Football Sundays are for Beer

It's Sunday and we all know what that means - FOOTBALL.  Or for those of us on the East Coast, it means batten down the hatches and get ready for Hurricane Sandy.  Either way, you should have a stockpile of beer on hand.

If you don't have the beer on hand, or prefer a non-alcoholic way to celebrate your favorite team this Sunday, perhaps a beer inspired cake will do the trick (or treat)!

(In full disclosure, I am way more excited about the food at football watching parties than I am about the game!)

For Josh's birthday earlier this year, his only birthday cake request was for Funfetti.  So I begrudgingly bought a box of Funfetti cake mix and did what I could to make the outside more unique than the box would suggest.  What better than a giant mug of beer in the midst of being poured?

We baked the cake in circular pans and stacked it up, layered with simple vanilla cream filling, to create the mug.  Next the cake was wrapped around with chocolate fondant to make the outside of the mug.  Whipped and frothy buttercream topped the cake for a great beer foam.  We even ran some "condensation drops" down the side to make it look as though the cold beer was sweating in the mug.

But the best part is clearly the pouring beer in mid air.  For this part we took chopsticks and wrapped them with fondant to create the flowing beer and perched an empty can (with a personalized label!) on top of the "beer."

Ta-da!

A fresh, still pouring beer for the birthday boy!

After the candle is blown out, the cake must be inspected to make sure it's not real!

Perhaps next Sunday, instead of your usual football shaped and inspired treats, you should treat your guests to that extra special, fancy pants beer...cake that is!

Read More

America's Favorite Pastime

Today kicks off day two of the 2012 World Series!  Now none of my teams made it (Mariners/Nationals), but that is certainly nothing new unfortunately.  Just coming back home from LA, I didn't have time to whip up Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants cupcakes, but instead we'll take a look at a Boston Red Sox lover's birthday in honor of the very first World Series Champions!

Every path to the World Series is fraught with twists and turns, and these cupcakes are no different.  They may look like simple chocolate cakes, but they have their very own October surprise inside - jalapenos baked into the batter!

Here's the recipe to spice up your evenings watching the fall classic...

Jalapeno Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12-15 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
-1 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled
-1 ¼ cups sugar
-3/4 cup butter, softened
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 eggs
-2 cups all purpose flour
-1 tbsp ground cinnamon
-2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-1 or 2 tbsp canned jalapenos, finely chopped
 

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line cupcake pan.

Beat sugar, butter and vanilla in large mixer bowl.  Add eggs, beat for a minute.  Beat in the melted chocolate. 

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Beat into chocolate mixture, alternating with milk.  Stir in jalapenos.

Bake for 30 min, begin checking halfway through. 

Top with your favorite buttercream or chocolate frosting.  We used simple white buttercream since we were making baseballs, but you can mix it up however you like!

Hands, touchin' hands

Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you

Sweet Caroline

Good times never seemed so good

I've been inclined

To believe they never would

But now I, look at the night

And it don't seem so lonely

We fill it up with only two

Play ball! :)

Read More

Riding the Rails

While we're on the topic of all things nerdy, I thought I might as well throw this one out there too.  Some of you may remember Andrew's birthday cake from last year, which as of July 2011 was the nerdiest cake I'd made.  Well I'm slightly ashamed to say that cake has been retooled and version 2.0 is out of the mixer - just as nerdy as the first time around.

This cake was made for the annual Futurewise dinner and auction in Seattle back in March 2012, as a part of the dinner auction.  The cake was Devils food with a pecan coconut filling, covered in a dark chocolate ganache before being smoothed over with fondant.

The best part about this cake redesign was not only being able to use fondant, but the nifty little aerosol can of edible silver spray paint.  Game changer right there.  So not only did the cake taste delicious and look real, but it was nabbed second in the desert dash portion of the evening!

To all you transit nerds camped out in LA this week for Rail-Volution - take a break from the festivities and grab a slice.  Just make sure to finish before boarding the bus, they really frown on chocolate crumbs on the seats.

Read More

Chilly Evenings Made for Board Games

The leaves have started to fall, the air is a little crisper, and the clouds a little thicker.  Seems like perfect weather to fish out the boots, the sweaters and scarves, and curl up with a cup of tea.  But wait, does the chillier weather really mean we're relegated to spending the next six months on the couch under piles of blankets?  Seems to me the cold weather is perfect for breaking out the board games, the cider, and even a platter of sweets to snack on.

