Archive | October 2011

Ghoulish Halloween Cupcakes

Oct31

Everyone always seems to be more organised for events than I am.  I have had plenty of forewarning for halloween with black, orange and green halloween sweets, drinks and decorations in all the shops and plenty of planned ‘ Trick or Treating’ over the weekend in the neighbourhood.  Even with all the lead up to the day I only had some strips of Woolworths ghoulish dracula sweet teeth and I wanted to make some ghoulish halloween cupcakes for tonight.

Here was my plate of ingredients for my cupcakes: chocolate cupcakes, raspberry syrup and dracula sweet teeth. These  sweets from Woolworths are particularly yummy.

Halloween Cupcake Ingredients

Halloween Cupcake Ingredients

I spooned the delicious raspberry syrup over the cupcakes fresh and hot from the oven.  I wanted an extra texture to the halloween cupcake hence my idea to try the syrup as a thick layer on top of the cupcake.  The syrup was another one of the new products I found at the Good Food and Wine Show.   This particular syrup is thick and really fruity and not too sweet.  It formed a beautiful glaze over the cupcakes.

Halloween Cupcakes
Halloween Cupcakes

The final act for this halloween drama was to ice the cupcakes with vanilla icing and decorate them with the dracula sweet teeth and a few drops of sugarpaste blood.  Here are my completed ghoulish halloween cupcakes.  My family loved them and the raspberry syrup just gave them the edge to my traditional chocolate cupcakes.  I was really scared after eating the first one…….really scared that I would eat too many they were that gorgeous!

Halloween Cupcakes

Halloween Cupcakes

Bite into these cupcakes if you dare!

70th Birthday Cupcakes

Oct28

It was a privilege to make these cupcakes for Allison’s mom’s 70th birthday on Saturday evening.  Allison is a trained chef and makes the most gorgeous cakes so it is a really compliment from her to have her recommend my cupcakes and then to trust me to do them for her mom’s special day.   We have been friends since our boys were still small and cute – around 15 years now.  I like to remember the good old days when I would just pop in for tea with Allison and there was always something delectable to sample in her kitchen.  Thanks Al for all the laughs then and it is always great to meet up with you for more laughs and stories.  Al is now General Manager at Benvenuto and it has been great fun to display my cupcakes at their breakfast functions.  The function room is always so beautifully and professionally decorated and Allison as always is such a fun and organized host to her guests.

Lime Green & Pink Pistachio Cupcakes

Lime Green & Pink Pistachio Cupcakes

Ada wanted a variety of cupcakes for her guests and it was great as she gave me carte blanche with flavours and decorations.  With this in mind I made pistachio and rosewater cupcakes which have turned out to be a hit whenever I do them.  As Ada loves beautiful things I decorated these, in keeping with the flavours, with hand made sugar paste roses and lime green butterflies.

Lime Green & Pink Pistachio Cupcakes

Lime Green & Pink Pistachio Cupcakes

I didn’t have to match colours for the cupcake display so the 2nd flavour I decide on was dark chocolate and strawberry.  I made chocolate cupcakes and to the icing I added a bar of melted dark chocolate which gave the icing a rich chocolate colour and a delectable chocolate taste.  The topping for these cupcakes were strawberries just to celebrate summer finally being here.  I drizzled melted dark chocolate over some of the strawberries.

Strawberry & Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberry & Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

One of my favourites to make are cappucino cupcakes.  I think it is because the icing with the espresso in is just so moreish.  I made these for the coffee lovers and topped them with a chuckle each.

Cappucino Chuckle Cupcakes

Cappucino Chuckle Cupcakes

The last flavour I chose was Amarula.  I made vanilla cupcakes to which I added Amarula and then iced them with icing which I had also laced with Amarula.  The colour of the icing changes as you add the Amarula and looks so delightfully creamy on the cupcake.  I added a small yellow flower to these cupcakes and my usual sprinkling of a bit of bling (edible glitter) to finish them off.  They looked really funky in these new yellow with white polka dot cupcake holders I found at Baking Bitz in Randburg.

Amarula Cupcakes

Amarula Cupcakes

Thanks Al and Ada for allowing me to do these cupcakes for such a special occasion and I was so pleased to hear that your friends and family all loved the cupcakes.

Breast Cancer Awareness Breakfast at Benvenuto

Oct25
Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcakes

Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcakes

Benvenuto hosted another breakfast last Friday and the theme this time was Breast Cancer Awareness.  The function room was once again beautifully decorated by Belinda from Giani’s Function Decor and the guests were invited to a delicious breakfast and informational talks by different guests.  The money raised for CANSA amounted to R 4190.00 and once again the morning was a huge success.

Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcakes

Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcakes

I was invited to display my cupcakes and for the morning I decided on pink sugar paste Cancer Awareness ribbons and roses  for some of the cupcakes.  To add something different to my sugar paste decorated cupcakes I made cupcake toppers using scrapbook paper and embellishments to make flowers and tags for the toppers.  I finished off each topper with a ribbon and wording and stuck them onto a white lollipop stick.  The cupcake toppers added a pretty visual height to the display.

Only In South Africa

Oct24

We have finally come to the end of the Rugby World Cup and well done to New Zealand on Sunday – a close score but delighted they won.   The Springboks did us proud even though it was sad to see them come home too early.  How will we all know what to wear on Fridays now?  It was during the Rugby World Cup mania that Kerry asked me to do cupcakes for her 21st birthday.  The theme was Only in South Africa and she wanted South African themed cupcakes to celebrate her special day.

I made sugar paste rugby balls and painted them the Springbok colours as Kerry is an ardent Springbok supporter.  I made soccer shirts and scarves and added soccer balls and flags to some of the cupcakes. 

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

 What would South African cupcakes be without the famous Vuvuzela?  I made some vuvuzelas from sugar paste and added them to the cupcakes with a soccer ball to complete the South African Bafana Bafana theme cupcakes.  The rugby shirts and scarves I made with green sugar paste and added the yellow stripe detail with Rolkem edible colouring.

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

We certainly have one of the brightest and most colourful flags in the world and to show off these colours I took the idea from my mexican cupcakes where I painted mexican scarves and I painted South African scarves for these cupcakes.  They came out so brilliantly colourful.  They brought back memories of 2010 and all the supporters in their South African hats and scarves.

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

 I always love an excuse to pay a visit to my favourite chocolate shop – Geldhof and it was there I found these chocolate kruger rands covered in gold foil.  I know they are not strictly sugar art but what is a girl’s party without a bit of bling?

Cupcakes with South African Kruger Rands

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

Just for a bit more bling and some laughs, Kerry suggested Zapiro shower heads on some of the cupcakes.  Not an easy call as to get them to look like shower heads and to stand in the cupcakes was not easy.  I made sugar paste shower heads and painted them silver and atttached a thin piece of wire into them to stand them into the cupcakes.  Finished off with the SA flag I am sure they added a few giggles to the party!  Thanks Kerry for trusting me with your 21st birthday cupcake order I loved the challenge of your Only in South Africa theme.

Only In South Africa Cupcakes

Zapiro Shower Head Cupcakes


 

National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

Oct18

Today is National Cupcake Day.  I was informed of this via Cupcake Project one of the brilliant blogs I follow.  I am pleased that I am not the only cupcake lover to have not known what an important day it was today.  I made these cupcakes shortly after I attended the Good Food and Wine Show and just haven’t blogged them yet as I wanted to let you know more about the amazing story behind this Madacasse chocolate.  The story may have to come later but in the meantime here are some pictures of the most delicious cupcakes I have made yet.

Madacasse Pink Pepper & Citrus Chocolate Cupcakes

Madacasse Pink Pepper & Citrus Chocolate Cupcakes

 

I fell in love with the wrapping and display of this chocolate and when I tasted it I was totally hooked.  Produced in Madagascar this chocolate delights all your senses and I couldn’t wait to use it in a cupcake.  I chose the pink pepper and citrus Madacasse chocolate and melted half a bar into my icing.  It turned the icing into a beautiful rich chocolate colour and I topped off the cupcake with a square of this heavenly chocolate.  The comments from my testers were that it had to be the best cupcake from my kitchen yet and if I had a choice of one cupcake to take with me to a desert island this would be the one!  If I was on the island I would probably put in a request for one of these in my glass bottle.  I wanted to surprise you with this cupcake but what better day to blog this on than today!

Madacasse Pink Pepper & Citrus Chocolate Cupcakes

Madacasse Pink Pepper & Citrus Chocolate Cupcakes

Bowl Them Over Cupcakes

Oct18
Cricket Bat & Ball Cupcakes

Cricket Bat & Ball Cupcakes

 

I made these cupcakes on Saturday for a little cricket fan who was turning 7.  I was given this order at the last minute so to save time I iced the cupcakes white and added a patch of green ‘grass’ icing in the centre of each one.  I bought the cricket bats and balls from Kadees in Fourways and added them as the final touch.  Hope your birthday was a hit Travis!

Cricket Bat & Ball Cupcakes

Cricket Bat & Ball Cupcakes