Are you still in need of some last-minute ideas for Mother’s Day? I think there are at least two things that most every Mom would love to have: relaxation and cupcakes.

I don’t think you could go wrong with these “Momosa Cupcakes”.  These cupcakes are made to look like mimosas.  They fit inside a champagne glass and they even have bubbles.  See this tutorial for detailed instructions.

So give your Mom (or wife) a chance to sit back and relax with one of these this Mother’s Day! She surely won’t forget it, and she will probably be extremely impressed with your cupcake-making abilities.

I love this idea! Make some cute cupcakes with ingredients you probably already have kicking around! Check out Jasminwoo’s Flickr stream for other cool stuff (like Hello Kitty poptarts–what?!).

We still have no Winner yet for our Cupcake Cat Collar  giveaway —

Shannon

I would donate this adorable collar to the sweet kitties at my local animal shelter’s “cattery”!

Shannon, Please contact me at [email protected] within the week.

Congrats to Shannon! Stay tuned for the next giveaway.

Thanks again to Sweet Pickles Designs!

I have to admit that although I love to eat cupcakes, shop for cupcake items and even make cupcake crafts, I am not superb at cupcake decorating.  So many times I have an amazing vision in my head of the beautiful cupcakes I am going to decorate for a special someone’s special day and they turn out looking… well… anything but special.  Sure they might taste good, but isn’t half of the appeal of cupcakes how they look? So here is my guilty pleasure that makes everything better. Even “professional” bakers have bad days…

And here are just a few of my favorite recent additions:

These lego cupcakes aren’t as involved as some we’ve seen, but they are pretty darn cute and would make many little boys I know very happy. And what little boy doesn’t adore Thomas and his friends? These cute creations are from Little Robin Cake Studio of Wodonga, Victoria in Australia. You can also visit their Facebook page.

Cinco de Mayo is almost over, but these margarita cupcakes would be a nice treat any time.  If you want to make them kid-friendly, it is recommended to use vanilla extract instead of tequila.  Kick back, relax, and enjoy!

How cute are these pinata cupcakes? They are the perfect kid friendly cupcake for cinco de mayo tomorrow!

Welcome the quickly-approaching summer with these hummingbird cupcakes.  This recipe comes from Elinor Klivans, the author of Cupcakes!, a collection of 50 cupcake recipes.

If you’re like me, I had no idea what hummingbird cake was until today.  It is a mixture of yellow cake with bananas, pecans and pineapples, topped generously with cream cheese frosting.

Check out some other hummingbird cupcake recipes in previous ATC posts (here and here) and see which one you’d like to try!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Move over fried ice cream–here comes margarita cupcakes! Visit the Columbia Daily Tribune for the recipe!

I recall several birthdays from when I was growing up where I requested my birthday cake to be a castle cake.  I loved that the homemade cake had ice cream cones covered in frosting for the towers.  These party hat cupcakes reminded me of my childhood birthday cake since they are cupcakes topped with ice cream cones decorated to look like party hats.  Cookies & Cups shared this cupcake idea that can be customized to fit any birthday party color scheme.

My kids love Backyardigans. So I was happy to spot these Backyardigan Cupcake Rings from Zoomparty. A set of 12 costs $3.29, and makes for a super quick way to make your kiddo’s cupcakes extra special. Zoomparty carries an entire of line of Backyardigan–themed party items, so, if you are ambitious, you could create an entire Backyardigans experience!

Cambodia has a dark history, but places like Bloom Training Center and Cafe are working to change Cambodia through the art of baking (and this includes cupcakes!).  Bloom offers training to local women, teaching them the art of Western-style baking and decorating.  After these women finish the training, they are given the opportunity to be employed, where they can continue to gain experience and expertise in this area.

These cupcakes are just a few of the lovely creations that these women have made!  I love reading inspiring stories of how cupcakes change lives!

Here’s a quick but clever cupcake idea for the Star Wars fan in your life!

I’m usually not a fan of gluten-free recipes, but this one sounds like it would be worth giving a shot.

These were made by combining the sweet taste of Manischewitz gluten-free chocolate cake mix with the savory flavor of Hawaiian Kettle Style Original Flavor Potato Chips.  In case you were wondering, the potato chips (crushed fine) are combined with sugar, cinnamon and butter (how can you go wrong with all of that?) to make the streusel topping.

And last, but not least, a combination of chocolate frosting and brewed coffee is drizzled on top.

