ATC Reader Sara sent us these photos and this email…

Hello,

My cousin Sabrina and I found these unicorn cupcakes online and decided that when we got together, we would make them! We headed to a candy store, bought the unicorn essentials and set to baking. We made the icing, prepared the ingredients, then made these adorable (and don’t forget, magical!) cupcakes.
They were a success, considering we made them for ourselves!
Keep up the great site,

-Sara

Thank you for sharing your Unicorn Cupcakes with us! They are too cute!

With the domination of mini cakes popping up all over the world the word Cupcake has taken on a persona all its own.

I am watching one of my favorite shows and I have heard them use the ‘Cupcake’ at least twice in the past 20 minutes. And in the same episode they gave a little girl an Easy Bake Oven!

With this being a sort of slang I have taken it upon myself to look up the definition on the most popular Slang Dictionary,  UrbanDictionary.com.

Cupcake; …from outward appearance you would assume they are tough, but on the inside they are soft.
…can be very sweet….is the perfect size, just the right amount of everything….is also cute yet delicious….people are always in the mood to hang out with them, just like people are always in the mood to have cupcakes…people never get sick of.

Cupcake; someone you’re emotionally romantically involved with

Here is also a definition of it from Wikitonary.com

Cupcake!

Last year we shared with you Deep Fried Cupcakes from the Orange County Fair.  Kick Ass Cupcakes in Somerville, MA tweeted Friday that they have deep fried cupcakes on their menu!  These cream filled vanilla cupcakes are available Fridays through Sundays at the shop.

If you are not in the Boston area, you could always try making your own deep fried cupcakes.  Cupcake Project offers four step directions on how to create your own deep fried cupcakes.  Step one: make mini cupcakes.  Step two: prepare cupcakes for frying by coating in batter.  Step three: FRY! Step four, eat while hot!!!

As many of you know, cupcake hunting is a fun passion for me.  More than that, most of my friends have turned into cupcake hunters too!  Every week they are calling and emailing me to tell me about some wonderful little treasures they have discovered.   Many times I have seen (or bought!) the items already but not always.  Thank you my wonderful friends!  This week one of my best gal pals sent me these photos of cupcake finds at Ben Franklin Crafts:

I checked Ben Frankin’s  website and unfortunitely these items are not sold online. 

The task that Food2 (the Food Network’s sassy younger sibling) puts to challengers is deceptively simple: take pictures of cupcakes, submit them at the Food2 website, and may the best photo win.  Multiple entries are allowed, and the cupcake or cupcakes don’t have to be yours (but the photos do, of course).  Food2 started taking submissions for the Cupcake Cup yesterday and the will continue taking them for the next 40 days.  Photos have already started to come in if you’d like to take a look at the competition, or vote for them for that matter.

And what will you win?  A silicone bakeware Giant Cupcake Baking Set… and the eternal glory of being the first person to win the Cupcake Cup.

It has been snowing here in central North Carolina since last night so the roads are covered and  kids are enjoying the snow which is rare for the area.  This got me thinking, someone has to have made a cupcake sculpture out of the snow! I was right, I came across these two awesome images that cupcake loves created out of snow. Be sure to let us know if you attempted a snow cupcake.

Want to try and spice up your hair with a little cupcake? Now I think putting a real cupcake in your hair would be a little too messy! Here are a few alternatives to make your hair look its best with Cupcakes! …

Big Girl Pink Cupcake Hair Clip

Juicy Couture Kids Cupcake Elastic

Cupcake Cutie Hair Clip

Candy Collection Cupcakes Barrette

I think cupcakes are pretty great. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be writing for All Things Cupcake, right?  But it takes something special for me to bestow an “OMFGBBQ CUTECAKES!” award.  CakeSpy has it…CakeSpy, in fact, takes the cutecake.

I first discovered CakeSpy a few years ago at I Heart Rummage, a local artist swapmeet that goes on every other month at Chop Suey (Capitol Hill, Seattle).  I stood at the booth for at least five minutes paralyzed and making cute noises over freakin’ adorable drawings of wee little cupcakes living their little cupcake lives: checking the interwebs at a coffeeshop, falling in love, and running from zombies.  It made my week.

Turns out that CakeSpy (aka artist and writer Jessie Oleson) not only does prints of the wee lives of cupcakes, she also have a blog and plenty more merch. I mean really – what says awesome like a hip cupcakes and unicorns tee in the closet, a cupcakes and unicorn checkbook in your purse and teeny-beeny cupcake and unicorn magnets on the fridge?

As I was walking past some storefronts this afternoon, I noticed something I had never seen before: a cupcake calendar.  My boyfriend confirmed that while this was the first year he had seen it too, the Hello, Cupcake! calendar is in stores all over town. It’s sort of a companion to the Hello, Cupcake (Irresistably Playful Creations Anyone Can Make) book, being as it’s made by the same folks out of their favorite illustrations from the book.  From the pictures on their website (the little doggiecakes are the on front cover of the calendar), it looks like a darn cute way of keeping track of the days as well as a serving as a muse for the creative in the kitchen.

