Newbies!!

Oh how I LOVE LOVE new cupcake flavors. I think there's a chubby kid inside me that longs for news that my local cupcake place has created a new flavor. I'm bringing new meaning to "a kid in a candyshop" with my cupcake obsession. Moving right along... I've found two new cupcakes to please your palettes... One in my own backyard, Portland OR, and another far far away in Coral Gable, FL.







First, I present "The Malt Ball"

Here's the blurb from St. Cupcakes website:

"let’s hear it for the malt ball, our newest cupcake flavor! jami and rachel lovingly invented a malted chocolate buttercream to top our rich fudgy chocolate cake with malted milk balls baked right in. oh yeah. and then, as if THAT weren’t malty and bally enough, they crushed a ton more malted milk balls and landscaped the top with melt in your mouth boulders. come by and get yours today! or friday! malt ball is the latest addition to our wednesday & friday menus.
malt balls!
(and let’s give it up for lemon berry. thanks for all your sweet tartiness this summer. see you next year.)
ps! we dedicate our new balls to clay aiken. way to go, clay!"

And secondly, I present "Cafe Mocha"

Cupcakes Nouveau says:

"We’re happy to introduce a new cupcake flavor, Cafe Mocha. Cafe Mocha is a Vanilla Espresso cupcake with a Cafe Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting. Mmmmm…very yummy!"

Photo Credit: Cupcakes Nouveau

The Princess Cupcakes

These are the princess cupcakes.. Vanilla Cupcakes (made with self rising flour against my better judgement), toffee pieces, and the amazing vanilla buttercream.. Then I sprinkled a little pink glitter on the top... Pretttty Prettty Princess... Next time though, I think I should lay off the self rising flour... It just made the cake a little too heavy!

Still need a new camera... nice huh. That'll be next on my list... I have to recover after buying the beauty below!

The Eagle Has Landed

IT CAME TODAY!!!!!!! YAY!!!! The Kitchen Aid Mix has arrived! Not a minute too soon either. My hands were starting to disown me after my constant use of the hand mixer. I think I developed a minor case of carpal tunnel in the process. Anyways, it’s here, and it’s my gorgeous new baby. Truth be told, I bought it in Ebay… and therefore got a deal! I didn’t know it would be the new Susan B Komen edition with the pink stripe on it, but that makes me love it even more. Not to mention I did my part and donated $40 dollars to help the Fight Against Breast Cancer, just by purchasing it! Pretty successful transaction if you ask me!

I couldn’t wait to open it, so I did, and I went right to work. Little known fact (at least it was to me) wash the bowl before the first use. I made the most amazing buttercream, which I was virtually incapable of with the hand mixer, but since I didn’t wash the bowl (I was too excited, come on now) I got a dusting of metal in the frosting. I made my dad, and Matt taste it, and then I threw the rest out to avoid making someone sick with metal! It was perfect texture, perfect taste and well great…

So now I need to make a cupcake, with my new machine, and see if they come out as amazing as the buttercream. I’ll keep you posted.

Mmm Perfection

So I think, by the response of most people, I’ve mastered the Chocolate cupcake… PERFECT…

Now for the buttercream. Seriously, I don’t know what I did so wrong with the hazelnut… Maybe I’m not mixing it enough… Maybe I need a new hand mixer… Oh how I can’t wait for my new Kitchen Aid Mixer to arrive on my front door. Life will be that much better when it’s in my cupcakin paws! Back to the buttercream… Anyone out there have ANY suggestions… I’m willing to take all advice. I’ve looked up and tried so many recipes. Maybe that’s the problem too… I should just wing it, and mix and match until I get something perfect. No more recipe following for me! That’s the goal tonight, perfect some Plain Ol Vanilla buttercream…

All of this will happen after I run of course. We’re going for 3 miles today… 4 if I have time. Followed by a dinner..

It's Almost the end of the word day