Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!

I was inspired this weekend to come up with a new recipe / new type of cupcakes.  I'm trying to create my own recipes - things that will definitely stand out!

I decided to make a yellow cupcakes with mini chocolate chips.  They baked very nicely and I filled them with a dark chocolate ganache.  Then I frosted them with my very own buttercream frosting recipe.  Instead of using milk, I used heavy whipping cream to sweeten it up and I used minimal shortening replacing it with butter.  The frosting was very thick and a little difficult to pipe so I think I will add a little more heavy whipping cream next time.  However, the flavor was great and the frosting wasn't as greasy as normal because of the reduction in shortening.

Here are a couple pictures.  They are definitely delicious!

If you are ever interested in ordering specialty cupcakes or cakes - please let me know!  I enjoy creating, baking, and designing!

Thanks!
Aly

Baby Shower Cake - for a Girl!

So, I think I got the gender right on this cake at least!  I had a request from my friend Kimberly to do a cake for a baby shower she is hosting.  They wanted something simple and cute with bows, polka dots, and lots of pink!

This is a Carrot Cake with cream cheese filling.

Here are the photos:

This was a fun one!  I got to use my new square cake pans for the first time!  I also learned how to make this bow - which may seem simple but it's actually a little challenging!

I hope they enjoy this!
Thanks,
Aly

Sharilyn's birthday! :)

One of my best friends, Sharilyn, celebrated her 28th birthday yesterday!  I had the day off today so I thought it would be nice to stop by her work and bring her a cake.  :)

This was just a little cake but was fairly time consuming.  The daisies, although they are cut-outs, don't cut out cleanly so I spent quite of bit of time "cleaning them up."  Her favorite color is blue, so I did some blue flowers and used yellow and orange since those colors look good together.  (If you've seen my wedding pictures, you would know my obsession with these colors :) ). 

I don't get to see Sharilyn all that often so it was so wonderful to chat with her a bit today.  I hope she knows, although we don't see or chat often, that I love her and she is still one of my most wonderful friends.  :)

Here are a few photos of the cake:

Happy birthday, dear friend!
Love,
Aly

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!

Well, I tried something new... at the request of my husband.  A few months ago we were at the cake store in Orange and the girl working the register mentioned she was making Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.  Kyle, who adores Guinness, Irish Car Bombs, and cake has been bugging me to make them ever since.  I finally got brave.  The recipe is interesting, as you have to heat the Guinness with butter and then add it to the rest of the ingredients.  The cake mix also includes sour cream which makes it extremely moist and helps to off-set the alcohol flavor.
These are very intricate cupcakes, requiring a filling and a frosting.  The filling is a chocolate ganache with Irish whiskey.  This time around I didn't add the max amount of Irish whiskey so the ganache still has a nice bittersweet chocolate flavor. 
The frosting is a normal buttercream, but instead of using milk I used Bailey's Irish Cream.  I must admit - these cupcakes are literally the BOMB!  They are an awesome idea for anyone hosting a St. Patrick's Day Party or any Irish-themed party.

Here are a couple photos of the final product.  (The frosting does require some more trial and error as it was not fluffy enough to make the piping look "pretty").

There are a variety of recipes out there for these cupcakes.  I'm going to try to modify this to make it unique to "me"... but if you are interested in trying this recipe just "google" Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

Thanks for reading!
Aly

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2011 has started out with lots of wonderful things!

Our old neighbors and good friends, Stephen and Kimberly, are expecting a little bundle of joy in early February!  I couldn't attend the baby shower today, but her hosts were kind enough to let me make a cake for her.  It didn't turn out exactly as planned since they are having a boy and the cake looks pretty feminine, but I think it turned out okay.

The design is supposed to be a onesie.  Their colors were green, yellow, and white.  I added a little "tie" to make it more boyish.  If I could do it over again, I definitely would NOT do any polka dots!   It definitely looks like a girl bathing suit - but whatever!  It's cute! Here is a photo: 

Happy New Year!
Love,
Aly