If you didn’t get around to planting a tree or doing something equally earthy this Earth Day, it’s not too late to make these cupcakes.  The tree is a lollipop covered in green frosting and dotted with red heart sprinkles, and the ground surrounding the tree is made from crumbled oreos.  Super yummy, super easy, and a great way to celebrate Mother Earth!

Wedding season is already in full swing and I am happy to report that wedding cupakes are just as popular as last year. Whether it is possibly cheaper price or the ease of sharing the cupcakes with your guests, wedding cupcakes seem to be winning out over wedding cakes.  If you are also considering cupcakes for your nuptials, I found a few sites that might help you in your planning.  Wedding Cupcakes is a site filled with beautiful cupcake arrangements and also has an interesting section about wedding cupcake etiquette. 

And if is supplies you need, then The Smart Baker can has everything from cupcake towers to parchment paper to to car magnets to help the cuppies get to the reception safely.

FYI- did you know that our own talented All Things Cupcake contributor, Heather Lynn, is also wedding photographer?  Check out her amazingly sweet wedding photos and portrait shots on her Vintage Grace Facebook page.  How awesome would it be to have a cupcake expert photograph your own wedding cupcakes?!

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These are most definitely not your average cupcakes!  Want to know the story behind them?  I will tell you this first: they are not (yet) being sold at any bakeries…at least not any that I’m aware of.

These insect-topped desserts were actually being used as promotional material to advocate the idea of eating insects as part of getting a protein-rich diet to an increasing population.  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization claims that some insects have as much protein as meat or fish.  Not only that, but they are a good source of other nutrients, too.

After reading this article, I was glad to find that insects are not threatening to be the latest  and most hip cupcake topper.  That would gross me out!  It seems that cupcakes were a way to win people over to the idea that insects could be a solution to malnutrition, which does not surprise me, because cupcakes definitely have that kind of power!

I love strawberry cupcakes, but yesterday, I decided to jazz them up a little. I used a strawberry cake mix, and filled each cupcake with sliced strawberries after they had cooled off. (I used a frozen strawberry shortcake topping.) Then, I added a mashed banana to the frosting. And honestly, I could not believe how delicious the results were. It was a like a fruit smoothie cupcake!

And the winner of our Cupcake Cat Collar  is ...

Shannon

I would donate this adorable collar to the sweet kitties at my local animal shelter’s “cattery”!

Shannon, Please contact me at [email protected]!

Congrats to Shannon! Stay tuned for the next giveaway.

Thanks again to Sweet Pickles Designs!

Will you be bacon baking cupcakes anytime soon?  If you love bacon and you’re not afraid to try it in your cupcakes, then these recipes for maple bacon and chocolate bacon cupcakes might be for you. I have never personally tried this interesting combination, but I hear that it isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds, and that it’s actually quite tasty.

I just found a new toy! Duff food color pens! I found these pens, which act much more like markers, at Michaels for about $9. They are fun and easy to use, and great for kids’ decorating. But first, I used them to personalize these fondant-topped cupcakes for my friend’s birthday!

Williams-Sonoma now carries their own line of cupcakes mixes!  The stores have a very fun display with all the mixes and jars of frosting.  The Williams-Sonoma website now has a section called The Cupcake Shop where you will find the mixes, bakeware, and cookbooks.  The mixes cost $14.95 and frosting, which is sold separately, is $19.95 per jar.  The mixes are available in the following flavors: vanilla bean, chocolate, red velvet, coconut, and meyer lemon.  The frosting is available in the same flavors with the exception of red velvet.  I have enjoyed the Williams-Sonoma products I have tried in the past so I have high hopes for these mixes.

Take a look at this cupcake handbag.  Anybody recognize it?  It is the look-alike of the famous cupcake handbag from the second Sex and the City film.  For just 3,950 British pounds it can be yours at Harrod’s.  But seriously, doesn’t everyone need their own cupcake bag?

It is no secret that I love Etsy! I have been buying and selling on there for quite a few years and it has turned into a wonderful marketplace to find unique handmade crafts as well as antiques.
Check out these amazing polymer clay cupcakes made by Etsy crafter and ATC sponsor, CuteNSweetCafe. For only $13 you can design your own cupcake charm and add a scent too! Yes, this charm can smell like a cupcake or one of over 50 other scents. You can also choose your base color, icing flavor and toppings.  You can truly make this cupcake your own!

For many of us, it is maple syrup season, and I can’t think of a better way to spend this golden sweetness than in some cupcakes! Check out these Blueberry and Maple Syrup Cupcakes! You can find the recipe and instructions at Forty Percent Fringe Sixty Percent Face. It’s the cupcake(s) you can have for breakfast, right?