Love, Cupcake!

The Cupcake vs. Muffin Debate

2011-11-07T20:55:00.004-06:00

A coworker of mine brought in some "cupcakes" for our potluck today. They were decorated like apples and looked awesome! However, when you actually got down to it, they were made of apple cinnamon muffins and a donut hole on top. This inevitably launched a cupcake vs. muffin debate: where do you draw the line?

I have my own thoughts on the topic but I did a little research and found some interesting responses. Feel free to share your ideas as well!

1. Cupcakes Take the Cake: The quick-and-dirty answer on this is that cupcakes have frosting, whereas muffins do not. However, in researching, I found an excellent formulaic definition of the difference courtesy of Diana's Desserts: 'A basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tablespoons sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 egg, ¼ cup oil, shortening or butter and 1 cup milk. When the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level.

2. Muffins have oil (and usually fruit) while cupcakes have sugar and butter, thus muffins are better for you, while cupcakes less so.

3. If you throw a cupcake against a wall you get a sound like "pouf"; if you throw a muffin against a wall you get a sound like "thud" !

4. Cupcakes have the butter and sugar creamed together before adding other ingredients one at a time. Muffins throw everything in at once and mix together. Also, muffins are much more dense than cupcakes which are light and airy.

5. It's not only that the cupcakes have icing or that muffins contain fruits, nuts, etc. The truth is the only thing they have in common is their shape.

Cupcakes are cakes while muffins are quickbreads. Any recipe for layer cake can be used to make cupcakes, the same is not true for muffins.

Also, the preparation is different: for muffins, the dry and wet ingredients are mixed separatedly and then put together. Cupcakes are usually made with the creaming method.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-07T20:42:00.002-06:00

And yes, I made these :)

On Wisconsin!

2011-11-07T20:29:00.003-06:00

There's more to Wisconsin than cheese, beer and brats! Imagine!

I had the privilege of spending the Fourth of July at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, as always, I was sure to check out the cupcake scene in Bucky's town. State Street is the main strip of bars, shops and restaurants for the college local and also home to a cupcake shop called Madison Sweets. This bakery is a small shop that features more than just my favorite sweet treats. I brought a few ladies with me this time and I think between the three of us, we purchased one of each flavor. We basically had a sampling frenzy and I can barely remember all the cupcakes I tried. The one that sticks out in my mind was the Sea Salt and Caramel cupcake. It was pretty yummy. The sweet and salty mix was perfect. The cake itself was decent but I especially enjoyed the frosting selection they had. It may be a small place but it's a perfectly acceptable bakery for those Badgers fans!

San Fran Cupcakes

2011-11-07T20:16:00.003-06:00

This post is excessively tardy but better late than never, right?

I spent a week in San Fran this summer and was able to squeeze in a cupcake stop on my trip. While touring the city, I found Kara's Cupcakes, located in Ghirardelli Square. There's actually a second San Fran location in the Marina, but this was the one I made it to. The decor is bright and welcoming, with full store front windows and hot pink walls.

I couldn't choose just one cupcake to try and luckily my boyfriend was with me so I made the excuse that it was one for each and bought two. I've been super into lemon cupcakes so I grabbed one of those and a chocolate ganache as well. I liked the chocolate much better -- the ganache had a great flavor and the chocolate cake was rich and delicious. I was disappointed with the lemon though. It just wasn't anything special. I know of a few other bakeries in the city that I didn't have a chance to make. I wouldn't say this is a must-have but if you're in the square, why not?!

Cupcakes in Colorado Springs

2011-07-07T15:34:00.003-05:00

Colorado Springs is not known for its culinary selections and this includes cupcakes. Prior to my travels, I researched a cupcake truck to attempt to track down upon arrival. However, seeing that I was out there for a wedding and trying to find a truck that moves from one location to the next, my attempt was unsuccessful.

The Springs Cupcake Truck has a website that is meant to keep you up to date of their whereabouts but every time I glance at it, it seems to be a few days behind on the postings. So if you're ever in the Colorado Springs area and stumble across the truck, let me know how it is. It certainly looks promising. Oh well...on to San Francisco!

Summer Travels...Stay Tuned!

2011-05-31T23:05:00.002-05:00

One great thing about being a teacher is having the summer OFF! I will be doing some traveling during my two month long vacay and, needless to say, trying more cupcakes. Stay tuned this summer for postings from the following locations:

Colorado Springs, Colorado
San Francisco, California
Oakland, California
Madison, Wisconsin

AAANNNDDD *fingers crossed* a special trip to Carlos Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey!

Know of a bakery in these cities? I'd love to hear any recommendations!

A Sweet Retreat in Minnesota

2011-05-07T19:30:00.005-05:00

My cupcake travels have recently taken me to Minneapolis, Minnesota! I checked out Edina's Sweet Retreat and was pleasantly surprised. The bakery was cheery and bright with a friendly staff and a tempting selection. The cupcakes were delicious too :)

DC Cupcakes

2011-02-26T11:53:00.004-06:00

Georgetown Cupcakes
(still) The best in DC!
I was a little worried because this little bakery has received a lot of public attention but after seeing a line wrapped around the building, I knew I was in a for a treat. My boyfriend looked at me like I was crazy. He was not thrilled to wait in line for a cupcake but I couldn't have been more excited. Once we got in the door, it was a beautiful sight. The cupcakes were delicately positioned and we selected the Chocolate Ganache and Lemon Blossom. Both cakes were perfectly moist and gently frosted. AMAZING! If you're in DC, you must visit this famous bakery. Highly recommended.

Baked & Wired
Large cupcakes but a bit on the dry side.
This bakery offers much more than cupcakes. It's a cute little coffee shop equip with poetry readings and everything. The cupcakes were displayed in a line across the counter with a variety of intriguing names. I went traditional this time though (the best way to judge!) and I wasn't overly impressed. The cake was a little dry and I didn't feel it was proportional. Baking a larger cupcake does not automatically make it better. Still a nice atmosphere though -- very relaxed.

Austin Cupcakes!

2010-11-18T21:37:00.003-06:00

Hey Cupcake
South Austin's Cupcake Truck
I was super into food trucks on my Austin visit and was happy to find a cupcake truck to add to my adventures. These cupcakes were fluffy and delicious. You have a choice of 5 cakes and frosting combos and can also request a dose of whipped cream inserted into your cupcake. A fun idea indeed!

Cupcakes in the Windy City

2010-11-18T20:59:00.006-06:00

Prior to my Chicago visit, I did some cupcake research. The two cupcakeries I wanted to visit were Molly's and Swirlz. However, I did not map out the locations and wasn't entirely sure how I'd find them on this trip. It seems I was destined to try these cupcakes though because lo and behold I stumbled upon both without even trying!

Molly's Cupcakes

Best decorated bakery -- swings and board games included!
I loved this place. The bakery adorable and there were many cupcakes to choose from. I went with a chocolate chip cupcake and enjoyed every bite. My favorite of the two bakeries bakeries.

Swirlz
In need of AC and slightly overrated?
Although I loved the extra large cupcake poster (see below), my visit was disappointing. It was an excessively warm summer day in Chicago and the AC was not working at this bakery -- being from Florida this is problem number one for me. I decided to try two cupcakes from this bakery because they looked incredibly appealing. If you've read my blog before, you know that I think one of the best ways to judge a bakery is by sampling the red velvet cupcake. It's a traditional cake but very often done incorrectly. I decided to put Swirlz to the test and it did not pass. Sadly, I was not impressed with this bakery and would not plan another visit. Thankfully I found Molly's on this visit.

New Orleans' Best Cupcakes

2010-11-18T20:53:00.002-06:00

These beauties are from a fabulous cupcake joint called Kupcake Factory. They have two locations -- Uptown and The Quarter -- and tons of delicious flavors. I'm into them and have been working hard to get everyone else on board as well. They have the perfect ratio of cake to frosting and rotate flavors throughout the week so every day they have something new. I am in love! BeeSweet Cupcakes is overrated. I'm all about Kupcake Factory these days.

5 Reasons to LOVE Cupcake Carriers

2010-11-18T20:49:00.003-06:00

Reason #1: It can hold 24 cupcakes at once!
Reason #2: The cupcakes aren't touching each other!
Reason #3: The cupcakes are nested in little holders so they icing won't get everywhere!
Reason #4: Portable!
Reason #5: Necessary accessory for serious cupcake lovers!

Cupcake Adventures in Boston

2010-11-18T20:47:00.004-06:00

Sweet
Boston's Filled Cupcakes
One of my favorite things about this bakery was the decor. I loved the window seats and wall paper design. It felt so crisp and clean. The cupcakes were decorated with tall swirls of icing and filled with different jellies. I'm not a huge fan of filled cupcakes but overall I enjoyed my keylime cupcake.

LuLu's Bake Shoppe
The most amazing raspberry frosting I've ever experienced!
It seems this establishment is now closed which is too bad because the raspberry frosting was to die for. I selected a chocolate cake with raspberry frosting and I was thoroughly impressed.

Cupcakes as comfort food?

2010-08-12T07:32:00.002-05:00

Can cupcakes be a source of comfort? Usually when we think of comfort foods, we think of carbs -- a bowl of pasta, a loaf of soft bread, a dish of mac and cheese -- but is it possible to turn to a sweet cupcake for some needed relief?

I am a teacher and found myself reaching for a box of mini cupcakes at the grocery store the day before the new school year started. When I brought them home, my roommate asked if it was someone's birthday. I told her, "No, I just need them". I cannot explain this need other than to say that my bite sized treats seemed necessary to calm my 'first day of school' nerves. Surprisingly enough, I had never viewed cupcakes as a comfort food but after my recent behavior, I have a whole new view on the idea.

What's your go-to comfort food?

Chase Loves Cupcakes

2010-08-04T16:25:00.002-05:00

Even Chase Bank loves cupcakes! Check out their new commercial featuring the bakery "Sweet Revenge". This place is located in NYC and was down the street from where I worked. Not one of my favorites but I do like that they offer beer and wine pairings. I am loving how good I am getting with these cupcake places!

Cupcakes on TV

2010-08-01T16:29:00.006-05:00

Have you noticed the influx of cupcakes on TV? I'm loving it. A few shows in particular have made my favorites list.

Cupcake Wars
This show pits bakers from across the country against each other to battle it out for the best taste and presentation. There are three rounds with the final round being a challenge to create 1,000 cupcakes for a local LA event. I love watching this show because I am starting to recognize different bakeries as well as get inspired for cupcake designs and flavors. It's a reality show competition with a sweet tooth. Cupcake Wars air Tuesday nights at 9PM on The Food Network.

