Guest Post: Rene Takes the Cake

By now, you all know what a hot tranny mess CupcakeCamp DC 2010 turned out to be, but like I said before, it wasn't all bad. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes (of so many cupcakes that should have been burned at the stake!), Rene from Rene Takes the Cake proved to be the one shining moment of the entire fiasco. 

 Rene's winning Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcake
topped with the Strawberry SMBC recipe she's giving YOU!!!

Fresh off her CupcakeCamp victory (she took home the grand prize), she's offered up CupcakesOMG! readers the recipe to her strawberry swiss meringue buttercream. And believe me when I say it was amazeballs 2026!!!

-Melissa

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I am absolutely in love with Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting!  If it weren't for my love of Mascarpone Cream Cheese frosting I wouldn't even have confectioners sugar in my pantry.  With just a little extra effort you can whip up the most delicious, smooth, and creamy buttercream frosting ever.  Here is one my favorite Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipes - Don't be nervous to try it out...I promise, you'll be in your kitchen, pastry bag in hand squeezing the remaining frosting directly in your mouth with this one!

Photo courtesy Rene Takes the Cake

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
Makes enough for 36-48 cupcakes (depending on how much frosting you like)
6 egg whites (room temperature)
1 and 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 pounds room temperature butter (cut into one inch pieces)
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste (more if you want a stronger vanilla taste)
Pint of fresh strawberries (washed and dried thoroughly)

Method
In your (kitchen aid) bowl whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
Place your bowl over simmering water and continue to whisk making sure the egg white mixture does not harden on the sides of the bowl. Insert a candy thermometer and continue whisking making sure the temperature of your mixture reaches 140 degrees F.
After the mixture reaches 140 degrees, move the bowl to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Whip hot mixture on high until cool.  Egg white should start to look lighter in color.
Add your butter in small pieces on low to medium speed.  Once all the butter is added, bring the mixture back up to a high speed.
Turn off mixer and add your flavoring.  Continue to whisk until incorporated.

Puree or chop your strawberries.  Wait until you are ready to use your frosting before adding fresh fruit.  When adding the fruit, add in small batches.  You may or may not need all the strawberries your pureed - the frosting will let you know when it has had enough.  If you add too much, you may "break" the frosting and it will become runny.

Swiss Meringue frosting is shelf stable for up to 2 days.  You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze up to a month.  Just bring it back to room temperature and beat again with whisk attachment. Again, if you are going to store the frosting, add the fruit only when you plan to use it.

I also like to keep my cupcakes in the refrigerator until about an hour before serving if possible.  Sometimes this is not always possible and they are ok at room temp for quite some time.

The base recipe is so versitle!You can add any extracts, melted chocolate, liquor, juices, or fresh fruit like mango or raspberries. 

 

Raspberry and Chocolate SMBC

Who Knew Cupcakes Could be "Kind"?

If you were born a child of the 80's like myself, chances are pretty good that the 1995 film Clueless served as the basis for the subsequent 10 years of your life. Not only did I wear thigh stocking socks with chunky Mary Janes and a pleated skirt (although I ended up looking more like this than this...ages 11-14 were not kind to me), but it was also the impetus of my furry pen obsession and penchant for judging people. All in all, I am who I am today thanks in no small part to Clueless. 

"Sex. Clothes. Popularity. Is there a problem here?"
These are truly the issues of our generation.

Much of the fanfare of this cult classic came from the instant likability of the movie's heroine, Cher Hororitz, played by relative newcomer, Alicia Silverstone. Her long, blond locks and crooked smile won over a generation of "Teen Bop" readers. She was the Carrie Bradshaw of our time, let's face it!!!

But then, as quickly as she appeared in our lives, she was gone, never to be heard from again (and no, Excess Baggage and Batman & Robin DON'T count).

That is, until she became a vegan. She started showing up on PETA billboards, Funny or Die videos, and even Oprah! It was like you couldn't get away from her or her belief system! Suddenly, what was once an honorable existence of self-involvement, overpriced designer jeans, and flip phones became one of veganism and worse...kindness.

