This week my local newspaper, The News and Observer featured an article by a cupcake critic.  I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion and as a cupcake lover I am biased to support cupcakes and be upset upon reading anything that says the cupcake trend is over.  The newspaper article, titled Keep Your Cupcakes; Cute Doesn’t Cut It, was written by Debbie Moose who states that she “doesn’t like cupcakes.  They’re so 2009.  They’re done.”  She goes on to say that her issue with cupcakes is that they are cute and that is what people are concerned with rather than caring what they taste like.  As a baker myself I will admit that I like it when people compliment my baked goods appearance but the highest compliment is when they tell me how good it tasted or go back for a second serving.  It’s not merely what the cupcake looks like, although it has to look good to make you want to eat it.

Moose goes on to argue that cupcakes are time consuming and impractical claiming that they go stale too quickly and frosting cupcakes takes too long.  I feel that cupcakes are individual cake saving you from having to cut a cake at a party.  I also feel that with all good baked goods  you need to consume them quickly or they will go bad.  Fresh bread from a bakery will go stale quickly.  If you use a little planning and bake the cupcakes within an appropriate time frame they will be fresh for your celebration.  Read the rest of this entry »

Lipstik Factory creates hand made lip glosses in small batches. Larry G is the owner and creator of Lipstik Factory which has several flavor lines including a line of cupcake lip glosses.  Larry hand-blends, pours, shrink-bands, and labels each of his one-of-a kind creations.  ATC was sent the cupcake lip glosses to review which arrived in two different packaging styles.  In the five pack tin for $49.00, the flavors were orange cream, strawberry shortcake, pralines and cream, red velvet, and cupcake.  We were also sent an individual tube of angel cake lip gloss which costs $15.00.

The  Angel cake really did smell like angel food cake and because of Larry’s layering technique it actually looked like a slice of cake, with sprinkles on top, inside a tube.  When applying the lip gloss a little bit goes a long way and once it is on your lips you can smell the cake flavor more.  I especially liked that the lip gloss was glossy but not sticky, something that normally deters me from using lip gloss.  The angel cake flavor was a good neutral color on my lips.  The cupcake scented lip gloss had a fruity smell, and because of this it seemed perfect for kids or young teens. Read the rest of this entry »

Allergy Riders makes eating cupcakes easier for those with food allergies. Allergy Riders produce bright colored cupcake liners and flags that inform party goers what ingredient is not inside the labeled baked good. I think this is a great idea, instead of repeatedly having to inform guests that the baked goods are safe for them to consume they can simply see for themselves.

Joy Cho, founder and editor of Oh Joy! seems to always be eating something delicious.  Most recently she shared her sweet treat, a cupcake in a cone from Milk.  Located in Los Angeles, California, Milk seems to have something for everyone with a bakeshop, ice cream parlor, food, and drinks.  If you live to far away to visit Milk yourself, you could always make your own cupcakes in ice cream cones using the recipe from Real Simple or this recipe we shared with you a while back.

Hello Hanna offers a variety of fun children’s products including Hello Books.  The little cupcake lover in your life will enjoy the Yum Yum Bakery book which features build-able cupcake stickers for $9.95

I have quite a collection of cookbooks, specifically cupcake ones but one that I do not have Fun Stuff Cupcakes.  The cookbook is available from amazon for only $9.98 and is the original source for this colorful cupcake caterpillar recipe.  The Two Savvy Sisters made this caterpillar and were kind enough to share the recipe.  Check out their original post to see the instructions.

For only $4.50 this cupcake memo pad is being added to my wish list! It can be purchased directly from Kikkerland Design’s website or through amazon.

The June 6, 2011 issue of People magazine features Kim Kardashian on the cover but it’s what’s inside that matters to cupcake fans.  The issue’s Food Trend section is all about Savory Cupcakes and celebrities that enjoy them.  According to the article Rachel Bilson is a fan of Tomato Soup Cupcakes from Yummy Cupcakes.  Rachel Ray also happens to be a fan of Yummy Cupcakes. Chicago’s More Cupcake’s Bacon Maple Cupcake has made Oprah’s O List.  Tom Pizzica of the Food Network likes Lox Cupcakes from It’s a Cupcake in Philadelphia.  Yes, you read that correctly, lox cupcake as in smoked salmon cupcake.  Candace Nelson, judge on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars has been spotted eating Sprinkle’s Cupcake’s salted caramel cupcake.  I would definitely try the salted caramel and am intrigued by the tomato soup cupcake which I’ve never heard of before but lox might be too extreme for me.  The magazine also shares a Smoked Mac-N-Cheese Lasagna Cupcake recipe from L.A.’s Heirloom L.A. catering company.

Have you tried any savory cupcakes from your favorite cupcake shop? Or have you attempted baking your own savory cupcakes?  Why not whip up a batch yourself with these savory cupcake recipes that we’ve shared with you in the past; like the Cheddar Chive and Bacon Cupfakes with avocado frosting or Beer, Cheese, Bacon and Cream Cheese Cupcakes.

