Incredible Day

I am so busy today. But I wanted to share some wonderful news with you all. VCVC Cupcakes teamed up with Doms Sausage of Malden this am to help out with the cupcake part of their catering!! Also we launched www.vcvccupcakes.com today... that is now our official webpage. I am so excited I could burst!!! Check it out and pass it on!

BIG CHANGES

There are some HUGE changes afoot. VCVC Cupcakes has been established!!! It is officials. Today I worked with a great graphic designer who created this wonderful logo for me. I really like it!!! I also signed on with a wonderful girl to create me a wonderful website. I can't wait to launch that. I am so excited. On top of all that I am looking forward to working with a very popular local business and helping them with all of their cupcake needs :) Things are really looking up for VCVC Cupcakes. For now please "like" us on Facebook and spread the word. (just search for VCVC Cupcakes because I don't know how to shorten our URL on there). Word of mouth is the best form of flattery, even if it is talking while full of frosting :)

Dancing the Days Away

Days are simply flying by between planning the engagement party, family, work and trying to start the cupcake business. Several big steps have been taken thought. First off, I received my ServSafe Certification. I am pretty proud of that, some of the things I learned were pretty frightening. Also a name has been decided upon. VCVC Cupcakes. Do you like it? I do!!! It is my initials. After the name was decided upon, business cards were printed!!! This is all becoming so real!! I am also working on getting a formal website with ordering info on it, prices, flavor combination ideas and a decent portfolio on it.

So with that I shall leave you with some pictures of some recent project photos. I really enjoy doing this. A passion that I sort of fell into. I never thought of myself as creative, maybe I was wrong... maybe I found my talent. PS... the ballet cupcakes... were a HUGE hit!!!

Just when you thought the water was safe....

I went for my ServSafe certification on Saturday. I am super excited. Another big step towards the shop. Well ok, maybe a small step, but a step I can take now! On Sunday I had to work for a few hours and then I had a challenge... in Weston a water main broke. Long story short my town is under a "water boil order". This means under no circumstances should you ingest any of the tap water. No drinking it, washing your dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands etc without special precautions, which can be seen here http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/cdc/mwra_water_break/water_break_faq_gen.pdf Of course, I had cupcakes to make!! The teacher appreciation luncheon was fast approaching and they HAD to have some vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting... of course!! So I did my research, sanitized EVERYTHING and went to work. It was so much fun. I was psyched. About 3 hours later I found out that the teachers luncheon was postponed until further notice. Bummer. And they were so cute too! But I do have to admit, it was interesting.

At this point I am glad I do not have the shop. Even the major companies like Dunks and Starbucks are hurting. They can not make coffee to sell, it just is not safe. So while people are worried about the pain in the butt of having to boil water or the panic of finding bottled water because they are too lazy or afraid to boil water, there are businesses out there who could lose their lively hood. I hope they don't.

So cheers to clean water... hopefully in the near future. I am off to find someone who is hungry for a cupcake... and not a teacher. :-)

Spring is here!!!

Officially the calendar says that spring is here! Mother Nature seems not so sure. But with all the rain we have had I figured some pretty cupcakes would brighten everyone's mood. Since I last wrote so much has happened. I went away to Costa Rica with the Editor and he proposed while we were there. I was in heaven. Of course I could not help but think about what to make for engagement cupcakes. While I was there I had no access to baking but I did have a dream about how I was going to make some Mario Cupcakes for a friend's son's birthday when I got home. Then when I got home I found out that he changed his mind and was going with Spiderman. No problem. I am also working with lactose free and gluten free on this order. It will be interesting but I am optimistic. I like a challenge lately.

Today I made some Easter Cupcakes. Easter is one of those holidays that always seems to sneak up on me. Since it is never on the same day each year and can even change months it seems to pop out of nowhere for me. I had fun today though. The kids seem to like how they came out. So here they are!!!

To All My Valentines-

What a weekend! At one point in my life Valentines Day meant nothing. But The Editor changed that around for me! This year he treated me to 2 dozen roses at work, tickets to New Kids On the Block (yes I know I am sooo 90's). He also treated me to a Chocolate Buffet at the Ritz Carlton in Boston. Oh my what an experience. We sat in a decadent lobby watching all sorts of people wander in and out of the hotel. People watching is my 2nd favorite hobby (following closely behind baking). They had a table all decked out in chocolate. Chocolate milk, strawberries, home made marshmallows with sauce and truffles. There had to be at least 30 kinds of chocolate there. When the chef came out I chatted her up for a few, she recommended the mouse. It was so light and airy, like angels wings. Simply amazing. I think I tried everything that was there, some twice.

Before I was treated to this decadence, I spent all day finishing off the last of the Valentine Cupcake orders. I made 3 kinds of cupcakes, I did Mocha with mocha butter cream, lemon zest with lemon butter cream, and "better than sex chocolate". I had tried several chocolate cupcake recipes, but had not found one that I truly loved, until I came across Katie's page at The Cupcake Project. Boy was she right!!! These are *almost* better than sex chocolate cupcakes. But as far as cupcakes go... I think they are amazing. I chose not to put the chocolate chips into them for now, but I can't WAIT to try that.

The recipe is as follows, definitely worth a try if you have time **if not call me, I will make them for you!! ;-)**

Makes 16 regular cupcakes.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a small sized bowl and whisk to combine. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

I am off to finish some of the cleaning and laundry I have neglected while I have had fun filling orders for friends and family... for now, here are some pictures to enjoy.

Mission #1 complete

I made it through my first order pick up! It was a tad hectic, but we made it! My friend T called and asked for some cupcakes for her boyfriend's birthday. He wanted 12 strawberry "OMG those are big ass" cupcakes. Since he likes to hunt and is a tad redneck I decided he could not just have pink cupcakes with white frosting. NO WAY! This is a guy who goes camping and likes to hunt!! Heck he kicks my butt at Big Buck Hunter whenever I am over. Anyhow I decided he needed camo cupcakes.

The first batch I was not a big fan of. I used a few too many egg whites and cake flour. So on the 2nd batch I used more pureed strawberries and regular flower and of course fewer egg whites. Perfection!! And much to my shock, I loved how my camo came out. Even the editor was impressed!! T sent a picture of the birthday boy chowing down on his cupcake and said they were a huge hit!! The batter tasted like strawberry ice cream and the cuppies were fluffy and tasty. So for now I leave you with some pictures. Drool... then email me and tell me what I can make for you!