I guess it should have come as no surprise that she would eventually come out with a cookbook. So what's Chef Alicia whipping up these days? How about a cauliflower bisque, braised daikon, and raspberry tiramisu cupcakes.

Wait, what was that last one?? Yeah, Alicia has found an even kinder way to make cupcakes, and frankly, they don't look half bad:

 

Photo via The Kind Life

She got the recipe from Chef Chloe, the first vegan chef to win the Food Network's shiteous show Cupcake Wars. Despite being completely free of any animal byproducts or curelty (you know, the good stuff), it does look pretty dang delicious.*

*I'm pretty sure you could sub out any vegan ingredients for the real thing btw.

Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes
Recipe via The Kind Life

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk, non-dairy milk, or water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs apple cider vinegar

Soaking Liquid
1/3 cup amaretto
1 tbs instant espresso powder

Raspberry Sauce
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup agave or sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt

Frosting
1 tbs instant espresso powder (Chloe recommends Medaglia D'Oro brand)
2 tbs amaretto liquor
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup refined coconut oil (Chloe recommends Spectrum Organics brand)
4 cups organic confectioners sugar
2 tbs water

Garnish
12 raspberries
12 small mint leaves
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs or ground bittersweet chocolate

Steps

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Sift or whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, mix the  coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar
4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and whisk until thoroughly mixed
5. Distribute batter into lined cupcake baking pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes

Soaking Liquid
1. Combine amaretto and espresso powder and set aside

Raspberry Sauce
1. In a small saucepan, cook raspberries and agave on medium heat on raspberries wilt down.
2. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes a pourable consistency.
3. Remove pot from heat and mix in vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding moe agave if necessary.
5. Let cool in refrigerator

Frosting
1. Combine espresso powder, amaretto, and vanilla in small bowl and mix or swirl bowl until espresso powder has dissolved (about 1 minute)
2. Beat coconut oil in large bowl with an electric mixer for about 1 minute
3. Add confectioner's sugar and espresso mixture
4. Add 1 tbs of water at a time until desired buttercream consistency is achieved.
5. Beat on high for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides with a spatula often
6. Pipe or frost with a knife

Assembly
1. Using a spoon, cut out a small hole from the top of each cupcake (scoop out about 1 tbs of cake)
2. In the hole of the cupcake, layer approximately 1 tsp of soaking liquid, 1 tbs of raspberry sauce, 2 tsp of cacao, and piped frosting on top
3. Garnish with a raspberry and mint leaf

My Most Controversial Cupcakes EVER!

Look at these sweet, precious little cupcakes:

Vanilla cupcake dotted with rainbow sprinkles, topped with blue
and pink tinted vanilla buttercreams and pastel sprinkles

Did they make you smile...just a little? 

Did they bring a tear to your eye? 

Did they make you wanna claw someone's eyes out?? If you answered yes to the last one, you might have been offended by my previous post. 

Why, praytell, would cupcakes turn a seemingly normal, content human being into a vessel of rage and terror?? Because apparently some of the DC cupcake community (by NO MEANS all...) has a reallllllll problem with honesty and constructive feedback. 

Here's the deal blogosphere: I'ma say what I want, when I want, how I want. This is MY blog, lest anyone forget. If you don't like it, you can, in the words of Lady Gaga, go home. If you can't see the humor in this, find this in poor taste, and think that everything really is wrong with this guy, well, then, I guess we'll never be friends. (Friends are the ones you go out drinking with, right?)

So to be very clear, I do NOT apologize to anyone for what I've previously said, I AM considering starting my own cupcake event called "I Eat My Feeling Anonymous", and  I WILL share my controversial S'mores and Funfetti cupcake recipes with you, should you feel rebellious yourself! You're welcome. 

RISE UP, CupcakesOMG! Fans and UNITE for FREEEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMM!!!!! Because if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. (Leave a comment showing your support--I'll choose a winner at random October 5th to receive the first "IEMFA" tee shirt!!)

