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Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My! A Darling How-To Book

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)

Monday, February 13th, 2012

If you’re a crafty baker, or want to be one, might I recommend this darling How-To book, Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My by the creators of Hello, Cupcake?! I just got this sweet book in the mail and am so psyched to add it to my growing collection of gorgeous, colorful, dessert books!

I mean, how adorable and creative are these high heeled cupcakes!?

This book also has a ton of boy-friendly dessert ideas, so it really covers the bases.

Thank you the team behind Cupcakes Cookies & Pie oh, My for my gorgeous copy of your book! I’m so delighted to have and share it.

For more info on Cupcakes Cookies & Pie, Oh, My!, click here.

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The BEST Cupcakes at 2012′s CUPCAKE CHALLENGE by Drink:Eat:Play

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

So you’ve been waiting and the results are here! With 36 cupcakes, we have a ties in both in 1rst and 2nd place, so bare with me.

1rst place:

One of my Faaaavorite cupcakes at the challenge were these Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes by [Desi]gn Cakes and Cupcakes. Yep, you read that right: Buffalo Chicken. These cupcakes escalate the sweet & salty fad to whole new level with a sauce that is traditionally sweet, salty, and spicy. That added dimension of spice was well tempered though by thick, creamy, vanilla frosting. Overall, this was an exciting and delicious cupcake that was well executed on every level. Bravo [Desi]gn Cupcakes in Riverside!

1rst Place:

The other bakery in our tie is My Delight Cupcakery from Ontario, who made these scrumdilliumptious Red Velvet Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. I normally don’t like fruit anywhere near my desserts, but this raspberry was so sweet and fresh, and blended in so harmoniously with this gorgeous cupcake, that it won me over. While the Buffalo Chicken cupcake might have beat this one by a hair, I’m escalating My Delight Cupcakery to 1rst place for two reasons. One: they use wholesome, organic ingredients, which is a BIG deal to me now that I know the truth about our food (see here). Two: My Delight was my favorite bakery last year, so they are consistently excellent.

2nd Place:

2nd Place goes to Butter Sweet Minis on Larchmont for their Mint Chip Cupcake that had wonderful texture, consistency, and the perfect balance of flavors.

2nd Place:

Also in second place is Debiteful Cake Pop Shop from Chino for these sassy little Pastelitos Caliente, which is Spanish for “Awesome.” These cornbread based cupcakes had bacon, a hint of spicy (there’s that spice again!), and frosting that even featured cilantro. This sweet and savory combination could have been a total disaster, but Debiteful pulled it off brilliantly. Note: these were some of the last cupcakes that I had, so it’s possible that this savory option was just a very refreshing change of pace after 34 super sweet selections. That said, I loved them.

3rd Place:

Even though I had this Buddafinga by Double “D” Cupcakes at a point where I could barely breath from so many samples, I still swooned over the wonderful combination of fresh ingredients and playful textures. The chocolate based cake featured homemade Caramel and had a Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Buttercream. Got that? No need, just know it was delish.

4th Place:

Finally, 4th place goes to these playful Girl Scouts Somoa cupcakes by Cake Mama’s in Glendora. I loved everything about these fun and flavorful cupcakes except the slippery icing. If you’re an avid DD reader (and I hope that you are!), you know that I don’t like overly whipped, high sheen, oily frosting. Indeed, it disturbs me. A less glossy icing would have made these cupcakes a home run.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!!! To stand out amongst 36 cupcake options is an incredible achievement. Your bakeries all rocked it!

Thank you Lynn Chen for taking such awesome photos for me!

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Cupcake Challenge 2012, a Vlog

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)

Monday, February 6th, 2012

This weekend I stepped up to the plate to be a judge again at Eat:Drink:Play’s awesome annual Cupcake Challenge. I was a little anxious about the event since I recalled the severe sugar-shock from last year. Furthermore, I didn’t have any amazing cupcakes then to even make it worth the trauma!

However, this year I had an awesome partner-in-crime in Lynn Chen from The Actor’s Diet, and there were some incredible cupcakes to make it all worth the indulgence. See our video here!

Stay tuned for posts on the BEST and WORST cupcakes at Eat:Drink:Play’s 2012′s Cupcake Challenge! In the meantime, check out Lynn’s post on our evening here.

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Cako Cupcakes in San Francisco

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

On a whirlwind trip to San Francisco this week I managed to hop into Cako Bakery by Union Square to sample some cupcakes. I recognized this bakery name from one of the eight cupcakeries that my husband used to surprise me with 200-plus cupcakes for his proposal (story here)! Just seeing all of those cupcakes in the window brought me fond memories (happy sigh).

To cover my bases, I bought a Carrot Cake, mini Red Velvet, Vanilla, and mini a Chocolate.

I loved the flavor of the Carrot Cake, but the cake itself was a bit dry. The sweet cream cheese frosting had a high sheen which can irk me with frosting. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’ll think on it! Ultimately I prefer a little more rugged texture and sour taste for a great cream cheese frosting. The Red Velvet had the best execution of the bunch, but still underwhelmed me. I loved the bouncy cake and hearty taste of the Vanilla cake, but the frosting was overly sweet and bland. And finally, mint flavor had seeped its way into the Chocolate frosting, which made that experience null and void for me.

