Saturday, November 17, 2012

Cake Making 101

Let me start by saying thank you to everyone who entered Yellowroses Cupcakes' first random drawing.  I had over 100 entries, which I think is awesome for a first-time drawing!  And congratulations to Janis, who won the free dozen pumpkin cupcakes!! 

I am furiously working on two new flavors for December, and hopefully they will make you think holiday thoughts.  Check back soon!

In the meantime, my youngest daughter, Abby, turned one yesterday.  We had a party for her, and I made her a cake.  That's right, the cupcake lady made her child a cake.  And it took a lot of time, a lot of patience and a very steady hand!  It was a caterpillar made of five separate cakes.  I could have made Abby some very yummy cupcakes, but I have been wanting to expand my skills and what better way than with a delicious birthday cake?!
The birthday girl enjoying her cake!
Here is a little breakdown of what is going on here.  The yellow and blue cakes are chocolate and the pink cakes are Snickerdoodle.  The frosting is buttercream, piped on to look like stars:

 The face is chocolate candies and Twizzlers.  I spelled Abby's name out with fondant, held up with lollipop sticks:

 Oh, and the little jelly beans are the feet!

I have a long way to go before cake decorating will be part of my business, but it is a lot of fun to practice and create cakes.  But, back to the cupcake making I go!

Tip of the Blog:
One way to create lighter cakes is to sift the flour.  Using a simple mesh strainer, pour your leveled measuring cup of flour through the mesh.  This will add more air to the flour, which helps produce a lighter cake.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Pumpkin Special!

So, we just celebrated Halloween (for those that celebrate it), and now we are in the full swing of the holiday season. Here is a pic of my kids all dressed up:
We had a bug/insect theme this year: Ethan is an ant, Hannah is my ladybug and Abby is our little bee
Doesn't it seem like the holiday season is starting earlier and earlier every year?!  I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, this is definitely my favorite time of year, but I am not too sure about seeing Christmas decorations one aisle away aisle from the skulls and cauldrons for Halloween in October!  Anyway, I want to help YOU celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday by offering up a great deal on my delicious pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.  So, if you order a dozen or more of these treats by Friday, Nov. 16th, they will be $20/dozen (that is a 20% discount from a regular dozen!).  Just think, you can bring something yummy to the Thanksgiving table without lifting a finger!  And for those folks with smaller needs, a half dozen will run you only $10!  Oh and did you know that I make mini-cupcakes as well?  Two dozen mini's are only $16.  Just think of all the time you will save not having to go get the ingredients and bake and decorate.  These would be a great alternative to pumpkin pie, or as fun little treats before or after the big meal.  If you enjoy decorations on your cupcakes, I am more than happy to make chocolate or fondant pumpkins or fall leaves as a decoration for $2/dozen.  To add to all this holiday cheer, if you like my Facebook page, find the picture of my pumpkin cupcakes (posted Nov. 4th).  If you "like" this picture, you will be entered into a drawing to win a free dozen pumpkin cupcakes to be delivered the week of Thanksgiving!!  That drawing will also end on Nov. 16th, so better make a stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/yellowrosescupcakes.  To give you a glimpse of what you can take home, see below!

Did I mention these are made with brown butter?  It adds so much flavor-too bad your computer is not scratch and sniff!

Fondant leaf decoration-how festive would this look on your Thanksgiving table?!



Tip of the Blog:
When baking, always have your ingredients at room temperature.  Even your eggs, milk or buttermilk and butter.  This will help the ingredients to mix together better with less mixing, which can cause dry cake.  There is no problem letting your butter and eggs sit out overnight, it can take a few hours for them to come to room temperature.  However, if you are short on time or forgot to let everything come to the same temperature, you can simple immerse your eggs in warm water and soften your butter in the microwave (don't let your butter melt, unless the directions say to do so!).
 
If you haven't "liked" my Facebook page yet, here is the link again: www.facebook.com/yellowrosescupcakes.  This is a great way to keep up to date on specials and discounts!!