My daughter got me this mini cupcake maker for Christmas. It was my first contraption of the sort. A tiny thing, it “bakes” seven mini cupcakes at a time.

It’s awesome in that it only takes a few minutes to warm up. At first, I was a little annoyed that, cooking 7 minis at a time, it would take me all night to get through a batch of batter, but then I read the manual–turns out, the mini cupcake maker came with a whole bunch of neat little recipes that make a perfect size batch of batter for 7 mini cupcakes. So, this cupcake maker would be ideal for a person or small family who just wanted to make a quick treat. As for me, I plugged my way through the whole first batch, and it took a while. Next time, I will be sure to start small!

In the end, it was a great gift to get from my junior baker, and I was grateful for an easy cleanup. And I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun with it in the future. (Oh, and you might want to toss the first batch–they tasted like freshly cooked metal.)

Happy New Year everyone! I have been collecting art projects to do over the long cold winter here on Martha’s Vineyard and while searching, I found this great  DIY Embroidered Cupcake Towel  from the blog Craftaphile .

This is fabulous! So cute! Stay tuned for more DIY crafts withe  cupcakes…

I am so excited. I just found a very cool new thing to play with. Duff, the creator of all cool things cake, makes cupcake spraypaint! Okay, well, it’s not really spraypaint–it’s completely edible, but it’s just as fun and cool looking as spraypaint. According to Duff’s website, Duff started out as a “graffiti artist,” I’m assuming, with actual paints. You can watch a cool video of Duff using the spray on color here!

I just treated some friends to a batch of graffitied cupcakes, and I didn’t hear any complaints. This spray color looks professional, and it is quick and easy to use. I purchased the pink (had to, my daughter was with me) and the silver, but you can also get gold, red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and green. I can’t wait to get more! I found the colors at Michaels for $4.49 each, but I found them on the Duff website for only $3.99. One can covers 4 dozen cupcakes!

Yes, I realize that most of you have probably already unwrapped all those presents under the tree, but I couldn’t resist sharing this cute idea, sent to us by one of our readers.

Maybe this could work for some of you who are gathering together with extended family to celebrate Christmas a little late (like on New Year’s). Or, I suppose you could just ditch the Christmas theme and make it work for a birthday celebration.

Be sure to check out the video tutorial for help with making the bows.  It might take a little effort, but with just a little work you get a very impressive-looking cupcake!  Watching the video convinced me that even I could pull this off!

The New Year is not quite here yet, so if you’re anything like me, you still have your Christmas tree up. I like to enjoy the pretty lights as long as possible; after all, Christmas only comes once a year.

So, in the spirit of the holiday season, I’d like to share with you one of our reader’s cupcake-themed trees.  Molly started loving cupcakes at a young age.  When she was just three years old she made a ceramic cupcake, and ever since then she has been a collector.  Now she is pastry chef and has just collected enough cupcake ornaments to decorate a tree.

Molly lives in the Chicago area and has her own cupcake business on the side.  For more information you can contact her at [email protected].

Thinking of what to put together for your New Year’s Eve party?

Why not cook up your brew instead of drinking it?  Here’s a recipe for Guinness and Bailey Irish Cupcakes that strikes me as rather top-o-the-morning.

Take it one step further, and here’s a recipe for Chocolate Guinness and Whiskey Cupcakes with Bailey’s Frosting.  I’d put this into the later-in-the-day category.

And this recipe variation includes a bittersweet ganache with whiskey option within the Guinness Cupcake.

Cheers!

Here in North Carolina the past few nights have been very chilly, which means it’s in the 20’s at night.  Below 30 degrees is cold to those of us in the tar heel state!  After taking the dog for his evening walk my family and I come inside and are searching for something warm.  Tea and hot chocolate tend to hit the spot but I’m thinking these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcake recipe would be a perfect post dog walk treat, for us humans of course!  The vegan cupcake recipe which is topped a coconut whipped cream frosting was originally posted to Food 52.

Has anyone seen this movie, Mayor Cupcake?  It’s about a cupcake baker that is elected mayor of a small town after one of her cupcakes accidentally kills the mayor.  The newly elected mayor faces the challenge of helping the town that is burdened with debt.  I haven’t seen it yet but I have a feeling I would watch it ifnothing else was on TV.

With the Christmas season just coming to an end and the New Year right around the corner, there are probably lots of new engagements all around you.  And of course, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, too.  It’s a popular time of the year for popping the big question!

These cupcake toppers would be perfect to celebrate a newly engaged couple or Valentine’s Day (after all, it’s now less than two months away).  Our sponsor Diva Entertains just came out with two new lovely cupcake toppers (double heart topper and diamond ring topper).  They are made of food-safe acrylic and can be used over and over again.  For just $0.99 a piece, that is quite a steal!

Merry Christmas Everyone! I woke up this morning to see it spitting snow outside and all I could say was, “Yay!”. I am not a huge fan of snow, but, I always like to have some on Christmas, it really make it feels like Christmas when it snows and there is snow on the ground.

In honor of the spitting snow in New Hampshire, where I grew up and am spending Christmas with my parents, brother and lovely dog, I have found these amazing snowflake cupcakes. The fact that they are pink makes it a million times better.

