Cool Cupcake Stuff: American Cake Decorating Magazine

American Cake Decorating magazine is a bi-monthly magazine that gives cake designers, pastry chefs, sugar-artists and regular joe's cake design techniques and ideas from the masters (like this pillow wedding cake, hubba hubba). They also feature products and ingredients like cream cheese flavoring which gives the flavor of cream cheese without the calories-God send! Subscribe today for $28 or enter to win one of two FREE subscriptions courtesy of The Cupcake Critic's 1 Year Anniversary!!  

Cupcake Project: Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Photo courtesy of Wilton Company

It's no secret that I adore the Wilton company and their products. I also adore their recipes which, I hope, are making me a better baker. I came across this adorable lemon meringue cupcake recipe which looked inventive, tasty and a challenge. The original recipe can be found here. If you try it at home, please send your pics! I'd love to share...Enjoy Cupcake Lovers!

Ingredients:

Cake

• Non-stick vegetable oil spray
• 1 box ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust 14.1 oz
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 sticks butter, softened 10 tablespoons
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest from two lemons
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• Filling
• 1 jar lemon curd
• Icing
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of meringue powder
• 1/3 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

Instructions:

step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin pans with vegetable pan spray.

step 2

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crusts and roll into 13 in. rounds. Cut with Round Comfort-Grip cutter. Reroll scraps and cut again for 24 rounds. Press one round into bottom and up sides of each pan cavity. (Dough will not come all the way up the side of the cup).

step 3

Bake 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool completely.

step 4

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

step 5

In second large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and lemon zest; mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Spoon batter over cooled pie crusts, filling cavity 3/4 full.

step 6

Bake 24-26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes. Loosen sides of cakes with small spatula and remove to cooling grid to cool completely.

step 7

Cut a hole approximately 1 in. wide x 1 in. deep with paring knife in the top of each cupcake; fill with lemon curd.

step 8

Position oven rack 8-10 inches from top of oven. Preheat broiler.

step 9

For icing, whip meringue powder, water and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar and continue whipping at high speed 5 minutes or until meringue is stiff and dry. Pipe a 1M swirl of meringue on each cupcake. Place back in muffin pans or on cookie sheet. Broil 30-45 seconds, or until meringue is lightly toasted.

There are five of them in the room. However, there are six of them at the mall! 

Celebrate The Cupcake Critic's One Year Anniversary!! -CLOSED

This month marks the one year anniversary of The CupcakeCritic.com! Time flies and as the founder and editor, I’m so proud to see my blog grow into a well- respected and award-winning platform. To celebrate I'm giving away gifts from American Cake Decorating magazine and Pretty Girl Cupcakery in Hyattsville, MD.

THE WINNERS ARE:

#6: Michael Trayvon
#10: Lindsay

To Enter: 

1. Follow the blog (enter your e-mail address in the ‘Follow Me/Subscribe” tab found on the top right-hand corner of the home page of the blog at www.TheCupcakeCritic.com)   AND

2.  Leave a comment below telling me your favorite Cupcake Critic review and why. 

3. Optional: Follow @DCCupcakeCritic, @CakeDecMagazine, and @PGCupcakery on 

    Twitter.

Prizes: 2 lucky winners will receive a 1 year subscription to American Cake Decorating magazine OR a  6" rosette cake in your choice of vanilla, chocolate or red velvet from Pretty Girl Cupcakery. The first 12 people to respond will receive a FREE cupcake from Pretty Girl Cupcakery

Contest Ends: January 31, 2013 at 11:59 PM/EST

Contest Rules

Winners will be notified on Friday, February 1, 2013 by email so please do not post anonymously. In addition, the winners’ names will be checked against the subscription service. Failure to subscribe will automatically disqualify you from any winnings. Prize(s) must be claimed within 72 hours (by Monday, February 4, 2013) or will be considered forfeited. Contest is open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Sorry, entries outside of the United States will not be honored. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash value nor can they be transferred. 

Georgetown Cupcake + ZipCar = Free Cupcakes!

Photo credit: ZipCar

Zip Car and Georgetown Cupcake have teamed up to throw an inaugural party to satisfy parade-goers willing to brave the crowds on Monday,January 21st and visit the ZipCar offices at 403 8th Street NW. There will be beverages and FREE Georgetown Cupcakes on hand for ZipCar members. Not a ZipCar member, don't fret...join for $57 dollars use this coupon to get a $57 driving credit when you sign-up. Enjoy Cupcake Lovers! 

Can't wait, use this code for a $25 driving credit! Join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving

Georgetown Cupcake Opens 2nd NYC Location!

Photo credit: Georgetown Cupcake

Location: 226 W. 44th St (btwn 7th and 8th Avenues), New York, NY 

Georgetown Cupcake opens a second location in New York's Times Square! Located in the Discovery Times Square Museum, the DC Cupcakes Cafe will serve their famed cupcakes while watching episodes of DC Cupcakes! They are open daily from 10AM until 7PM. 

-->

Celebrate the 57th Inauguration with Cupcakes

Photo credit: Chris Carlson/AP Photo

The 57th inauguration of the President of the United States is underway and, per usual, DC is soaking up all the fanfare and pandemonium. Cashing in on the celebration are cupcake shops across the DMV eager to satisfy residents and tourists alike with their sweet treats- and I'm elated! Below is a sampling of what to expect during the weekend....

