One Girl and A Cupcake Shoppe ♥

I just celebrated a year at the Cupcake Mansion in New London.
I even invited a unicorn.

Plus 300 people standing underneath a sparkly ceiling buying cupcakes.

...in a small farmhouse that I named The Cupcake Mansion a year ago.

In the same week as my Cupcake Mansion celebration..I started selling cupcakes at Woodmans (one of the biggest most awesome grocery stores in Wisconsin).  My first big box retailer.  What an honor.  We sold out in 2 days the first week! ♥ (this is me and one of my sidekicks, Katarina at Woodmans demo-ing our product).

Everything seems like a big blur, and when I look back at myself a year ago..
I see myself as an artist. A baby.
Now I see myself as an artist and a business woman. ♥
I wonder who I'll be this time next year?

At my grand opening party, my dream was to run a cupcake fashion show.
Every model dressed up like a different version of  (me) Amanda Cupcake.
There was..Lucille Ball Cupcake, Unicorn Amanda Cupcake, Rainbow Brite Amanda Cupcake, Zombie Amanda Cupcake, Cupcake Superhero Amanda Cupcake, Business Amanda Cupcake, Betsey Johnson (fashion designer) Amanda Cupcake...the list goes on ♥

But I have to be honest here.
This model... defined the true Amanda Cupcake at this moment in my career.
We named her "At Night Baking Amanda Cupcake."
Amanda Cupcake's true identity revealed.
Frosting, candy melts, flour caked onto jeans.
Glitter or frosting on my face and in my hair.
Half asleep from working so hard..

but still happy & satisfied, because creating is everything ♥
Even if it means you have to sacrifice to turn a dream into a living!

When the model blew powdered sugar at the audience, tears welled up in my eyes.  To me it was more than just a funny and fun fashion show.  The fashion show was my story, unfolding in action before my eyes.  

Me♥
In the past year..
I've made so many wishes.
(and I'm making one in this picture as I blow the sprinkles!)

I've made many mistakes but they've made me an amazing problem solver.
I've shed tears in my own cupcake batter trying to resolve them!
I've gained about 15 lbs, sigh :)
I've accepted peacefully that while the rest of the world is out partying on a Saturday night, I'm at home enjoying a bubble bath, a glass of wine, or a snooze.
I've experienced more love than I ever have!

...and sadly I've managed to figure out how to handle the criticism of haters too.
And while I am on this divine cupcake rollercoaster..
I'm gonna keep the faith♥.

That's my recipe for you in this blog entry.
It may not fill your tummy, but I hope it fills your heart.
Thank you all for your support in the past year.
Let's show everyone that cupcakes can change the world.
Perhaps a cupcake is a path to World Peace?!

quote by Kurt Vonnegut ♥
Photos by Maison Meredith Photography & Tommy Trout Photo

Fantasy Vanilla Almond Rainbow Cupcakes ♥

A true story & recipe by: Amanda Cupcake

One Starry Starry Night while everyone else was dreaming, I swirled fantasies on top of cupcakes.

Little fantasies that tasted like vanilla almond rainbows.   At the first warm & colorful bite of my rainbow cupcake creation, I "remembered" that I had "forgotten" a wild food fantasy from the days before anyone ever called me Amanda Cupcake.  

♥

Back in my angsty teen days, I was a painter.  Art was my favorite class, painting was my outlet.  Even back then though, my instincts yearned for something beyond paint.  I wished that I had the tools to create *edible* art that had never been seen before.  Paint that I could eat.  I started envisioning a new colorful creation. Ice cream themed after famous paintings. Like Van Gogh's Starry Night--inside of an Ice Cream Carton.  I envisioned myself opening the carton to reveal a frozen replica of my favorite legendary painting..as ice cream. I thought that the neatest thing ever would be if I could dip my spoon into a soft dairy canvas, and as the ice cream melted, the "paints" would  blend together into brand new colors I never even knew existed.  Sort of like Superman Ice Cream..but more "fantasy" than comic strip.

♥

Wow..so....

My rainbow fantasy cupcakes that I dove into, buttercream first.. were a real life version of "paint that I could eat."   My teenage fantasy come true. Even though this wasn't ice cream, the colors in the frosting and inside of the cupcakes evolved with every single vanilla almond bite. Just like my vision.