There’s nothing I love more then trying a great, new-to-me cupcake shop.  The cupcake shop that I tried this past weekend is a little different since it is not an actual shop.  Instead it is a vintage 1978, 31 foot Airstream Sovereign cupcake mobile, named Sugar.  Daisy Cakes sets up shop, or rather Sugar, on Saturdays from 9am-12pm at the intersections of Foster and Geer Streets in downtown Durham, North Carolina.  Their Saturday location is about two blocks north of Durham’s farmer’s market location.

I have been wanting to try Daisy Cakes for some time now and was very pleased when I finally did.  Everything about the visit was great, especially the super friendly staff .  After having been to several cupcake shops where I have been disappointed by the unpleasant workers Daisy Cakes was an enjoyable visit. This husband and wife duo definitely know what their way around the kitchen!  Both are trained in the culinary arts as skilled chefs and more importantly for cupcake lovers, they are talented pastry chefs!   Read the rest of this entry »

Monday is Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, especially here in North Carolina where it’s been over 90^oF all week!  Our annual neighborhood party is this weekend which means I have been flipping through all my cupcake books, magazines, and bookmarked links, trying to find a cupcake that will top last years big hit, S’more cupcakes! Everyone loved Bakerella’s version of s’more cupcakes that I made and I loved how easy they were, the more messy, gooey chocolate the better with these cupcakes!

My challenge now is to come up with something to bring that will go over as well.  Right now I’m thinking about making lemonade cupcakes, the perfect summer drink turned cupcake! I have found two recipes that I’m debating between; The first option is Pink Lemonade Cupcakes which are a semi-homemade version by Real Mom Kitchen.  As always, the semi-homemade option is always great since it saves time. Read the rest of this entry »

On a recent visit to Massachusetts we made a quick trip north to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where I had spent two years while in college at The University of New Hampshire.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the quaint town was doing quite well despite the current economic situation.  In the four years since I had visited last there were several new shops that had opened in addition to some of my old favorite stores and restaurants surviving today’s tough economy.

One of those shops was Gus & Ruby which as a stationary lover (in case you couldn’t tell by all my card posts), I enjoyed looking at everything inside the store!  One of my purchases from Gus & Ruby was a set of cupcake gift tags by Dingbat Press. When I returned home I tried to find the gift tags online to share here on ATC but  since they were in the sale section of the store I quickly realized they were old merchandise.  The good news is that Dingbat Press has an Etsy site filled with other fun letterpress items.  Currently there are several versions of recipe cards available including the set of 10, 4×6” yellow cupcake pop recipe cards on sale for $7.50.  Or for the same price you could get the Mod Cupcake recipe card set of 10 in several different color options.

You can never go wrong with cupcake clothes for kids, especially if combines cupcakes and classic comic characters.  This little girls shirt from JCPenny features Charlie Brown and The Peanuts Gang with their favorite cupcakes.  I think I have to stick with Snoopy on this one and say my favorite are the sprinkles!  The shirt is on sale for $9.99 so order yours before it’s gone!

Have you looked at Disney’s Family Fun website recently? They have some seriously awesome cupcake ideas!  Two of my favorites are the Night Owls, pictured above, which are perfect for the up coming graduation season.  I love the big owl sitting on a branch of pretzels and the little baby owls surrounding. My second favorite is the Sweet Shop cupcakes, which look like milk shakes, ice cream sundaes, and cupcakes topped with swirl lollipops! There are so many more great cupcake ideas on the website, take a look and I am sure you will find an idea for your next cupcake requiring event!

I’m very excited to share today’s posts.  For several years now my sister and I have wanted Toms, a pair of shoes that are popular here on the college scene.  Toms are unique in that for every pair of shoes you buy the company donates a pair of shoes to a child in need.  Last month at a special event held by Bevello, a small chain clothing boutique here in North Carolina I finally got my Toms!  One weekend in early April Bevello provided customers the opportunity to have customs Toms designed by local artists.  I immediately jumped at the chance to have a pair of Toms that no one else would have and knew exactly what I wanted to have drawn on mine.  I had to have cupcakes of course!  I have yet to own shoes with cupcakes and so I went ahead and ordered by shoes.  Sadly the day I went to Bevello at Blakeney, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the artist was not there.  I ended up blindly ordering my Toms without having seen any work by the artist.  Three weeks later I picked up my shoes and was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside the box.  The picture shown above are my custom designed cupcake Toms!

My custom cupcake Toms were created by Amanda Allwine!

I am a huge fan of Real Simple since they always have great recipes, tips, and ideas.  I love this simple cupcake decorating idea where the cupcake is topped with cotton candy and called a sticky fingers cupcake!  Such an easy idea that takes a basic frosted cupcake to the next level.  Real Simple suggests a vanilla cupcake but you could always go for the extra sweetness and make a cotton candy flavored cupcake! Don’t forget to look at the 9 other ideas including S’more and PBJ!

