'Tis the Season!

The holidays are back in full swing -- and what says Santa better than a red velvet cupcake? 

A delectable buttermilk cupcake with just a hint of cocoa, theRED is topped with a cream cheese frosting and red velvet crumbs (or festive sprinkles if you prefer).

If you haven't already placed your holiday orders, it's not too late!  Check out the entire menu here.

Hope you and your loved ones have a sweet holiday!

Flavor of the Month: thePumpkin

Oh Fall...how I love your seasonal deliciousness.  During this time of the year, I always look forward to indulging in pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake and Sam Adams Octoberfest...and I especially love the sweet aroma that fills my kitchen when my pumpkin cupcakes are in the oven.

So to celebrate the beginning of my favorite foodie season, this month's featured flavor is thePUMPKIN, a delectable pumpkin cupcake topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting.  Yum!!

One Fish, Two Fish...

What kid doesn't like Goldfish?  For a recent toddler party, I created kid-friendly mini cupcakes in my favorite flavors:: theLemon, theDouble theCookie and theClassic, as well as some new flavors, like theVanilla (a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting), and a hazelnut creme cupcake (vanilla cake with a Nutella whipped cream).  With a bag of chocolate Goldfish crackers, mini Oreo cookies, jelly beans and Nemo sprinkles, I dolled up all six flavors for this fun party.

I also made a couple cakes for the birthday girls in their favorite flavors and topped with glittery fondant flowers =)

Party Time!

I love parties!  Whether I'm planning an extravagant event or a simple spa day, I've always enjoyed bringing people together to have some fun.  July has definitely been a busy month filled with celebrations, and I've been lucky enough to be able to share my cupcake love with everyone.

I kicked off the month with a baby shower that featured an assortment of mini cupcakes and a cupcake bar where guests were invited to frost and decorate their own treats.  Most popular DIY frosting:  Nutella straight from the jar.  Guests also received a "baby" version of theOriginal topped with a blue swirl in honor of the new arrival.

Birthdays for the young and young-at-heart gave us another reason to celebrate!  From a one-year-old's circus party to a 75-year-old's Lakers-themed event, guests had plenty of sweet treats to enjoy.

Life is too short not to celebrate each day!  Cheers to you!

Dear Hockey Fans...

This project started during the first round of NHL playoffs.  I was watching my fave team actually win a game when it dawned on me:  the Stanley Cup MUST have a Stanley Cupcake!

Several rounds of playoff hockey and several failed attempts at stacking cupcakes later, I finally have a cake that: a) is sturdy enough to handle stacking; b) has a frostable frosting; and c) won't tip over.

And just like that...the Stanley Cupcake is complete!  Even though it's not an exact replica (I'm not Ace of Cakes...), it does have some glitter for added bling!

Enjoy, my hockey friends!  And in case you weren't watching, Philly beat Chicago in OT...Chicago leads 2-1.

Lemon Lavender: Relax and Refresh!

When approached by Dinah Alcon Skincare Studio to bake cupcakes for an aromatherapy/reflexology event, I needed to come up with a cupcake flavor that would complement the featured services.  One of my favorite spa scents is lemon lavender for it's refreshing yet relaxing effect - and surprisingly enough, the combination also makes a fantastic cupcake.

The lemon cupcake was infused with a lavender simple syrup, and topped with a cream cheese frosting flavored with a hint of lemon and lavender.  To add a decorative touch, lavender blossoms were sprinkled on each mini cupcake.

The result: a bright cupcake with subtle floral flavor...perfect for a relaxing day at the spa!

She Sells Seashells by the Seashore

Birthdays and other special events by the beach call for an appropriately-themed cupcake.  For this occassion, I topped theCaramel cupcakes with dark chocolate truffle seashells, starfish and seahorses.  The rich truffles perfectly complemented the dark chocolate cake and sweet caramel sauce in the center of the cupcake.  Plus, you can never go wrong with a little extra chocolate!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

On my neverending quest to find cupcake accessories, I think I may have come across the piece de resistance found only within the delicate confines of a robin's egg blue box.

Tiffany & Co. makes this adorable silver and enamel cupcake charm and bracelet.  The charm can be purchased separately (a great option for those who already have a Tiffany charm bracelet or wish to wear the cupcake as a pendant.

It's officially on my wish list <3

Flavor of the Month: theIRISH

What is St. Patrick's Day without a pint of Guinness?  For a sweet twist to celebrate the day, I introduce theIRISH, a chocolate-Guinness cupcake topped with a whipped Irish cream frosting.  For extra decadence, serve with an Irish cream sauce or a shot of Jameson.

Cutest Hair Accessory Ever!

As a cupcake connoisseur (and accessory lover), I am always in search of cute items to add to my collection.  Enter Riley Bowtique, the absolute cutest hair accessories ever made just for your little princesses and the young at heart.

To see this and other adorable hair clips and headbands, check out Riley Bowtique.

Relax....Have a Cupcake

For the second week in a row, I provided dessert for a yoga event sponsored by Dinah Alcon Skin Care Studio and Yoga Loft in Manhattan Beach.  Breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean added an extra bit of relaxation to the two classes offered, and even when the yoga poses proved to be more difficult than some of us could handle (and by difficult yoga poses, I mean headstands), we knew that lunch and cupcakes awaited us at the end of the class.

Each week, we had three flavors.  For Week One, we had theLEMON and two new flavors (a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and a caramel-filled chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting and toffee chips).  The caramel cupcake was so well received that I brought it back for week two, along with theORIGINAL and theHAZE.

Good times were had by all.  Namaste.

Featured Flavor: theMINTY

In honor of Girl Scout cookie season (one of my favorite times of the year), the flavor of the week is theMINTY.  My cupcake version of the popular Thin Mint is a moist chocolate cupcake with a mint infused chocolate ganache glaze.  So good with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk!!

Tinkerbell Cupcake Tower

For a Tinkerbell-themed birthday party, I created a kid-friendly cupcake tower which featured both standard-sized and miniature cakes in theLemon and theChocoholic. To add a Tink touch, flowers and colored sugars were used as edible embelishments.

Printable Menu

On the go and need a menu?  Click on the image to the left for a printable version.