I am a Cupcake Fairy Godmother!

This is dedicated to my friend Alicia in California. Remember her? I flew out to her a few years ago when she was getting married (see the blog story here).

She recently found out she is expecting a baby girl, and this is her adorable little baby bump ♥

And when I made these stenciled baby shower cupcakes, I thought they might match her belly perfectly.

A sweet baby girl, already leaving a trail of sparkly footprints (in the belly..and soon on her own path in the world).  

♥

Yesterday...  I received this wonderful surprise in the mail, and it made me think about something interesting:

A thank you letter from Daisy Troop 2289 with a custom made cupcake patch!
The girls from the troop designed this Amanda Cupcake patch after taking one of my classes, and now they proudly wear the patch on their sashes!  This by far was one of the best presents I have ever received in the mail.   That's when I realized I too, am on a maternal journey in my very own way. I am a cupcake fairy godmother to all these girls and all the babies/kids I meet along this cupcake journey!  But you know what else is awesome about this "cupcake fairy godmother" responsibility? All the moms and mommies and daddies to be that I meet along the way.  I share the excitement with them every time they visit me or I create a custom cupcake order for them. Maybe Alicia will ask me to be the cupcake fairy godmother for her baby girl?! I hope so.

See these two?  They are husband and wife. Lizzi and Alex Brockmann.

They drove out to my cupcake mansion in the snow (as you can see above) and ordered an item off of my secret menu.  A wish (and wishes are free at The Cupcake Mansion). All you have to do is ask for a handful of sprinkles to take outside and throw in the wind and make a wish. Lizzi didn't tell me what her wish was when she was throwing the sprinkles until her wish came true ♥  Lizzi is wishing in this photo..to have a baby..and she recently revealed to me that her wish came true. She is pregnant! 

Since I am over 2000 miles away from Alicia during a precious time in her life, my hope through this blog is to share some fun cupcake ideas/recipes with her, and maybe someone who loves her can try to recreate their own cupcake love and it can be expressed to her across the miles!  (and what's really awesome..now you can try these too).

Some Cupcake Fairy Godmother Inspiration: 

BEEHIVE CUPCAKES ♥

Cupcakes are Lemon Sundrop flavored. (easy bake at home recipe below!)    Can you tell..it's a girl?! I filled a disposable piping bag with my buttercream frosting (see recipe below). The tip I used was a giant 1A round tip to swirl dreamy fat beehive swirls on top of the cupcake.  The colors used: Americolor Electric Yellow and Americolor Electric Pink. ♥ The bees on the top are made out of yellow fondant, white heart shaped sprinkles for the wings, and a chocolate jimmie for the stinger.  The stripes are drawn on with a black edible ink marker.  You can also buy pre-made bees as pictured above too if you want a quicker option!  The pre-made bees are by Wilton and are sold at cake decorating supply stores ♥

Mini Baby Bump Cupcakes ♥

These were for a boy. You can tell because the heart on the belly is blue! (but you could easily change it to pink).  How I made these:  2 mini cupcakes, and one large cupcake for body shape! I stuck them all close enough together to make "mini baby bump" cupcake cakes! People are always making big Baby Bump cakes lately..I figured I'd give baby belly cupcakes a shot:

Baby Reveal Cupcakes (It's a boy):

I filled the inside of each vanilla cupcake with sky blue frosting for the boy (using Americolor Gel Paste.  If it was for a girl, you could use Electric Pink Gel Paste by Americolor).  The top of the cupcake is a heart..divided between pink and blue ♥ Is it a girl..or a boy?  I've heard it truly doesn't matter because you'll love him/her no matter what (that's why I made the heart)!

Ladybug cupcakes:

Everything edible and made by hand! The face made out of an oreo, cut not in half, but about 3/4.  The mouth made out of a red heart sprinkle. Sugar eyes.  M&Ms as the spots.  The antenna are drawn on parchment paper using chocolate candy melts (I cut a hole in the end of a disposable piping bag filled with melted candy melts and drew little lines on a parchment paper lined pan to make the antenna!  I added little heart sprinkles to the top of the antenna while the chocolate was still wet).  Frosting color used:  Super Red ♥

For the NICU Nurses:

Handmade and delivered in person to the NICU nurses at St Elizabeth Hospital here in Appleton, Wisconsin.  NICU nurses are wonderwomen! They should wear capes with their uniforms (and I believe that they are also fairy godmothers) ♥

Lemon Sundrop Cupcakes: (great to use with the beehive cupcakes)

♥Bake At Home Version of Amanda Cupcake's recipe♥

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix

1 cup Sundrop

1 tbl lemon zest (optional)

1 small box instant lemon pudding

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 cup oil

4 eggs

Directions:

Pour your box mix into stand mixer. Make sure you pour your Sundrop out of the can ahead of time into a bowl or clear measuring cup so it will lose some of its “fizz”. Once this is done, you can add to your box mix. Add box of lemonpudding, in powder form to the mixture. Add lemon extract & oil. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes until well blended. Last, add your lemon zest using a spatula. Bake at 350 in cupcake tins (filled about 2/3 full) for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.

