Looking to send a cupcake lover the perfect Halloween Greeting Card? If so, I’ve got what you need! PS … It isnt from Hallmark!

Swirlz Cupcakes of Chicago has holiday cupcakes ready for local pickup or delivery!

Eggnog – Spicy nutmeg vanilla cake with a layer of white chocolate ganache and topped with rich eggnog buttercream

Pink Peppermint Stick – Rich chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate ganache and topped off with two-toned pink buttercream and a mint candy

Gingerbread – Old-fashioned gingerbread cake, a layer of white chocolate ganache, topped with cream cheese buttercream

Chocolate Marshmallow

Deliciously moist chocolate cake filled with a fluffy marshmallow center,
layers of chocolate ganache and marshmallow buttercream,
topped with a happy skull and crossbones

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Swirlz Cupcakes

705 w. belden, chicago, il
phone:  773.404.2253
fax:  773.404.2255
www.swirlzcupcakes.com

Witch Cupcakes

Did Someone Say Monster Mash?

Monster Cupcakes

If I Only Had a Brain …

Brain Cupcakes

Halloween is just a little over a month away which means you can begin getting ready for holiday events, haunted houses, costume parties, and school parties.  Michaels Craft Stores has a great selection of wrappers including these two Halloween options provided by Martha Stewart.  There are Skull and Spider wrappers which have so much detail they are a little spooky.

and there is also Witch cupcake wrappers that come in beautiful colors to match the fall foliage.

The two wrapper styles are available at Michael’s stores, not online.  The Martha Stewart Baking section at my local Macy’s had an additional wrapper style.

Patty, AKA Vampire Gran, designed a beautiful elephant cupcake that does not take many resources to pull off.  Needed materials are a couple pastry bags, two decorating tips #804 and #124, and chocolate chips for eyes.  Full step by step photos and instructions were immensely helpful.

You won’t believe your eyes! These cupcakes are the non-edible creations of Etsy artisan threerabbits. Each cupcake  is made completely from non-food materials but  SMELLS like a real cupcake!  I can’t tell you how may friends and family have taken a second look to see if I had a real cupcake on my fridge. 

Threerabbits also sells these cute little cupcakes as decorations and these cupcake baggies.   Just put one of the faux cupcakes (or cupfakes) in the bag and you have the perfect goodie bag for a cupcake birthday party!

Threerabbits is now giving away this yummy looking cupcake magnet to one of you!  Just go to her shop and come back to ATC and leave a comment in the comment area about what item (or items!) you liked best.  The winner will be announced on Monday, October 5th.  Thanks threerabbbits!

Visit stayhomecupcake’s shop on Etsy.

And the winner is… Amanda!
Congratulations! Please email us at [email protected] and give us your full name and address so we can have the smock mailed to you. Thanks to all who entered and included some wonderful links to other cupcake recipes and craft projects. Be sure to enter our next giveaway coming later today! Thanks again to omydarlinkids for the great prize.  I will have our next giveaway one week from today!

Visit stayhomecupcake’s shop on Etsy.

Not too long ago we had a post about the anniversary of Hostess Cupcakes and when I came across this over the weekend I wished I had found it sooner! A Hostess cupcake coin purse from Fred Flare.  The coin purse is $18 and according to the description, there is a fun inside pattern that is red and white hearts.

I, just like some of you am an avid cupcake baker.  To make marvelous, mouthwatering, munch-able cupcakes you have to have some good tools. Here are a few of my favorite  tools I like to use when baking cupcakes.

This right here is essential for frosting cupcakes. It is angled so you don’t get your finger and hands all covered in frosting.

8 Inch Angled Spatula

Another way to frost cupcakes is to use the plastic bags with the tips. Here is a good starter kit for cupcakes. It comes with a few tips to get you started and you can make fancy designs with it!

Cupcake Decorating Kit

This is the way to get all the last bits of cake batter and frosting.

Spatula

Instead  of using good old fashioned food coloring that get very messy you can you use this Icing Color Set! Plus it has some of the colors already figured out for you! (using food coloring i think you have to be a color chemist to get the righ colors you want).

12 Icing Colors Set

These spray mists are a great way to do a lil’ something different with your cupcakes

Color Mist™ Food Color Spray

This is a great way to carry you treats … bonus is that it has a cupcake pan with it!

24-Cup Cupcake Carrier

These are some of my faveorite tools! Do you have any secret weapons  you use in the kitchen?

Remember to enter our Cupcake Smock Giveaway hosted by omydarlinkids by Sunday night!   The winner will be announced Monday afternoon and a new cupcake giveaway will quickly follow.  I love giving away free stuff!

Visit stayhomecupcake’s shop on Etsy.

Halloween is quickly approaching and for those of you with little ones, I have the perfect costumes! Check out some handmade cupcake costumes on Etsy:

 I Want Lots of Sprinkles on My Cupcake Halloween Costume$45

Rainbow Sprinkles Cupcake Halloween Costume $45

One day I was just wondering what they had out there for Cupcake toys/stuffed animals, this is what i found…

I REALLY want this one for my self …

Care Bears Birthday Bear

Cute As A Cupcake Doll Set

I found this one funny … but it has a cupcake in it!

Simple Simpson

Gotta have love for the cupcake loving cat & dog!

Cupcake Toy for Cats

"Yummy" Cupcake Dog Toy

I have a dear friend and fellow cupcake hunter that always finds the best cupcake stuff.   This week she found some great toys that might just make their way under our Christmas tree this year.  Thanks again my friend!