DC Cupcakes

Two sisters in DC crank out cupcakes at a bakery called Georgetown Cupcakes. They've had tremendous success and the show chronicles their desserts and disasters. I actually tried to check out this cupcakery while I was in DC but I arrived just after closing time and missed out. I'm impressed and envious of these ladies for sure and it's certainly a fun show to watch. DC Cupcakes airs Fridays at 10PM on TLC.

Cake Boss
Although not exactly a show about cupcakes, this Italian family creates amazing cakes and plenty of family chaos to go around. Cake Boss airs Mondays at 9PM on TLC.

Back on Track

2010-08-01T16:10:00.002-05:00

"Love, Cupcake", I've missed you.

I'm taking this blog in a slightly new direction. Since I no longer live in New York City, I am unable to continue my big city cupcake adventures. However, each time I've traveled to other cities across our country, I've made a point to check out a few cupcakeries in town. Therefore, I'm going to continue blogging about the cupcakes I encounter throughout the U.S. You can thank Martha Stewart's recent posting on her favorite cupcake bakeries for this burst of inspiration.

Get excited! I'm back!

Best Map Ever!

2010-05-26T08:04:00.000-05:00

I cannot take credit for this but I can show my support of it. This map will lead you to all the wonderful cupcakeries in the city. Enjoy!

View Cupcakes Take the Cake's Guide to NYC Cupcakes in a larger map

New York Rankings

2009-06-27T20:16:00.003-05:00

After months of samplings, I'm ready to reveal my list of top NYC cupcakes. The cupcakes were judged by the quality of the cake, flavors and taste of icing and overall look of the cupcake as a whole. It's been a tough decision for sure as there are so many great cupcakeries in the city but I know I always appreciate recommendations from people so consider this my gift to you.

Final Rankings:
1. Baked
2. Butter Lane
3. Crumbs
4. Amy's Bread
5. Sugar Sweet Sunshine
6. Lux Sugar
7. Out of the Kitchen
8. Eleni's
9. Dessert Club ChikaLicious
10. Martha's Country Bakery
11. Kitchenette
12. Baked by Melissa
13. Tribeca Treats
14. Tonnie's Minis
15. Cupcake Cafe
16. Magnolia
17. Billy's Bakery
18. Buttercup Bake Shop
19. Two Little Red Hens
20. Sweet Revenge

Best Bets:
Best Traditional - Out of the Kitchen
Best Red Velvet - Amy's Bread
Best Selection - Crumbs
Best Cake - Baked
Best Icing - Butter Lane
Best Decor - Martha's Country Bakery
Best Price - Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Closed Cupcakeries:
Amai Tea and Bake House
Batch

Cupcakeries I missed:
Babycakes
How Sweet It Is
Make My Cake

If you haven't tried some of these, go get 'em! Thanks for taking the journey with me!
Love,
Cupcake!

Apologies!!!

2009-06-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

I am seriously behind and I am sorry. In the past 2 weeks I sold my furniture, rented a mini-van, packed up my belongings and moved to New Orleans. And now I'm in Phoenix for 5 weeks. We'll come back to this but please know that I do intend to post my top NYC cupcakeries soon along with my reviews of Tribeca Treats and Kitchenette as I was able to sample them before leaving with a little help from a friend ;)

I will also have a special post about my first New Orleans cupcake experience.

Stay tuned...

Free Mini Cupcakes RIGHT NOW!

2009-06-03T09:03:00.004-05:00

The fancy new cupcake truck is now open for business and giving away FREE MINI CUPCAKES to the first 500 customers. They are located at 5th Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. Get there and let me know how you like it!

A special thanks to Sara for sending in some photos!

Check out CupcakeStop's daily locations here:
Starting Wednesday June 3, 2009:

Day (10am - 5pm):
5th Avenue bet. 13th and 14th Street*

Night (6pm - 10pm):
23rd Street bet. 7th and 8th Avenue*

*these locations are subject to change

New Cupcake Search

2009-06-02T10:06:00.002-05:00

My search for a new kind of cupcake is beginning soon. I am moving to New Orleans this Friday. As excited as I am, that may mean that I won't be able to finish my goal of sampling all the cupcakes in the city! I do intend to blog about my cupcake adventures in The Big Easy but I apologize if I let you down.

Official NYC rankings coming soon!

I'm posting my list below and have bolded the names of those I missed. :(

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House - RIP
Amy's Bread
Babycakes
Baked*
Baked by Melissa
Batch - RIP
Billy's Bakery
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butter Lane Cupcakes
Crumbs
Cupcake Cafe
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Tonnie's Minis
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Another Wine and Cupcakes Event

2009-05-21T21:45:00.002-05:00

Swirl Events and Cupcake Takes the Cake blog presents...

a Wine and Cupcake Tasting!

Mingle with other cupcake and wine lovers as you taste each pairing and debate the merits of red velvet with a spicy Shiraz in hand.

What: Cupcakes from Luxe Sugar paired with wines from around the world

When: June 4th, 7-9 PM

Where: Ave NYC 15 W. 28th St.

How much: $25

Just email info@swirlevents.com for more information.

Kumquat Cupcakery at the Brooklyn Flea

2009-05-18T15:35:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend my sister and I stopped by the Brooklyn Flea. I've been wanting to go for a while now and although the weather wasn't perfect, we came across some great finds. One of which was mini cupcakes from Kumquat Cupcakery.

Located in Fort Greene, the Brooklyn Flea features a variety of vendors selling everything from vintage clothing to bracelets made from old records. Kumquat Cupcakery also had a table with 3 different mini cupcakes to choose from ($1 each). Emily and I both selected the red velvet cupcakes and while they were gone in 2 bites, we loved them!

Kumquat specializes in catering mini cupcakes and offers a variety of flavors. It seems like they rotate their selection each week at the Flea which is great news because there are so many I'd like to try. Check them out!

NYC's First Cupcake Truck!!

2009-05-18T15:14:00.003-05:00

All I have to say is, "It's about time!!"

Introducing CupcakeStop:

It’s a well known fact that New Yorkers are always on the go.

At CupcakeStop, we believe that despite this, everyone deserves to indulge themselves with a gourmet snack. That’s why we decided to take our delectable cupcakes, baked fresh daily from the highest quality ingredients, and load them onto New York’s first mobile cupcake shoppe.

The CupcakeStop Truck offers a convenient way for even the busiest and discerning New Yorkers to enjoy a delicious cupcake.

Locations are still TBD but they have quite an impressive array of flavors (triple chocolate, oreo crumb, chocolate peanut butter swirl, mint chocolate chip, coconut cream, banana pudding and more) and will be operating from 10AM to midnight.

CupcakeStop begins June 3rd. Can't wait!!

Gingerbread Cupcakes

2009-05-13T11:37:00.003-05:00

From Martha Stewart Living

Use large cupcake papers and two jumbo muffin tins to bake these cupcakes. They are glazed with either a chocolate or butter glaze and then piped with meringue buttercream.

Ingredients

Makes 10

2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulphered molasses
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 recipe Butter Glaze
1 recipe Chocolate Glaze
1 recipe Meringue Buttercream

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10 jumbo muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light. Beat in the brown sugar until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in the eggs.
Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Cupcake Variety at Magnolia?

2009-05-13T11:09:00.003-05:00

I stopped in a Magnolia Bakery the other night (my sister was in town and wanted to try a cupcake) and noticed something rather peculiar. The bakery had a variety of cupcakes available for individual purchase!!!

I've often found that the only options available were the vanilla and chocolate (and once in a while red velvet), but lo and behold, they had a caramel cupcake and a devils food cupcake. Imagine my amazement!

Has anyone ever tried these other flavors? I wasn't feeling too adventurous that night as I had my heart set on a red velvet but if I come across them again, I will definitely give it a try. All hope is not lost, Magnolia!

Butter Lane Cupcakes

2009-05-06T12:15:00.004-05:00

Last night James and I made our way over to Butter Lane (after dinner at Moes for Cinco de Mayo, of course!) to grab some cupcakes. Since I didn't make it to their Cupcakes and Champagne event last week, they've been on my mind as a place to try. The bakery is a cute little space in the East Village with a giant chalkboard full of cupcakes and icing flavors to choose from. James decided on one much like the photo above and I selected the chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting.

I was quite impressed by the wide array of flavors including raspberry, blueberry, french vanilla, pineapple, and more! It looks like they're constantly updating and changing their selection too. I loved the idea that you could basically create your own (first choose your cake, then choose your frosting!) rather than only have the option to choose from a case of cupcakes and flavors in front of you.

As for the cupcake, the cake itself was moist but slightly crumbly, a personal pet peeve, and the icing was delicious. Ever since my Boston trip, I've been very interested in raspberry icing so I was pleased to find this option available at Butter Lane. This was a great cupcake and I look forward to trying many more cake and icing combinations. And James seemed to really enjoy his too! :)

THE JOURNEY:
~~Amai Tea and Bake House~~ RIP
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Baked*
~~Baked by Melissa~~
~~Batch~~ RIP
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
~~Butter Lane Cupcakes~~
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Dessert Club ChikaLicious~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
~~Sugar Sweet Sunshine~~
~~Sweet Revenge~~
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
~~Two Little Red Hens~~

*Borough bakeries

Mini Tiered Cupcakes

2009-05-01T13:03:00.003-05:00

How great is this?!? Cupcakes that look like mini tiered cakes. I love it!

I found some for purchase on Amazon. Slightly different cake pan - they make 6 rather than 4 - and at a great price of $14.49.

Ice Cream + Cupcakes Contest

2009-05-01T12:36:00.009-05:00

Another bake-off! This time involving two of the best desserts in town -- ice cream AND cupcakes!
Check out the official rules and prizes here. I'm including a few of my favorites from last year's entries below. Good luck!

Coconut and Lime's Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Cooking in Cleveland's Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream Cupcakes

Beantown Baker's Cookie Dough Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes

Dr. Pepper Cupcakes

2009-04-29T12:29:00.005-05:00

Cupcake Ingredients:
1/2 c. cocoa
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c. butter
5 eggs
1 c. Dr. Pepper
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Baking Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Add all dry ingredients together and set aside.
Beat the butter, add sugars then add eggs beating after each one, add vanilla.
Alternately add dry ingredients and Dr. Pepper to the cream mixture.
Bake for 18 minutes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (or more depending on the strength you want)

Icing Directions:
Cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla together. Slowly add the powdered sugar and cinnamon.

When cupcakes have cooled, frost with icing and enjoy your Dr. Pepper cupcakes.

[Posted by The Cupcake Chair]
VOTE for this cupcake as part of the Iron Cupcake: Earth's Soda Pop Challenge.

Cupcake Baking Contest

2009-04-29T12:19:00.003-05:00

Each month Iron Cupcake: Earth hosts a cupcake challenge across the globe and they're recently posted the following details for their May bake-off.