Graham cracker crusted chocolate marshmallow cupcake topped
with marshmallow frosting and a square of graham cracker

Funfetti Cupcakes

Adapted from CakeSpy

Makes approximately 12 large cupcakes

For the cupcakes

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1-3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 12 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white, room temperature
• 1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

For vanilla buttercream

• 3 sticks butter
• 7-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pink and blue food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, fitted with flat beater, beat the sugar and butter until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating on low.
4. Then add vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in rainbow sprinkles.
5. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. After you put your cupcakes in the oven, immediately turn the temp to 350F. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

To make buttercream

In a stand mixer, fitted with flat beater, beat butter until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined. Add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (it's should be creamy, but firm)

Divide buttercreams in half, tinting one half pink and the other blue. Using a piping bag, layer the colors on top of each other. As you pipe, they will swirl creating a beautiful effect. Top with sprinkles to taste.

S'mores Cupcakes

Adapted from Homemade by Holman

Makes approximately 12 large cupcakes

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham crackers (approx. 1 pkg out of the Honeymaid box)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 T unsalted butter, melted
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• Marshmallows (you'll need about 100 mini marshmallows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In food processor, pulse graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of crumbs to the bottom of each liner. Use a small circle object (I used the back of a small spoon) to press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of each liner. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Divide the chopped chocolate evenly among the cupcakes. Add approximately 4 marshmallows to each tin.

I did not have good luck with the Homemade by Holman chocolate cake, so I would recommend the one I've had previous success with, available here.

Frosting*:

• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 squares of graham cracker

In a clean stainless steel mixing bowl or double boiler, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk frequently, heating the mixture over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 160 degrees (or until the sugar is completely dissolved--should feel smooth when rubbed between the fingers). Transfer egg mixture to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin mixing at low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed as the mixture becomes thicker. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add in the vanilla and mix until just combined. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and frost as desired. Garnish with a square of graham cracker.

*I did not have a kitchen blow torch, nor an effective broiler to toast the marshmallow icing as I would have liked, but feel free to do so if you have one!

CupcakeCamp DC

I went to CupcakeCamp DC last Saturday. It was, in a word, a clusterf*ck. Pardon my French, but it's totally true.

This place was packed tighter than a Japanese subway train.

It was held at a place in DC called Funxion, touted as the first FIT restaurant and bar in America. Really? A low-cal health bar selected as the venue for CupcakeCamp DC (a.k.a. I Eat My Feelings Anonymous)?? Wouldn't have been my first choice, but I guess it was, like, the only thing available last minute. The place was pretty small, which on a normal day would be fine, being as it serves the "I know I look good when I'm so hungry I'm dry heaving" crowd, hence the close quarters.

This was CupcakeCamp DC's first year, so there's bound to be some gliches, but when cupcakes fans start bum rushing your volunteers, you got a problem, okay?? Frankly, I couldn't wait to be out of there. I don't think I was alone either, as the organizer herself owned up to some of the problems on the CupcakeCamp blog. 

I could have overlooked most of that if the cupcakes had been worth shoving my fellow cupcake fans for, but sadly most that I sampled (i.e., took one bite of and never touched again) were terrible. 

Just some of the wounded soldiers I left behind

Do I feel bad about wasting so much food when there are so many starving people in the world? No, are you kidding me? Those people's lives are bad enough...the last thing they need is a feebly iced cupcake from a mix, or a leathery mini vegan cupcake. I did humanity a favor and I'll hear nothing else on the matter!

There were certainly some stand-outs, including the ultimate winner of the cupcake contest Rene of Rene Takes the Cake:

This was when I accosted Rene and forced her to take a picture
as I shoved the cupcake she made in her face. She was a real sport. 

Despite the chaos and overwhelmingly terrible cupcakes (there were well over 50 different types of cupcakes), I held out hope for the judging segment, 'cus you know, I'm a boss at cupcake making. I made two varieties: Cupcake Camp-fire S'mores and Homemade Funfetti.

