And The Winner Is?????? Plus a Cupcake Easter Tree Idea.

Thanks to everyone who made such nice comments!  I wish all of you could win!  Thank golly for random.org - I could have NEVER just picked. Everyone would have won and I would have some "explaining" to do with the hubby AKA The Great Pumba of Family Finances.  

BUT rest assured if you did not win, your chances are NOT over - I will be giving away TONS of fun things every week.  Plus, next month I will giveaway ANOTHER My Cake School membership....yes that is what I said!

So without any further blab the winner of the one year membership to MyCakeSchool.com and the decorating kit is.....

***~~~ The Addicted Baker!!~~~***

CONGRATS!!!!!  Leave me your email in the comments section and I will contact you with details. 

Check back on Sunday because I will be featuring Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and featuring a giveaway Cookbook from her online store WITH a set of AMERICOLOR MARKERS!! 

Whoooop Whoooop!!

Am I the only person that can look at an object and say to themselves...how can I make that into a cupcake?  Or how can I use that with/for/onto a cupcake??? 

I doubt it.

Well, this past weekend I got out our Easter decor and this sad little Easter Egg Tree was just begging for some edible cupcake ornaments.

Sad:

Happy:

Here is how - I will say it is a bit futzy putzy but also very worth the time because it looks so darn cute!

Here is a little guide with some pictures to help out.

Tools:
Lonely Sad Easter Egg Tree
Mini Cupcakes - cooled
Ribbon
Something to poke a hole in the cupcake and liner - I used the end of a paintbrush
Medium to Stiff Consistency Buttercream in your chosen colors (I used a great crusting buttercream recipe from MyCakeSchool)  It really holds it shape so great!
Royal Icing (only IF you have it on hand, if not you can use some buttercream but Royal ensures a solid hold of the cupcake).
Piping tools (I used a variety of tips)
Decorative Add-ons of your choosing!!

Bake some mini cupcakes - I used a more dense cake recipe and let completely cool

Cut the ribbon to desired length.  I started out really long to give me plenty of room for error (about 8 inches).

Next I took the end of my clean paintbrush and drove a hole thru the cake and thru the liner. Pull out the brush - now you have a hollowed out part of your mini cupcake.

Here is where I got smart...only after about 10 THOUSAND tries and a lot of CURSING I figured out how to get the ribbon thru the cupcake. 

Attach the ribbon to the end of the paintbrush with a little royal icing or buttercream so that the paintbrush acts as a guide for the ribbon as it goes through the cupcake.  If you fail to do this the ribbon has a hard time making it's way through and not getting stuck up on the cake.

As you can see I tied a knot underneath to secure.  I also put a little dab of frosting there as well.

Now the fun part....decorating.  I chose to use yellow, pink, purple and green as you can see.  Using different colors and piping tips adds to the whimsical feel in my opinion.

A trick to piping frosting around the ribbon.  Tape it up onto a plate like I did here:

Once you get all of your mini cupcakes decorated the way you want them to look just tie them CAREFULLY to the Tree!! 

Here is what mine looked like when I was all done:

FUN FUN FUN!!

Wouldn't this be so cool for an Easter Sunday Brunch on a Sweets Table??!!

I think so.

Wanna know what is NOT so much fun??  Going thru a TON of decorating bags when you use multiple different colors of frosting.  ~ CHACHING $$$ ~

Here is a GREAT trick I use all the time and I learned it from Karen at http://www.karenscookies.net/. Yet, another therapist of mine.

Lay out a piece of saran wrap.

Place your frosting in the middle.

Wrap up the frosting and twirl the ends of the saran wrap like you were wrapping a piece of candy tight. 

Slip one end through your piping bag and thru the coupler ** Isnt' this model a CUTIE PIE!! 

Now, just cut off that excess hanging out and secure your piping tip on and away you go!  When you are done with that color, just remove from the piping bag and change to new color!  No Muss..No Fuss!! 

For a VIDEO TUTORIAL on this go here: http://www.karenscookies.net/Cookie-Decorating-Video-Color-Mixing-Bag-Filling_ep_74-1.html


Also I linked up to Hoosier Homemade Cupcake Tuesday- check out the other GREAT IDEAS HERE: HOOSIER HOMEMADE, Its a hodge podge life and Tidy Mom,

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

My first test at My Cake School

 WOWIE!  What a great response to the giveaway!   It was so awesome to be featured on craftgossip.com.  I am such a huge fan of Meaghan Mountford over at http://www.thedecoratedcookieblog.com/ and http://www.craftgossip.com/ so THANKS!! 

 Stay tuned to see her featured as a therapist in the upcoming weeks - and of course I will be giving away her book, Cookie Sensations!  I can't wait for her new book to come out.

I just wanted to say thanks to the followers and the nice comments.  I was pretty excited on Sunday when I was reading all the posts!

I feel like I need some sort of disclaimer -- so here we go:

**I DO NOT HAVE A CUPCAKE PhD**

By NO means am I any sort of decorating pro.  The only thing you probably stand to learn here is some sarcastic one-liners!!

But rest assured I have made it my duty to point you in the direction of those with the golden piping bag for the real tutelage.