The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for May is SAVORY!
Have you ever looked at your favorite food and thought, I wonder how that would work as a cupcake? Now is your chance to really test your wild side with the MAY 2009 challenge - SAVORY CUPCAKES. Whatever you make...IT MUST LOOK LIKE A CUPCAKE. This is a cupcake competition, so it should be cake-based, however...creative interpretations will be accepted.

FINAL POSTING DAY is SUNDAY, May 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

Full contest details can be found at Iron Cupcake: Earth. Good luck!

Cupcakes and Champagne

2009-04-27T22:52:00.006-05:00

This Wednesday evening Butter Lane is hosting a special FREE event. The details are below (courtesy of Cupcakes Take the Cake).

Wednesday, April 29th
7:30 - 9 PM
Learn to Frost! Meet the Owners!
Free champagne, samples, and icing demonstration

About Butter Lane
Butter Lane opened in the East Village this past November and is devoted to making you the perfect cupcake. With a focus on pure ingredients like real vanilla bean, pure cocoa, and dark chocolate — along with locally sourced dairy ingredients — we hope to give foodies something to sink their teeth into besides straight sugar (although we'll have some of that too).

Blackberries are in season

2009-04-27T17:54:00.003-05:00

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream
From Sarah Howard of Creative Loafing:

Cupcakes have been hip and trendy on the food scene for quite some time now, and have taken over specialty bake shops which produce them in every flavor imaginable. From simple chocolate to lemon, coconut and red velvet, these indulgences are one of the biggest crowd pleasers you can bring to celebrate special occasions, or surprise an office full of hungry co-workers. This particular variety was inspired by an especially gorgeous batch of plump blackberries that I stumbled upon, along with yet another workplace baking commitment.

When it comes to creating the perfect cupcake, simplicity is best. I like to make a basic vanilla cake that can be paired with a variety of frostings and toppings depending on your mood, and will be subtle enough in flavor to carry an extra rich buttercream. The cake featured here calls for whole eggs along with an equal ratio of egg whites to keep it light and fluffy and maintain the pure color. The use of the vanilla bean makes a big difference in the fragrance and overall taste of the cake as well, so go ahead and splurge in the spice aisle. After you’re done scraping out the tiny seeds, throw the pod into a mason jar with baker’s sugar, keep it in the cupboard and use the vanilla-infused sweetness to add an extra dimension to your recipes.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

3 cups baker’s (superfine) sugar
3 eggs
3 egg whites
3 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
3 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanillla bean

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs/whites together until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture, milk, oil, and vanilla to the eggs. Split the vanilla bean from end to end and scrape the seeds out with a knife. Add to the mix and incorporate the ingredients together slowly, just until the batter is smooth. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely while preparing the frosting.

Blackberry Buttercream

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
5 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup seedless blackberry preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the butter and cream cheese in a mixer bowl and whip together until creamy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. When combined, add the blackberry preserves and the vanilla and mix well. Can be held in the refrigerator overnight and re-whipped prior to frosting the cupcakes.

Makes 3 dozen frosted cupcakes.

I Take It Back!!!

2009-04-27T17:39:00.003-05:00

Dear Amy's Bread,

I'm sorry for the things I said about you. I was wrong. I take it back. Your cupcakes, or at least the Red Velvets, are delish. Thank you for a pleasant afternoon treat.

With Love,
Ali

* * *

I decided to try a cupcake from Amy's Bread again....I don't know what they did last time but this cupcake today was delish!

I choose the Red Velvet cupcake and thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe the one that I had many months ago were special cupcakes (remember it was for a charity?) and not their regular batch? Or maybe they read my blog and changed their recipe? Ha! That MUST be it.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine

2009-04-25T11:45:00.007-05:00

The long awaited decision on Sugar Sweet Sunshine is finally here! This bakery is one of the most talked about in the city. If you were to stop a random New Yorker on the street and ask them what their favorite cupcake was, it is likely they would say one of three bakeries: Crumbs, Magnolia, or Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Although it is not as much of a heated debate as the division between Crumbs and Magnolia lovers, it is certainly on a lot of people's lists as the best bakery in the city. So now I am throwing my two cents into the mixture.

Let me first say that cupcakes for a $1.50 is a sugary sweet deal indeed. Prices that low would bring a smile to anyone's face.

For this tasting I tried the Ooey Gooey (chocolate cake with chocolate almond buttercream) and the Bob (yellow cake with chocolate almond buttercream). The almond buttercream certainly makes for a new and unique flavor and it stood out to me a great deal more on the yellow cake.

Both cupcakes had traveled a great distance in paper bag before being devored and I was pleased to find that the cake itself was still fluffy and moist. But when compared to each other I have to say that I liked the Bob cupcake better. The buttercream wasn't too sweet (unlike Magnolia, Buttercup, and Billy's which are waaaaayyy too sweet) and the almond flavoring gave it a nice new ring to a traditional cake. The Ooey Gooey however seemed like any other chocolate cupcake. It really wasn't anything special. And with a name like Ooey Gooey I was expecting it to be rich in chocolately goodness but it just felt plain. The almond buttercream seemed lost among the chocolate. It stood out on the yellow cake but I could barely taste it with the chocolate.

I would never turn down a cupcake from this bakery and I would certainly stop in there again but is it my absolute number one cupcakery? Unfortunately not. Baked still reigns supreme in my heart!

THE JOURNEY:
~~Amai Tea and Bake House~~ RIP
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Baked*
~~Baked by Melissa~~
~~Batch~~ RIP
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Dessert Club ChikaLicious~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
~~Sugar Sweet Sunshine~~
~~Sweet Revenge~~
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
~~Two Little Red Hens~~

*Borough bakeries

Cupcakes at Cold Stone Creamery

2009-04-24T11:56:00.002-05:00

While these may not be your traditional cupcakes, they are certainly worth talking about. I recently purchased a 6-pack of the Cake Batter Delux cupcakes from Cold Stone and let me be the first to tell you, they are fantastic!

The ice cream cupcake is comprised of a chocolate cup filled with red velvet cake, fudge and cake batter ice cream (my personal fave) and topped with a pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles! Wow! They are heavenly. James and I have had constant cravings for them ever since. We were like children with a limited vocabulary. The only thing we could say was "These are sooooo good!".

They also have a Sweet Cream cupcake and a Double Chocolate Devotion (topped with an Oreo cookie). The cupcakes are new at Cold Stone though so hopefully they'll stick around so I can try the others. For all you ice cream cake lovers, this may be the perfect treat!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2009-04-22T13:11:00.004-05:00

It is a cold and rainy day here in NYC but I am busy day-dreaming about the warm summer months and refreshing sweets to eat. As I stumbled across this Lemon Meringue Cupcake recipe, I thought to myself, 'What could be better?'. And I decided it was only fair to share...

This recipe is from my girl Rachael Ray.
Fun Fact: My dad likes to call me Rachael because I am so fond of her meals. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 2/3 cups sugar, plus more for decorating

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel, plus thin strips of peel for garnish

2 large eggs plus 4 egg whites, at room temperature

One 10- to 12-ounce jar lemon curd

Directions:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line mini-muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup sugar and the lemon peel and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides between additions. On low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, then a third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, alternating ingredients, until the batter is smooth.

3. Spoon the batter into each liner, about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

4. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the egg whites. Place over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl, and heat just until the sugar dissolves, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.

5. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd over each cupcake and dollop the meringue on top. Toss the lemon peel strips in sugar to coat, and place one on each cupcake.

Black and White Cupcakes

2009-04-20T22:34:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite signature New York eats is the black and white cookie. When made correctly, they are essentially flat pieces of cake with vanilla and chocolate icing on top. Delicious!

This recipe from Bon Appetit is black and white cookie meets cupcake and it looks like it will be a very tasty endeavor. Hello Black and White Cupcakes!

Ingredients

Chocolate icing:
* 1/4 cup whipping cream
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

White icing:
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 2 tablespoons whipping cream
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cupcakes:
* 3 large eggs, room temperature
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
* 1 1/2 cups cake flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/3 cup buttermilk

Preparation

For chocolate icing:
Bring cream and corn syrup just to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; whisk until melted and smooth.

For white icing:
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend. Let both icings stand 1 1/2 hours at room temperature to thicken.

For cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. Mix cake flour, baking powder, and salt in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually beat in egg mixture. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each.

Divide batter among cups. Bake until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.

Spread chocolate icing over half of each cupcake. Spread white icing on second half of each cupcake. Let stand until set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)

Amai Tea & Bake House Closing!!

2009-04-18T15:19:00.003-05:00

Just read this on Serious Eats:

Amai Tea & Bake House is sadly saying goodbye this weekend. Stop by for a $1 cupcake (peanut butter, chocolate, green tea, and whatever else pops out of the oven) all weekend until 6 p.m. closing on Sunday. 171 Third Avenue (b/n 16 and 17th Street) 212-863-9630

Here's the announcement from the Amai:

We are sad to say that Amai will be closing. Sunday, April 19th will be our last day. Please stop by to say hello and enjoy some farewell specials. Thank you to all of our wonderful customers. We will miss you and will keep you posted on where we end up!

Gotta get there...they're on my list! This is the second bakery on my list to close (see Batch) recently. Times are tough, even for cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

2009-04-16T14:55:00.003-05:00

How awesome do these look? I found this recipe on Bakerella and can't wait to make them! They look so simple and so delicious. The recipe calls for a box of red velvet cake mix but I haven't been able to find this in stores. However, you can really use any type of cake or, better yet, make it from scratch!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Ingredients:
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

Directions:
1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Tip: Only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.

Baked By Melissa

2009-04-15T10:20:00.003-05:00

A co-worker introduced me to these little cuties a few months ago. They are bite sized cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. My coworker is friends with Melissa so she sent us a box of cupcakes to try for free. At this time she was still baking all her orders in her apartment kitchen -- can you imagine the mess?! -- but nowadays she sells her treats out of a storefront on Broadway and Spring.

The idea is simple and brilliant. Everyone loves cupcakes but, women especially, hates the guilt of craving and eating more. So Melissa decided to make mini cupcakes that are about the size of a quarter so you can snack almost guilt free! Of course, this idea only went so far with me. The only thing a bite sized cupcake tells me is that I can eat all of them because they're so tiny. And so I did. I tried 6 of the 7 flavors (the peanut butter and jelly didn't sound appetizing to me) and they were all delicious. They were perfectly moist and had a great burst of flavor for such a little cake.

Baked by Melissa offers the following flavors: Cookie Dough, Red Velvet, Cookies and Cream, S'mores, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Peanut Butter Cup, and Tie-Dye. The minimum order quantity is 100 but I think you can buy packages of 6 if you stop by the store. I'm not sure how reasonable her prices are but even if you don't buy, they're great to window browse as well!

