Sachiko Windbeil's Cupcake Toppers

I’m loving these edible cupcake toppers by pastry chef Sachiko Windbeil. Originally from Japan, and now living in New York, Sachiko’s toppers (or as she calls them “cupcake accessories”) are sooo darn cute, like little pieces of art. Of course, we all know that, at the end of the day, a cupcake has to taste good, but a sweet little Blue Jay on top certainly doesn’t hurt! Seriously, who can resist those Bird Watching toppers?? And the gourds?? Adorable! I also can’t get enough of the colorful Easter Bunny toppers. So lovely. Actually, I think all of these toppers would look equally great on top of cake, too, if cupcakes aren't your thing. All of Sachiko’s toppers are made out of fondant and available on her Etsy site, right here.  ~Erin

Inspiration Board: Springerle

My mom has been obsessed with Springerle cookies lately. She’s planning on making some for my sister’s wedding and Springerle madness has officially set in. She keeps buying and experimenting with all sorts of different wooden molds, the kind that are used to make these lovely German cookies. With all this Springerle talk surrounding me these days, it seemed like the perfect time to do a post on them!

Springerle cookies, which have been around since the 1300s and are traditionally anise-flavored, are created by pressing a patterned mold onto rolled dough and then baking. The result is a hard cookie covered in a beautiful bas-relief image. The molds themselves are usually inspired by folk art and are often imprinted with images of flowers, animals, and people (with flowers and animals). In addition to the cookie molds, there are also patterned rolling pins available, if you want to cover a large surface, like a pie covering. These little cookies are truly edible art! For more Springerle info and to check out a recipe for the cookies, click here.

Pictured above: "Lady" Springerle Cookies by The Springerle Baker. For more Springerle examples on this site see: Cookbook Excitement: Pie it Forward and Inspiration Board: Easter.

Birnbaum Owl Mold (18.95) from The Springerle Baker

Cookie made with owl mold from The Springerle Baker

Gingerbread Springerle by King Arthur Flour

Springerle Cupcakes by Bakerella

Springerle Cookies/Cake by Martha Stewart

Sweet Testing: Almond Green Tea Cupcakes

I have come to realize something about myself. I love almond flavoring! I only came to this realization recently, after eating these green tea and almond cupcakes from Baked, but, from now on, I am all about eating anything flavored with almond! Actually, this new found epiphany is not really surprising, given the fact that I eat almonds every day, but as much as I love real live almonds, I don’t know if they can take credit for the yumminess of these cupcakes. I think it’s the more intense almond extract that does the trick. Whatever it is, I think these may be the best cupcakes I’ve ever made! They were definitely a nice change over more traditional chocolate/vanilla cupcakes. Oh, and the green tea taste is very subtle, so if you’re not a tea lover, I wouldn’t let that stop you from trying these! So good!

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Inspiration Board: Muppets

The Muppets, stars of the television series The Muppet Show, as well as numerous big screen movies, often get the short end of the stick when it comes to dessert decoration. They are often overlooked for their older, more popular cousins on Sesame Street, so when I saw these wonderful cupcakes by Cupcake Occasions, I was sooo excited. I'm especially fond of the Beaker cupcake because that's what we used to call my mom when I was an adolescent, not because she spoke in a high-pitched squeak, but because she and the red-haired Muppet shared the same job. After doing some additional Muppet dessert research, I came across the cake below, which was made by Heather and is based on my all-time favorite Muppet movie, The Great Muppet Caper. I was in Muppet heaven.

Animal Cake by Denheath Desserts

The Mixing Bowl: Black Bottom Cupcakes by Alyssa Nassner

This afternoon was so happy and sun shiny that it seemed like a great time to post this awesome recipe from illustrator Alyssa Nassner. Colorful and cheery, Alyssa's work goes perfectly with the spring season. Flowers, bike rides, animals . . . her work has spring written all over it! And the Black Bottom Cupcake illustration that she created for her Mixing Bowl recipe is equally adorable. Not to mention, that it looks mighty delicious!  Who doesn't love a rich and chewy, multicolored cupcake? Really who?  

A recent graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Alyssa Nassner has already worked with clients such as Chronicle Books, Dwell Studio, and UPPERCASE Magazine. In addition, Alyssa also runs Small Talk Studio, an online store that specializes in fun home goods and paper products. I took one look at her bicycling raccoons print and was instantly smitten. To check out more of Alyssa's work, you can visit her website, right here, as well as the Small Talk Studio Etsy page, right here. 

To see a larger version of the Black Bottom Cupcake recipe, simply click on the image at the top of this post.

Inspiration Board: Henna

When I first laid eyes on these gorgeous cakes by Rora Does Cake, I couldn't get over how breathtakingly unique they were. The detailing is so intricate and unusual, at first I thought they were inspired by lace patterns. After a little bit of research, I discovered that they were actually created using henna techniques, and it all started to make sense! It really is a great method to use as design element. The cake sort of becomes a blank canvas, making even the most ordinary dessert feel special!

Almond Banana Bavarian Tart by Foodaholics

Diwali Cupcakes by The Cupcake Place

The Mixing Bowl: Black and White Present (Mascarpone) Cupcakes by Tamar Levine and Jennifer Becker

One of the best things about having a website is that it gives you the opportunity to come across new and interesting work that you may not have otherwise seen. You get the chance to discover the work of strangers and, every once in a while, you stumble upon a little unknown something that is so fantastic and wonderful that it makes you do a little happy dance in your seat! This is exactly what happened a couple of months ago, when I was first introduced to the work of Tamar Levine, a fashion, portrait, and fine art photographer based in Los Angeles. After noticing that Tamar had graciously tweeted one of my posts, I checked out her website, and I was so happy that I did! Her photos are so feminine and retro and surreal . . . all things that I love. I want to live inside them or, at the very least, hang them on my wall!

