Do you love creating you own cupcake recipes? Well, get out your mixers and muffin cups and enter the Scharffen Berger Cupcake Adventure Contest!  Cupcake recipes must include their chocolate and one or more of these selected “Adventure Ingredients”:

Stout beer
(including oatmeal, chocolate, imperial or any other stout)

Yes, some of these ingredients are a bit more unusual but who doesn’t love a good challenge?   I say go for the ricotta and fresh beet!   Contest prizes include money (woo, hoo!), books, chocolate, a trip to New York and the chance to have your recipe published on Food Networks magazine!   How amazing would it be to have one of our wonderful fans win this contest?   Click here for all the contest rules and details.  Good luck!

 You should also check out the new interactive cupcake builder on the Scharffen Berger website.  You can select a base cupcake batter and virtually build a cupcake using adventure ingredients, get tips on how to use the ingredients and more.

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking is one of my favorite cookbooks and I loved visiting the Charleston location last summer.  I was really excited when I read on design*sponge that a second book had hit bookshelves.  Baked Explorations is said to have over 80 amazing recipes (including sections on Breakfast, Cakes and Cupcakes, Pies and Tarts, Brownies and Bars, Cookies, Confections and Chocolates, and Drinks), 40 color photos, various tips, tricks and more!

The Kitchn not only reviewed the new book but also blogged about the Maple Cupcake recipe found in the book. Now that the cooler fall weather has finally arrived here in North Carolina it’s the perfect time to try the recipe, found below!  Read the rest of this entry »

Every now and then you stumble across something that is truly unique and fantastic, and that is exactly what happened to me when I stumbled across Alma’s website, called Spain In A Cupcake.

You see Alma until recently had never tasted the joys of the cupcake and it wasn’t until she was on a recent visit to London that she discovered their delicate goodness.  Now understandably she is addicted.  Since that visit she has taught herself how to cook and has a kitchen in which to experiment, which she is doing.

Alma may currently be spending a year living in Germany but her cupcakes are very Spanish influenced.  You see it is not just a name ‘Spain in a Cupcake‘ but also a concept.  Alma is letting Spanish flavor inspire her cupcake creations and coming up with some very unique and fantastic cupcake ideas.  So far we have the Sangria, Brazo de Gitano, Chocolate con Churros, Arroz con Leche, and surprisingly Chupa Chups!

This is just the start for Alma and her cupcake project, but it is one that I for sure will be watching with interest!  And did I mention they all come complete with recipes??

Check out these amazingly decorated cupcakes from Land O’Lakes!

Follow this link for recipe – Halloween Hoot Owl Cupcakes

These are so cute and inventive. Perfect for Halloween or any owl lovers, I know a few.

Maybe you can make these and pass them out for Halloween dressed up as a owl?

I know we have shared Sweet Paul with you in the past; like the True Blood cupcakes or his white paper cups.  Recently Sweet Paul came out with an online magazine and the Fall 2010 issue features a chocolate orange cupcake recipe.  I love the food styling and photography for this cupcake, the chocolate cupcake on the elephants back is just too cute for me not to share with you! Check out the latest issue for this cupcake recipe along with other great recipes, crafts, and fun finds!

Happy October Everyone. It poured here today, biggest downpour I have seen in a long time. And after coming in from the  rain the one thing that I want to have this time of year is some hot apple cider. That got me thinking, Apple Cider Cupcakes! And just as I thought someone has already experimented with this delicious fall drink. And here are their results …

Spiked Apple Cider Cupcakes

photo taken from the blog raspberry eggplant

Looking for a delicious Shirley Temple Cupcake Recipe or the perfect Strawberry Lemonade Angel Cupcake Recipe? 

Visit Katie at the Kitchen Door and feast your eyes! 

Katie made the cherry-topped delights for her friend Becky’s birthday.  The Stawberry Lemonade Cupcakes were in honor of her friend Phoebe’s birthday.  Hey Katie, Read the rest of this entry »

The carrot cake has been around for ages as one of those classic staple cakes that your mom or your nan used to bake when you were a kid.  It is a cake that has stood the test of time and is still an autumn favorite.  The only problem, is when baked as a cake or as cupcake it just doesn’t really appeal like other cupcakes do.

Well The Crafty Penguin has the answer and you can use her fantastic technique on other cakes such as the banana cake or sponge, to take them from big and boring down to cupcake size, then pipe some life into them with the frosting.  The complete recipe is provided as is a guide on how to finish off the cupcakes with cute gumpaste carrots.  As you can see these little deserts would be a great way to end any dinner party!  See the full photo tutorial here.

Looking for a fun idea for Halloween cupcakes, but don’t want to sacrifice flavor?  Then hop on over to The Swell Life to see how it’s done!  Alexa Westerfield, the creator of The Swell Life is a graphic designer by day and a craft addict by night, and obviously, an expert cupcaker. 

You will need: 
– 1/2 cup butter, softened
– 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
– 2 eggs
– About 1 teaspoon orange powdered food coloring
– 1 cup buttermilk
– 2 1/2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour (sifted 3 times)
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 1 teaspoon orange extract
– 1 tablespoon vinegar
– 1 teaspoon soda Read the rest of this entry »

ATC grandmaster Harrison Hung recently sent me this comic, which cracked me up and reminded me of a timely cupcake recipe…

So as not to just tease our faithful readers with mentions of pumpkin cupcake recipes, and also since it’s almost fall, here is an award-winning recipe for Cream-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes, courtesy of Taste of Home.
Read the rest of this entry »

Jessie Oleson, also known as Cakespy, recently upped the ante for filled cupcakes by creating…a cupcake-stuffed cupcake.  I do not kid.  She really made cupcakes that were stuffed with an even smaller cupcake.  We have the picture and the recipe to prove it.