Melissa & Doug Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set $19.99 on Amazon.com

Smart Snacks Sorting Shapes Cupcakes $14.11 on Amazon.com

Another week, another fabulous Etsy giveaway!  This week I would like to introduce you to omydarlinkids.  They create custom art smocks and crayon holders from a unique selection of fabrics that will inspire your kids to dive into the amazing world of art.  Omydarlinkids sent me this adorable blue cupcake smock and crayon pouch.  The stitching was perfect and the fabrics were beautiful.   My little one loved using her smock as an apron while helping me bake (cupcakes, of course!).  I only wish I could sew this well!

Now you have a chance to win either the green or the blue smock for your little cupcake.  Just go to the comment section below and leave a link to a favorite cupcake recipe or cupcake art project.  Please also tell me why you picked it as a favorite.  Thank you to omydarlinkids for donating a lovely smock to our giveaway.   

One winner will be chosen on Monday, September 28th.  Please check out all the other smocks and pouches on her Etsy shop. www.omydarlinkids.etsy.com

Visit stayhomecupcake’s shop on Etsy.

And the winner is… Laura M.!
Congratulations! Please email us at [email protected] and give us your full name and address so we can have the bag mailed to you.  Thanks to all who entered and included some wonderful links to other cupcake crafts.   Be sure to enter our next giveaway coming later today!  Thanks again to CupcaxDesigns for the great prize.

Check out stayhomecupcake’s shop on Etsy.

The month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. CancerCare for Kids® is just one of many organizations and programs trying to improve the lives of children with cancer. There are three ways to get involved with CancerCare for Kids® annual Cupcakes for a Cause week September 21–27, 2009.

You can create an E-Cupcake (for free) and send it to a friend. The website 1-800-FLOWERS.COM® will donate $1 for each e-cupcake sent up to a total of $5,000 through the end of September.

Host a bake sale in your local community any time during the month of September, and send the proceeds to CancerCare for Kids®.

You can also participate by purchasing cupcakes from participating bakeries and flowers from participating florists who donate a portion of their sales during Cupcakes for a Cause week, September 21–27 to the CancerCare for Kids® program.

I must admit that I am not really a dog person. However, after seeing these cute Etsy finds for your pooch, I’ve begun to miss the little pug I had as a child. He was a chubby little guy named Riggins (after John Riggins for any Redskins fans out there!) and I bet he would have worn this:

 Pet Birthday Hat by ilickyou $9

  Make sure you don’t mix these up with your own cupcakes!  Gourmet Pupcakes by DivaDogBakery 4 for $5

 Why not dress your dogs in cupcakes? They appreciate style too! Cute as a Cupcake Harness by SophiesThreads $24

There were so many dog items on Etsy that it would be impossible to post them all!  So many leashes, collars and outfits.  If you buy something for your puppy make sure to send us a photo!

When is a savory cupcake too savory and becomes something else entirely?  It looks like a cupcake, and designed like a cupcake, but this Lamb Merguez Savory Cupcake on golden raisin couscous topped with white bean puree is definitely a cupcake inspired dinner.  Even the tomato on top looks like a maraschino cherry.

You decide.  Cupcake or imposter.  Full recipe here.

Halloween always comes up quickly once it becomes October and since it is September, that means it is time to get thinking about what you or your little one is going to dress up as.  Cupcakes make there perfect costume for the young or the young at heart.  The Food Network Magazine has directions for making you own cupcake costume.

My only issue with the design was that the cupcake liner portion is made out of cardboard.  No problem if you are walking around but you would have some trouble if you needed to sit, say when it’s “wear your costume to school day.”  But if you get creative I’m sure there is a solution, maybe a corduroy skirt instead of the cardboard?

The weather is getting cooler which means that Halloween is just around the corner. While shopping at Michaels last week for cupcake liners, I noticed that Michaels has quite a few options for those wanting to include cupcakes in their Halloween celebrations. Wilton has several cupcake items this year including cupcake stands, wrappers, liners, picks, stencils, and boxes. Many of these items are available in local craft stores, but the Skulls and Scroll designs are only available at Michaels.

The cupcake baker is at it again …

I don’t know what most people think about right before they go to sleep .. maybe how the days events went, maybe something that you have to to get done the next day  … What I think about right before  I fall asleep, CUPCAKES! Chocolate orange cupcakes was the last thing on my mind the other night.

So I decided to try em’ out … this is how they turned out.

All that I did was use a box mix and used orange juice instead of water. And for the frosting instead of milk as the recipe calls for i used orange juice.

They weren’t as dense as i had hoped and they needed a tad more orange flavor! But they are all around Yummy!!

I love shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I can always find a few cupcake items that I just have to have. In the last few weeks I have found many cupcake items in the kitchen sections. Keep in mind when shopping at TJ Maxx or Marshalls that sets of items are often not available at the same time and it may take a few weeks to complete a set. Also keep in mind that half of a set may be for sale at TJ Maxx and the other part at Marshalls. Always save your receipt so if you can’t find all the pieces you want you can just return them.

Cupcake fairy cups 2.99 each

Cupcake party platter 5.99 bowls 2.99 each

Cupcake celebration and birthday pieces 3.99 each, platter 6.99

I wish there really was a Cupcake University, I would have to be enrolled.   This image is from the Cafe Press website which is unique in that you get to decide what product you want.  So you could get a hoodie, but you could also get a tote bag, sticker, or mug, all depending on what you are looking for.  And this is not the only cupcake  image available, just typing in “cupcake” into the search box, I came up with 3,420 available cupcake designs.  What I like about this design is that it reminds me of the Victoria Secret Pink line which is popular and uses the university theme.

Wish Cake is a cupcake delivery service for the Philadelphia area making birthday and special-event cupcake deliveries to schools, day-care facilities and businesses in Pennsylvania’s Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.  Either design your own cupcake from scratch or choose from their existing cupcake menu.  Below are some of my favorites:

Lemon

Cookies and Creme

Tie-Dye