I thought I would share some of the some of the cupcake images I have come across lately.  This photograph of a tray of unfrosted mini cupcakes is captured by Laurie Frankel, whose clients have included companies such as William Sonoma, Nestle, and Martha Stewart Living.  (Image courtesy of lushee)

Cupcake Heaven Print

Cupcakes of Happiness Print

Cupcake Postcard Set

Second is photography by Susannah Conway who is also a writer.  From her shop the 8×8 inch prints can be ordered for $30.00 each or the postcard set which includes 6 postcards, 2 of each image for $10.00.  Below are additional cupcake photographs by Conway which are from her website.

Finally there is my favorite, Elodie Rambaud.  I was first drawn to the cupcake photographs because they are simple and look delicious.  Then as I saved the images I realized they were unique flavors including Sesame Tahini, Apricot Ginger, and my personal favorite, Pumpkin Maple.  It’s my opinion a good photograph of food not only looks good but makes you wish you could eat it. There are more cupcake images as well as other sweet treats so take a look at her site.

Sesame Tahini

Apricot Ginger

Pumpkin Maple

I noticed a reader’s comment on a past post and when I checked out the link I realized I should share it with everyone.  I know Halloween is months away but just in case you need a cupcake costume for another occasion, here is a fun option: Cupcake Ohh!Veralls! You have over a dozen cupcake styles to choose from and prices range from $90-225, depending on the style.

In my search for quality cupcake news, I’m keep seeing one word: trendy.  As with every trend, two questions come to mind:”When will the bubble burst?” and “Is all this hoopla a good thing?”

Though cupcakes have moved past the “indy cool” stage, the trend is only just going mainstream and cupcakeries are still popping up all across the country.  You’d think this would be a bonanza for cupcake fans, but in reality it’s a mixed bag.

At All Things Cupcake you can see the best side of this trend: great recipes, lots of creative ideas, and many entrepreneurs making a go of it, even in a poor economy. However, both Carmelized OpiNIONS and Kat with a K have posts this week about the downside of the cupcake bubble: overpriced product, inferior quality, and the annoying fact that cupcake have been co-opted for the purposes of conspicuous consumption.

The good thing is that all trends pass. The bursting of the cupcake bubble , whenever it happens, will have the effect of winnowing out cupcakeries- while many will go out of business, those with the best recipes and sound business plans will survive.   In the meantime, I hope that talented bakers everywhere will use this opportunity to raise some capital and that cupcake hobbyists will have a lot of fun reading all the press.

Today my local news paper, The News and Observer had an article titled Cupcakes for Grown-up Tastes.  For the article the author taste tested 9 cupcake proprietors in the triangle, the name given to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Out of the 9 cupcake stores and online shops, I am pleased to say I have tried  5 including The Cupcake Shoppe, Bliss, Kelly G’s Cupcakes, Sugar Land, and The Cupcake Bar.  The ones that I have not had a chance to try are the online order sites and I have to admit I have never ordered cupcakes online.

Out of the 5 which I have tried I would have to say that The Cupcake Bar is my favorite.  On Single’s Night they ways have fun flavors like apple cider or Mexican chocolate.  I have had The Cupcake Shoppe’s cupcakes on several occasions and found sometimes they can be a bit dry and have a little too much frosting for my preferences.  I still like them and would never pass up the chance to have one of their cupcakes.  Kelly G’s cupcakes are also really good and I enjoy going to Open Eye Cafe to do homework and have a cupcake! The article goes into detail with Valentine’s Day options and Tasting Notes for each cupcake company.

If you’ve had the opportunity to try one of the cupcake bakeries from the article be sure to leave a comment to let us know what you thought!

This week ourFacebook Fan Page  hit an amazing milestone by having over 1000 fans! If you haven’t already fanned us, please click here to join in on the fun.  Recipes are shared, questions are answered and photos are posted. Here are some of my favorites this month from fans Shawna, Andrea and Deanne:

Love My Cake of Upper Montclair, NJ starts with all the necessary ingredients for a good cupcake establishment: family recipes, rich and delicious ingredients, and of course, a deep and lasting love of cupcakes.  Love My Cake also has what it takes to go from good to local icon status: panache.  Owner Sonya Newton has a flair not only for baking, but also for the creation of chic, and it shows in Love My Cake’s fashionably boutique design, stylish cupcakes and vintage apron collection.

Speaking of chic and unique – one of Love My Cake’s specialities is their Cupcake In A Jar. I’ve heard of mason jar crumbles before, and even mason jar pies, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a cupcake in a mason jar.  It sounds like we’ve discovered the latest fashion in baked goods –  are cookies next?

This are too amazing for words!

Cupcake Table

Cupcake Seat

Ahh if only there weren’t so expensive. I’d have the sweetest decorated living room!

kimberlyloc recently posted on her blog the Lady Gaga Cupcakes she made.

Here is a full array of all of the cupcakes she made.

This is my favorite one …

If you check out her post you can see all of the cupcakes she made compared to the photograph of Lady Gaga  that inspired that cupcake. You can also see all of the drawings she did before hand for the cupcakes!

