UPDATE: Say It With Cupcakes

As many of you know, my birthday is coming up. I've been making birthday gift suggestions for the past couple of weeks, but truth be told, what I look forward to most are the greeting cards.* 

Image via Bella Pillar

What you may not know about me is I'm incredibly sentimental. Wait...what does that say? Oh, ha, nevermind, I meant superficial. The point is, I've been collecting cupcake greeting cards for a while now. The intent was to frame them, but I've been busy with more important things like painting my nails and washing my hair.

I found out that the artist of most of the cards I've been collecting are by an artist named Bella Pillar. You'll recognize her from such famous card shops as Papyrus and...nope, just Papyrus. I've chosen a few of my favorites to inspire. Do with them what you will.**

*LOL, jk.

**Send them to me!!

I gave this one to my friend Meghan for her bday this year.

This card is actually cut out in the shape of the cupcake

I sent out Christmas-themed cupcake cards made by CakeSpy this year--these blank cards would be great any time of year!

Okay, so it's not a cupcake, but it's a virtual card (i.e., free) about Lady Gaga.
It's basically the next best thing. And you can ALL send me one of these. 

**UPDATE: Literally, one day after I post this, some company in Ohio unveils this:

Photo via Racked

A greeting card with a cupcake "flavor strip"!!! I will likely die if I don't get one of these on my birthday. D'ya hear me?? DIE!!!! Someone send me this stat!!

Funfetti Cupcakes--A Brief History

 If I know nothing else about cupcakes, I know that the most popular flavor among the Y generation is Funfetti. Yes, from hipsters to prepsters to gangsters (alright, so I don't know any prespsters...), funfetti continues to reign supreme in the hearts of us sense-of-entitlement brats.

Unfortunately, I can't find much information on the history of Funfetti, but what I can tell you is that it was introduce in 1990 (hence its popularity among the same demographic that can quote lines from Saved by the Bell and remember buying their first CD) by Pillsbury. Funfetti has come quite a long way since its box-mix days though, just don't tell that to the Dough Boy. I get the feeling he'd get all emo on us.

Anyway, if you're itching to make your own--and believe me, they are better from scratch--this is a great step by step recipe.

 Photos via In The Kitchen

Mmmmmm, batter

Calzone Cupcake

I'm a HUGE fan of savory cupcakes. Sadly, they seem to have fallen out of fashion like so many pleated harem pants someday will. 

Leave it Stef at the Cupcake Project to bring them back in full effect!! 

The recipe is pretty simple, really: make some pizza dough, put in the cupcake tin, fill it with your favorite calzone fillings, top with tomato sauce, melted cheese, and a cherry tomato. PRESTO! Savory cupcakes for all to enjoy!!

Something that looks this delicious must be a crime against nature somewhere. 

 

Photos via Cupcake Project

Peanut Butter and Garam Masala Cupcakes

I know, right??! It certainly wouldn't have occurred to me to combine a childhood dietary staple with a South Asian spice generally used in dishes whose names I can't pronounce...and everything occurs to me.

No matter; these things look delicious no matter how you say it:

Photo via The Lune Cafe

Garam Masala spiced Cupcakes topped with Peanut Butter buttercream, peanut brittle, and caramalized bananas.

Hello Cupcake to Open Second Location

Today shall live in infamy, or something else that's really really good, as Hello Cupcake has officially signed its lease to open a second location in Barracks Row by the end of the summer. This, according to Barracks Row Main Street's Twitter account.

Serious journalist that I am, I placed a call to Hello Cupcake to confirm the news. While the location itself wasn't specified, I was informed that, indeed, they will be opening a second location, with an official announcement to come within the next week.

Trashy tabloid journalist that I am, my guess is we can believe Barracks Row's tweet. If it's true, that means that Eastern Market has been fully gentrified. Gone are the days of drive by shootings and midnight muggings; now is the time for locally-grown organic produce, Belgian frites, and the sounds of crying babies hoisted like so much homework in a child's backpack:

Does it look like that kid is trying to strangle his dad to you, too?? 

Like I was saying, Hello Cupcake is probably opening up shop right about here:

I hope they have late-night hours so I can pick up a Peanut Butter Blossom after my long nights of singing Cher Karaoke at Remington's!!! A girl's got to her strength up to, ya know, pass out.

Close Enough...

Is it a cupcake?

Photo via The Naptime Chef

It is...right?? Well, since I'M the one with the blog, and I call the shots around here, I'm gonna say it is. These Coconut Lime Rice Krispie Coolers are the perfect answer to the DC summer heat (not to mention far easier to make than a cake cupcake). 

Can you make Rice Krispie treats? Did you have a childhood?!?! So, you make Rice Krispie treats in a cupcake tin, top with vanilla ice cream, lime whipped cream and a wedge of fresh lime. Done. Hello Summer, bye bye six-pack.

The Greatest Music Video Ever

Why? Let me count the ways:

1.) Cupcake Bra

2.) Cupcake Bra spewing whipped cream

3.) The song is pretty dece.

4.) Snoop Dogg wearing a 3-piece suit made out of cupcake-covered fabric. 'Nuff said.

Enjoy!

Farmville's Unreleased Cupcake Crop

Apparently, this weekend is Farmville's "birthday". Farmville, for those of you who don't know, is a game on Facebook with addictive qualities similar to crack or Pringles (once you pop, you really can't stop!!).

Though I stopped playing Farmville a few months back, I'm considering taking it up again, if only for this weekend's birthday celebration cupcake crop.

Photos via Farmville Freak

Can you imagine what the world would be like if you could grow cupcakes?? I'm pretty sure it would end world hunger, stop the BP oil spillage, and help Spencer Pratt retain an ounce of sanity.