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Baked*
~~Baked by Melissa~~
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Dessert Club ChikaLicious~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
~~Sweet Revenge~~
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
~~Two Little Red Hens~~

*Borough bakeries

Dessert Club Chikalicious

2009-04-14T22:41:00.004-05:00

Thanks to NY Mag's recent article on the New York cupcake scene, I decided to bump Dessert Club Chikalicious to the top of my list of places to try. The NY Mag article had these cupcakes in the number one spot and while I can say they were delicious, I don't think I can rank them above my current fave, Baked. Here's why:

I tried the caramel cupcake (left) and the s'mores cupcake (right) for $2.25 each. I enjoyed the caramel more than the s'mores which actually surprised me because I had imagined it would have been the other way around.

The caramel cupcake was moist, the icing was soft and frothy, and there was some caramel in the center. My roommate asked me if I was okay with the filling (see previous post) and I said I could make an exception for this one. I think the filling really added something to the cake because honestly without it you wouldn't know it was caramel.

On the other hand, the s'mores cupcake consisted of a moist graham cracker-like cake with a slightly charred marshmallow topping and a chocolate filling in the center. This time the filling wasn't as welcomed. It was almost as if the baker had stuffed a solid piece of chocolate into the center and left it there. It just didn't fit in well for me. I think the concept was there and you could tell what type of cake it was without the filling (unlike the caramel) but the chocolate made it less enjoyable. I had my roommate sample some and she agreed with this point too.

All in all, they made a pretty delicious caramel cupcake and a decent s'mores but is it the best? I don't think so but maybe you should be the judge for yourself. I still have Baked in the number one slot because of the two cupcakes that I've tried thus far I have LOVED both. Unfortunately I can't say the same for Dessert Club Chikalicious. Sorry S'mores! We can still be friends.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Baked*
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Dessert Club ChikaLicious~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
~~Sweet Revenge~~
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
~~Two Little Red Hens~~

*Borough bakeries

April Fools Cakes

2009-04-13T22:33:00.010-05:00

A few days late but better late than never, right?

Can you tell which of the following images are actually cupcakes?

Spaghetti anyone?

Mmm! Mashed potatoes and gravy.

Itza Pizza Pie?!?!

Summer corn on the cob...

If you guessed that they are all cupcakes -- you're right! Pretty good though, huh? I think some of these would certainly make my mind play tricks on me. I'd be about to bite into the corn on the cob cupcake and my brain would be thinking that I'm going to taste corn but then it's a sweet cupcake instead! I love these.

Oh, and one other new favorite. This is a unique new flavor that isn't for the faint of heart.

Who is up for the spinach flavored frosting garnished with sardines?

Ha! This prank-cake actually fooled the cupcake blogger over at Cupcakes Take the Cake. It took me a few minutes of starring myself but I just couldn't believe that anyone in their right mind would actually put these two ingredients on a sweet little cake.

Happy April. Bring on SPRING!!

Stealing My Cupcake Thunder...

2009-04-13T16:21:00.004-05:00

A friend sent me the link to the following article over the weekend.

"Gramercy Tavern’s Nancy Olson Rates New York’s Cupcakes"

So this Nancy thinks she can steal my cupcake thunder?! Ha! When I am on the Food Network traveling the country and sampling cupcakes, we'll see who has the last laugh! :)

Although Nancy missed a few of bakeries (CRUMBS!?!) on my list she hit up the more popular joints (except CRUMBS!?!?) and seems to have some similar thoughts on the popular treats. Check out her New York Magazine feature and let me know what you think.

Here's a breakdown of her final list:
#15 Babycakes
#14 Tonnie's Minis
#13 Buttercup Bake Shop
#12 Butterlane
#11 Billy's Bakery
#10 Sugar Sweet Sunshine
#9 Cupcake Cafe
#8 Sweet Revenge
#7 Magnolia
#6 Baked
#5 Two Little Red Hens
#4 One Girl Cookies
#3 Kyotofu
#2 Batch
#1 Dessert Club, Chikalicious

I have some issues with the rankings but you will just have to wait and see how everything stacks up once I'm done with the full journey. Looks like I still have some more tasting to do!

Read the full article here.

Points for Cuteness!

2009-04-07T15:53:00.002-05:00

As much as I dislike Magnolia, look how cute they've packaged their cupcakes for Easter!

These are available for $20 at each Magnolia location. That is, if you like that sort of thing...ha

Two Little Red Hens

2009-04-07T14:22:00.005-05:00

My roommate spoiled me by picking up this baby the other night. I think it is (appropriately) called the "Death By Chocolate" cupcake from Two Little Red Hens. It is difficult to see the actual size of this cupcake via the photo above, but let me just say it should just be called CAKE! It was so ginormous and so heavy that if it weren't in the traditional cupcake shape, you would undoubtedly call it a piece of cake.

I read a critique of the above "cake" and one of the things this taster didn't like was the icing but that was my favorite part! The critic said that the icing was too thick but I thought it was appropriate for the size and type of cake it was. I had to eat it a day after receiving because I had already ate a few cupcakes that day (trying to behave) and the cake was still moist. My one complaint, aside from the size and $4 price tag, was that it had a chocolate pudding filling. Honestly I am getting tired of this filling nonsense. I bought a cupcake, not pudding! I want to eat the cake, not some surprise filling inside, you know? Sigh. And it only seems like this trend is picking up. I am already over it.

All in all, the "cake" was very good but I can't say it was good enough to warrant a second visit. I'll keep Baked at the top of my favorites list as they serve true, delicious cupcakes at a very reasonable $1.75 price. :)

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Baked*
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
~~Sweet Revenge~~
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
~~Two Little Red Hens~~

*Borough bakeries

Spring Strawberries

2009-04-06T14:04:00.006-05:00

It's strawberry season! Strawberries are by far my favorite fruit, so as you can imagine, strawberry cupcakes are always a favorite too. Here's a recipe to bring out the spring baker in you!

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes
Sprinkles is a famous LA-based bakery that features of variety of cupcake flavors. This recipe for their strawberry cupcake comes from Martha Stewart's website.

Ingredients

Makes 1 dozen

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Baked Goodness

2009-04-04T21:58:00.004-05:00

James and I just made a special visit to the real Baked in Red Hook this evening -- it is quickly becoming my favorite cupcakery. I had the red hot red velvet this time and it was delicious. I really can't say anything bad about this place. The icing is so fluffy and creamy and the cupcake is perfect. James tried the oatmeal raisin cookie and said it was the best he'd ever had. :)

Red Hook is a little out of the way but if you are making the trek to Ikea it is very close by. I definitely suggest stopping in if you are in the neighborhood. You won't be disappointed.

And don't forget, Royale Cafe in the city sells Baked goodies as well.

Sweet Revenge

2009-04-03T10:22:00.003-05:00

Another cupcake in the (work) neighborhood. Sweet Revenge is not your typical bakery. While they push their cupcakes as one of their signature treats, they offer a bunch of other foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have yet to try anything other than their cupcakes but the place is pretty cute and the food sounds appetizing.

So let's get into it. The cupcakes are somewhat unusual looking, particularly the frosting, and they remind me of the iconic Sydney Opera House. Strange, I know. I've tried a few of their "signature cupcakes" including the Pure (vanilla), Dirty (chocolate), and Crimson & Cream (red velvet). And while I enjoyed each there's just something about them that is...interesting. I'm not sure if that's the right word. But the cakes are moist and the icing is plentiful. I'm interested in trying some of their "special of the day" cakes too.

I guess it's not a bakery that I crave but I can't really complain about it either. They are good - just not great. I give them points for creativity though for sure!

Sweet Revenge also offers frosting shots and cupcake wine and beer pairings. Very unique. I like!

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
~~Sweet Revenge~~
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Trendy Fillings

2009-03-26T17:09:00.005-05:00

Recently I've noticed a lot more bakeries are trying to add a little extra pizazz to their cupcakes. Anyone can make a cupcake but can you make one with a surprise filling inside? That is the question!

It seems to be a trend lately. I've come across a lot more cakes with fillings such as jelly, pie filling, cream, other cakes, and cookies. Seeing and tasting these gets me thinking about how I would make such a surprise. I've researched a few suggestions online, including cutting off a piece of the top after baking, scooping out a little of the middle, and filling it up, but I hate the idea of carving out cake after it's baked.

Then the other day I came across this posting. It is actually a review of a cake mix but the photos demonstrate exactly how to get chocolate chip cookie dough inside a vanilla cupcake. And while it isn't a glowing review of the mix itself, I would say I like where they were going with this...

The secret! (my ah-ha moment)

Beautifully baked.

Cupcakes and cookies. Sign me up!

Starbucks (had) Cupcakes

2009-03-26T12:27:00.007-05:00

Since these are no longer for sale, I will make it brief.

Around Valentines' Day, Starbucks rolled out 3 new cupcakes - chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet. The idea was to inspire orders for V-Day as they were packaging and selling these little delights for your special someone. But I decided that all this really meant was that I needed to taste their cupcakes!

I didn't get to try all three - this man took 2 vanillas and there was only 1 chocolate left (long story) - but I did devour 2 of the 3. The chocolate, as extremely chocolately as it looks, tasted a little too much like a brownie. I ordered a cupcake though so I wanted a cupcake. I did not like this. But the red velvet was fantastic. The cake was spongey and moist with a nice dollop of cream cheese frosting and cake crumbs on top. I enjoyed this one and if they ever come back around for sale, I recommend it!

Hopefully they'll be back. I want to try the vanilla one!!

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
~~Starbucks~~ (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Cupcake Camp: NYC

2009-03-24T22:20:00.003-05:00

Cupcake Camp is coming to New York City! Get excited!!!!

No idea what I'm talking about? I've put together some FAQs to help....You're welcome. :)

What the heck is Cupcake Camp? Designed for the cupcake lovers in all of us, Cupcake Camp is an event that brings together bakers and tasters. Bring a batch to share, volunteer to help, or just come and eat all the cakes for FREE.

When is it happening? Friday, April 10th from 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Where are these free cupcakes? Happy Ending Lounge - 302 Broome Street (b/t Forsyth and Eldridge)

How do I get tickets? RSVP your attendance, if you'll bring cupcakes and/or if you'd like to volunteer at cupcakecampnyc@gmail.com

Is it only in NYC? This event is but there are other Cupcake Camps being organized worldwide! Check out the cupcakecamp.org for more details.

Where can I find out more about the NYC one? Visit the official site at http://cupcakecampnyc.blogspot.com

Baked!

2009-03-24T21:39:00.003-05:00

Oh. My. Gosh.

Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! Okay, maybe I'm getting a little too excited but I have to share. I just tried one of the Baked cupcakes (available in Red Hook, Brooklyn and at Royale Cafe in the city) and it was wonderful!!