And the best thing ever...I actually did create these cupcakes on a starry starry night.  The starry starry night can be recreated on the cupcake by lightly sprinkling Hologram Silver Disco Dust on top of fresh frosting!   

♥

You too..can make Vanilla Almond Rainbow Fantasy Cupcakes:

Your Fantasy Vanilla Almond Rainbow Cake Mix Recipe:

• White Cake Mix (no generic labels, brand names only)
• 1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk (in place of the water on the box)
• 4 eggs
• 3.9-4 oz Vanilla Pudding (the pudding gives it that "from scratch" texture).
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of Pure Almond Extract
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• Disposable Piping Bags (for layering the rainbow colors on top of each other in the cupcake liners)
• Light colored cupcake tin (a light colored tin works better than dark so that your bright colors don't brown when baking)
• White Cupcake Liners (this recipe makes about 12-15 cupcakes)
• Oven, Preheated to 325.

A friend is always good to bake with. ♥ I'm lucky to have two of the cutest little friends ever, Hanna and Rainy. I call them my "Mini Me's'"

My edible paint colors that I swear by for fantasy rainbow cupcakes and their frosting.  Americolor Gel Paste in Electric Pink, Electric Yellow, Sky Blue. (You can buy these here or at a local cake decorating supply store).

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in stand mixer and whip together well using flat beater attachment.

Step 2: Take out 3 separate bowls and pour about 1 1/2 Cups of batter in each bowl.

Step 3: 

♥For Sky Blue:  Mix two small drops of Americolor Gel Paste in one Vanilla Batter Bowl.

♥For Electric Pink:  Mix three to four small drops of Americolor Gel Paste in a separate Vanilla Batter Bowl. 

♥For Electric Yellow: Mix three to four small drops of Americolor Gel Paste in a separate Vanilla Batter Bowl. (I use more drops of color for the yellow and the pink so that the colors are really vibrant).

Step 4:  Stop and gaze at the beauty of your bright batter colors in each separate bowl.

Pour each color of batter into a separate disposable piping bag, and cut a small hole at the end of the piping bag.

♥Cover the bottom of your cupcake liner with electric yellow batter.

♥Repeat by piping electric pink on top of your electric yellow batter.

♥Repeat again by piping Sky blue on top of your electric pink batter.

♥Now you can add little swirly swirls of extra color, until your cupcake liner is filled 1/2 full.

♥Bake at 325 for appx 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

..and taste test. I did. The cupcake is...gone!

Look how pretty the cupcake liner looks alone! You don't even need to buy the fancy schmancy ones at the store.  This started out as a plain white cupcake liner.

The Pastel Rainbow Fantasy Frosting technique:

(it's truly magical).

REAL BUTTER IS LOVE ♥

I use a homemade buttercream for the best swirl texture.

1 Lb of  Unsalted  Softened Butter in my Buttercream Recipe ♥

I swear by Marshmallow Creme as the base for my frosting.

I use 13-14 oz in my frosting recipe.

See full recipe for buttercream frosting below.

♥Just a reminder of how pretty the frosting is♥

Just like my batter, I separated my frosting into 3 bowls.

Then I mixed each gel paste color into a separate bowl (about 3-4 drops per bowl--you can always add more color if you want the color to come out more vibrant). 

Electric Yellow, Electric Pink, Sky Blue.

Hint: If you want your frosting to look more "Unicorn-esque" like these cupcakes... (these colors remind me of Unicorns!), I use white in place of yellow. Or still use the yellow but add white too as a 4th color.

To pipe a multi-color rainbow swirl:  I stacked each color of frosting on top of one another inside of a disposable piping bag. ♥  Your piping bag will look so pretty from the outside, like this!

  This is the view from the inside of the piping bag, as I am stacking the sky blue, electric pink, electric yellow buttercream frosting colors on top of each other.  

 For a dreamy puffy fantasy swirl, I use a round Wilton 1A Piping Tip like in the picture.  Before you stack the frosting inside of the piping bag, cut a hole in the end of the piping bag big enough to fit the tip, and slide the piping tip down into the end of the piping bag.  