I am a fan of art that is simple and somewhat minimalist which is why I love this print by UUPP.  The 8X10” print which reads “Live, Love, and Bake Cupcakes,” a play on the traditional “live, love, laugh” slogan, is available in 3 colors combinations and costs $18.00.  Like many Etsy sellers, UUPP is willing to create a custom variation to match your color scheme.  I feel that this print would look perfect in a little girl’s room or a cupcake bakers kitchen.  Be sure to look around UUPP’s Etsy page as there are more fun cupcake prints available!

Baked By Melissa is a New York City based cupcake bakery that specializes in mini cupcakes.  Creator Melissa Bushell bakes stuffed mini cupcakes so customers can try every cupcake without feeling guilty.  The Baked By Melissa has a unique option, the create your own cupcake customizer!  While the custom cupcake can only be used to purchase orders of 300 or more mini cupcakes it is really fun to choose your cake, icing, topping, and stuffing, plus you pick the colors! Once you name it, it can be added to the gallery, shared on Facebook, or as mentioned, you can buy it. The gallery features over 9000 custom cupcake creations, including the fun “life after college” cupcake (shown left), perfect for upcoming graduation parties. If you decide to buy your cupcakes you have the option of delivery or pick up if you live in Manhattan or have them shipped if you live anywhere else in the US, just remember you have to  buy 300 cupcakes!  Don’t forget you could always stop by one of the four NYC locations and try one of Melissa’s creations!

What little kid doesn’t love playing dress-up?  This cupcake grown is prefect for any little girl with a big imagination that loves all things sweet! The one size fits all crown is made out of wool felt and costs $30.00.  (found via Hip Hip Hooray)

Lately I have had the urge to be crafty! Maybe it’s because of all the awesome websites and blogs out there or because final exams have ended for me and I now have a short summer break, giving me free time for projects.  One project on my to-do list is individual cupcake stands like the ones Diary of a Ladybird provides instructions for on her website.  The material list is nice and short only requiring superglue, a small/shallow bowl, and an egg cup.  The directions are equally easy with the most time consuming part of the project involving waiting for the glue to dry.  Check out her original post for the instructions and pictures.

Mother’s Day is next weekend which means you need to hurry and buy this cupcake card for your mom!  Mr. Boddington’s Studio has designed this lovely Mother’s Day card that’s available on their website.  Why not make mom’s day and bake her cupcakes to match the card?

Brighton jewelry has two really fun cupcake charms available in stores and on their website.  I really like the cupcake flower charm since it actually opens.  The pink and the green on this $21.00 charm fit perfectly with the current popular cupcake colors of pink, green, and brown.  The second charm is part of Brighton’s ABC line and is a small cupcake for $8.50.

Kristen Ricket blogged about her experience making her own cupcake stand.  The supply list was fairly small and included boxes, poster board, tape, glue, paper (in this case rainbow squares) and spray adhesive.  Ricket shares both picture and descriptive text direction on the original post if you are interested in creating your own unique cupcake stand.

Do you like Dixie Crystals sugar?  Maybe it’s time you tell them through Facebook since they currently have two exciting cupcake related contests through their Facebook page.  The first giveaway is because Dixie Crystals reached their goal of 700 “likes” on their Facebook page.  On Mother’s Day they have decided  to give away 10 of the Jessie Steele cupcake aprons pictured to the right.  The aprons retail at $34.00 so it is definitely worth becoming a fan to win this prize!  Their Facebook page simply says “stay tuned” which means you have to “like” them to find out more details to enter the contest as Mother’s Day approaches. You could also win a $500.00 gift card by uploading a picture of your homemade cupcakes to their Facebook page. The rules for entering this contest also state that you need to “like” Dixie Crystals on Facebook and upload your cupcake picture by May 15, 2011.

House 8810 has some awesome products, especially for cupcake lovers!  I personally like the Happy Birthday Apron that is covered in polka dots and a cupcake and reasonably priced at $20.00.  Matching the apron are a set of four fun colored towels for $30.00.  The table cloth that comes in blue or pink is one of my favorite items in the collection.  For $25.00 you could quickly brighten up any birthday table.  As if these items weren’t enough there’s a set of six drawstring treat bags for $15.00, each bag a different print.  Finally there are napkins that come in the same blue and pink that the table cloth is shown in.  And don’t forget the birthday hankie cards to send as thank you’s! Each of the six cards in the $28.00 set includes a unique hankie.

To celebrate Earth Day today, treat yourself this cute cupcake reusable cupcake bag.  Waste-Less Bags has created reusable grocery bags that can hold up to 20 pounds.  The cupcake bag is part of the Too Cute line.  The purple colored bag has a cupcake tray image on the front and folds up into a cupcake shaped pouch.  The bag costs $4.99 and can be purchased from the company’s website.