Cupcake Corer

My signature cupcake is a chocolate cupcake with raspberry filling.  I used to pipe the filling into the cupcake with a large tip and pastry bag...but now I have a cupcake corer!  Using the pastry bag method is fine, but the amount of filling in each cupcake depends on how deep the tip goes into the cake and how much pressure you put on the bag.  Some cupcakes get more filling than others. 

The cupcake corer allows each cucpake to get the same amount of filling and you end up with a very beautiful presentation!

Bonus:  You get to eat the mini donut holes of cake that are left over!

Cuisipro cupcake corer

(available from Williams-Sonoma for $5.00)

Acorn Cupcakes

These may not actually qualify as cupcakes, but they are cakes and I did put them in muffin cups.  The acorn pan from Williams-Sonoma was a gift from my niece.  The pumpkin spice cakes had a great texture for this pan and I made cream cheese icing with 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon added.  I trimmed the acorns to make them flat for the "sandwich" effect.  Dee-lish!

Cupcake Class at Williams Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma is offering a series of baking classes and I plan to attend the Cake & Cupcakes class in Reno on March 21st.  Williams-Sonoma has a nice selection of cake and frosting mixes and I hope they will be using these in the class so I can taste their products.  Check your local store for more information!