August 2011
8/29/2011
#IceCreamWasted Pre-taste for The Taste LA
Last Thursday, @RedVelvetStef invited me out to an exclusive media & blogger pre-taste for The Taste LA coming up September 4th in Beverly Hills. The specific event for The Taste LA that Stephanie and at home Ice Cream Queen @DrunkenUdder will be featured in, is appropriately titled ‘Desserts After Dark’.
The focus of this pre-taste night was for a 21+ crowd to devour and vote on the assortment of @DrunkenUdder Ice Cream flavors, including ‘Midnight in Memphis’ and ‘Who You Calling Coconut?’ The flavor with the most amount of votes will be served at The Taste LA event this weekend.
The trending hashtag of the night was dubbed #IceCreamWasted and everyone was encouraged to check-in, tweet, and instagram the adventures of the night. Surely it would catch the attention of our friends and followers and make them wonder, ‘what kind of fun are they getting into?’
@theCupcakediary & @RedVelvetStef
It was a lot of fun actually, and the ice cream was delicious. Some of the flavors were a little too strong for my taste – but my favorite was the coconut ice cream on a soft brownie cookie with fresh coconut shreds and sweet rum infused throughout.
I was so thrilled to be a part of the tasting and so proud of @RedVelvetStef for baking all of the tasty cookies to go along with the ice cream. This has made me even more excited for The Taste LA, good luck to you ladies and your delicious desserts!
8/19/2011
Coca-cola Cupcakes by Adrianna
Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen does it again!!
As I mentioned last month, I love this blog! Cupcakes make the occasional appearance but when they do, I mean just look at them!
I will definitely have to try them myself, and please let me know if you do. Here's the recipe below - also click through to her blog, she has some great step-by-step photos of the process. Enjoy!!
Coca-Cola Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Baked: The New Frontier
Yields 15 cupcakes
Print this recipe!
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups Coca-cola (do not use diet!)
- 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Maraschino cherries (for topping)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of the cupcake liners with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small saucepan, heat the Coca-cola, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy–do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners/tin and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until medium peaks form. Transfer to pastry bag with a 5B star tip. In a circular motion, pipe on whipped cream and top with one cherry.
8/17/2011
5 Things I Realized About Myself on My Birthday
- I must be extremely easy to shop for. I received some of the cutest cupcake goodies I’ve ever seen. Cupcake bubble bath, a cupcake scented candle, Paula Deen’s Cupcake liners pictured above, “a well balanced diet is a cupcake in each hand.” The list goes on; a shirt, notebook, bandages! Yup that’s right, Cupcake bandages! Obviously I like cupcakes, and thanks to my friends, pretty soon I’ll be looking and smelling like one too.
- People associate cupcakes in any form, with me! I was overwhelmed with the amount of Facebook wall posts and tweets I received on my Birthday. Thankful and grateful of course, but the trending theme of it all was, “Happy Birthday, I hope your day is filled with cupcakes!” As it was! Thank you friends, it was a very sweet day.
- I can name all cupcake flavors from Frosted Cupcakery like I made them myself. A little bit obsessive I suppose, but as my friends gathered around the assortment of cupcakes April bought on my special day, they asked what the cupcake flavors were. I instantly rattled them off and after the last cupcake flavor was named I took a breath as my friends started to giggle. “Wow you must really like Frosted!” they said. Actually, I do! The cupcakes were perfect, and consistently are – at least in my experience.
- I really love my friends! Including my Facebook friends and tweeps, it seems like no matter what happens throughout the year, you know your real friends are there for you as they reach out to you on your birthday just to let you know they know. So thank you everyone - for the Birthday wishes, for being my friend, and for supporting me through my cupcake adventures.
- All that being said, the last realization that i've made is that I think I’ve grown out of the whole 'must have Birthday celebration!' mindset. Every year I would get so excited for my birthday, I’d make plans for a party or dinner or a girl’s vacation somewhere. This year, not so much. I was lucky to have April here with me to at least plan a Birthday brunch, but as I’ve said before, the Birthday wishes are really all I needed to feel special on my special day.
My Question for you!
Now I know some of my Cupcake enthusiasts/bakers/bloggers have been gifted some fun cupcake goodies just because, what was the coolest cupcake inspired item or gift you’ve ever received?
Comments: 2
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#1
Love the cupcake liners: "A well balanced diet is a cupcake in each hand." I'd have to agree. Hope you had a fantastical birthday miss sassy pants! Your blog looks amazing:)
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#2
Thanks Aly! Those cupcake liners were gifted from none than April, my cupcake partner in crime. Wish you would visit us :) Miss you xoxo
08/09/2011
@theCupcakeDiary on Instagram
Today was one of those days that I realized how much #ilovemyjob!
Working in #SocialMedia can be crazy and fast paced but that’s why I enjoy it and have fun doing what I do. Unfortunately the entire movement is completely misunderstood – when people don’t understand something and feel the need to be in control of it but can't, they're just slowing me down. I need some room to be doing what I'm good at.
That’s where this #cupcake comes in, just one of the little gifts I received today - like a ray of sunshine. ‘Keep Calm and Have A Cupcake’ says it all, and so I was calm.
I realized that I am most happy being social, connecting with friends, cupcake enthusiasts like myself and networking with #SocialSavvy new friends like @aLAnessa (who stopped by our Home Office today!) The people who speak my language in hashtags and RTs are people I want to be around!
My dream is to be tweeting the receptionist about the conference room I need reserved for a meeting, or checking my VPs Instagram feed while he’s in New York opening our new store, and competing for Mayorship of the Home Office with my co-workers! This is my language and I am so excited not only to learn more about it but to teach what I do know about it to those who just don't get it.
The random events throughout the workday today made me realize that I am doing my job for a reason and I have so many friends, co-workers, and tweeps to thank for making this day amazing. I still have so much more work to do!
My heart is filled and my tummy is full of this delicious cupcake - s'mores, my favorite! So thank you for this love and light, for all of the support and especially for the cupcakes, which truly make my life sweet!
08/05/2011
@theCupcakeDiary on Instagram
@ApeyDL and I have had tickets since last October for the Nokia Theatre to see our favorite Cupcake - @KatyPerry
The concert was amazing! Our Candyfornia Dreams came true this night and we ran into these two little cupcake cuties before the show!
08/03/2011
Every Cupcake Needs Sugar Cat Studio!
I had the pleasure of meeting Alison Riede, owner of Sugar Cat Studio at the Santa Barbara Cupcake Camp last month. You could spot her cupcakes from across the room because they were delicately placed within these beautiful cupcake wrappers.
Come to find out, Alison not only runs her own cupcake design business, but she was also there sampling her homemade cupcakes AND judging cupcakes at the camp, what an incredible woman!
Alison was generous and kind enough to share her handmade cupcake wrappers with me to test out and display my cupcakes. As you can see in the photo above - my last batch of cupcakes really needed the spruce up. They were incredibly tasty, but otherwise presented as pretty plain, right?
I love that these wrappers are homemade. Alison has a fabulous eye for design and uses the most beautiful paper and ribbons.
The cupcake wrappers were the perfect touch for a single cupcake April and I hand delivered to our girlfriend Timorie celebrating her birthday over the weekend. They really are the perfect touch to make a tasty cupcake that much more special.
Tweet Alison @SugarCatSudio
Like her on Facebook.com/SugarCatStudio
Place your order at SugarCatStudio.com
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Comments: 1
Leeann @ Join the Gossip (Thursday, 22 September 2011 12:06)
Very cool! If I'd known about this event earlier, I so would have attended :)