the world is alive, with the smell of cupcakes....

Cupcakes are without a shadow of a doubt the trendy thing, aren't they?  I love doing them and am starting to get a bit more creative with the designs, flavours and themes I use.  Previous attempts, especially with flavours, are littered throughout my blog, but that is no excuse to stop trying:  and, of course, to keep my readers up to date with what I've been playing around with recently.  My lovely customers are helping with their requests for things that are a little different. I'm all for a challenge!  In the last week, I've been challenged to a giant cupcake with additional "normal" ones adorned with shoes and bags - an 18th birthday cake so it had to be girly, sparkly and fun!  - and a Hallowe'en themed set.   Fun, fun, fun!!
So, the giant cupcake, for you food-a-holics out there, was a chocolate-vanilla marble cake with a chocolate buttercream puddle in the middle and vanilla buttercream frosting.  It complimented the small cupcakes which were a mix of chocolate fudge and vanilla.  The same flavours as my Hallowe'en ones I should add.  I did experiment with a Hallowe'en one for my own purposes.  It looked like the pic but was Lemon & Slime - yummy!  Think lemon sponge with a very green puddle of lemon curd slime in the middle and a lemon curd buttercream frosting on the top.  Bit partial to that, I will admit.
Looking forward to my Christmas challenges next.  I'm thinking Christmas trees, Christmas puds, lots of holly, stars and sparkle and maybe snowmen and gingerbread men too.  Well, 'tis the season to be jolly! Dairsie Does Different @ Christmas will have some so watch this space for details.

Shoe and bag heaven

shoe detail - think Jimmy Choo! 

Bag detail - think Hermes.....(or is that just me lusting after a Birkin, again!)

Giant Cupcake with small ones all around...

Boo!!! Bet you jumped!  

Did I say, by the way, that you just have to call me or drop me an email if you'd like to place an order?  I'm working on the best way to post the cupcakes so in the meantime Fife/Angus wide deliveries are offered (for a small charge to cover my petrol).  Or you can arrange to collect from me, of course.

A princess for a princess

I love it when I'm asked to make a very specific cake, with specific instructions.  The 4 year old birthday girl in question asked for a princess cake, pink and sparkly.  That I can do!  The reaction when I delivered it made up it all worthwhile, not to mention reinforcing that I'd hit the mark with my brief.  Birthday princess simply dropped her jaw and went wwwwwoooooooooowwwwwwww!  Think that's a positive response!  :-D  See what you think!

Wedding cake

Last wedding cake of the season is done!  Bride and groom were happy which makes me very happy!  

7 tiers of cakey loveliness

cupcake detail - vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and love heart sweets decoration
and grasshopper cupcakes with after 8s.  

chocolate cupcake heaven!  chocolate fudge and chocolate peanutbutter
loveliness with milk, dark and white chocolate hearts.

More pics from the Cupcake Masterclass @ MUSA

No talking needed, just pictures!  These have come from the MUSA team who took more pictures than I did.  I was too preoccupied with butter-cream and sprinkles to even remember I had my camera with me.  Must try harder next time!! :)  Hope you like the photos and that they inspire you to get creative in the kitchen - oh, and keep an eye out for the next Masterclass to be held at MUSA around Christmas-time.  Details will appear here!

Hard at work! 

Decisions, decisions....

Look what we did!

So the butter-cream goes in here then?!!

A finished product!

We love cupcakes!

They taste pretty good too!

Pretty!

Love the two tone effect!

Cupcake masterclass @ MUSA

I had a great day last week at MUSA, the University of St Andrews' Museum running a Cupcake Masterclass for Freshers.  Check out MUSA's website for details about the collections, events and suchlike- www.st-andrews.ac.uk/musa/.  You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook. 

Anyway, talk about taking me out of the comfort of my kitchen and throwing me into a butter-creamy space outwith my safety zone!  I had a great day, all concerns aside.  After baking 50 undecorated vanilla cupcakes,  I sorted butter-cream, sprinkles, glitter, piping bags, nozzles and all manner of icing paraphernalia, packed them up and off I went to teach Freshers the wonders of icing and decorating cupcakes.   I took along some sample cakes to show what could be done with a bit of time and patience.  They seemed to be a hit with the MUSA gang so must have done something right there!

After 2 hours, which passed in a flash, my 50 cupcakes had gone,  the table was dotted with wayward splashes of butter-cream and sprinkles and glitter had been distributed liberally over the carpet.  Sign of a successful event in my opinion!  All of the MUSA team were pleased with how the masterclass went and I'm told people were queuing up to come along to the class!   So, the inspiration has been sprinkled and another class is in the planning for Christmas.  Watch this space for details!

Here are the pictures to show you what went on.... (keep an eye on the blog - more pictures from the Musa team to come!)

My creations.... including the MUSA logo at the front.  Really like the simplicity of the compass idea for a logo... and it looked great in icing!

concentration.....

think I should just check that the butter-cream is ok....

hmmm....what to create...?

a work of art!

and another one!

bread making begins again....

Stilton & Walnut rolls - what's not to love?!!

Haven't really done much bread making of late so thought I should rectify that.  Normally, I'm a follower of the River Cottage Bread book but this month's Good Food magazine tempted me to try a Paul Hollywood recipe.  I love watching him on the Great British Bake-Off and am now convinced that he is the god of all things bread related!  His recipe for Roquefort and Walnut rolls was my inspiration.  I used Stilton rather than Roquefort as he suggests - like a good British cheese so I do (the bluer the better!) - and the substitution didn't disappoint.  Paul says you can use any cheese you have hiding in the fridge so am thinking a cheddary kind of thing may be next or, to be honest, the Stilton and walnut was so wonderful, I'm not sure I want to deviate. They were heaven in a mouthful.  Tangy cheese, subtle walnuttyness and a soft delicate bread dough.  They looked fabulous too - with the swirly effect of the roll just oozing blue cheese, what wasn't to love?!! Perfection.  They went so well with a bowl of sweet potato chowder.  Highly recommended if anyone feels creative!  Let me know if you'd like the recipe!

wedding cake

Think this may well be one of my favourite cakes so far.  It is simple and beautiful.  Perfect for a non-traditional and simple (in a good way) wedding!  It's a rich chocolate cake covered with white chocolate ganache with a wreath of edible violas on the top.  The violas were supplied by Green's Herbs in Devon who are wonderful!  Can't recommend them enough - the service is great and the flowers are of such a high quality.  Check out their website (which they are in the process of updating I should say!)- http://www.greensherbs.com/index.html  The final detail to the cake was added by the bride - she edged the cake board with vintage lace.  Pics to follow when I get them!  Hope you like the cake!

Viola detail.  Aren't they pretty?!

By the way, watch this space for Clandestine Cake Club details.  Coming soon!!