Wow, it sounds like I’m tearing Cako apart! Really, these were delightful cupcakes that would surely satisfy a craving if you’re in the ‘hood. I just think that there is room for improvement.~

For more information on Cako Bakery, click here.

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Cupcakes at Famous Cupcakes

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Even though the Kardashians promote Famous Cupcakes, I have to admit, they’re pretty good.

In addition to tasting delicious, these cupcakes are made with all natural and organic ingredients- always a bonus

The vanilla/vanilla was spiced with hints of cinnamon for a slightly exotic twist on a regular staple. The red-velvet was classic and while the peanut butter was eventually demolished, it did have a slight herbal tinge that tasted a bit off to me.

These are pretty tall cupcakes for my liking. To improve upon them, I’d poke a hole through the center for extra icing (like Susie Cakes does it), or make them slightly smaller for a better icing-to-cake ratio.

For more info on Famous Cupcakes, click here.

XOXO

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Mini Cupcakes by Brown Sugar LA

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)

Monday, November 14th, 2011

I found these darling cupcakes by Brown Sugar LA on a Living Social deal and am so happy that I did! The pastry chef, Amy Brown, was top of her class at Le Cordon Bleu and she strives to use the best ingredients in her desserts (a key point for me!). These minis that I brought to Book Club were fresh, bouncy, gently flavored and just overall well rounded. The only thing I noticed was that not many girls got into the them, which highlighted a lack of umph. Perhaps a dash more salt.. or white sugar (?!) would make them a bit more crave-worthy.

For more info on Brown Sugar LA, click here.

Ps: Brown Sugar LA is a virtual bakery, which means they don’t have a store-front right now. Just fyi!

XOXO

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Tasty Tuesday Video – Halloween Cupcake Decorating

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Oh how I love the holidays… the traditions, the colors, the festivities, and most importantly, the goodies! Halloween kicks off the holiday season and what better way to celebrate than to decorate festive cupcakes! Thank you Leslie Sarna, “the dainty vegetarian,” for teaching me these adorable and totally easy cupcake creations!

XOXO

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Wedding Dessert Table, Part 3: Swizzle Cakes

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Another strategic move for the dessert table was to serve manageable, bite-sized treats that people could delight in, even after an evening replete with appetizers, plated dinners, and alcohol. Tiny, “shot-glass” sized Swizzle Cakes were a no-brainer for me, as you may recall my glowing Golden Cherry review of them here. We had Lemon Drop Martinis, Cosmos, and White Russians for the big boys, and non-alcoholic Shirley Temples and Chocolate Cola for the kiddos.

To see my video on Swizzle Cakes and learn more about them, click here!

XOXO

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Cupcakes at Mrs. Beasley’s

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

The other night at Book Club my friend brought over a dozen Mrs. Beasley’s cupcakes. We all dug in, ooeying and aweing, and sampling every flavor. I had two immediate thoughts upon first bite: 1- these were very moist and tasty cupcakes, and 2- the icing was way overly whipped.

Another point of contention was the vanilla frosting on the Red Velvet cupcake. A couple of the girls loved this cupcake anyway, but most of us missed the fresh cream cheese flavor that makes a red velvet cake special. The Chocolate Chocolate cupcake, however, was AMAZING. I’ve never had chocolate “frosting” quite like it. It was like a deep, rich, chocolate mousse whipped up onto a delicious, moist little cake.

Overall, these treats lurk somewhere between a 3.5-4 Cherry rating. While these cupcakes would surely please your party guests, they’re almost $5 a pop! At 1/5th the price you can get Hansen’s cupcakes on Fairfax. They taste a little more artificial, but they’re still delightful and will be much easier on the wallet!

For more info on Mrs. Beasley’s and their other baked goods and locations, click here. They ship nationally!

XOXO

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Cupcakes at Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica & Century City

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Sweet Sugar of Mary! Vanilla Bake Shop likes it SWEET! However, I don’t mind the extra surge of sugar in their frosting because these treats also have wonderful flavor, unlike other intensely sweet icings that just taste like powdered sugar and butter (eh hem, Magolia and Buttercake Bakery).

The minis melted in my mouth with fun and vibrant flavors, like the Key lime with citrus filling, the chocolate with whisky in the frosting, and the seasonal pumpkin spice. While the red velvet cake had a nice, strong cocoa presence, the cream cheese frosting was actually too sweet.

The large vanilla/vanilla cupcake had excellent flavor, but left room for improvement with its dichotomous consistencies. The frosting was whipped very thin while the cake itself was relatively firm and dense. This contrast lacked harmony, thus perfection.

Overall, four cherries for Vanilla Bake Shop’s super sweet but tasty gourmet cupcakes.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on their Cake Pops…~

For more information on Vanilla Bake Shop, click here.

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Archive for Cupcakes

The BEST Cupcakes at 2012′s CUPCAKE CHALLENGE by Drink:Eat:Play

1rst place:

1rst Place:

2nd Place:

2nd Place:

3rd Place:

4th Place:

Cupcake Challenge 2012, a Vlog

Cako Cupcakes in San Francisco

Cupcakes at Famous Cupcakes

Mini Cupcakes by Brown Sugar LA

Tasty Tuesday Video – Halloween Cupcake Decorating

Wedding Dessert Table, Part 3: Swizzle Cakes

Cupcakes at Mrs. Beasley’s

Cupcakes at Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica & Century City

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