Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot!

Nov17

Buster Poindexter poses the question in his song “How you feelin’ ?” Hot Hot Hot has to be the reply and we can relate to that here in Joburg over the last few weeks with this extreme heat.  We are all ‘glowing’ in this heat and it has been a challenge to say the least to firstly muster up the energy to be creative and then to try and protect my cupcakes and their sugar art decorations from wilting!  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of summer and extreme heat – okay well what do you think of after sipping strawberry daquiris in the jacuzzi?  You guessed it …. ice-cream!

Ice-cream Cupcake Sugar Art

Ice-cream Cupcake Sugar Art

I used a cutter to cut out these ice-cream cones from white sugar paste and then added the cone cut outs from brown sugar paste.  I painted some tylose onto the tips of the cones and sprinkled them with the most well known of all cake decorations – hundreds and thousands – I hadn’t thought I would be using them in a hurry again!  And then for the cherry on the top I rolled small balls of red sugar paste and added them to the ice-cream cones.  I made vanilla cupcakes (note to self – you need to have an original ice-cream flavour cupcake for these next time) and iced them with a gorgeous strawberry icing and added my cute ice-cream cones to the cupcakes.  I think you’ll agree that both the cones and the cupcakes turned out simply Lickable!

Ice-cream Cupcakes

Ice-cream Cupcakes

American Dance Awards & Oreo Cupcakes

Nov14

There wasn’t  much time for baking or trying anything new last week with my daughter taking part in the finals for the American Dance Awards held here in Pretoria, South Africa.  The girls from her studio danced all week in solos and in group performances and they were all beautiful.  Ceire qualified in her 2 solos and 2 group dances to go to Orlando, Florida next year and compete internationally so I am such a proud mom of a truly beautiful daughter.  I now this is not a cupcake picture but have to post my favourite of many pictures taken during the competition.

Ceire - American Dance Awards - Nov 2011

Ceire - American Dance Awards - Nov 2011

Yesterday I wanted to make cupcakes to celebrate her achievements and wanted a cupcake with an American theme so I thought of Oreo Cupcakes.  Luckily I had a packet of the dark chocolate Oreos with the creamy white centre hidden away in the grocery cupboard and I took 6 and twisted them so that I had half an Oreo with its white centre to pop into 6 cupcake holders.

Oreo Cupcake Bases

Oreo Cupcake Bases

I then took the halves I had left and 6 more oreos and chopped them into big pieces.  I added these to my trusted vanilla mixture and folded them in gently.  I spooned the mixture over the halved oreos in their cupcake cases and popped them into the oven.

Oreo's for Oreo Cupcakes

Oreo's for Oreo Cupcakes

I iced the cooled cupcakes with a deliciously rich cream cheese icing.  I added a half an oreo cut from the top this time to each cupcake. These cupcakes were a perfect ending to a hectic and exciting week for us all.  Thanks to you Ceire for your awesome achievements and the inspiration behind these gorgeous oreo cupcakes.

Oreo Cupcake

Oreo Cupcake

Just one more picture just because I can!

Ceire - American Dance Awards, Nov 2011

Ceire - American Dance Awards, Nov 2011

Beautiful Cupcakes for Beautiful Women

Nov10

Thanks to Wendy, my funky friend and blogging guru, I have learned how to have separate galleries for my cupcakes so it is easier to look for a cupcake for a particular theme or occasion.  I have divided the main gallery into cupcakes for boys, for girls and others.  I can’t wait to experiment and expand on my Taste Sensations Gallery so look out for some interesting cupcakes in this gallery in the future.  Another new gallery is the Cupcakes for the Beautiful Woman in Your Life and thanks to orders this weekend I have some lovely pics for this gallery.

Small Bright Flower Cupcakes

Small Bright Flower Cupcakes

I had an order for a birthday clebration from one of the beautiful women I have met recently who was so excited about my cupcakes she ordered a variety for her birthday celebration at work.  These are my vanilla cupcakes looking quite pretty with 3 small bright flowers on them.

Lime Green & Yellow Flower Cupcakes

Lime Green & Yellow Flower Cupcakes

I made these for another birthday celebration and tried a new technique I learned on you tube.  The technique is used to grade the colour of clay for clay modelling and I gave it a bash with the sugar paste – not as easy as clay dries less quickly but I was pleased with the result and know that with practise I will be able to come up with some lovely creations.  I’ll have to get back to you on the name of the technique as it is well worth having a look at and quite simple to do.  I chose lime green and yellow and graded these 2 colours together for the rose and flowers on these cupcakes and I thought the result was different, beautiful and funky at the same time!

Dusty Rose Cupcakes

Dusty Rose Cupcakes

All I was told about the lady whose birthday these cupcakes were for was that she loves flowers and vintage colours.  I chose a dusty pink colouring to colour the sugarpaste for these roses and butterflies and combined them with an ivory rose for effect.  The food colourings available are amazing and almost any colour can be matched to suit the theme or decor of the day.  I ended off the weekend with some beautiful rock rose cupcakes but will blog these at a later stage.

So to all those Beautiful Women in my Life who are a constant source of inspiration, friendship, fun and support a huge thank you to you all!

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.