Those cupcakes are full of it...and by it we mean more cupcakes. (photo courtesy of Cakespy and Serious Eats Recipes)

Read the rest of this entry »

Awww it is sad, even when you know I am talking about the last summer cupcake fling.  I am too settled and contented to think about the other type of flings, but the cupcake one I am open for, especially when it looks as good as these Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream!  How hot pink is the color of these?

These cupcakes have been dreamt up by The Crafty Penguin and are a great way to use up the last of those summer berries!

You can find the full recipe along with heaps of step by step photos on her website here.

All of a sudden I have a real hankering to go watch Grease!  “Ahhh… those summer… NIGHHHHHTTTTTSSSS….”

Move over sandwiches and scones, we want our high tea with cupcakes thank you!

And it seems that the Ritz-Carlton Dallas is listening to our cupcake pleas with an interesting adaption of the idea. The high tea will occur on the last Sunday of October and November and then the first three Sundays in December and will see the traditional ‘tea’ items replaced with funky mini cupcakes, with flavors like Praline Pecan, Peach Cobbler, Dr Pepper and Don’t-Mess-With-Chocolate available.

From what I’ve experienced they are pretty darn good, but how would I know, I’m on the other side of the world to Dallas?  Well I have a happen to have a copy of one of their recipes and after a little difficulty locating some of the ingredients, translating the terms into Australian :) I created a batch and they are very tasty!

Read the rest of this entry »

A big thanks to The Twisted Kitchen for allowing us to share this ultracool recipe with you!  Everyone loves S’mores, right?  And how often do you get to use a blowtorch in the kitchen?

S’more Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes (approx.)

General notes (before cooking):

• I used milk chocolate chips to try to get as close to the flavor and texture of the chocolate as possible yet still have a brownie.
• I highly recommend using cupcake liners for this. I made a few without them, and they were a bit difficult to get out of the pan.
• Be careful when “toasting” the marshmallow frosting. Those cupcake liners tend to be HIGHLY flammable.
• It is extremely important you don’t overfill the cupcake liners. I know it’s tough, but resist! The frosting is incredibly sticky and soft, and needs the liners to set properly.

For the Graham Cracker layer:

1 cup graham crackers Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Bake me anything and I will be yours …. but bake me a cupcakes and you have my heart forever!

Check out this cute book I found at Amazon with over 100 ideas for cupcakes. I love it if just for the name!

Bake Me I’m Yours Cupcake: Over 100 Excuses to Indulge

If you are a Kindle lover they have a version for that as well!

I think we have officially hit the cupcake mother-load!

50 cupcake recipes all in one blog post. I think I have died and gone to cupcake heaven.

Check out The 50 Best Cupcake Recipes on the Internet on the blog Restless Chiptole!

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 »

This summer has been all about various types of Lemonade! I have been try to cut back on my soda consumption and I have substituted soda with strawberry lemonade since the beginning of summer. And let me tell you, it has been a delicious summer so far. But what if you had this refreshing drink in a cupcake? It would be so much better. And it is so much better, I have found this luscious cupcake recipe for Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes from the blog  Love and Olive Oil.

Make sure to check out their blog for more fantastic cupcake recipes and much more!

Love Peace and Cupcakes.

Here in North Carolina peaches are in season which means it is the perfect time to try Peach Bellini Cupcakes.  I was really excited when I came across this recipe on My Man’s Belly, since after visiting Italy in the spring I fell in love with prosecco! Prosecco is an italian sparkling wine that is usually described as dry and having a flavor similar to white peach, which explains why it is paired with peached to make Peach Bellini which is a type of cocktail.

Read the rest of this entry »

While standing in line at the grocery store this evening my sister quickly pointed out this month’s issue of Taste of the South Magazine.  The August/September cover features Pecan Pie Cupcakes! In case the magazine is not sold in your local grocery store, the recipe can be found below.

Read the rest of this entry »

Is it a cupcake or ice cream?

This is very deceiving! I love ice cream and cupcakes so this is a good concoction for me (although it doesn’t have any ice cream in it, but I can pretend).

I found recipe for Soft Serve Swirl Cupcakes on Wilton.

Now this is an ice cream that will not melt in the devouring heat.

Fifteen cupcakes in a live mans mouth— Yo-ho-ho, and a bowl of frosting! (I tried hah!)

Ahoy Matey! Check out these pirate inspired cupcakes from I Heart Cuppycakes.

Strawberries, chocolate and pirates – what more could you ask for!

Enjoy!

photo courtesy of CakeJournal

When I was tooling around CakeJournal‘s site after getting info about Louise’s cupcake needle felt pillows, I found her collection of cake decorating tutorials. This made me happy because it reminded me that the creation of fancy cupcake decorations are indeed within even my beginner’s grasp.

In my quest to find new and interesting cupcake news for ATC, I see the incredible craft and artistry that goes into decorating cupcakes and cakes. I’m always  impressed by the creativity of these pieces.  However,  most of the time  I can’t say that I find inspiration in them because it often looks like a level of composition and sculpture that’s well out of my league. I think that CakeJournal’s collection of tutorials is just the thing to bridge that gap.

Read the rest of this entry »

How is everyone spending their 4th of July? If you don’t have a lot on your agenda you should add these lovely cupcakes to bake! This are so cool and definitely different from any other 4th of July Cupcakes I have seen.

Lady Liberty Cupcakes