Sure you could stick to the basics of Monopoly, Clue, Apples to Apples or Boggle.  Or you could wear your nerd badge with honor and step it up to Settlers of Catan.  (I'm willing to bet that I lost at least half you with that sentence.  Until about a year ago, I hadn't heard of it either.)  

Settlers of Catan game board

The favorite game in our house is definitely Settlers of Catan - complicated, strategic, and fun, everyone gets into it (perhaps some too much?).  So when Andrew's birthday rolled around this year, what better way to surprise him?

We baked up the usual chocolate chip cake that is always had on birthday's, then layered, and cut it into a hexagon.  Since Andrew DESPISES fondant, I thought simple circles would be easier than constructing mini hexagons out of icing.  (See the above board depiction for reference.)

Red for brick, yellow for wheat, black for rock, dark green for wood, and pale green for sheep pastures.

Details made from red and black licorice, mini marshmallows, gumdrops and sprinkles!  The finished product certainly surprised the birthday boy.

 Happy birthday Andrew!

Regardless of what you end up doing with your fall evenings, I'm sure you'll want to grab a slice of this game themed cake.  But in case you get the urge to try your hand at Settlers of Catan, here's a handy YouTube video that will get you started.

Read More

Bottomless Mimosa Brunch

One thing I've learned in my short time in Washington DC - this is a city that loves its mimosa brunches. Everywhere you turn on a Sunday morning (or afternoon, let's be honest), you'll see a sign for yet another screaming deal on bottomless mimosas with at least an hour wait to get a seat.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining.  I love brunch and I definitely love some bubbly in my orange juice.

All this furor over mimosa brunches did get me thinking about how to translate this into cupcakes.  I'm still working out the just right formula for the french toast and eggs benedict ones, but I can attest that mimosas in cupcake wrappers might just be more delicious than those in the glass.

Earlier this year, the family threw my Grandma a surprise party for her 80th birthday.  The setting was brunch  at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle.  Naturally the cupcakes were mimosa!

 All the splendor and sparkle an 80th birthday deserves!

 Taste test - better in the wrapper or in the glass?

Below you'll find the simplified version of the recipe for all you beltway movers and shakers that would rather sleep a little later on a Saturday, than slave over the KitchenAid and oven that much longer.  Recipe is courtesy of The Sweet Bliss Bakery.

Quick and Easy Mimosa Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together cake mix, eggs, butter, and orange juice until the mixture is smooth.  Fill your cupcake tins 2/3 full and bake for 22-24 minutes.  Once cooled, frost with champagne buttercream (see below).

Champagne Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp champagne

Cream butter, champagne, and vanilla together.  Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.


There's only one person who wasn't a fan of the orange bubbly cupcakes...but he's five so we'll forgive him till he's older :)

Read More

Panda-monium in DC

In case you slept through today, the Smithsonian National Zoo right here in Washington, DC has a brand new addition - their first giant panda cub in 7 years!  The cub dominated the news cycle, despite only fleeting glimpses of it on the zoo's PandaCam.  Even the most cynical, power-suited politicos in the Beltway had to crack a smile!

Mama bear Mei Xiang had been given a less than 10% chance of pregnancy by scientists which means the pitter-patter of tiny panda paws is that much more exciting.  According to the keepers at the National Zoo, the first few weeks will be critical in determining the cub's odds of survival.  But come day 100, the cub will be officially given a name per Chinese tradition and ceremony.

Mama and baby will be sequestered in the Giant Panda House and we won't likely be able to see the cub in person until 2013.  In the meantime, we'll be keeping our eyes glued to the PandaCam and celebrating the little bundle of joy!

The announcement was a little last minute to whip up any celebratory cupcakes, but luckily there was a special young lady's first birthday party that perfectly fits today's news!

Baby Nyah turned 1 last month in Harlem, NYC and the theme for the day was the zoo.  Her party was filled with chocolate cupcake lions, giraffes, elephants, and of course pandas.

The zoo itself was a yummy chocolate chip cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate-filled wafer cookies for a gate.

The cupcakes also had peanut butter frosting (except for the birthday girl's, she's not allowed to have nuts yet!) and the animals were fashioned out of fondant. 

Birthday girl blows out her first candle with a little help.

And promptly grabs for her panda cupcake - which is only slightly smaller than the panda cub at the National Zoo!