I stopped by Royale Cafe and Pastry to try one of these cupcakes because Red Hook is a little much for me. Royale is a cute little corner bakery filled with Baked treats and their own sandwiches and salads. They offer all the traditional goodies including cookies, brownies, cakes, and of course, cupcakes.

There were lots of flavors to choose as each of Baked's signature cakes are also crafted into smaller sized cupcakes so it was a tough decision. After hearing about the selection I decided on the Oreo cookie cake which was chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream frosting, and sprinkled with oreo cookie crumble on top. Now, if you've read some of my previous entries, you will know that I typically do not like crumbly cupcakes and I'm getting a little tired of the same old a little too sweet buttercreams this city offers BUT this was an exception. The chocolate cake basically split in two but it was so tasty that I just didn't care. And the buttercream wasn't that usual grainy sugary icing but it was smooth and creamy and delicious. Wow! I may have found a new favorite. And for $2/cake I will need to sample many more flavors. Definitely stop here! So so so great!!

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
~~Royale Cafe and Pastry~~ (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Flavor of the Month

2009-03-24T16:21:00.004-05:00

Recently I've been all about the lemon. Lemon zest, lemon filling, lemon girl scout cookies, lemon cupcakes...

I'm not sure what it is. Maybe the anticipation of spring? Are lemons even a spring time fruit?

Either way, I came across the following lemony cupcake recipes from Martha Stewart and thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
[Recipe]

Glazed Lemon Cakes
[Recipe]
So these are more like muffins but I'm okay with that!

Martha's Country Bakery

2009-03-24T12:08:00.004-05:00

Ah Astoria. Such a great little neighborhood. Astoria is where I currently reside and is probably best known for its variety of good eats! And, as you can imagine, I found the perfect little bakery.

It's called Martha's Country Bakery and it is quite lovely. The bakery has a warm, homey vibe to it and is a nice break from the big city living. This bakery will impress you. The cases of desserts look gorgeous and almost too good to be true. In addition to their large bakery selection (including yummy cupcakes!), they also have a coffee/espresso bar to enjoy.

I brought my Mom there when she came up for a visit last October. We sat at one of their outside tables and ordered their croissants, coffee and cupcakes. We were both very pleased. I selected the classic red velvet cupcake and Mom went with the chocolate cupcake with fondant icing. The red velvet was the perfect size and taste to satisfy this cupcake lovers palate. I know Mom enjoyed her as well.

If you are ever in the neighborhood, definitely make it a point to stop at Martha's. You won't regret it. Promise!

Note: Remove paper wrapping before enjoying.

Mom and her pretty little cupcake. It's hard to make out but there is a lovely little fondant flower on top.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Out of the Kitchen

2009-03-23T17:45:00.007-05:00

Out of the Kitchen is by far one of my city favorites - at least for the traditional cupcakes. They don't have a wide variety (a la Crumbs) but they do have delicious chocolate, vanilla and red velvet cupcakes with the most wonderful frosting. The restaurant offers salads and sandwiches in addition to their sweet treats, but it is their cupcakes that keeps me coming back for more. And they are located near my office; very dangerous.

If you haven't tried one of these babies, I would say it's a MUST-HAVE. And at only $2.25 you can't go wrong!

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
~~Out of the Kitchen~~
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

P.S. I want to steal this sign...

Car Bomb Cupcakes: Party Responsibly

2009-03-23T17:35:00.003-05:00

This recipe was sent to me by a friend but can also be found online here.

While the Guinness in the cake gets mostly baked out, the Baileys is fresh and potent, so if you’re making this for people who don’t drink — ahem, nobody I know, but I hear such people exist — you’ll probably want to swap it with milk.

The Baileys frosting recipe makes a smallish amount of frosting — enough to just cover the cupcakes. Because they were so rich and this frosting so sweet, I felt it only needed a little. Double it if you want more of a towering effect.

Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling (Updated to double it, based on many commenters suggestions — thanks!)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (see Recipe Notes)
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes. [I used a star tip and made little "poofs" everywhere and sprinkled it with various colors of sanding sugar to keep it looking festive for New Years. I bet shaved dark and white chocolates would look gorgeous as well.]

Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

2009-03-23T17:31:00.004-05:00

Allison and I saw this on Food Network's Barefoot Contessa the other day and it looks SO EASY! And the recipe only yields 12 cupcakes rather than 24+. Perfect!

Ingredients

1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 (16-ounce) can Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

For the ganache:

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and coffee granules and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the muffin pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache. Do not refrigerate.

Batch is closing!!

2009-03-20T21:33:00.007-05:00

I read today that Batch will be closing soon. It is one of the bakeries still left on my list so I knew I had to get there ASAP. So I grabbed a friend and rushed over there to try a cupcake (it was close by). I purchased a Lemon Cake and my lovely friend, Lindsey, decided on the Dragon Devil's Food. There certainly were a lot of intriguing flavors to be had including Green Tea, Carrot Salted Caramel, and one with bacon bits sprinkled on top!

My lemon cupcake was very tasty. The cake itself was lemon and so was the icing. It also had lemon zest on top and a lemon filling in the middle. I love me some lemon but the lemon filling was a little much. I could have done without that. Lindsey's cupcake was very pretty with its edible glitter but I have yet to hear her review. I'll keep you posted.
Update: She loved it!

I'm sad to see this place go. It's very convenient from work, although that can be dangerous, and it smells wonderful when you step inside. Lindsey kept trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. It was everything! They had a large case of cupcakes but also showcased some delicious looking cookies and brownies as well.

The article didn't specify when Batch would be shutting its doors and there weren't any signs about it up in the store but the article did mention that they have plans for a bigger and better Batch in the future. Can't wait to see what new flavors they roll out. I think I want a Vanilla Bean next time.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
~~Batch~~
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Easter Cupcakes

2009-03-19T15:17:00.006-05:00

Easter is almost here and I've found some cute, simple cupcake ideas for the special holiday. Enjoy! :)

Vanilla icing with food color dyed coconut shavings and a few jellybeans create a nest.

Bunny peeps, dyed green icing, jelly beans and a twizzler create a cute little Easter basket.

Tick-tacks or maybe white chocolate covered raisins for the ears, twizzlers for the whiskers (the pull apart ones), a red hot for the nose, and pink dots for the eyes make a sweet little baby bunny!

Buttercup Bake Shop

2009-03-19T10:43:00.003-05:00

I was bad yesterday...I had TWO cupcakes in ONE day. But this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I had already made plans to venture over to Tonnie's Minis and grab a cake but when I returned to the office, I found a co-worker sharing her box of Buttercup Bake Shop cakes. It was a FREE cupcake and one that was on my list of places to try. How could I refuse? I'm embarrassed...

I have to say though, Tonnie's was better. These were, how you say? Meh. I was totally unimpressed. The buttercream was very sweet and the cupcakes were dry and crumbly. Not so great. I tried a chocolate cake with blue buttercream on top. It was pretty but not so fantastic. My cake was next to a cake with marshmellow frosting and a little rubbed off onto mine - that was tasty - so maybe, if there is a next time, I'll try that. But all in all I wasn't so thrilled with them. Needs improvement.

I do approve of their slogan though, "Life is uncertain, eat dessert first." LOVE! James will tell you, I say this myself. :)

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
~~Buttercup Bake Shop~~
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

2009-03-18T14:58:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

Reduced coconut milk (makes the cakes moist!):

2 13-to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk* (preferably organic)

Cupcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature

Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)

Preparation

For reduced coconut milk:
Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to mediumlow; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

For cupcakes:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.

Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

* Available at many supermarkets and at Indian, Southeast Asian, and Latin markets.

Recipe posted on Epicurious. Published in Bon Appetit by Abigail Johnson Dodge. April 2009.

Tonnie's Minis

2009-03-18T14:18:00.004-05:00

Tucked into a busy street in the West Village, Tonnie's Minis is worth a visit! I tried one of their cupcakes today and was delighted with it. Tonnie's offers smaller cupcakes of various flavors including traditional, death by chocolate, strawberry, lemon, red velvet and a few others. I decided to purchase a special cupcake called "Golden Heart" which was described to me as a yellow cake with red velvet cake inside. Sounds like a good combo, huh? Although the cupcake itself and cream cheese frosting was great, the red velvet wasn't really 'inside' as I was expecting. It was more on top...but nonetheless, very good.

The cupcake case housed just the "California" sized cakes. According to their menu though, they also offer "Hollywood" cakes, their version of the grand cupcake offered to real cupcake connoisseurs. Where was this? I am a real cupcake connoisseur! They also have the true minis, little bite-sized cakes (which is what I was expecting all of them to be) available by pre-order only. I spotted some in the back though -- they were so cute!

Tonnie's Minis may not be the nicest or most inviting shop in the city but they certainly have a case for a really great cupcake and at a great price too!

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Kitchenette
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
~~Tonnie's Minis~~
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Beantown Bakes!

2009-03-17T10:18:00.006-05:00

James and I recently took our first trip to Boston and I made it a point to find a few local bakeries to sample. Here's what we found:

Lulu's Bake Shoppe
This little bakery is located on Hanover Street in the North End. The employee working there was a little strange and didn't seem like she wanted to make a sale and the case wasn't as well stocked as I would have liked but the cupcake certainly made up for it!

Me and my chocolate cupcake with raspberry icing. It was amazing!
I need to find a recipe for this icing...

Sweet
This bakery was like walking into a dream. The store was bright and clean and the cupcakes had a glow to them that made them even more appetizing. It was hard to select just one here.

I decided on the Key Lime cupcake and was pleasantly surprised to find some key lime pie type filling inside. James tried the Bananas Foster. I think I actually liked his a little better. All in all, it was a great bakery and I highly recommend it! I'll be back, Sweet!

Strawberry-Lime Stuffed Cupcakes

2009-03-17T10:11:00.005-05:00

How lovely is this? I found a recipe for these cupcakes on Food Network. My list of things to bake is certainly getting long...

Strawberry-Lime Stuffed Cupcakes

From Food Network Kitchens

Prep Time: 25 min

Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 30 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 jumbo cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Icing:

1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

1 drop green food coloring

6 large ripe strawberries, hulled
Green sanding sugar
Fresh mint leaves or candied leaves

Equipment: 6-cup jumbo muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely.

For icing: Mix the confectioners' sugar and lime zest in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and mix with an electric mixer to make a firm but pourable icing. (If needed, add up to 1 teaspoon more juice, but take care if the icing is too loose it doesn't set properly.) Add food color to make a pale pastel green icing.

