Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! 

(have fun tonight but don't forget to set your clocks
BACK one hour before you go go bed)

Boo!

 The Artisan Cupcake Company via Flickr

Cupcakes for Eyes!

 Dan Sutton Photography via Flickr

Halloween Cupcake Costumes

Dress up like your favorite cupcake tonight!

My apologies to the creators of these costumes because I am unable to give

credit where credit is due.  I collected these photos over the past year 

but am unable to locate the sources. 

Halloween Cupcakes

Tomorrow is Halloween....one last look at Halloween cupcakes!

Buttercream & Skeleton

 cupcakequeen via Flickr

R.I.P

 Cupcakes 'N Things via Flickr

Eyeballs

 Cupcakes 'N Things via Flickr

Mummy

 craftaddict02 via Flickr

Beware of the werewolf!

 snarkygurl via Flickr

Ghosts

 thecookiemoms via Flickr

Halloween fondant cut-outs

 ACFred via Flickr

Spider Cupcakes

I hate spiders...but I love spider cupcakes!

Licorice Spiders

 Joosyjess via Flickr

Spider webs

 Cupcakes 'N Things via Flickr

Chocolate spider webs

 Nikita via Flickr

Creepy Crawler Cupcakes
 Vegan Noodle via Flickr

Halloween Cupcake Embroidery

These cupcakes may not be edible

but they look delicious. 

Cupcake embroidery from kneelymullins1223 via Flickr

Jack-O-Lantern Cupcakes

The most recognized (cupcake) symbol of Halloween....the Jack-O-Lantern! 

Fondant pumpkin cut-outs

ACFred via Flickr

Pumpkins!

Niloufer Rodrigues via Flickr

Edible sugar pumpkins

City the NZ Cupcake Queen's photostream via Flickr

Jack-O-Lantern Cupcake Cake

Rice and D's photostream via Flickr

400 Minis = 1 Giant Pumpkin Cupcake

Baked by Melissa has created the ultimate pumpkin cupcake!

Halloween Week

This week I will be featuring all things related to Halloween cupcakes.  I thought I would kick off Halloween Week with a cupcake from Retro Bakery in Las Vegas.

Halloween Art

Cupcakes are not just tasty treats...they can also be art!

Halloween cupcake stand print

from the photostream of goodygoodygumdrops via Flickr

Halloween cupcake plate

from the photostream of Denise in Louisiana via Flickr

Halloween cupcake necklace

from the photostream of The Glass Pie via Flickr

Halloween cupcake ornaments

from the photostream of pinkrosecottage1 via Flickr

Trick or Treat cupcake platter

from the photostream of corrie126 via Flickr

Honey Bee Bakery (Oxford, MS)

The Wandering Cupcake has returned to Lake Tahoe! 

After a whirlwind weekend trip to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), I have returned.  I was a freshman at Ole Miss in 1976 and have not been back to visit the campus in almost 25 years.  A lot has changed!  I enjoyed the game against Arkansas from one of the suites thanks to the hospitality of friends Julie & Gerard...a most excellent experience, especially with a Rebel victory.  There were lots of tailgating tents in the Grove and my nieces who pledged Delta Gamma a few weeks ago invited us to the sorority house for a tour. Thanks Maidee & Emily.  I stopped by to see my old dorms and not much had changed there.  Hopefully it won't be another 25 years before I go again. 

For those attending Ole Miss games regularly, the Honey Bee Bakery is located at 2305 Jackson St. and I highly recommend trying the chocolate marshmallow and chocolate raspberry cupcakes.  They make everything from scratch! 

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Week 15

This recipe comes from Ina Garten and is only for dedicated choco-holics! 

Cupcakes:

1/4 pound unsalted butter - room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 extra-large eggs - room temperature

11 fluid ounces Hershey's chocolate syrup 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.


Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat or the cupcakes will be tough.


Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.


For the ganache:  cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Do not refrigerate.

The Wandering Cupcake

I am traveling for the next two days but I am gathering cupcake info to share when I return. Stay tuned for a full report!


Where am I?
Hint: Hotty Toddy! Good luck Rebels!

Savory Cupcakes...not on my watch!

I read cupcake blogs every day and almost every one has posted about savory cupcakes.  I'm sorry, but I don't get it.  Just because it is shaped like a cupcake doesn't make it a cupcake.

If it isn't made of cake and buttercream frosting...then it's lunch!

meatloaf & mashed potatoes "cupcake"

corndog "cupcake"

sausage, bread & cheese "cupcake"

Cupcake Pinatas!

What is the perfect way to celebrate a birthday?  

A cupcake pinata of course!

Celebrate Autumn!

We are having a great leaf change at Lake Tahoe but due to our lack of moisture it will probably only last a few days (it has only rained once since the snow melted last May).  I plan to have a chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and enjoy the reds, oranges and yellows as long as they last!

Spooner Summit 10-18-09

Cupcake Mission: Saving the World One Cupcake at a Time

Never underestimate the power of a cupcake!

Meg Weidner started Cupcake Mission to establish an orchestral string program for the music department at a local high school.  Her mission continues to grow and you need to hear her story to understand her vision for saving the world one cupcake at a time.  Watch the video and visit her web site and blog for more information!

National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

Eat a chocolate cupcake today to celebrate 

National Chocolate Cupcake Day! 

For those of you who read this blog regularly, last week I said I was going to make chocolate cupcakes with blackberry buttercream. However, I could not find any fresh blackberries yesterday, so I had to substitute raspberries...it's all good!   

Thank you Monica for the bottle of Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay. It was the perfect centerpiece.

P.S. My friend Shelly gave me this cake plate

and it matched the raspberry italian

meringue buttercream perfectly.

CD Cupcake Stands

I am headed to Michael's this afternoon to get the materials to make these cupcake stands.  These are decorated for Halloween, but you can decorate them for any occasion.  What a great way to serve dessert at a holiday party!

The Swell Life tutorial will show you step-by-step instructions to make this stand out of a styrofoam cone and a CD.

Make Your Own Cupcake Stand

Need a cupcake stand for a special holiday or celebration but don't want to spend a lot?  Cake Journal has instructions for a nice one that can be decorated in many ways. 

How to make a Cupcake Stand

Cake Journal Tutorial