Optional: Dip your cupcakes in a lemon sundrop syrup so they have a deeper Sundrop flavor.  Mix 1/2 Cup of lemonsundrop with 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar.  After your cupcakes have cooled, dip the top of each one in your Sundrop syrup. The syrup will saturate the cupcake so the Sundrop flavor is more intense.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

1 lb of unsalted butter

5 tbl of heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1-2 tsp lemon extract

2 tsp lemon zest
5 Tablespoons Mountain Dew or Sundrop Soda

Around 8-10 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Cut butter into small squares into a large bowl and blend with mixer until fluffy. Add soda beverage, whipping cream, vanilla, and lemon extract to butter. Once ingredients are incorporated, turn mixer down to low and gradually add powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency (the more powered sugar you add, the thicker the texture of frosting-if frosting is too thick, you can always thin it out with heavy whipping cream so don't be afraid to add powdered sugar!  Frosting pipes out more beautiful when it is on the "stiff" side). Last, add your lemon zest by hand.  

I'm A Cupcake, You're a Lebowski ♥

Have you ever seen the cult classic movie The Big Lebowski?

This week my friend was hosting a baby shower for a future "Little Lebowski" and she asked me to make 50 mini Lebowski themed cupcakes. And yes, they were having the baby shower at the local bowling alley here in Waupaca.

If you ever need to make cupcakes based off of a movie, I suggest you watch the movie, channel your inner costume designer, and think of your cupcakes as one of the stars of the movie.  That's what I did.

I am known for stacking a lot on one regular sized cupcake, but I wanted to fit the entire movie on 50 miniature cupcakes! 

It must have been cupcake destiny.

I found mini bowling pins in a toy pack at the dollar store.

I made cupcake toppers out of them inspired by the bowling pin headdresses in the movie:

I also made White Russian cupcakes. "Dude" would approve.

The White Russian was his drink of choice in the movie.  Kahlua, Vodka, cupcake, and a straw.  See recipe for White Russian Cupcakes at the end of this blog.

The Big Lebowski is full of 'staches. I made Dude's mustache edible-on a stick! You can wear it before you eat it.

Dude's Sunglasses ... and yes they are edible.

Mini Bowling Ball Cupcakes.

For the Little Lebowski. Awwwwww.

The words are edible. I free-handed them out of candy melts using a piping bag.

A little "Urban Achiever"

Let's Go Bowling.

The Dude Abides.

All that's needed are some tumbleweeds.

My best interpretation of Dude's Rug, made out of frosting.

Welcome, Little Lebowski. ♥♥♥

Recipe for White Russian Cupcakes:

Cupcake Recipe Adapted by Baked Perfection

Cupcakes Inspired by The Big Lebowski

and decorated by Amanda Cupcake!



Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 C Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Creaming Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 C Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Egg White

Liquid Ingredients:
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Milk
1/8 Cup Vodka
1/8 Cup Kahlua

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  Line Pan with 12 Cupcake Liners.
3.  Combine dry ingredients in one medium sized bowl.
4.  In another medium sized bowl, combine liquid ingredients.
4.  Blend Butter & Sugar in your Kitchen Aid Mixer until creamy.
5.  Add Egg & Egg White to the Creamed Mixture.
6.  Now start adding the liquid & dry ingredients (alternating) until blended in with the creamed mixture.
7.  Use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserted into the cupcake.

When Finished Baking:  Use an additional 1/8 Cup of Kahlua to glaze the top of your cupcakes.


White Russian Frosting:
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
5 Tablespoons Kahlua
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Cups of Powdered Sugar

Instructions:

• Cream Butter & Kahlua in mixer until creamy.
• Add 1/4 tsp salt.
• Gradually add Powdered Sugar until frosting is whipped & creamy.
• If frosting is too stiff, I add a tablespoon of milk or heavy whipped cream. This gives it a more smooth texture.