A graham cracker crusted chocolate cupcake with mini marshmallows baked in,
topped with marshmallow frosting and a square of graham cracker

Vanilla cake dotted with rainbow sprinkles,topped with
vanilla buttercreams tinted blue and pink and rainbow sprinkles

Shockingly, neither of my cupcakes proved victorious. In related news, CupcakeCamp's organizer's mom took home the second place prize and her boyfriend's mom tied for first. I don't want to say that there was any cheating going on, but I'm pretty sure there was some cheating going on. Well, that, and I think the judges palettes were off. Plus, they only sampled about 1/12 of each cupcake (they basically licked the frosting), so I can't see how they were able to make a truly educated decision.

There were five judges and between them they didn't even sample half of a cupcake

I did my own sampling as well:

This strawberry vanilla cupcake was definitely the best mini I had

This hot mess was a hybrid between a German chocolate cupcake
and a cinnamon roll; it was a complete disaster

This blueberry apricot cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting and thyme was more of a muffin than a cupcake, but took home the Crowd Favorite award. It was delicious, I'll admit

Another mini, this time chocolate with a cream cheese swirl, dark chocolate
ganache sprinkled with edible glitter and a fondant flower. It was beautiful but
suffered the same fate as most of the minis I had that day: overcooked and tough

The overall judges winner, Rene's Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache, topped with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream, a chocolate covered strawberry drizzled with pink candy and adorned with a gumpaste flower. Yes, it was amazeballs 2024 and yes, it deserved to beat even my amazing cupcakes.

So I have a few final suggestions for next year's CupcakeCamp:

1.) Larger venue, clearly

2.) Stations for cupcake bakers to display their bounty individually and have tasters come to them.

3.) Judges that like to experiment with unique ingredients/flavors (I read two separate blog posts from the judges--one is a vegan and admitted picky eater and the other didn't like the goat cheese frosting attempted by one baker)

4.) Different categories for judging (Tastiest Cupcake, Best Presentation, Most Outrageous Ingredient, etc.)

5.) More stuff to do--there was a lot of waiting around for those of us unimpressed with the sampling of cupcakes and awaiting the judging. How about bringing in some cupcake shop owners in next year to do little workshops for cupcake decorating or vendors selling cupcake related goods or a face painter!!! Everyone loves a good face painter.

Anyway, I'll go back next year, but it better be as a judge. These people need some help, desperately.

I'll be posting my cupcake recipes later, cus Kyle's pretty annoyed I've done nothing but ignore him for the past hour.

In the meantime, these pictures ought to tide you over:

Cupcake-Stuffed Cupcakes

I shit you not:

Image via Serious Eats

My all-time favorite mad scientest, CakeSpy, just baked up the craziest, yet most obvious filled cupcake combo ever: a mini cupcake stuffed inside a regular cupcake. Find the full recipe (and more pictures) here.

Cupcake Vending Machine = GENIUS

When I'm not blogging about cupcakes, I actually have a job that pays the bills. Well, last week, I had a sales call with a marketing company that put together this super cool viral video for Coca-Cola.

They call it the "Happiness Machine" and it's a vending machine that not only dispenses sody pop, but also pizza, flowers, and whole liters of cola!!

Not one to rest on its laurels, this time, Coke is in London and while they continue to spread happiness to our estranged cousins via sugary carbonated beverages, my favorite part is the hilariously long tray of red velvet cupcakes coming from the vending machine amid the "you just won a BRAND NEW CAAAAAAAAAAAR" sound effects.

I am dead serious when I say cupcake vending machines need to happen. Don't worry folks, I'm on it!

Watch for yourself:

 

Tomato Soup Cupcakes

If you live in a major metropolis, or are a girl, or simply consider yourself better than most people you meet, you probably get some version of the DailyCandy e-mails.

It's the less egotistical version of Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP. It's the more politically correct version of Urban Daddy. It's the Samantha to Gilt.com's Carrie.

You get the idea.

