Happy 50th Anniversary!!!

We had so much fun making these cupcakes for a dear couple who celebrated 50 years together.  It took each evening for 5 days to prepare for this special event. 

In the end, we were very happy and ecstatic that the customer was happy with the finished product. 

Cupcakes were mixed varieties, with pink and green 50's along with red intertwined hearts and wedding pictures of days ago. 

Anniversaries are meant to be celebrated and we are so glad that we got to share in this special event. 

Back After Taking a Breather...

Yes.  We are back to blogging. 

These past few weeks have been spent building up our business and getting ready for the Farmers Market. 

We have discovered that glass cake plates look very chic...they get really hot and melt the cupcake icing.  So we have been on a journey to find the ultimate in cupcake storage.  We purchased a small pastry case with just enough room on the bottom for a few ice packs...then we purchased some of those portable fans..presto...it works great. 

This case is filled with our chocolate cherry, honey lavender, fresh orange, gluten free raspbery, vanilla bean, oreo cookies and carrot. 

Next week we will have salted carmel on the menu...yum

Opening Market Day

Well we made it through seven hours of baking on Friday in our new kitchen.  It was a challenge and we did it to serve our customers. 

The Mount Vernon Farmers Market Opening was a success and the rain even held off until the very end. 

We offered several flavors of cupcakes to round out our selection.  Coconut Lime, Vanilla Buttercream, Gluten Free Strawberry, Pink Lemondade, Red Velvet, Triple Chocolate, Rootbeer, and our classic cake brownies and minis for all. 

We are currently preparing our selections for next Saturday and I believe Salted Carmel is on the menu...stop on by to see us for a sample.  Looking forward to meeting you.

Creamy Orange Cupcakes

With the Farmer's Market two weeks away, it was time to have some fun this weekend and try some new things. 

This Creamy Orange Cupcake will be one of our market features this summer.  It tastes just as it sounds, creamy and orange. 

The frosting is a basic cream cheese with vanilla ice cream added for extra flavor.  I was surprised how well the taste compared to a Creamsicle Pop that you would purchase at a store. 

The cupcake mix was also divided in half with orange and white cake.  It was a great start to a receipe filled day. 

Carrot Cake - A Cake Full of Nutrition

Carrot cake is one of those foods that is great in taste and yet is full of the nutrition of carrots. 

Carrots:

• Boost immunity
• Reduce photo sensitivity
• Help to heal minor wounds
• Can reduce the risk of heart disease
• Can reduce the risk of high blood pressure
• Fight infection
• Improve muscle, flesh and skin health

Who knew that eating a carrot cake filled with carrots, pineapple, and raisins could be so beneficial to you.  Have a piece of carrot cake today and enjoy the healthful goodness it brings. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes...Smooth with the Richness of Chocolate

People are always asking what is the draw with Red Velvet cupcakes.  I can honestly say that it brings back a finer time in life...a time when every meal was accompanied by dessert served at the dinner table. 

Families celebrated occasions with the classic Red Velvet layer cake, embraced by cream cheese frosting, just waiting to be tasted. 

The Red Velvet cake should be dense with a heavy feel to the batter...the secret ingredient is the cocoa powder used to give the rich taste of divine chocolate. 

If you have not had a Red Velvet slice of cake...try one today it is a taste that is unmistakable. 

One Month To Go Before Market

Well there is one month to go before the start of the Farmers Market in Mount Vernon, WA.  Trying to decide which flavors will be presented that day. 

Spending our last few hours completing our cupcake receipe portfolio  These cupcakes were a pleasant taste of summer, "Pink Lemonade" with a hint of that sour lemon flavor. 

Made with a basic vanilla cake mix and substituting some of the liquids with "Pink Lemonade" is the key to making these summer cakes. 

The frosting is a basic buttercream icing with a hint of lemon juice.  Pucker up and enjoy these treats. 

View our Cupcake Creations

Cupcakes

It's Graduation Time --

 
It's Graduation season once again...I personally will be going through a child graduating for the next three years...therefore, I must bake, it reduced stress.

These cupcakes allowed me to be creative while showing school spirit and pride. 

The cakes themselves are a basic vanilla cake receipe (never boxed!), topped with a classic butter cream icing.  To create the hats, I took a minature Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, with a chocolate coated graham cracker cookie, and used school colored candies to create the tassel. 

The school pride cupcakes are the creation of the school logo and the beautiful invention of rice paper and a printer that is food safe.  I used Kopykake Kopyjet products. The edible ink did seem to clog a bit, but after steaming the printer containers ...all is well. 

It was great fun and I cannot wait to get more creative as our business grows. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter - What More Can a Girl Ask For

These scrumptious Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes have a hidden treat inside.  There is a filling of sweet peanut butter bursting your taste sensations as you bite into the rich dark chocolate cake.  I used dutch cocoa which gives the cake an extra special smoothness. 

Topping the cake is a frosting made of cream cheese, fresh whipping cream and a bit of peanut butter to bring out the flavor. 

Needs I say more for those afternoon chocolate fixes we need....

Gluten Free Cupcakes - YUM!

Recently I struggled with recipes for making gluten free cupcakes.  Usually the cake had a gritty after taste and the texture left much to be desired. 

Then I found Silvana Nardone's all-purpose flour blend, which contains white rice flour, tapicoa flour, potato starch, sale and xanthum gum.  In her book Cooking for Isaiah  she has captured the essence of good taste with gluten free cooking. 

In my daily food diet I do not require gluten free meals, but I have discovered that it is very politically correct to offer gluten free whenever possible. 

This picture is from her Strawberry Cupcake with Strawberry Frosting recipe.  Using her flour recipe the cupcakes come out moist and delicious.  This receipe also calls for strawberry puree which is easy to make with a food processor. 

The frosting recipe uses shortening, as her book is also dairy free, but I chose to use a strawberry cream cheese frosting.  Topping it off with chocolate, made is a cupcake to enjoy. 

Loving Paula Deen

I just love Paula Deen and her recipes.  I recently made the Best Ever Coconut Cake from the March/April 2011 Issue of Cooking with Paula magazine.  The batter made enough for an 6-inch two tiered cake and a dozen cupcakes.  Fresh ingredients made the cake scrumptious. 

It is a perfect cake to share with friends and family...the perfect summer time treat. 

You may be able to purchase this cake at the Mount Vernon Farmer's Market in May of 2011.  See out website http://www.sweetlibbys.com/ for more wonderful delectable delights coming soon to you.