To assemble: Remove cupcake from its liner. Cut and remove a strawberry (coned) shaped portion of cupcake from the top of each cupcake, leaving about 1/2 to 1-inch of cake in the bottom. Stuff each cake with a strawberry and cover with a little bit of cake. Spoon and spread icing over the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with green sanding sugar. Top with small mint leaves or candied leaves.

Add it to the list!

2009-03-16T16:57:00.004-05:00

Found another cupcakery! Well, sort of. It's a little place called Kitchenette and it has a variety of foods on the menu. Among them though are these fabulous looking little cakes.

I'd say that's enough to pique my interest. How about you? Their menu looks pretty tasty too.

Kitchenette
Two Locations:
Uptown
1272 Amsterdam Avenue
NYC 10027
Tel (212) 531-7600

Tribeca
156 Chambers Street
NYC 10007
Tel (212) 267-6740

Magnolia

2009-03-16T14:34:00.004-05:00

I have been waiting to talk about this one...

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are two types of people when it comes to Magnolia cupcakes. You either LOVE them or you HATE them. I am the latter. Let's discuss.

Magnolia lacks a variety of cupcakes and while they were made infamous by Sex and the City (they are even a stop on the SATC tour), they only really represent a basic bakery offering chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cakes. According to their website, they do offer other flavors but I have yet to see any displayed in their cases. Now, the cake itself is just fine. Your typical regular size. It is the icing that really gets me though. I've tried the vanilla and the chocolate in hopes that it would make a difference but it really doesn't. Both of them are just TOO sweet. It ruins the cupcake in my opinion. I never thought there would be such a thing as too sweet until I tried these.

To be fair, I admit that their red velvet cucpcakes are good. If I see a Magnolia nearby and am in the mood for a cupcake (when am I not??), I would surely stop in to see if they had any red velvets available but other than that, I'm not really interested. I have yet to try any of their other treats but I've heard from a variety of people that their banana pudding is fantastic. It's on my list of things to try but this is not a pudding blog so I guess you'll have to ask me personally for my thoughts. :)

So there you have it. Ali is not a Magnolia fan.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
~~Magnolia~~
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Tonnie's Minis
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Lux Sugar

2009-03-13T12:35:00.005-05:00

James, Allison and I had our taste of Lux Sugar's cupcakes at a Cupcakes Take the Cake event for Mardi Gras. This bakery, located in Brooklyn, specializes in custom cakes so the event organizers ordered special themed purple, green and gold cakes for the event. Judging from their website, Lux features a variety of flavors including red velvet (Marilyn Monroe), strawberry (Paris Hilton), vanilla bean (Audrey Hepburn), etc. with fun celeb names.

The cake I tried was a vanilla with green sugary icing. It was delish! The cake was moist and the icing was just right - the perfect amount on top and just the right level of sweetness. If you are in the East Williamsburg, Brooklyn area, you should check it out. Apparently they are located in Boulevard Cafe...I have to confirm this. I know they also have a booth at the Brooklyn Flea though, something I've been meaning to check out. So there you go!

NOTE: This photo does not accurately portray the cupcake I devoured but you get the idea...

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Tonnie's Minis
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Cupcake Disaster

2009-03-13T10:27:00.004-05:00

These look pretty good, eh?

Well, let me tell you, looks can be deceiving. I made these pretty little things for New Year's Eve and they did not taste as lovely as they look.

I found a Rachael Ray recipe for Lime Margarita (margs!) cupcakes and thought they would be the perfect NYE treat. I'm not sure where I made a wrong turn in the baking, it was from scratch, but they were pret-ty terrible. I didn't even eat one myself! I think it was more the icing than the cake but my mom and I put a lot of hard work and time into them for nothing. I even grated 4 limes for some zest! I had one of my friends try it and the face he made was perfect. I wish I had captured it on camera. Ha! It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

So the moral of this story is that, firstly, not all Ray-Ray recipes are fabulous and secondly, a cupcake might not taste as good as it looks. Too bad.

Burgers AND Cupcakes?!!?!?

2009-03-12T16:10:00.004-05:00

Thanks to my dear friend, Tausha, I know now of the magic that is Burgers & Cupcakes. Granted, I haven't sampled either a burger or a cupcake just yet but this opening line in the "what we are made of" section has me smitten. Behold:

“I love burgers. I love cupcakes. That’s it. Apparently no other explanation is necessary for a very specific eatery called, well, Burgers & Cupcakes."

Brilliant! I will be back soon with my personal and professional review. Stay tuned :)

Eleni's

2009-03-11T12:13:00.003-05:00

I came across Eleni's back in October at the Chelsea Market. If you've never been to this store, you have to go! It's so bright and colorful! The cases of cookies, cupcakes and treats are extremely welcoming and enticing. I wanted to try them all! Eleni's is well known for their unique designs including movie quote cupcakes, politician cookies, and Oscar nominees collection.

October was the final leg of the presidential campaign so Eleni's had a display of democratic and republican cookies and Obama and McCain cupcakes. They were keeping tabs for who sold the most. Can you guess who was winning?

I wish I could remember the exact cupcake I tried, they have such a great variety of flavors, but I do remember enjoying it! I definitely recommend this bakery. You will not be disappointed.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
~~Eleni's~~
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Cupcake Cafe

2009-03-11T12:02:00.003-05:00

Cupcake Cafe features these cut little cakes with lovely flower decor on top. The frosting is buttercream and the cake options include chocolate and vanilla. I sampled a small vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream during my visit. The buttercream was smooth and the cupcake was nicely moist but it just wasn't anything special. I think I'm getting bored with buttercream frosting. Spice it up a little, bakers! It was good, don't get me wrong, and reasonably priced for a cupcake but I just don't see myself running back there for seconds any time soon. The lovely flowers make these cupcakes a nice addition to a bridal shower or small girly get together though for sure.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
~~Cupcake Cafe~~
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes

2009-03-09T12:58:00.003-05:00

How fantastic do these little cakes look? This photo and recipe was posted on Oprah's site around Valentines' Day. The recipe is actually from Baked, a Brooklyn bakery that's on our list. If this is just a snapshot of the types of cakes they offer, I have high hopes for the rest of their cupcake line. Can't wait!!

Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Recipe created by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Photo: Anna Williams

Cinnamon-flavored frosting gives red velvet cupcakes an added kick—the perfect treats for your sweet.

Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, copyright © 2008. With permission of the publisher, Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Ingredients:

Makes 36 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. red no-taste gel food coloring
1/4 cup boiling water
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter , cut into small pieces and softened
2 Tbsp. room temperature vegetable shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda

Buttercream Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 sticks unsalted butter , soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon
Cinnamon imperials candies (optional)
Red white-chocolate hearts (optional)

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325°. Line 36 (2 1/2-inch) muffin pan cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, food coloring, and boiling water. Set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening until smooth. Scrape down bowl and add sugar. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir buttermilk and vanilla into the cooled cocoa mixture. Sift cake flour and salt together into another bowl. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture (in 3 parts) and the cocoa mixture (in 2 parts) to the egg mixture. Beat until incorporated. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and baking soda and stir until baking soda dissolves; the mixture will fizz. Add to batter and stir until just combined.

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely.

To make buttercream frosting: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture boils and has thickened, about 12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until cool, 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to chill slightly, then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Frost each cupcake with buttercream. Garnish with cinnamon imperials and white-chocolate hearts, if desired.

Crumbs!!

2009-03-09T12:09:00.004-05:00

I know that anytime you mention Crumbs to cupcake lovers, they either love it or hate it. I would dare to say that those who love it don't usually like Magnolia and vice versa. But for me Crumbs is definitely one of my favorites in the city.

Crumbs has a variety of unique flavors to choose from including cookie dough, oreo, lemon, hostess, red velvet, raspberry swirl, etc. etc. etc. It's hard to name a number one favorite out of all the delicious choices but I have to say that I have not been disappointed. The vanilla cakes tend to dry out faster than the chocolate but depending on the freshness of batch, I think you will be satisfied. And the cupcakes are HUGE. You are definitely getting your money's worth with these beauties. Check them out for yourself.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
~~Crumbs~~
Cupcake Cafe
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Cupcake Wars

2009-03-09T11:33:00.003-05:00

Back in November, The Washington Post ran a feature on their cupcake wars. They tasted 141 varieties of DC cupcakes over the span of 8 weeks in search of a winner. Sounds like my kind of job! The winning cake was this lovely looking Chocolate Ganache from Georgetown Cupcakes. You can read all about their throw down here and I've included the winning recipe below. I have yet to make this one but will certainly let you know how it comes out when I do!

Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

The Washington Post, November 5, 2008

Summary:

Here's the winning combination: moist and chocolaty cake with just the right amount of rich ganache frosting on top.

Valrhona cocoa powder and Callebaut chocolate are sold at Sur La Table stores; call for availability.

The cupcakes are best when served on the same day they are made. If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted (see headnote; may substitute another good-quality cocoa powder)

For the ganache frosting

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (6.4 ounces; see headnote; may substitute other good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions:

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.

Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.

Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.

Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache frosting: Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface.

Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth.

Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source:

From Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake.

Billy's Bakery Cupcakes

2009-03-09T10:29:00.004-05:00

I should have started blogging this cupcake journey months ago. It's been a while since I tasted a cupcake from Billy's Bakery and, to be honest, I can't really remember much about it. It was good. The cake was moist but nothing really memorable. I guess that says enough though, right? They have your basic two flavors with your basic two buttercreams. Have you tried these? Is it just me?

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
~~Billy's Bakery~~
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
Crumbs
Cupcake Cafe
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Amy's Bread Cupcakes

2009-03-03T22:58:00.007-06:00

Last fall a charity (which I can't remember the name of for the life of me) was having a special cupcake promotion throughout the city. Amy's Bread was on the list so I decided to try one. After all, a portion of my hard earned money was going to charity! But it's a good thing it was for a cause because I don't think I would try one again. I had a cupcake similar to the one pictured here and it was very dry and crumbly. That's one thing that I hate -- cupcakes that fall apart into little pieces. How can you enjoy a cupcake if it's in one hundred little crumbs? Maybe it was because I tasted mine towards the end of the day but it just wasn't what I was hoping. Their cupcakes are also very tall which made for a difficult time eating it. You shouldn't need a fork to eat a cupcake. The point is that it's a bite size version of a full piece of cake. Finger foods, people! :) So all in all, not my favorite cake in the city.

THE JOURNEY:
Amai Tea and Bake House
~~Amy's Bread~~
Babycakes
Batch
Billy's Bakery
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
Crumbs
Cupcake Cafe
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries

Confessions of a Cupcake-a-holic

2009-03-03T22:36:00.004-06:00

Hi. My name is Ali. And I have a slight cupcake obsession.