So, in today's DailyCandy New York, they featured a cupcake recipe from NYC bakery, Baked, and it looks really special. It's a tomato soup cupcake (which can be made either savory or sweet) topped with mascarpone frosting. It's the perfect addition to your fall/winter cupcake rotation and will surely warm you heart and soul.

Tomato Soup Cupcakes (Recipe and Image via DailyCandy)Makes 24

Ingredients
2 (10¾ oz.) cans condensed tomato soup, preferably low sodium
1 tsp. baking soda
3½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. cinnamon*
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*
½ tsp. ground allspice*
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs

*Want a more savory cake? Replace the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice with 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper and increase the salt to ½ tsp.

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line two twelve-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, sprinkle baking soda over the tomato soup and stir well. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt and baking powder.

4. Beat butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy, three to four minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for a few seconds. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with tomato soup, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl again, and mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

5. Fill the prepared cupcake pan about three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

6. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Mascarpone Frosting 

Ingredients
¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
12 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened
4 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Beat softened butter until it is completely smooth (it’s easiest to do this in a standing mixer). Add mascarpone and beat until combined.

2. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat; this will cause the frosting to lose structure. (At this point, you can tightly cover the frosting and refrigerate overnight if you want. Let it soften at room temperature before using.)

3. Fit a pastry bag with the largest tip, fill with frosting, and cover each cupcake with a big mound. If you do not have a pastry bag, use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism; scoop the frosting and dispense it onto the top of the cupcake. You can also use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes.

4. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Bring the cupcakes to room temperature before serving.

Red Velvet Cupcakes That WERK!

Photo via Lick the Bowl Good

Are you seeing these cupcakes, people?? Yes, these are red velvet cupcakes. But they're not just any red velvet. First of all, they were made with sour cream. Indulgent? You bet your sweet ass. But wait, it gets better...They've also been layered with a sweetened cream cheese layer, creating a gorgeous ring effect:

No, there's no frosting, which may be breaking one of my cardinal rules, but these suckers look moist and rich enough, they don't even need it. 

Like so many drag queens after a long night of lip-syncing, this cupcake has removed all superfluous decor, undressing before you and teasing you with it's creamy cheesecake layer and fresh-from-the-oven joie de vivre! I have one thing to say: You better WERK:

Sashay, Shaun-cake!!

cupcakebakeries Daily

Social media is running about as rampant as a herpes outbreak in a freshman-year dorm. Just like the venereal disease plaguing 2 out of 5 people, it seems there's no end in sight.

I just discovered that Cupcakes Take the Cake has recently unveiled a new online news site of all things cupcake (isn't that what the blog is for...?) called cupcakebakeries Daily. 

I don't exactly get how it works, but from what I can gather, it seems like a place to aggregate all cupcake news you'd ever want in one place.

I'd love to get some more clarity around this concept. CTTC, can you provide a bit more insight??

National Cupcake Week

You may not have known it, but we are in the midst of National Cupcake week (September 13-19th). In case you didn't get enough cupcakes on a day to day basis, now you get a whole week to worship the little cakes!

Katie, over at Katiecakes, is taking the worshipping to a whole 'nother level. It seems she'll be baking a new cupcake for each day of the week. 

It started with these Oreo cupcakes on Monday:

Photos via Katiecakes

And today, she unveiled these "Elvis" cupcakes (chocolate chip & banana sponge cupcake topped with peanut butter butter cream):

We're only two days in and already I'm salivating. I'm salivating all over my face, people!!! I'm pretty sure the King would feel okay about dying prematurely had he known he'd be enshrined forever in cupcake form like this!

So CupcakesOMG!ers, I realize you may not have plans to bake a new cupcake recipe every day this week, but how are you celebrating National Cupcake Week??

Creepy Baby Cupcakes

Ummmm, so I get it. Cupcakes are for celebrating. Births of babies are celebrations. Thus, you should celebrate the birth of a child with cupcakes.

Photo via Flickr user Anita A.

But seriously, who would seriously want to take a bite out of a fondant sleeping baby's butt???!! You'd have to be fresh off the "I Hate Babies" train to NOT look at these thing without being just a teensy disturbed.

