The Cupcake Corner: What a Rush!

Last week was incredibly busy! I had some really fun orders in addition to attending my good friend, Amy's bridal shower/bachelorette celebration. The orders consisted of both cupcakes & cakes with a lot of customization...my specialty! Baking is one thing, but being able to customize a cake or cupcakes for a special occasion is a completely different experience. It is more of an art form & I definitely think I get that creative side from my mom! She was an art major in college & is so ridiculously talented.

The first order I had was for a surprise birthday party thrown by Starry Eyed Music in Downtown San Diego at Syrah Wine Parlor. They ordered two dozen minis but with a request for their logo & various birthday decorations for the birthday girl. Since Starry Eyed Music's logo is in black, I decided to customize all of the decorations in black, white, & silver for a real classy, upscale look. That is the beauty of decorating! Just by using the right colors, you can make any cake or cupcake classy & elegant OR fun & loud...all depending on the colors & theme used. I especially love receving a mixture of children's orders & corporate or bridal shower orders, as it gives me a nice variety & balance.

Another order I received, was for really healthy carrot cupakes! It's been quite some time since I've received an order for my carrot cupcakes. I was especially thrilled to have a request for a healthier version...even though my cupcakes are already on the healthier side when compared to majority of other cupcake companies, as I refrain from using hydrogenated oils & all other trans fats. I also use less sugar in all of my frostings in order to not overpower the cupcakes or cakes.

For this particular order, they had requested unbleached, whole wheat flour & unrefined sugar. They also wanted me to use less sugar, so my cupcakes had that all-natural sweetness primarily from the crushed apples that I incorporated into the batter. I topped the cupcakes with a brown sugar mascarpone cream cheese frosting & garnished them with a shaving of fresh carrot. Soo delicious & creamy! I am so proud of this frosting, as it is my very own recipe! I don't believe anyone has attempted this frosting before:) Let me tell you, it is absolutely divine! One of my favs for sure!
A request was also made for a few of the cupcakes to be customized to fit the theme of the birthday party, "The Really Hungry Catepillar." I love, love, LOVE that book, still to this very day! Eric Carle sure knows how to engage not only children, but adults in his stories:)

It's a good thing I had extras when making this order because I was DYING to try them, and my mom & I devoured them entirely! Soo moist & light! I definitely encourage you all to give these a try! They are absolutely scrumptious in every possible way! Aaaaannndd, you don't feel so guilty after eating 2 or 3 of them;)

On Saturday, I catered two parties. The first was a bridal shower for Amy Wakabayashi, one of my very best friends! Amy is not much of a cake person but loooooves apple pie! I typically make her an apple pie on her birthday but decided I would make apple pie cupcakes! They were a hit & devoured quickly:)

In the afternoon, I catered an engagement party for a really sweet couple. They order three dozen mini cupcakes (Chocolicious, Burgundy Velvet, & Taramisu). They requested their cupcakes to be customized with black, white, & silver decorations. They looked very elegant & were perfect for an engagement party!

On Sunday, I had a small order from a friend of mine, for a dozen, standard Burgundy Velvet. I decided to customize them for his girlfriend since they were a surprise birthday gift:) When I asked him how they liked them he responded with, "Let me put it this way, they were all I had for dinner." So, to sum it up...they tasted just as great as they looked!:)