Cannelle et Vanille is one of my favorite blogs, the food and pictures combine to make amazing recipes.  Recently she made Chocolate, Banana, and Teff Cupcakes.  According to her these cupcakes are not only delicious but also packed full of nutrients provided by the Teff and bananas.  Additionaly, the  cupcakes are gluten free because Teff is used.

Teff is a grass that is cultivated in Northeast Africa.  The grass contains various nutrients including fiber, iron, protein, and calcium.

Chocolate, Banana and Teff Cupcakes

Makes 1 loaf and 12 cupcakes

3 eggs
200 grams natural cane sugar
300 grams ripe bananas, mashed
175 grams light olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
100 grams teff flour
50 grams sweet rice flour
50 grams hazelnut meal
15 grams cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
100 grams chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, banana puree, oil and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the teff, sweet rice flour, hazelnut meal, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until all combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter between the loaf pan and cupcake molds. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes for the loaf pan and 20 minutes for the cupcakes.

For the icing, I used my basic buttercream recipe and added cocoa powder to it.

I stand amazed. These cupcakes are little cartoon-y works of art. Works of art that get special points for the cool Futurama reference and the fact that they are delicious (at least, that’s what their creator Alicia Policia claims, and far be it from me to gainsay the words of such an artiste).

Ingredients used: homemade vanilla cupcake base (made from scratch), buttercream icing brains with a touch of grenadine, and gum paste slugs with royal icing eyes and flower stamen attenae. Neat!

I love decorating my house for all the holidays. It is a special bonus if I can find holiday items that are cupcakes too!  I went window shopping on Etsy this morning and found some cute Valentine’s cupcake creations that are very tempting.

Cupcake Dish Towel $7

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While looking around on Google I came across The Great L.A. Cupcake Map.  The map is comprised of cupcake shops with storefront locations in and around the Los Angeles area.  As more cupcake shops open up, the map evolves.  Makes finding a new shop to try very easy!

At my place of employment, we have a two little machines known as MakerBot Cupcake CNCs (I think the name comes from how the inventor of the Cupcake CNC originally wanted to make a frosting extruder).  These adorably named bots can print small 3D shapes out of plastic.  It didn’t take much time for the crafter-types who use a machine like this to put together a program (or two) that lets the Cupcake CNC print out cupcakes.  Out of plastic, mind you, but still cute little cupcakes.

Just recently, I heard about 3D bioprinters that can print basic organic tissue, technology that can hopefully someday be used to print full organs.  I also know that the folks at MakerBot Industries have been tirelessly working to create a fully functional frostruder, and may have in fact succeeded. What’s next in the world of 3D printing?  Carbo-printers? Printcakes? A girl can dream…

Here is a quick guide to 46 different cupcake ideas! There is just about every type of cupcake and cupcake design for every holiday and occasion.

Periodic Table of Cupcakes

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.

Picture this you have 10 seconds to live … what do you want the most in the world? Well if you answered a CUPCAKE than I have the fastest way to decorate a cupcake!  I found these tips in  the  February issue of Woman’s Day!

• New Pillsbury Easy Frost … it looks like sqiurty cream but its even better its frosting!
• Dip edge of frosted cupcakes in sprinkles
• Garnish frosted cupcakes with chopped nuts
• Stand up mini-cookies in frosting for a fun topping
• Use oversize sprinkles in shapes like hearts, stars and circles
• Pipe polka dots onto vanilla frosted cupcakes using a tinted icing

Red Velvet Cupcakes

On February 20, 2010 Nesquik will hold their Cupcake Challenge at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, CA.  The challenge will aim to find Los Angeles’s best  traditional and nontraditional mini cupcakes.  There are over 20 cupcake cupcake bakeries participating in the challenge including Jus Minis, Baby Cakes, and Two Parts Sugar. Judges include the general public and a panel of celebrities.  If you are interested in attending tickets are available for $40.00.