I think she did a great job. Very very very creative!

If you were to fashion cupcakes after your favorite singer or famous person who would you choose?

I would choose McSteamy, Eric Dane who plays Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy! :)

Cupcakes are versatile things. They’re tasty, portable, come in many flavors, have been known to create jobs, and also happen to be really good for fundraising.  Emma Klassen of Kelowna, BC made the right choice when she decided to make 300 gourmet cupcakes to exchange for donations to the Canadian Foundation for the Children of Haiti.

Klassen put together this Saturday’s Sweet Exchange to collect money and supplies for the Haiti Home for Children, an orphanage and school run by the CFCH. Though the orphanage’s buildings have been damaged, the children and caretakers were not hurt in the earthquake and are presently living in the orphanage’s courtyard.

While the Sweet Exchange is over,  the Haiti Home for Children still needs your help. You can send donations to the CFCH at:

The Canadian Foundation for the Children of Haiti
11400 Seafield Crescent
Richmond, B.C. Canada. V7A 3J2

(CFCH is a registered Canadian charity. CRA Business No. 89000 4591 RR0001. Donations qualify for CIDA’s matching grant program.  Tax receipts will be issued for donations over $20)

We received this photo and email from ATC Reader Terra…

hello
i love your site almost as much as i love cupcakes.
i am submitting my cupcakes tatoo for you website.
keep up the great work!
thanks terra

Thank you for sharing your cupcake tattoo with us! It’s gorgeous! :)

I was lucky enough to spend this past weekend in San Luis Obispo, CA and while shopping in the Cal Poly Tech University bookstore I came across some great cupcake finds.  Some of which I could not resist buying one for myself and one to save as a gift!

Ganz Cupcake Luggage Tag

Bad Cupcake Shopping Bag

Cupcake Flour Sack Towel

Last week my errands led me to Walmart and as usual I found some cute cupcake items there. Here’s what caught my eye this trip:

Cupcake Pillows in the Toy Section $12.97

Marshmallow Cupcakes in the Valentine’s Section $1

Fleece Cupcake Pants in the Sleepwear Section $9

I also saw a pink cotton shirt and pant cupcake set there too but neglected to snap a photo!

And the winner is… Erin Bailey!
Congratulations! Please email us at [email protected] or go to www.sweetbling.com and email them directly. Thanks to all who entered and commented on their wonderful items.  Special thanks to Sweet Bling for sponsoring this giveaway!

As the recession stretches on and jobs stay hard to find, more people are turning to self-employment to pay the bills.   The name of the game is to use your pre-existing skills in a venture with a low start-up cost.  Like, say, using your many years of cupcake-baking experience to start a business selling cupcakes.

Carrie Spindler of Hudson County, New Jersey did just that when she started GoodieBox Bakeshop.  After losing her job, Spindler decided to take the leap and put her fifteen years of baking experience to entrepreneurial use. Spindler started her business online and created a dedicated following (especially for her signature red velvet cupcakes) before moving into her own retail space.

Mini Empire Bakery of Seattle, Washington has much the same business plan. Christy Beaver and Morgan Greenseth started their cupcakes and more concern online this last December and have just started selling their goods in local cafes as well.  Just as Spindler did with GoodieBox, Beaver and Greenseth plan on building a following before setting up a brick and mortar shop.

Besides the relative ease and low-cost of starting up an online catering company, these cupcake entrepreneurs have one more thing on their side: the robustness of the small luxuries market. While many of us can no longer afford big luxuries,  we still have money for little luxuries like cupcakes. Thus cupcake-making is a potential source of jobs as well as sweetness, even in tough economic times like these.

LuxSugar is a full service bakery catering company out of  Br0oklyn,  New York ! They make muffins, cupcakes, cookies & dessert bars.

All of their cupcakes  are named after Celebrities. Some of my favorite sounding ones are;

Marilyn Monroe – Red Velvet cake w/ cream cheese  frosting

Audrey Hepburn – Vanilla bean cake w/ vanilla frosting

Rick James – Chocolate Cake w/ chocolate & mint frosting

Prince Harry – Carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting

The Gaga – Blueberry Lemon Cake with lemon icing

The Diddy – Chocolate cake w/ semi-sweet chocolate frosting

These sound yum yum yummmy!

Sometimes dietary restrictions can make it hard to enjoy the finer things in life…like cupcakes. But in LA, things became just a little bit easier for the dietarily-restricted cupcake lover with the opening of Babycakes earlier this month. This New York transplant serves up the sweets with the health and allergy-conscious in mind – all of their offerings are egg, soy and dairy-free, and many are refined sugar and gluten-free as well. While their ingredients are restricted, their menu has plenty of options. Babycakes features red velvet, vanilla, carrot and chocolate cupcakes along with a plethora of cookies, crumb cakes, muffins and other delicious baked goods.

Just this last Friday, Beverly Hills’ haute-cupcake bakery Sprinkles jumped into the game with the introduction of their vegan and gluten-free red velvet cupcake.  Is this the start of a health-conscious cupcake war in LA?  If so, I can tell you right now: the cupcake lovers will be the winners.