Don't get me wrong, there's some real artistry going on here, blah blah blah, but I can't help but feel like I'm looking at an open baby graveyard. Sick reference? Yeah, I know!!! My point exactly!!

I feel like I need to wash my eyes out with soap now.

More Fashion-Forward Cupcakes

This week kicks off our country's favorite past time. There's sweat, blood, tears, and lots of hair pulling. I'm speaking, of course, of New York Fashion Week. And what event that holds beauty and taste above all else would be complete without a specially-designed cupcake?

Photo via Racked

Behold, Fashion Week's most delicious trend: the Fashion Night Out cupcake, available exclusive at Crumbs' 12 New York City locations. It's a vanilla cupcake, filled with chocolate cream cheese frosting topped with light green frosting, pink and white hearts, and a heart-shaped sugar covered in pink sanding sugar. 

At $4 a pop, it even comes with a designer price tag. With 20% of it going the New York City AIDS Fund in the New York Community Trust, you can finally feel good about being a label whore.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes--Fall's New Cupcake Trend

Summer is so last week. How do I know? Because temperatures are cooling, Rachel Zoe is lit'rally at NY Fashion Week as we speak, and the autumnal cupcakes are coming out of the woodwork. 

Of the apple and caramel-laced cupcakes I've seen recently, this one from Something Shiny is shutting.it.down.

Photo (and recipe) via Something Shiny

Unlike the models at Fashion Week, it's what's on the inside of this cupcake that really matters:

Yellow Cupcake filled with apple preserves and caramels 

topped with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream

I lit-e-rally DIE for fall cupcake fashions.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, I finally broke in my new KitchenAid mixer by baking Kyle some peanut-butter cup-filled chocolate cupcakes topped with peanut butter buttercream.

I also tried my hand at macarons and homemade pop tarts for the first time. Though tasty, they were far less successful than the cupcakes. Read on for a step-by-step guide to make the most amazing chocolate peanut butter cupcakes you've ever had!

Step 1: Snag yourself a kick-ass boyfriend to buy you a pink (or color of your choice) KitchenAid stand mixer. Take a picture during the creaming process.

Step 2: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gently incorporate outlying batter. Did some of it "accidentally" get on your finger? That's okay, just lick it off--no one will know. Unless you blog about it, of course.

Step 3: Top the batter with a miniature peanut butter cup. You'll have some left over, which is good because you'll probably want to do a taste test, ya know, to make sure they're up to snuff. Throw these suckers in the oven.

Step 4: After they cool and have been topped with your peanut butter buttercream, get RILL silly and dunk 'em in chocolate. Stare in amazement at the masterpiece you've created.

Step 5: I mean, it should be obvious what comes next, really.

Are these, or are these not, amazeballs 2012?! Sensing your overwhelming urge to make some, here's the chocolate cupcake recipe I used. 

Peanut Butter Buttercream

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

1 box of confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup creamy peanut butter (feel free to add more or less to taste)

Cream the butter with a cup of sugar at a time. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, add vanilla and peanut butter. Top cupcakes with buttercream. If dunking in chocolate, refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (don't rush this--the frosting must be chilled for the chocolate coating to harden).

Homemade Chocolate Shell

1 16 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil

Melt chocolate chips. Add vegetable oil and stir. Allow to cool for a few minutes before dunking chilled cupcakes.

Q & Bake: Flour Child Bakery

My obsession with cupcakes is possible because of/exacerbated by the internet. I mean, hello! Here you are, reading my blog solely dedicated to cupcakes, cupcake accessories, and looking good. 

But behind every good cupcake blog is a great baker. At least, that's how it should be!! So it's no surprise I quickly became obsessed with the nom-able creations Cassie was whipping up on the reg' over at How To Eat A Cupcake. The premise was to take ideas from readers for her next mind-blowing concoction; ideas like Mountain Dew cupcakes:

Photo via How To Eat A Cupcake

...or Apple and Cheddar:

 Photo via How to Eat A Cupcake

So when I learned Cassie was making her dream of owning her own bakery come true (at the grand ol' age of 24, no less) just a few hours away from me, I had to reach out to her with a few questions. 