♥No cupcake will look the same.  When all three-four colors blend together inside the piping bag you'll start seeing greens, purples, turquoise colors swirl a fantasy rainbow onto your cupcake! 

♥Where you might need patience:  For the brightest colors possible, switch piping bags every time your piping bag runs out of frosting. This prevents colors from turning muddy or brown.

The final product.  My signature rainbow fantasy cupcakes.

Maybe this summer..fantasy rainbow ice cream cupcakes?! ♥♥♥

Marshmallow Creme Buttercream Frosting Recipe:

13-14 oz Marshmallow Fluff or Cream

1 lb butter

1 T Vanilla Extract

Dash Salt (to lessen the sweetness a tad)

8 Cups Powdered Sugar (depending on how thick you want your frosting to be-use less for creamier frosting and more for thicker swirls)

• Use a spatula to scrape the fluff and the butter out into your stand mixer.
• Mix well until fluffy and well blended.
• Gradually add a pinch of salt and vanilla extract.
• Now add your powdered sugar, slowly until the frosting reaches desired consistency.
• (The more powdered sugar you add—the more stiff the frosting will be for decorating).

Cupcakes Make People Happy.

2012 ended two weeks ago, but I just haven't found the words to blog here about it until now.  And that is because it was an amazing year. Can you believe I was left sort of speechless?!  So I decided to start my blog with how I ended last year. ♥

You see these cookies? They are signature Amanda Cupcake cookies! Inspired by my cupcakes.  I believe in soft sugar cookies...that are little discs of magic when you bite into them. Swirled with pillows of frosting on top and glitterized with sprinkles and all kinds of edible gems. I made them especially for one certain boy in mind ♥

Kayden is the boy I made them for. ♥

This is his mom Tina.  She is one of my volunteers.

She's a single mom, who goes to college full time too.

And somewhere in the midst of all of this, she finds some time to help me in the kitchen.

Her favorite thing to help me make in the kitchen is my frosting!

This is Tina at my Cupcake Mansion.

She does laugh the whole time she helps me make my frosting.

On a more serious note..she told me right before Christmas that her hot water heater had died, so she had to use whatever money she had to buy a new one.  Because of this, Kayden wasn't going to get any new presents, she was going to wrap one of his old fire truck toys to make it look like new and put it under the tree. I thought for sure I could do something, now that I live in the Cupcake Mansion, a place where people come from everywhere to eat cupcakes.

This was my Facebook post on my Amanda Cupcake fan page, and look at all the thumbs up.  Everyone in New London and the greater area wanted Kayden to have a Merry Christmas too! The best part after this Facebook post was when Tina surprised me by knocking on the door of my cupcake mansion that night.She just wanted to come and give me a hug :).

♥

So people came in, one by one bearing gifts.

And in return I fed the town of New London cupcakes ♥

I liked these special handmade ornaments that were especially custom made for Tina & Kayden because they will tell a story even when Kayden outgrows all his toys.

On Christmas Eve ♥

I gave him all his presents donated from the town of New London..and some donations even came through the mail from other states! He didn't open them on Christmas Eve though, I made sure to pile them all in a big bag-so he could unwrap them all on Christmas morning!

♥ This picture makes me smile, and giggle a bit. But really..it shows that cupcakes are a wonderful medium to make a big difference in one person's life. 

Like a kid in a cupcake shoppe, I let him pick whatever treat he wanted. He dove for a signature M&M sugar cookie!

This was Kayden's variety pack (his selections from the cupcake mansion)...

Some of my best cupcakes of the year:

♥A chocolate Snowman that I built out of frosting & oreo cookies

♥A chocolate peanut butter Rudolph with a shiny m&m nose

♥A sugar cookie that looks just like a cupcake

♥A Cupcake with a mini sugar cookie on top 

♥A Chocolate Mint Hug Cupcake with a thin mint baked inside

♥A Chocolate Peanut Butter Gem

I thought the best way to wrap up 2012 would be to focus on one big goal that I turned into a reality right at the end of the year.  I've always wanted to use cupcakes as a medium to make a difference in someone's life.  I have this huge dream of committing random acts of cup-kindness all over the world.  Some would say I am cupcake obsessed.  This is the reason.  The wonderful people that I meet and make smile, the lives behind the cupcakes.  This story says it all, and the fact that I was able to use my cupcakes to make someone truly happy..means that this dream of sending hope out into the world through cupcakes...is well on its way ♥ Welcome 2013. A year of cupcake hope!