Believable as this concept is, I don't think they'd grow in the soil tuber-style. Nay, I think cupcakes would grow on trees...maybe bushes. Cupcake bushes for everyone!!!

...More Like "Cupcake Bores"

Remember when I told you about the Food Network's new cupcake competition show Cupcake Wars? I know you wrote about it that same night in your little girl diary, just like Claire from Lost:

I realize I'm like 5 years behind, but I just started watching and I'm obsessed!!!

Well, I finally caught the last half of it last night. I don't know if I'm saddened, humiliated, or personally offended, but it's my responsibility to tell you the show is shit.

In what alternate universe are we living that could make watching people bake cupcakes for an hour boring-er than being stranded on a deserted island (pre suspicious French transmissions for help)??

Apparently, the "brilliant" execs over at the Food Network thought they'd take the premise of another crap show, and adapt it for cupcake bakers. I mean, honestly?!?! Have you gone MENTAL Food Network? Nobody watches Chopped...that's why you only rerun it like, two times a week. Have you every watched the Food Network?? The only thing run LESS often than "Chopped" are games from the World Cup; I'm pretty sure I'm starting to understand what a "goal" is now.

I'm not sure what this clip is since it couldn't hold my interest, but if we're "lucky" it's a clip from the show

The show is crap because the contestants annoy me (the guy I saw last night kept bitching at his volunteer staff), the cupcakes aren't very original OR pretty, and the concept is weak overall. I really hope Cupcake Dreams can make up for this trainwreck of a cupcake show, otherwise, I fear cupcakes may start getting a bad rap.

Ah well, at least I've got 4 seasons of Lost to keep me entertained this summer!

Oreo Bottomed Cupcakes

A few weeks back I made these lovelies:

These are Oreo-bottomed Vanilla Cupcakes topped with Chocolate Ganache, Swiss Meringue Vanilla Buttercream, and another Oreo. I made these because, well, why wouldn't I? And because I was going to sell them!!! It's impressive, I know, but you can tell me again if you want...

Sooooo, the "selling" didn't really work out, but no skin off my back. These things were effing delish. So much so in fact, that my friend from work Esther has commissioned me to make these for her wedding. As in, a cupcake wedding cake. It's probably the smartest decision she's made in the past three years. Well, except for saying "yes", but you catch my drift.

I used the vanilla cupcake recipe from My Kitchen Addiciton, with an Oreo baked in at the bottom (sorry for no pic). Then, after they cooled, I topped with a dollop of milk chocolate ganache, SMBC, and an Oreo.

And all was right with the world.

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Usually, I spend my time on this blog lamenting over where to find the perfect cupcake in DC or how great I look, but today, I wanted to shine the spotlight elsewhere. Of course, cupcakes are still a part of the equation (this is CupcakesOMG! after all), but it's about so much more than that too. In a word, it's about "lifestyle."

This girl Emily, who looks your best friend's older, cooler sister or a younger, real-life, prettier Carrie Bradshaw, documents basically anything she damn well pleases, but mostly, she shares pictures of her cute outfits, like this:

Pictures via Cupcakes and Cashmere

Or super clever decorating ideas like these glass door knobs as necklace organizers:

And it's probably no surprise that she also features yummy treats she makes, such as:

This girl can't be more than 28 and she's making salted caramels...CARAMELS people!! Have you any concept of how intense that is???

Have you ever heard of an Ice Cream Sandwich truck? Or a salon that has no services other than blow outs?!? Yeah, me neither, but Emily will tell you all about it. How this gal keeps her blog constantly updated with amazing fashion, delectable recipes, and all her best "finds" is beyond me, but it gets noticed. And by important people. Like...fashion people. Like...Coach. Coach bags. Yeah, them. She got to design a bag for Coach!! I die. I'm dying. Literally, dead.

So, Emily's blog got me thinking--should I turn my Cupcake-exclusive blog into more of a 360-degree view of my uber-fashionable-and highly-inspirational-life blog??

While y'all ruminate on that (and add your thoughts to the comments section!!), I'm gonna go back to Emily's blog and feel like an inadequate human being.

A Month of Cupcakes in Review

How does it feel to see me back? Are you sighing sighs of relief? Do you finally have a reason to get out of bed in the morning?? Are you going to buy a new outfit to celebrate!?? 


I'd apologize for the lack in posting, but that would be an admission of wrongdoing, and since I practically wrote the book on being perfect, that simply won't work. Instead, I'll just summarize all the cupcake news I've been collecting over the past four weeks.


Did you hear about Food Network's new TV show Cupcake Wars? It's pretty much what it sounds like. That is, of course, unless you think it sounds like cupcakes fighting to the death at Battle of the Bulge.Hmm, "Battle of the Bulge"...I smell a spin-off!!

• Speaking of Cupcake Wars, Hello Cupcake held their own last Saturday, hosting their first Design Your DC Cupcake contest. This Chinatown-inspired cupcake went home the winner. Only because I didn't show up!

• Did you see SATC 2?? Well, I have the same apron as Charlotte. In fact, I have two. I'm pretty sure Patricia Field is stalking me. What else is new??

• And while we're on the topic of things I do better than most people, I also tried my hand at selling my baked confections this month. It was a flop, but not because they weren't delicious. It's all about picking the right audience. Can you believe some people aren't craving cupcakes 24/7?? Who ARE these people??

• Oh, I went to Houston a while ago and spotted this:

'Nuff said

• And a teaser for Katy Perry's new music video for California Gurls came out this week. I have tow words for you: Cupcake Bra.