How long have you been blogging about cupcakes? Since April 2007

When did you discover your passion for cupcakes? I was making Duncan Hines red velvet cupcakes, and I was having fun with my creative side. Then it's like a light bulb lit up inside my brain!

How do you come up with all the interesting cupcake combinations for your blog? I get a lot of inspiration from other cupcake bloggers, baking books, and magazines.

What's been the most surprisingly delicious of your cupcake concoctions? One time I made yellow cupcakes with cookie dough in the center and topped them with a cookie dough cream cheese frosting. Those were by far the best ever!

What's been the biggest disaster? For my birthday a few years ago, I tried making homemade funfetti cupcakes. Apparently I was using the wrong kind of sprinkles and too many of them because both batches exploded! 

What's your best tip for new cupcake bakers? Don't get frustrated when things don't come out right. Learn from your mistakes, and always laugh at yourself.

Tell me a little about opening your own bakery? How long did it take to develop from an idea to mortar and stone? Flour Child Bakery has been a brainchild of mine for almost 3 years. I'm opening this bakery with an amazing woman, my mom! In April, a location sort of fell into our laps. My family and I have been working non-stop to make my dream a reality. Our grand opening date is Saturday, October 2!

Cassie (right) and her mom outside of Flour Child Bakery
in Virginia Beach, opening October 2nd

I hear you're recently engaged. Congratulations! Will there be a cupcake wedding cake? Will you be making it?? There will not be a cupcake wedding. For 2 years I baked nothing but cupcakes. Then I worked in a cupcakery for 9 months. I'm burnt out on cupcakes! But my wedding cake will be made at my bakery, and I'm sure I'll have a fabulous decorator to make it beautiful!

What's your favorite cupcake flavor? Lately I've really been digging on red velvet!

What happens to all those cupcakes you bake for your blog? Do you give them away or do you end up eating them all? I try to bake small batches. My mom used to work at Pizza Hut, and she would give away all our leftovers to her co-workers.

What's your favorite cupcake shop currently? I don't have a fave cupcake shop, but my favorite bakery is Sugar Sweet Sunshine in New York City. Their pistachio cupcake is amazing!

What kinds of cupcakes will you be offering at your bakery? How much will they cost? We will offer regular size cupcakes, as well as mini and jumbo! Prices will range from $1.25 - $3.25.

If you had to convince someone to drive out from the DC area to come have one of your cupcakes, what would you say? Our cupcakes are handmade from scratch by people who are passionate about baking. You can practically taste the love! Plus, the atmosphere inside Flour Child Bakery is a little bit retro, a little bit modern, and we're friendly folks who love to chat!

**BTW, you can keep up with Flour Child Bakery on Facebook at http://facebook.com/flourchildbakery. Their grand opening is Saturday, October 2nd from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. Regular hours will be Tuesday-Friday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, and closed on Sunday and Monday.

Flour Child Bakery

1716 Pleasure House Road, Suite 104

Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Look Alive, Georgetown Cupcake

There's a new player joining the game of DC cupcake roulette, and they're bringing out the big guns. New York's cupcake institution, Crumbs, will be opening up shop right in Courthouse, VA some time this fall.

Via Crumbs website

Crumbs' Cupcake of the Month flavor, Peanut Butter and Jelly...and delicious!!!

Now, there's no news about any such shop opening on their website, although they do have two OTHER locations opening in DC-proper as well. So how do I know? Well despite being 100% up-to-date about all things cupcake all the time, I happened to pass by the storefront last night. Want more proof?? I knew you wouldn't trust me, so I took photos too!

So here it shall be, on Clarendon Boulevard, directly between overpriced yoga pants and fro-yo shops. 

With 3 of these bad boys opening up in DC, resident cupcake tycoon Georgetown Cupcake may have to watch their back. Heaven forbid their wait times drop to, say, 30 minutes!!