Tamar, who created her Mixing Bowl contribution with the help of her friend and fellow photographer Jennifer Becker, definitely has a penchant for the girlie side of life, so it only makes sense the her recipe for Black and White Present Cupcakes would be not only be pretty but theatrical as well. Just like her photos! Unfortunately, I couldn't include all of my favorite Tamar photographs here, but there is a large selection of images on her website. You can check them out by clicking here. You can find the complete recipe and more photos after the jump. Thanks, Tamar!

Macaron vs. Cupcake

The print pictured above is by graphic designer Vahram Muratyan who recently produced a series of adorable images that asks the question, Which is better, Paris or New York? By comparing two similar images, one stereotypically Parisian, the other classic New York, the viewer is asked to take sides. Now, before I give you my opinion on the age old macaron versus cupcake battle, I should probably first make a SHOCKING confession. You may want to sit down for this. Oh, wait, you probably are sitting down. Okay, here it goes… I’ve never actually eaten a macaron! I know! It’s pretty pathetic. Food sites have been filled with these babies for the last few years, but I have yet to sample one. So, as much as I like voting, I think I’ll have to abstain this time. It wouldn’t be right to cast my ballot when I don’t have all the information, but I'd love the hear your opinion!

If you want to check out Vahram's Paris vs. New York blog, click here. If you're interested in picking up a Macaron/Cupcake print for your home, click here to check out Vahram’s Paris vs. New York prints ($24 each).

Enjoy Cupcakes

I know that the whole dessert truck trend probably reached it's peak last summer, but I'm a sucker for all things cute and vintage, so I couldn't resist posting this pic of the adorable cupcake trailer used by Enjoy Cupcakes. Actually, this particular trailer isn't the usual food truck that roams the streets of a large city looking for customers. Instead, it parks itself right in the middle of your wedding reception, baby shower, birthday celebration, or any other party event that you can think of! Unlike a more traditional party, where, usually, the food trailer is hidden from view, Enjoy Cupcakes puts it's vintage Shasta trailer front and center.

But, wait, it gets even better! Enjoy Cupcakes offers over 170 different cupcakes flavors AND the flavor combinations are actually original and interesting. For instance, there is a HUGE selection of wine cupcakes, like Tart Ginger Lime Chardonnay and Caramel Pinot, as well as other mouth watering options like Pumpkin Smores, Chocolate Churro, and Chocolate Salted Peanut Buttery Caramel Crunch. Did I mention that they have cake, too?

If you are interested in hiring Enjoy Cupcakes for an event, you can find more info on their Web site. They also have two storefronts in California, one in Los Olivos and the other in Solvang. If you don't live in California, but would still like to sample their sweets, you can have cupcakes shipped straight to your door. Click here for more info on how to order.

Square Cupcakes

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to here it, does it make a sound? If a cupcake is square and not round, is it still a cupcake? These are just a couple of life's deepest philosophical questions that have been plaguing humanity for generations. In my opinion, the answer to both questions is "yes," but I know that there are probably many of you out there that would disagree. Is a square cupcake still a cupcake or is it just a piece of cake? Does the roundness of a cupcake make for easier eating? Does the shape matter? Certainly, the folks at Cupcakes Squared, a bakery in San Diego, have no problem with changing the shape of the traditional cupcake, considering that their store is filled with, not round, but square cupcakes! Some may consider this to be a bit blasphemous, but not me. I'd try one of their square cupcakes any day! Especially the Pistachio Pomegranate . . . mmmm. If you would like to try your hand at making your own square cupcakes, check out the resources below.


Wilton Square Silicon Baking Cups

Fat Daddio's Square Muffin Pan

Square Baking cups from Baking Idea

Inspiration Board: Candy

Oh, wow! Do I love this cake or what?? When I first came across this Rock Candy Cake on Style Me Pretty, I thought, that is the greatest wedding cake I have ever seen. Okay, I admit it, I probably have said that about other cakes in the past, and I think I said it again when I saw the Dots Cake featured below, but it's definitely one of my favorites. It's beautiful and fun and simple all at the same time. Who knew that rock candy could look so sophisticated! If I attended a wedding and there was a Rock Candy Cake, I'd be a happy girl. Seeing this cake actually inspired me to do a little research to find other ways in which candy can be used as a design element in food and this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it! {Rock Candy Cake by Cocoa + Fig, photo by Red Ribbon Studio}


Candy Dots Cake, by Lochel’s Bakery, courtesy of Philadelphia Wedding


Gumball Cake by A Sweet Design


Heston Blumenthal’s Popping-Candy Chocolate Cake by Chubby Hubby {This cake is amazing, but if you'd like a simpler approach to incorporating Pop Rocks in your desserts, try sprinkling it on top of a cake or cupcake.}

Inspiration Board: Plaid

Okay, I know that it's a little out of season to be talking about plaid, but I love these plaid desserts too much to wait until Fall! Besides, today I feel like breaking the rules! Just think of this as a Fall 2010 preview! I love all of these designs, but I have to say that the pink plaid cakes is my favorite one in the bunch! Very cute! Check out all the plaid dessert below to find your favorite. [Above: Chocolate Plaid Pear Cookies with Gold Leaves by Diane Drake]


Pattern Cookie Rounds: Plaid by Whipped Bakeshop


Plaid cupcakes: Cookies and Cream by Happy Little Cupcakes


Plaid Birthday Cake by dancerina


Isaac Mizrahi 8" Tartan Plaid Cheesecake by Junior's ($44)