Pink Snowflake Cupcakes from Glorious Treats

Gift giving with fellow cupcake lovers is always fun.  Last night my best friend and I video iChatted while we opened our christmas gifts for each other. I was so excited to open my package and see my Christmas present wrapped in cupcake Christmas wrapping paper.  My friend said she bought it from Barnes and Noble but I also found the gift wrap on Amazon for $12.00.  For my friend’s present I used the Snow & Graham Holiday Cupcake wrap that’s $6.50 for two flat sheets. Read the rest of this entry »

Just in the nick of time, Magnolia Bakery now offers a monthly cupcake club with nationwide shipping.  Pre-orders are being taken and shipping begins on January 2 with caramel cupcakes, followed by a different cupcake each month.

So if you find yourself in a line that’s too long for someone who is too hard to please, how about putting at least yourself in the spirit?  And while you’re placing your order, why not order Magnolia Bakery’s “Truffled Chocolate Cupcake.”

I know what I’m going to click on as soon as I click on “publish!”

Hot off the press!  Apparently, gel cupcake frosting qualified as a potential security threat at the Las Vegas Airport, causing the TSA to confiscate a cupcake!

The cupcakerie is Wicked Good Cupcakes and just looking at their website has me wanting to fly to their shop to get samples.  The ‘wicked good’ cupcakes made for the MSPCA are pictured here.  If the TSA dogs had discovered these puppies, I might understand what took place.

But my conclusion will simply be this:  it’s just another part of this year’s great cupcake recipe operation…

I just found this amazing photo on Flickr:

Check out more cupcake amazingness in Metta Dewi’s photostream.

Happy Thursday cupcake fans! StayHomeCupcake here and I am in love with this ring I just found on Etsy today. I know it may be a bit late to put this on my Christmas list but maybe I could get a head start on my Valentine’s wish list. So, will someone please pass this hint onto my hubby? It’s only $45 and Too Original has several different styles. Love, love, love!

These felt”I heart cupcake” hair clips are perfect present toppers or stocking stuffers.  The hair clips are made by Chloe in Style and cost only $9.00.

I love this step-by-step tutorial for how to make Christmas trees out of fondant. These are way cooler than the flat conifers I’ve been cutting out. Thank you Sweet Things of Toronto!

You can also follow Juanita Koo on Twitter!

Still shopping? Pajamagram is still guaranteeing Christmas delivery, and I can’t speak for your loved ones, but I sure do get excited when I find a Pajamagram under the tree. Check out these cupcake offerings!

Prices range from $35 to $80. What woman wouldn’t want footed cupcake pajamas?

These look like a deceptively easy cupcake recipe for the holidays, if you’re still searching for some tasty goodies to bake. Just mix up some cupcake batter, divide it into two parts, and dye one part red and leave the other part white.  Then all you have to do is drop alternating spoonfuls of red and white batter into cupcake liners.  Leave them plain, or add some green frosting to make them extra Christmasy.

Check out these Christmas tree on-the-inside cupcakes from Cupcakeables!

And it’s not as hard as it looks! What’s the secret? A simple cookie cutter! Visit Michele’s blog for detailed instructions! Don’t have a cookie cutter? She takes orders! :)

Check out these Reindeer Cupcakes! Here’s the recipe! I think this one would be fun for the kids! You’ll just need some Tootsie Rolls, pretzels, M&Ms, mini vanilla wafers, and some patience!

Good Morning ATC Community! and welcome to the official start of crunch time.  These are the days that we second-guess whether we did enough of everything and end up doing too much!

If you’re like me, you’ve baked a fair amount of holiday treasures.

But holiday week is a bit like a marathon and, in the home stretch, who isn’t looking for fresh ideas to keep inspired?  The challenge I set to myself is whether I can come up with a week of images, recipes, and instructions to keep us all – myself included – at 350F from now through next Saturday.

These Baked Ideas images are cookies, but so fresh and original they will inspire your cupcake decorating ideas. Here’s a smorgasbord of cookie decorating ideas from “Baked Ideas” by Patti Paige, along with the Baked Ideas’ Facebook page  and the video on the Baked Ideas mini gingerbread houses.  3,000 each season!

If you’re still looking for last minute gifts, Baked Ideas even sells yoga cookie cutters.  How did she do that?  Here’s her video on piping royal icing onto each one of the yoga posed gingerbread men and here’s the Baked Ideas gingerbread recipe.

Ah-ha!  My Muse gripped that one!

Today, I’m going to springboard those Baked Ideas into spice cupcakes with yoga shapes drawn on the top, including some Sandskrit symbols, such as “Namaste.”  And I know just who is on my list for these yoga cupcakes…

Now that’s what I mean about taking inspiration and giving yourself permission to be creative at the holidays!  What’s your idea?

Countdown:  6 days.

I just love these Christmas tree cupcakes from Cupcake, located in Glasgow, Scotland!  There is no limit to how you can decorate your cupcake tree.

This would even work great with a cupcake bar.  Just give guests a Christmas tree cupcake and they can add the “lights” and “ornaments” and “glitter”.

Check out these cute cupcake jewelry options from SweetPetiteHI on Etsy! How about a scented orange cupcake necklace? Or red velvet? It’s hard to choose! Items are $12 each or you can get a set for $20!

Australians may be celebrating Christmas with barbeques, but they’re eating lovely snowflake cupcakes with their ribs and potato salad! Check out more lovely pics from Piggley’s Flickr photostream.