eye on the Iron Cupcake: Earth blog for announcements about upcoming challenges.

I was wandering by the friendly neighborhood Cupcake Royale a few days ago when I noticed their signboard announcing the newly minted cupcake of the month for March: the Irish Whiskey Maple.  I love maple syrup and was curious to see what a cupcake would taste like with whiskey in the frosting, so I decided to try one out.

First off, the frosting is amazing. Maple syrup + buttercream is  a great idea and pancake houses across the country should be alerted of this delicious combination.  The little kick of alcohol from the whiskey is a nice touch.  If I were a whiskey connoisseur, I suspect I would have a better appreciation for it – it is Jameson we’re talking about, after all.

The cupcake itself was a little disappointing. I admit, some of this is because of my bias against vanilla cake (I’m a chocolate cake girl, myself). But the fact of the matter is, “moist” is not a word that I would use to describe this particular cupcake. Luckily for me, Cupcake Royale is never one to stint on frosting :)

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 …

Red Velvet is officially the cupcake flavor of the hour.  It’s been mentioned everywhere this week, including right here on All Things Cupcake. Personally, I suspect it has something to do with a certain romantic holiday on the horizon, a suspicion that is upheld by a recent Google image search that shows almost every red velvet cupcake accompanied by little heart decorations. But I should give credit where credit is due: the deliciousness of vanilla cake with a kiss of cocoa and topped with buttercream plus the dramatic presentation of red cake and white frosting makes red velvet cake (and cupcake!) a classic.

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.

This weekend I made Red Velvet Cupcakes from Stefanie’s Red Velvet Cupcake Mix.  The package comes with just about everything you need to make the cupcakes, the cupcake liners are even included. Read the rest of this entry »