Cupcakes in Boxes

One of my favorite things about buying cupcakes at bakeries is the packaging. I buy cupcakes by the dozen, six-pack, three-pack and individually just to see how they will be packaged!

WishUponACupcake

Charley and the Cake Factory

bassettsfarm

Lily Pad Bakery

Mossy's Masterpiece cake/cupcake designs

Recipe of the Week - Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Valentine's Day is coming and I have started to think about chocolate...cupcakes of course.  This recipe for dark chocolate buttercream will taste great on any cupcake...chocolate, yellow, or vanilla! 

Cake It Better

Dark Chocolate Buttercream

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter - room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar - sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds semisweet chocolate - melted and cooled

Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. Beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl if needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Frosting can be refrigerated up to 7 days, or frozen up to 1 month (before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again).

Cupcake Kindle Cover

I was shopping for a new skin for my Kindle...and look what I found!  Cupcake Kindle Covers!

available from Amazon

$19.99

Cupcake Oil Painting

This is a 12 x 12 inch original oil painting by Roz (available on Etsy).  I love the colors and textures.  Don't you just want to bite into the canvas?

RozArt  via  Etsy

$85.00

Heart Cupcakes

Those giant Valentine cupcakes yesterday put me in the mood for more heart-themed cupcakes! 

offmycake

GrannySweet'sCakes

adele.turner

Cupcake Hat Winner!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Neff Cupcake Beanie giveaway. 

Congratulations to Janet D. from Conroe, TX. Your beanie is on the way!

Giant Valentine Cupcake

I haven't used my giant cupcake pan in a few months and was thinking about making a giant Valentine's cupcake.  Here are some of my favorites!

customcakeshop

Cakes by Miranda

Sugar Craft by Rosie

Recipe of the Week - Triple Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

My friend Lynn left me a newspaper article on the bulletin board at work this week.  It came from the Nevada Appeal (Carson City) and was a recipe for Triple Chocolate Cupcakes which have a chocolate ganache center and are frosted with white chocolate buttercream.  Thank you to Amanda Skiba for sharing her recipe and I encourage you to follow her blog Stuff Your Face.


Triple Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Poison Cupcake  via  Flickr

Carpe Cupcakes! and the Facebook Dilemma

To Facebook or not to Facebook....that is the question.  I saw The Social Network and it was an awesome movie. Carpe Cupcakes! has a Facebook account...it may even be the only Facebook account in existence with no friends.  After this post I may get some friend requests, but that is not my intention. My dilemma is why Facebook at all?  Is Facebook just a turbo photo-sharing site?  Do I really need to know that my friends went to the beach today or bought a new pair of jeans?  Is there anything on Facebook that really changes our lives or are we just collecting "numbers" of friends?  Are they really friends and if so, how are they friends?

My dilemma is that I started this blog to share cupcake photos and recipes, but the pressure to join a social network is increasing and I am not sure why.  I will eat a cupcake and think about that a little more.

This photo has nothing to do with

Facebook...I just love the box!

hiOakie  via  Flickr

50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Speech

On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy delivered his only inaugural address immediately after taking the oath of office.  The speech was 13 minutes and 59 seconds long and is considered to be among the best presidential addresses in American history.  (full text of the speech)

Notable passages:

"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

"...the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."

"we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty."

Use patriotic decorations on the cupcakes
you make today!

nushuz

Sherry White

Cupcake Hat Contest - Reminder!

The clock is ticking!  Send an email to carpecupcakes@gmail.com  to enter ...the deadline is January 25th! 

Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake & Muffin Mix

For many years I have been searching for the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe. I have found recipes that had good flavor, nice texture, rise to the right height, and have a pretty appearance, but no recipe so far has had every quality I am looking for.  I had been reading good things about Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake & Muffin Mix on several blogs lately so I thought I should try it for myself.  I bought a mix and noted there are several variations of the recipe that can be made. I chose to make the cake version (the high altitude recipe of course). 

I love Trader Joe's...but I cannot recommend this mix to make cupcakes. It is totally tasteless and has a coarse texture that I don't like for a cupcake. I even added a fresh vanilla bean to the batter, but it still didn't help. I didn't taste any vanilla, even after the addition of the vanilla bean.

I will continue to shop at Trader Joe's...and I will continue my quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake.

Stay Calm, Have a Cupcake

Experimenting with Minis

My friend Shelly went to Mexico a few weeks ago and brought me some fresh vanilla beans. What else could I do but experiment with vanilla mini cupcakes?  I made the cupcakes and some vanilla and chocolate buttercream frosting. I had some decorations left over from a Sprinkles cupcake mix I bought at Williams-Sonoma last fall....instant minis!

Vanilla minis with vanilla buttercream

My version of the black & white cookie

Black & White minis

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January, although his actual birthday is January 15th.  I am from Mississippi and have vivid memories of growing up in the late 60s and the civil unrest that was present at that time.  I was 11 years old when he was shot in Memphis.  I later lived in Memphis and drove by the Lorraine Motel every day on the way to work.

While recognition of this holiday has been reluctant in some areas and some states have chosen alternate names, since 2000 it has been observed in all states.  Dr. King led peaceful protests and preached love and understanding.  Peace & Love...all you need to add is a cupcake!

FunnyTeesGifts  via  Zazzle

 

Recipe of the Week - Raspberry Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting (winning recipe from Cupcake Wars)

The only wine I drink is sparkling wine (technically we can't call it champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region in France) and I have experimented with "champagne" in cupcake recipes for quite some time.  This recipe is the winning recipe by Andrea Ballus on an episode of the Food Network's Cupcake Wars.  Enjoy!