Sparkledoodles!

I have a magical recipe to share with you.

It will warm your tummy up when it is cold outside.

It's got enough spice to keep you sassy.

It's nostalgic and special like something your grandmother baked.

♥

Sparkledoodle Cupcakes

Inspired by Snickerdoodles ♥

Cinnamon-alicious Cupcakes whipped with frosting swirls and sprinkled with sparkly cookies!

This little sparkledoodle cupcake believes in you ♥ Consider it your cupcake trophy when you get done baking, you know..when you are sprinkling the last few sparkles on your cupcake! (Right before you are ready to eat it, if you can..because I know it's cute).

Just in case I haven't reviewed this with you already, rule #1 with baking the recipes I share with you. There's no secret here. Make sure you abundantly pour love into your measuring cups.  When you add enough love, it takes you on a flavor journey that will keep you coming back to the amazing day you ate a Sparkledoodle Cupcake.

The Cupcake: ♥

Ingredients Needed:

Box of White Cake Mix (I like Pillsbury, Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker if I am doctoring up a cake mix)

1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk (in place of the water on the cake mix box)

1/3 Cup of Vegetable Oil

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon 

Instructions:

1.  Preheat your even to 325.

2.  Line Cupcake pans with appx 18-20 cupcake liners.

3.  Pour your Cake mix in a stand mixer.

4.  Add Buttermilk, Eggs and Vegetable Oil, and Vanilla to your mix.

5.  Mix Well, Scraping down sides of bowl until well blended (you can mix for about two - three minutes scraping down bowl in between).

6.  Now, measure your Cinnamon and fold this in with a rubber spatula (this way your cake mix will stay white with little flecks of cinnamon in it instead of turning your batter brown).

7.  Fill each cupcake liner appx 2/3 full and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The Cookie:

(adapted by Emeril Live, sparkles added by Amanda Cupcake!)

Ingredients Needed:

2 3/4 C All Purpose Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 C Shortening

1/2 C Unsalted Butter (Softened!)

1 1/2 C Sugar + 3 Tablespoons

2 Eggs

1 Tablespoon of ground Cinnamon

1 Small Container of Hologram Silver Disco Dust!

Large Sugar Crystals ♥

Instructions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 325.

2.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3.  Mix 3 Tablespoons of Sugar & Cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.

4.  In one bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.

5.  In Stand Mixer, Cream your Shortening,  Butter, and Eggs together until creamy.

6.  Gradually add the 1 1/2 Cups of sugar and eggs to this mixture.

7.  Add the dry ingredients to this blend and mix well until mixture is smooth and fluffy like the cookie dough of your dreams.

8.  For cookies that will fit on cupcakes: Hand roll the dough into 3/4 inch balls.

9.  Now Dip and Roll ♥  (and by dip and roll, I mean dip your cookie dough balls into the cinnamon/sugar blend and set each cookie dough ball spaced evenly apart on cookie sheets.)

10.  Bake your little labors of love for appx 8-10 minutes, or until they are slightly golden on top.

11.  While cookies are still warm, add your magic: Sprinkle large sugar crystals, hologram silver disco dust, and a small amount of extra cinnamonalicious ground cinnamon on top of each cookie. You now have your cookie trophy for your cupcake!

The Frosting:

13 oz Marshmallow Creme

1 lb of Unsalted Butter (softened)

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

4-6 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1.  In stand mixer, cream butter and marshmallow creme until fluffy. (tip on getting the marshmallow creme out of the jar: warm up a rubber spatula with hot water, dry the spatula and quickly scoop out the fluff with the spatula while it is still warm!)

2.  Add 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla to your blend.

3.  Now add your sweetness! Gradually add powdered sugar to turn this into whipped heaven!

For a more "whipped" frosting, add less powdered sugar. For a more "stiff" frosting, add more!  Remember, since you have a pound of butter in your blend, you can add quite a bit of powdered sugar with out the frosting being too sweet!!