First taste of sugar and chocolate...it's all downhill from here!

With Washington on an all points #CubWatch, I'm sure I'll be cooking up many more panda themed treats to share.  And to really drive home the panda/one year old cuteness level here...

Nothing better for a girl than her grandpa and a panda!

Read more about the goings on at the National Zoo here or from our friends at the Washington Post here.

Read More

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day this year - and has managed to stumble home safely by now.  We celebrated St. Paddy's day in rave green at CenturyLink Field cheering on our Seattle Sounders on opening day.  (They clearly had the luck o' the Irish on their side and won 3-1!)

Without much time to spend on some good ol' Irish cupcakes, I present you some impromptu, magically delicious treats!

I mean what could be better than vanilla cake, topped with Bailey's buttercream and Lucky Charms?!  Perhaps the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but these will do in a pinch :)

Read More

A Sunday Sundae

Late last week I had the "pleasure" of having two of my wisdom teeth out.  Mostly it was a weekend of sleeping and drinking all my food.  Not only have I missed solid food, but I've missed cupcakes as well!  I'm not going to lie though, the thought of putting a cupcake in a blender and drinking it does not sound appetizing.

So while I'm dreaming of foods that go "crunch", I'll leave you with some "soft food" inspired cupcakes...

Vanilla funfetti ice cream sundae cupcakes to be exact!

Unfortunately for me, none of the above is actually ice cream.  We covered the cupcakes in white fondant, a smear of chocolate icing, and gumpaste cherries.

Happy birthday Krystal!

Here's hoping I might be able to graduate to cupcakes at some point in the next few days and leave the pudding and jello behind!

Read More

Rolling Out the Red Velvet Carpet

Award season is in full swing and the Queen of all award shows comes up a week from tomorrow - are you ready for the Oscars?

I haven't seen nearly as many of the nominated movies as I normally would have by now, so while I won't be able to judge on the acting performances, I can still have fun judging the outfits!  For last year's fashion judgement, we munched on the traditional southern red velvet cake while we watched Hollywood's most glamorous prance along the red carpet.

Make your own for next weekend's festivities with Martha Stewart's Red Velvet recipe:

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

For this year, I'm going to practice my Oscar statue-making skills so he doesn't turn out so chubby ;)

Read More

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Who's the leader of the club

That's made for you and me?

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

I don't know about you, but I grew up a Disney child through and through.  I loved going over to my grandparents house because they had the Disney channel (back when it was premium cable like HBO!) and I could watch the All-New Mickey Mouse Club.  (Don't worry, this won't turn into a post about how my love for Justin Timberlake started in childhood!)  I loved - well, love - every last animated Disney movie.  I still get irrationally excited when I find out which classic is coming out of the Disney vault next.  One of the hardest questions I've ever been asked is what would my top five Disney movies be.  I can never limit my favorites to only five!

When a good friend's boyfriend was offered a job at Disney doing animation, I couldn't wait to celebrate with cupcakes!  I didn't have a lot of time to prepare an elaborate spread, though my imagination certainly went wild. 

I opted for some simple mouse cupcakes to fete the newest animator at Disney Studios.  Beneath the playful exterior is what I'm calling my "Adult Funfetti" confection.  It's a white champagne cake with confetti sprinkles mixed in and topped with champagne cream cheese frosting.  Oreos helped Mickey really take shape!

Mixing in the sprinkles for the funfetti!

Nothing but crumbs and good friends remained at the end of the evening.

Read More

Bollywood Birthday

My good friend Gayatri chose to ring her 30th year in style - Bollywood style that is.  There were wild colors, singing, and of course dancing!  If we couldn't be in Mumbai, then a private room at a bar in Seattle was the next best thing.

To make Gayatri's birthday cupcakes extra special, she kindly let me raid her spice cabinet.  We mixed up a yummy combination of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger in milk, folding that into a basic yellow cake recipe.  And voila! Chai cupcakes with a cinnamon buttercream finish.  For those less adventurous folks, we also offered chocolate.  Hot pink and yellow were wrapped up in gold for a finishing touch.

The cupcakes were decorated with gold sparkly swirls or fondant paisley.  If only we could have added saris!

No Bollywood party is complete without singing and no birthday party is complete without karaoke.

Birthday girl trades a drink for a cupcake.

Still not enough Bollywood?  If you travels ever take you to India, the New York Times can give you hints on how to find your way to a Bollywood set!

Read More