Raspberry Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting

aunttees

bustybaker

Win a Cupcake Hat!

To celebrate National Hat Day (which I am renaming National Cupcake Hat Day), I am giving away a Neff Cupcake Beanie from Neff Headwear.  All you have to do is send me an email with a subject that says "I love cupcakes" and you will be entered into a random drawing for this hat.  I will put all entries into the cupcake beanie on January 25th and draw out the winning name! 

Send your entry to carpecupcakes@gmail.com and good luck!

Neff cupcake beanie

National Hat Day

Today is National Hat Day!  What does that mean? I don't know, but rumor has it that back in the 40s The Headwear Association started National Hat Day to recognize the seasonal transition of getting rid of old hats and putting on new ones.  Some communities have celebrations where they fill coffins with last season's hats and carry them down the street. 

Tonight The Headwear Association will have its annual dinner and announce the Hat Person of the Year.  This year's nominees are Johnny Depp, Kate Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Richie and Justin Timberlake.  Check their web site tonight for the winner! 

So eat a cupcake today while showing off your (cupcake) hat!

cupcake hat

tealwins64  via  Flickr

Coffee Bean Cupcakes

I love those chocolate covered espresso beans...so wouldn't they be dee-lish on a cupcake??

dulcisinfundo

ElbtheProf

NYC Style Little Cannoli

Cakes by No More Tiers

Cupcake Brigade (Carson City, NV)

One of the nurses I work with is a member of the Cupcake Brigade in Carson City.  I just found out about this organization today and wanted to feature it.  Everybody who reads this blog should check to see if there is anything like this in your school system...and if not, start one!

"When elementary school children celebrate their birthdays, someone in their family generally sends them to school with a batch of cupcakes to share with their classmates.  That is not always the case, however, because some families don't have the means to celebrate.  That's where Carson City's Cupcake Brigade steps in."  

 Cupcake Brigade Comes to the Rescue   
Nevada Appeal (November 21, 2010)  

sfknit  via  Flickr

Magnolia Bakery - new cupcake!

On my trip to NYC last October, I spent an afternoon at Magnolia Bakery.  To recap:  had some delicious cupcakes and shopped in their general store where cupcake-licious items were purchased. They have unveiled a new cupcake flavor for the new year....Coconut Lemon.  Wish I could go back and order one!

Coconut Lemon Cupcake

Magnolia Bakery

401 Bleeker Street

New York, NY

Cupcake Sandwich Bags

This reusable sandwich bag from Oliveirabags is perfect for cereal, pretzels, fruits, veggies, crackers...and whatever else you can think of!

o 100% Cotton Fabric for Cover
o Ripstop Food Safe Nylon Lining
o Size: 7.25 x 6.25
o Velcro strip covers entire opening
o There are no exposed seams for crumbs to collect in

These bags can be ordered in custom sizes and other prints and fabrics - you don't have to get the cupcake print but why wouldn't you?  You can even remove the liner to wash them. 




                                       Oliveirabags

Individual Cupcake Boxes

I like to surprise friends with cupcakes...you never know where a cupcake will turn up!  I have always had trouble coming up with a clever way to package them until I found these cupcake boxes on Etsy. You purchase & download the template and make your own!

P.S.  They come in other colors besides pink...but pink is my signature color!

The Posh Event

via Etsy

Recipe of the Week: Hi-Hat Cupcakes

I have been seeing Hi-Hat cupcakes on cupcake blogs...but what exactly are they?  A cupcake is frosted with a marshmallow meringue, piled high on top of the cupcake. Then the frosting is dipped and coated with chocolate.  If chocolate is wrong...I don't wanna be right!

Martha Stewart Hi-Hat Cupcake Recipe

Martha Stewart Cupcakes

The Cupcake Activist

Happy Birthday Lane!

Wishing my sister-in-law a very happy birthday today....these birthday cupcakes are for you!

holiday_jenny  via  Flickr

Go Wolf Pack!

The University of Nevada Wolf Pack will play Boston College later today in the Kraft "Fight Hunger" Bowl in San Francisco.  Here are some blue cupcakes to wish them luck.    Go Pack!

The Lone Baker

*ilovemuffins*

archbaker

Happy Birthday Elvis

The King of Rock & Roll would have been 76 years old today.  When I lived in Memphis, I went to Graceland many times...mostly for the candlelight vigil on the anniversary of his death.  On his birthday my friends and I usually toasted each other with jelly donuts, but cupcakes would be just as nice!

djibnet

Cupcake Eye Chart

I gotta get one of these for the ER!

I Love You More Than Cupcakes

ecceprints via Etsy

2011 Cupcake Calendars

(sorry for no post yesterday...super busy at work)

We are already a week into the new year, so you need to get your cupcake calendars soon.  All of these are available on Amazon.com!

$6.99

$13.99

$13.47

Cupcake Rain Boots

It's just the time of year when everybody needs rain boots.  The purple ones are from Target (only available online - not in stores).  There are lots out there to choose from.  Send me a link to what you find and I will add them to the blog!

available from Zappos

Gabriela Rocha Kids 

Cupcake Bento Box

My nieces love sushi and sometimes they order a bento box - which started me thinking "what exactly is a bento box?"  So I looked it up.  A bento box is a single-portion take-out or home-cooked meal in Japanese cuisine.  Bento means "convenience" and it is common for items to be arranged to look like people, characters or animals.  This is a cupcake blog...hence the cupcake bento box. 

ehmeelu  via  Flickr

Orange Cupcakes...continued

Continuing in the orange theme from yesterday's recipe of the week, these cupcakes are gorgeous.  No special reason for these cupcakes...they are just beautiful.  I love the flowers!

Dainty Pastimes by Sonia