Recently I have put a new goal into action and that goal involves cupcakes. I am determined to try every cupcake bakery in New York City. Now, don't freak out. That doesn't mean I will eat every since cupcake each bakery has to offer because that would just be too much. But I will at least sample one from each location and maybe more if I like it. I've actually been working on this before I decided to add it to my blog so in sharing this with you I will have to back track a little bit but I think it will all be worth it in the end. A nice little journal to remember and honor those fabulous little treats. :)

So here's how you can help. Below is my list of NYC bakeries. Know of any I need to add? Let me know. Have a comment about a bakery? Share it. Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Amai Tea and Bake House
Amy's Bread
Babycakes
Batch
Billy's Bakery
Buttercup Bake Shop
Butterlane Cupcakes
Crumbs
Cupcake Cafe
Eleni's
How Sweet It Is
Lux Sugar*
Magnolia
Martha's Country Bakery*
Make My Cake
Out of the Kitchen
Royale Cafe and Pastry (sells Baked* cupcakes!)
Starbucks (limited time only)
Sweet Revenge
Tribeca Treats
Two Little Red Hens

*Borough bakeries - a few snuck in there.

Chicken Parmesan Subs

2009-03-03T22:28:00.002-06:00

These are fantastic!! I love Italian food that is simple to put together and simply delicious to eat. This recipe is ideal for lunch or dinner and makes plenty to share.

Messes: I think the only thing I can really point out with this one was getting all the ingredients together onto one hoagie roll. Placing the sauce, chicken, and cheese perfectly on top took a little extra coordination but it may have been because I was rushing through so I could eat it already!

Successes: How can you not love Chicken parms? This meal is tasty and saves you money. You can even save some of the sauce and chicken to put over rice for another day if you have any leftovers. I highly recommend!

Chicken Parmesan Subs [Rachael Ray]

Green Rice with Chicken, Peas and Almonds

2009-03-03T22:06:00.004-06:00

Gabby and Tausha (my only two readers??!!), I'm back! :)
It's been a while since I've posted but I promise I've still been cooking. So let's dig in.

What the heck is green rice? The name for this dish turned me off a bit too, and strangely enough reminded me of Dr. Seuss, but I gave it a try and I have to say it wasn't so terrible. I tend to make large portions and have a good amount of leftovers so after eating a meal for 3 days straight I must confess I do get a little sick of it but my first impression was a positive one.

Messes: I skipped out on the almonds on this one. I'm a fan of only using a few ingredients so the more I can cut out, the better. I also used dried parsley rather than fresh so I would be interested to see the difference in using the fresh herb. I'm sure it makes it that much better but again, I had dried at home so that was one less ingredient to buy.

Successes: This was pretty simple to put together. I like dishes that you can make in one pot, or skillet rather. And I love the way the peas compliment the dish. It really makes it that much better. Definitely give it a try.

Green Rice with Chicken, Peas and Almonds [Rachael Ray]

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas

2008-10-19T22:38:00.003-05:00

My first risotto! I have to admit I knew less about risotto than I thought -- and I'm part Italian! I wasn't able to find all the ingredients to make this dish and I certainly didn't take the time to properly measure everything out so I was hesitant to taste it. But I have to say it was rather delightful. I love how creamy it gets in the end and how well all the flavors blend together. This will not be my last risotto. I'm ready to try new ones!

Messes: So I thought that there was a special type of rice you needed to make risottos but I was able to use the good 'ol Uncle Ben's rice to my surprise. I also didn't have low sodium chicken broth or unsalted butter in the house. I know the whole dish would have been a bit healthier had I used exactly what was called for but I don't think it effected the taste too much. Oh, and I couldn't find any porcini mushrooms either. Ha! It's starting to sound like I shouldn't have even bothered trying to make this, but even with all this "missing" ingredients it came out well. I swear!

Successes: Although the rice takes a lot of care to make, with all the liquids being added and evaporated, I was pleased to see that in the end I had a creamy and tastey meal. Give it a try! It's not as hard as it may sound.

P.S. It's NOT a Rachael Ray recipe!

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peas [Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis]

Gnocchi with Braised Mushrooms and Peas

2008-10-18T19:53:00.002-05:00

I recently discovered gnocchi and love 'em! But the only way I was making them was by boiling and throwing some pasta sauce on them. And I have to say I was getting a little bored with it. So I've been trying to find some recipes that used gnocchi in a whole new way and this one sure did it. I cut down on the ingredients a bit because I always have a ton of leftovers but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this dish can be enjoyed both heated up and cold. It's pretty healthy too. Give it a try!

Messes: Nothing to report today. Except maybe that I skimped out on the thyme. It worked out though.

Successes: A healthy mix of veggies and gnocchi. I loved it and I shared some with James. He loved it too!

Gnocchi with Braised Mushrooms and Peas [Rachael Ray]

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

2008-09-30T22:27:00.003-05:00

It's like Sheppard's Pie with a roll on top! I made a few changes to this recipe to make it even easier to make but, as always, feel free to create as you see fit. Here are my thoughts.

Messes: Baking the pie-top was going to be a large mess for me so I opted for purchasing some Pillsbury rolls to toss into the oven instead. Mess avoided!

Successes: Super simple and super delicious. I didn't add mushrooms this time but I may try it next time around as I'm sure an extra veggie or two will make this dish even better. Cook up some onions and crushed tomatoes, brown some meat and throw a roll on top. I recommend this one indeed.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie [Rachael Ray]

Throw Something Together!

2008-09-09T22:32:00.002-05:00

A new fave of mine is the portobello mushroom. A few weeks back I started off with something simple by tossing together rice, portobello mushrooms and onions. This combination has always been something I enjoy because growing up my dad often made steak on the grill with mushrooms and onions on the side. In addition to that, my mom would make some rice to complete the meal since most of my sibilings wouldn't eat the veggies. I would mix all those together and be a happy kid but nowadays I don't have a grill so I have to do without the steak. Still delish.

Then tonight I was sauteing my onions and portobellos in olive oil and about to put the rice on the stove when I noticed a small suggestion the mushroom packaging. "Great with pasta!" Oh really? If you've read through my blog or even just glanced over the pictures you would know I am a huge pasta fan so I just had to try this. I grabbed a jar of tomato sauce, poured it over my veggies and then cooked up some pasta. Once everything was cooked I mixed it all together and wow! How did I not think of this before?! Definitely a winner and to think it was all because I tried throwing something together.

I always read about cooks taking things that are sitting around in their pantries and making a meal out of it but I never thought I would be able to do it because I'm a shop and cook kinda girl. But tonight I even surprised myself. You can do it too -- just throw something together and enjoy! :)

Pork and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

2008-08-25T23:53:00.003-05:00

Stir-fry is the best, isn't it? You get a mix of veggies, meat, and rice all in one. I'm starting to realize that my dishes never look as great as these photos -- sorry to ruin the illusion, but no, these are not my finished products -- but I guess it's the taste that really counts. And this one is yum!

Messes: Well, I let the oil heat up too long before dumping in the scallions and garlic so that serious heat cooked those up really quickly. Then I took too long chopping the red bell peppers and my eggplant got a little too soft while waiting in the pan. I also think the recipe should be renamed to just pork and mixed veggie stir fry because, to be honest, one bell pepper isn't going to give you that many pieces. The eggplant is probably the most abundant in the dish. Oh, and I couldn't find any stir fry sauce at my grocery store (thanks Trade Fair!) so I just added soy sauce instead.

Successes: A delicious dinner and relatively healthy too. I stuck with the pork on this one because I never cook with it but you can use chicken or beef even. And I made whole grain rice. Next time I may decide to throw in some more veggies but either way this was a great meal.

Pork and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry [Rachael Ray, of course]

Portobello Philly-Style Sandwiches

2008-08-16T11:25:00.005-05:00

Portobello mushrooms are my new favorite thing. The other day I needed something quick to make for dinner so I did a search using only the word "portobello" and stumbled upon this gem. A quick and tasty meal that is a healthy twist on a classic sandwich.

Messes: After purchasing all my ingredients I forgot to look at the recipe again. I just went ahead and made it how I felt it should be done. I sauteed the peppers, onions, and portobellos in olive oil, piled it on a hoagie and toasted it in the oven with a slice of cheese over top. It was great but now that I'm looking back at the original recipe I realized that I forgot about the Worcestershire sauce. Next time I'll use that as I'm sure it would make it even better!

Successes: I will absolutely make this again -- and next time preferably for other people because I had way too many leftovers.

Portobello Philly-Style Sandwiches [Rachael Ray]

Beef and Mashed Potato Stuffed Peppers

2008-07-28T22:26:00.002-05:00

I think the name says it all for this one. I feel like I keep saying this but I promise this meal is so easy! Can you brown meat? Can you boil and mash potatoes? Can you cut the tops off of peppers? Can you put food in an oven? Then you can do it!

Messes: A little bit goes a long way with this recipe. I had leftover everything (with the exception of the peppers). So you can go easy on the ingredients if you'd like but leftovers are just as good too. My main frustration with this was placing the peppers upright in the dish and moving them to the oven. They kept falling over! I had to prop them against the walls of the dish rather than placing them perfectly in the center as I had wanted to. But once you get them in there you have nothing else to worry about!

Successes: A yummy meal all wrapped up into one pepper. I used more red bell peppers than green because they looked better at the store but either one works or you could even mix it up a bit and go with some yellows or orange bell peppers. Either way this meal will be fully satisfying. I kept trying to think of a good side dish to go with but I really didn't need anything. You've got meat, potatoes, and veggies. Delish!

Beef and Mashed Potato Stuffed Peppers [Rachael Ray]

Pasta Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Mozzarella

2008-07-26T11:51:00.004-05:00

My dad loves to make pasta salads. I would have to say it's possibly one of his "signature dishes". So when I came across the recipe, I was excited to have my own to share. And it's pretty healthy too!

Messes: The first time I made this I cut the pieces of mozzarella too large and they ended up sticking together at the bottom. The second time around I made sure to cut them into smaller pieces so they would be more evenly distributed. You will also need a very large bowl for this dish -- or you can cut down on the ingredients. I would recommend using about a half a pound of pasta (trust me, it goes a long way). And don't worry about the "freshly ground pepper". You can just as easily get away with the regular pepper that comes in those little metal shakers.

Successes: Major success! Super easy to throw together and you'll have lots of leftovers for the week. I have never heard a single complaint about this pasta salad. Although, I've accompanied it with chili at parties and I have to say -- make sure you serve this first! People just aren't as interested in chilled pasta salads when there are warm bowls of chili to be had.

Pasta Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Mozzarella [Chow]

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2008-07-26T11:44:00.003-05:00

Here's a really simple and equally delish recipe for Artichoke and Spinach Dip. Who doesn't love that?