4.  Piping Magic:  For Dreamlike Swirls, I pipe frosting with a round 1M tip.  For larger more texured swirls I pipe with an Extra Large French Pastry Tip!

Inspired by all things sparkly, (including glitter heels that I wear here at my cupcake mansion) and great friends like my friend Amy here who bakes splendid cookies for me as gifts! ♥  

The Cupcake Dance!

A few weeks ago, a dream of mine came true.

I opened my cupcake shoppe!

And it isn't just any cupcake shoppe.

It is my vision.

A home for my cupcakes.

I call it The Cupcake Mansion because it should be a destination.

A place for people to fill their bellies (and mustaches, hair, skin!) with sugar and frosting and sparkles.  But also a place with purpose, a place that fills you up with happiness like when you were a little kid.  

This is the action. My friends & I preparing the cupcake mansion for lots o love. We were GLITTERIZING the wall in the shoppe. Yes, just throwing sparkles at the wet wall. (People asked how we did it.. we painted the wall with clear glaze and threw glitter all over it while it was still wet. Lots and lots of glitter!)

When I say this place has purpose..

it is more than just about making people happy.

I'm on a mission to use my God given gift of cupcake making to change lives :).  

(which you may or may not have already known, but now I'm announcing it loud and clear!)

(cupcake skirt with glitter hearts!)

I painted some lives with delicious dreams a few days after my successful grand opening!

I hosted a cupcake *surprise* party at my mansion for the New London Girls Dance Team.

22 girls who had just found out they were on the dance team.  Their coach surprised them with a trip here ♥. And the girls thought they were going bowling!   I can't even imagine what a  wondrous shock it was when we threw glitter at them and exclaimed, "Welcome to the Cupcake Mansion!" when they walked through the door! ! ! !

my adorable assistant Billie who helped me throw glitter on the girls!

I taught them how to make rainbow cupcakes and how to make edible gems out of delights like m&ms, peanut butter cups, and Hershey kisses. ♥  I even prepared 22 edible words and ballet slippers out of pink candy melts so their cupcake could dance!

Some of their creations ♥

While I was teaching cupcakes in one room, my fairy godmother (Jane) taught the girls how to make ribbon headbands that they could wear.  (So the ribbons would move with the girls when they danced)!  

♥

An adorable dance team/exchange student from Germany exclaimed the cutest thing ever: "I want to take my cupcake back to Germany!

There was one rule at this party.

If you stepped on the rug in front of the counter of goodies..(inevitable!!) you absolutely had to DANCE ♥♥♥!!

I asked the girls to make up a "cupcake dance".  As I recall it involved a mixer..and the motion of eating a cupcake ♥ Hmm I am thinking cupcake dance flash mob in the near future?! Or a visit from Ellen Degeneres (it is STILL my goal to dance with her and eat a red velvet vegan cupcake with her and her audience)!

Glitter, smiles, sugar, music, dance, cupcakes.

"A laugh is a smile that bursts."

..or so I have heard!:

Sparkly tutus!

Our "toast" to sparkly marshmallows and hot cocoa.

My Irish fairy godmother's sparkly marshmallow and hot cocoa toast:

An Irish Toast to Liars, Cheaters & Stealers:

May you lie your life down for family and friends,

May you cheat death & dishonor at every chance

And may you steal the hearts of those you love all life long.

The girls enchanted by her Irish toast ♥.

During the party I stepped back for a second to watch everything happening. And that was just it. This dream of a cupcake mission was "happening."  My glittery cupcake heart was being shared with 22 amazing girls.    

Their completed cupcakes on the cupcake skirt♥

Wrapped up in that little cupcake liner was a memory of a lifetime. D

Learning all about Amanda Cupcake ♥ on my wall of fame :)

Maybe you should make a wall of fame.

It really highlights all the wonderful people & experiences you meet when you take on life's adventures, no matter what they are!    Do you have any idea of how rewarding it is to use all your seconds and minutes in life to do good for the world..and then sit back and watch it all unfold!? (or perhaps,  watch it dance in this case).