To be honest, I am a suburan living, working woman with a husband and kid who needed her own 'thing' short of a looney bin and so here I am WORLD!!

I am sure a lot of you can relate. 

I am going to keep the giveaway open until Thursday so don't forget to comment. 

Here is some of my very FIRST "fancy pancy" cupcakes inspired by My Cake School (http://www.mycakeschool.com/). 

 I made them for my annual VD party. 

Hey!  That's short for Valentines Day!  One of my favorite days of the year...consider yourself invited to next years annual soiree'. 

Awwww sooo pretty!!

The Eiffel Tower cupcake topper was purchased from TomKat Studio.  If you have never visited their site, you have my permission to leave NOW and go:  http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/.

You back yet???  See what I mean, it is just mesmerizing. 

I love the little cupcake topper I piped using melted candy....I was so proud of that cupcake on a cupcake!!

 

The only little guy that got his own picture!

Has anyone ever made a cupcake that they were so proud of and literally about had an anxiety attack at the thought of someone eating it????

Me???????  Ummmmm  HECK YA! 

It was almost like I was waiting for the Queen of England to come in and declare this little cupcake hers!

Well, she didn't get too because one of the teenage boys ended up downing it in one bite.....BUT with a smile so that is all that really mattered, RIGHT....RIGHT??? 

Right. 

What matters is that you add something sweet to your day, your week, your life. 

Cheers and Cupcake Jeers! 

Trish

The Doctor is In.....With a Giveaway!!!

Hi there!! Welcome to my blog.

My name is Trish and this blog is dedicated to the study of everything that is sweet....cupcakes are my favorite but I also love decorative cookies, cakes and other whimsical desserts. Simply put, it makes me happy.

People often ask me how I find the time to bake and decorate and explore this world of confectionery bliss.  My answer......"How can I NOT, find the time?"

Yes, it is true, I am a wife...a mother...a daughter, a sister, a friend and a Physician Assistant at a busy medical practice and despite all of this I will always make time to dream of my next cupcake decoration.

Why???  Easy.  It's Therapy.   

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to some of my "therapists" over the next few posts along with the work they have inspired in me and others. 

These women are some of the most amazing decoraters, bakers and Internet ROCKSTARS in the world of cupcakes, cookies and cakes.  I wish I lived next door to these awesome ladies. 

They, however, probably feel otherwise.  It would borderline on stalking. :)

So here is the first:

1.  "Dr"  Melissa Diamond   www.mycakeschool.com

This is the only still shot from her website because all of her other "pictures" are videos.  Melissa operates an amazing online "school" for cake decorators.  Amateurs accepted...look at ME!  I will never forget clicking on her icon when I was blog surfing.....I was hooked! 

Melissa and I meet for therapy whenever I need it.  She is  awesome that way.

What a great therapist!  I just log on to her site and begin my "session". 

Thanks Melissa.  I hope you don't mind that I violated Doctor, patient confidentiality...he he!

In honor of Melissa I plan to give away a one-year membership to http://www.mycakeschool.com/!!! 

Once I get my following up, I will use random.org to help chose the lucky winner.  Only requirement?  You have to LOVE sweets like me! 

Oh...and you will need a cupcake kit to get started right?? Well, I will throw this in too - The Wilton 12 piece decorating set!:

Want to know how I made the Peanuts Inspired Cupcake Topper??

It's Easy You Will Need:

*Colored fondant or gum paste and a little bit of white if you have it.

*Lollipop sticks

*Scissors

*Edible Food Writer
(I love Americolor - buy  here from another one of my therapists Bakerella!  http://astore.amazon.com/bakerella-20/detail/B0012DMI1S)

    *A printed picture of Lucy cut out.  Or, if you are above awesome and    will have my adoration for years and years, make your own out of fondant/gum paste!!

 1.  Either use pre-colored fondant or color your own.  I used pre-made Wilton yellow and Americolor brown to tint my white fondant brown for the bottom. Save a bit of white for the "IN" part of the sign if you want.

2.  Use the end of a paintbrush to burr a little hole into the top part of the brown sign

3. Use the same end of the paintbrush to push a little hole into the bottom part of the yellow sign

4. Cut off lollipop sticks to desired length

5. Whip up some sugar glue or use light Karo for glue and lightly dab the "glue" into the holes you just made. Insert sticks into bottom sign first.

6. Next, push the top part (yellow) of the sign into the sticks you just put into the bottom part (brown).  Make sure not to push the sticks through.

7.  Use black edible ink (Americolor ROCKS) and write on the top: "PSYCHIATRIC HELP.  On the bottom, "THE DOCTOR IS IN".  You can write IN right on the brown or use a bit of white fondant/gum paste if you chose and attach it with a dab of sugar glue. 

8. Next find a colored picture of lucy you like. Print it and cut out Lucy.  I attched her to a lollipop stick with some tape and VOILA.  I downloaded the picture I used from the interent from here: 

http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/cartoons/pages/lucy-the-doctor-is-in.shtml


9.  Now, just assemble your cupcake! 


Coming up I will featuring several of the ladies you see in my BLOG list, with giveaways in their honor!  Stay tuned for Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and a COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY of course!  
What makes you happy?


Whatever it is...follow it.  Follow your bliss.  


Trish