Messes: I skipped out on cutting the flour tortillas into fourths and just bought a big ol' bag of chips. If you're feeling really adventurous then by all means, make your own. I also had no idea what "julienned" meant. These recipes and their big words -- ha! So in case you're like me, here's the def: Julienning is a method of food preparation in which the food item is cut into long thin strips.

Successes: It won't look as good as when you order it off a menu but I promise it tastes as good. Maybe even better since you made it yourself! Try it out first and then when you're feeling confident, invite some friends over and serve.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip [Emeril]
(this one isn't from Ray-Ray! Can you believe it?!??!)

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

2008-07-02T15:28:00.004-05:00

Summer Time!!! Break out the bbq and heat up some beans. It's time for some tasty summer meals. This one comes together pretty quickly but does not lack the feeling of a grand grilled meal.

Successes: I'm always nervous the first time I make a dish. I get worried that no one is going to like it. But I ended up making this at a family party and it was LOVED! My concerned went from no one liking it to there not being enough. It's super easy -- I even convinced my friend (who was complaining that she doesn't know how to make things) to recreate it.

Messes: Just be careful when you're cooking the meat. It will cook all the way through a LOT faster than you think and the longer it cooks the tougher it becomes.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches [Rachael Ray]

Sirloin Veggie Stir-Fry

2008-05-27T22:34:00.003-05:00

A favorite in my house! And by house I mean James and I. I know what you're thinking...another stir fry recipe...how can it be any different? Oh but it is! This one uses beef and a variety of strong flavored veggies. At first I didn't think they would blend together well but when it's all stirred up the flavors are perfect!

Messes: As much as I love love love this meal, it is a little bit of a challenge to make. Everything cooks so quickly. If you notice in the recipe, each step is timed out at only a few minutes each. You gotta be really quick to get everything just right and not over cook them. The broccoli rabe cooks for 3 minutes, beef for 3, pasta for 3, onions for 2, etc. It all comes at you really quick so I would suggest having everything chopped up and ready to go before you turn on the heat. James and I have this deal where I cook and he cleans and although this is one of his favorites, the dishes are always a nightmare. I have so many bowls waiting in the sink for him -- poor guy. At least he's got a full tummy. haha

Successes: Eating this is your success. Every time I try a new recipe I get nervous about how it turned out. I don't always measure things out exactly or time them just as the recipe calls or I'll leave out an ingredient I don't like (such as hot peppers) so it makes me worried about how the end product will be. But, I have to say, the second I try a bite all my worries vanish. I guess you'll have to try this one to find out but take my word for it, all your hard work on this one will be worth it.

Sirloin Veggie Stir-Fry [Rachael Ray]

Pork Spaghettini

2008-05-27T22:25:00.003-05:00

Total YUM! This dish reminded me of one of my favorite restaurants in Boca -- Stir Crazy. It's known for a make-your-own stir fry bar and it always goes down smooth. I changed this recipe up a bit but the variation still came out quite well if I do say so myself. Definitely recommend this one!

Messes: Hmm...can't really think of any for once. I couldn't find any regular roasted peanuts for some reason at my grocery store; any other type of nut you wanted but roasted peanuts. I bought some honey roasted ones in hopes that it would make the dish have a little sweeter kick to it but in the end I decided against the garnish. Might have been good for that extra little crunch but you can choose what you'd prefer.

Successes: I actually substituted chicken for the pork in this one as I'm a much bigger fan of the latter. I also had no idea what "spaghettini" was so I just grabbed some regular ol spaghetti, whole wheat actually. It seems more brands are jumping on the 'whole wheat wagon' so there's more of a variety now. I'm not sure how much better it actually is for you but I'd like to think it's a lot so I'll stick with the whole wheat these days. And it doesn't change the taste at all! This dish was fun to make and smelled and tasted delish. I will certainly be stirring some up again soon.

Pork Spaghettini [Rachael Ray]

*UPDATE* Spaghetti vs. Spaghettini
Spaghettini is the thinner form of your typical spaghetti, aka angel hair

Steakhouse Shepherd's Pie

2008-05-10T19:03:00.003-05:00

A comfort food favorite. This recipe is great because you can add as many vegetables to it as you'd like and it will still turn out great. There are always lots of leftovers and it's a crowd pleaser. I mean, who doesn't like steak and potatoes?

Messes: I would have liked to brown the tops of my potatoes a little bit more but I didn't want to wait any longer to enjoy my meal. I also skipped on the bacon to try and make it a little bit healthier.

Successes: The first time I made it, it was delicious. The second time I made it, it was even better. I used some more veggies the second time around which helped make it more filling rather than just the plain ol' mushrooms, meat, and potatoes. I actually threw in some spinach and carrots which gave it a nice overall feel. I would certainly recommend it.

Steakhouse Shephard's Pie [Rachael Ray]

Spinoccolini Whole Wheat Pasta

2008-05-10T17:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure about you but once again I it was the image that drew me in. My family gave me a Rachael Ray recipe book for Christmas this past year and although I don't doubt the deliciousness of the dishes, I was disappointed in the lack of images. In this one here just the color combination itself made me interested in creating this meal myself. This dish is a tasty blend of spinach, ricotta, and pasta and is one that I would recommend making for some company.

Messes: I would have to admit that this recipe is a little more challenging as it takes a while to blend the spinach into a pesto like topping, hence why I suggest making it for more than just yourself. But all the time put into it is well worth it. I was hesitant as to how much spinach to use but it turned out that it was the more the merrier. The pasta will seem a bit dry if you don't have a bunch of spinach mixture to top.

Successes: Very tasty and healthy -- assuming you don't add a ton of ricotta. And it heats up again well.

Spinoccolini Whole Wheat Pasta [Rachael Ray]

Fusilli alla Caprese

2008-05-03T01:15:00.003-05:00

One of my new found favorites! This pasta dish is oh so easy to make and very delicious. I've made it twice now and both times I've had to tell myself to slow down because I'm practically scarfing down everything on my plate. I found this recipe by watching an episode of 'Everyday Italian' on the Food Network. Giada was teaching her (younger) aunt some easy recipes to make and this was one of them. It looked so good on TV that I just had to make it. And this time, my eyes did not deceive me.

Messes: The second time I made this the dish came out even better. I basically gave the tomatoes more time to soften up before squishing them down with a fork. When I first made this dish I found myself fighting with the tomatoes for their juices - they just weren't quite soft enough yet. Another thing I learned after my first attempt was that I should use less pasta and more tomatoes. I felt it could have used more sauce the first time around. I also knew to cut up the mozz into smaller pieces and to use less of it overall. Once it melts down, I tell you, a little bit of mozzarella goes a long way.

Successes: Total success! I love this comfort dish and will continue to whip it together for many years to come, I'm sure. The flavors are great and it's so easy to make - you just can't go wrong here.

Fusilli alla Caprese [Everyday Italian]

Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White Beans

2008-05-03T01:02:00.003-05:00

Sounds (and looks) yum, right? You know, it is the image that makes or breaks a recipe for me. I was very intrigued by this recipe because of this picture here on the right. Shells? Tomatoes? Garlic? Creamy? What could be bad about that?! But after having made the dish, unfortch it is not one of my faves.

Messes: I've decided that anything that includes heavy cream is probably not going to be my favorite thing to make. I'm not sure what it is exactly but heavy cream just is a little too much for me. Don't get me wrong, this dish came out just fine but the overall taste was a bit too strong. Perhaps a little less garlic and a little more parm would help but it seemed the leftovers tasted better than the fresh meal - and, in my book at least, it should be the other way around.

Successes: Definitely a good combination of food but I would cut out the heavy cream and sub in some EVOO perhaps. Anything to lighten it up a bit.

Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White Beans [Rachael Ray]

Three Bean and Beef Chili

2008-05-03T00:51:00.003-05:00

An easy to make chili recipe that can feed a whole family -- mine did. I first made this for a family gathering. We had some other dishes to savor but this was the main one and it was heavily favored. I kept my pot mild by leaving out the chipotle but feel free to add as much of a kick as you'd like. When serving a large group it's always better to go mild then bold. I just made sure to keep a bottle of hot sauce on the table for those interested in some heat.

Messes: Only thing I would suggest is letting it simmer a bit longer. It was definitely cooked but the longer it simmers the more flavorful it becomes. We were all ready to eat it though so I didn't have much time to waste. Once it was cooked I had a line of hungry guests to feed!

Successes: Definitely a success. I made it a second time and had lots of leftovers for lunch that week.

Three Bean and Beef Chili [Food Network]

Abandonment

2008-05-02T16:57:00.002-05:00

I've abandoned my blog. I've abandoned MY WORDS!*
*shout out to There Will Be Blood

It's been a while since I've logged on but I have decided to neglect this lovely little blog no more.

I propose an update, a face-lift if you will. I would like to create a focus for this blog and that focus will be food. From here on out I will be sharing various recipes I have tried along with my messes and successes of them. Hopefully it will inspire you to try some good ol' home cooking and get tips and hints as to what works and what could be changed.

Looking forward to hearing your comments! Hope you enjoy :)

New York City Eats!

2008-02-16T18:02:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been checking out some restaurants in throughout New York City. James and I have always enjoyed trying new places but I've been doing my research and coming up with a list of restaurants to check out...

Here's a small sample of where we've been recently:

SPARROW
24-01 29th St, Astoria

A smaller place directly across the street from the Beer Garden, of which I have yet to try...Laid back atmosphere with tea lights on all the tables and window sills. They have an impressive beer selection but, given it's location, I would guess they'd have to. The food is generally bar food with limited selection but very good. I had a burger and salad and I must say it was certainly enjoyable. Reasonably priced and worth venturing over there again.

R.U.B. (righteous urban bbq)
West 23rd Street btwn 7 and 8 Ave

As the name suggests, this place is classic bbq. James was skeptical at first but I think even he will admit he was impressed. We both had the meat and 2 sides meal which was plenty of food, let me tell you. I was warned that you leave there feeling incredibly full and content -- this advice couldn't be more dead on. Great stop if you're in the mood for some BBQ.

S'MAC
345 East 12th Street

Hello macaroni and cheese! This unique spot offers a variety of mac'n'cheese dishes with all the combinations you could ever dream of (well, almost). With the portion sizes ranging from 'nosh' to 'major munch' and 'par-tay', you'll be good and full after trying one of these tasty skillets. I had the nosh-sized cheeseburger and James went with the buffalo chicken major munch. We were both pleasantly satisfied with our new found comfort food.

Bushwick Avenue btwn Metropolitan Ave & Devoe St, Williamsburg

Italian at its finest. This small but cozy spot offers some of the best Italian food I have had in a while. Everything was very authentic and true to its roots. Moderately priced, popular on weekends, and impressive dishes makes this one of my favorites so far. All they need now is to get some more comfortable seating.

So that's the list for now but there will be much more to share soon.
Bon Appetite!