Georgetown Cupcake's Inaugural Box

Cost: $29 a dozen 

Available until January 21, 2013

Photo credit: Georgetown Cupcake 

Never one to let a trend get past them, Georgetown Cupcake is capitalizing on the inauguration with their inaugural dozen featuring 3 red velvet cupcakes with gold fondant eagles; 3 vanilla and buttercream cupcakes with fondant US flags and 6 lava fudge cupcakes with a White House fondant topper. More than anything, I love that whatever Georgetown Cupcake does, they do well and have done well with an inaugural box fit for a two-term president. 

 Hello Cupcake's Very Berry Obama

Cost: $3.50 

Available on January 21, 2013

Hello Cupcake bi-partisan cupcakes /Photo credit: Hello Cupcake 

Hello Cupcake will cleverly feature the Very Berry Obama cupcake which is a vanilla cake with fresh berries and vanilla butter cream topped with patriotic sprinkles. This is one clever cupcake with a cute name. Hurry, it's only available on inauguration day. 

Curbside Cupcake's Inaugural Cupcake

Cost $3.50/cupcake

Available until January 22, 2013

Curbside Cupcake's inaugural cupcake/Photo: Curbside Cupcake

Curbside Cupcake recently debuted their inaugural cupcake which is a chocolate cake covered with a pineapple frosting and topped with a fondant Obama logo. I will assume that the pineapple frosting is a nod to his Hawaiian roots? I dig this and look forward to trying it!

Delectable Cakery's Inaugural Cupcakes

Cost $22 per dozen (with 25% off coupon)

Available until January 21, 2013

Photo credit: Delectable Cakery 

Delectable Cakery is throwing its hat into the inaugural ring with red, white and blue inauguration cupcakes or cupcakes topped with an official image of President Obama. Flavors range from vanilla, chocolate and their signature sweet potato. Cupcakes are available in packs of 12 and you can score a coupon for 25% off by visiting their site and joining their mailing list. 

Sprinkles Cupcakes & The McLean Chocolate Festival!

Triple Chocolate Cupcake
Photo Credit: Sprinkles Cupcake

When: Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: McLean High School Cafeteria 1633 Davidson Road McLean, VA 22101
Time: 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Cost: $2 (Children under 6 are free)

Sprinkles Cupcakes of Georgetown will be at The McLean Chocolate Festival of "All Things Chocolate". Join them for a community-wide celebration filled with  chocolate vendors selling candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream and cupcakes sponsored by the Rotary Club of McLean. 25% of the proceeds will go towards local charities. 

Cupcake Project: 100 Calorie Chocolate Cupcakes

Photo courtesy of CanYouStayforDinner.com

One of the biggest resolutions of the new year is to shed holiday and winter weight. Realizing that sweat pants don't constitute professional attire, mild cut backs can occur while still enjoying lovely cupcakes. The recipe below is a low calorie recipe for moist chocolate cupcakes. Unfrosted, each cupcake is roughly 108 calories. Further chocolate is good for heart health so it's a win-win. 

Photo courtesy of CanYouStayforDinner.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup nonfat or low fat milk, dairy or nondairy
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup all purpose flour –OR- whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Photo courtesy of CanYouStayforDinner.com

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spritz them lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Pour in the now curdled milk and mix all ingredients well.

Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thin and wet, similar to a runny pancake batter. Divide it evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cool, top them with my favorite light and fluffy whipped frosting, found here: Best Whipped Frosting.

Original recipe found here 

-->

Sprinkles Cupcakes & NBC's 1600 Penn = CUPCAKE FREEBIES

Photo courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcake

Sprinkles Cupcakes and NBC's new presidential comedy, 1600 Penn, have teamed up! Tomorrow, January 11, 2013, Sprinkles Georgetown will give away  "1600 Penn" branded cupcakes to celebrate fictional President Gilchrist's inauguration Day. In addition, Cupcake Lovers who take a pic of their presidential cupcake and post it on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #1600Cupcakes and will be entered to win a year's supply of Sprinkles cupcakes!

 

Inauguration Cupcakes by Georgetown Cupcake

Inauguration Cupcakes by Georgetown Cupcake
Photo courtesy of Georgetown Cucpake

Georgetown Cupcake has created an inauguration box to commemorate the 57th Presidential Inauguration. The box contains 3 Red Velvet cupcakes with gold fondant eagles; 3 Vanilla & Buttercream cupcakes with fondant US flags and 6 Lava Fudge cupcakes with a White House fondant topper. The inauguration box retails for $29 and will be available until January 21, 2013.

Celebrate the New Year with Georgetown Cupcake!

Georgetown Cupcakes NYE Cupcakes
Photo courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake

To celebrate the new year, Georgetown Cupcake is taking 40% off of all 100 of its flavors including the new caramel praline crunch and cookies and creme flavors. Enter code 2013 when checking out to receive discount. Offer good on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 from 12:01 AM until 11:59 PM. Enjoy Cupcake Lovers! 

Gevalia Coffee and Teas

Review: Gevalia Teas and Coffee

Flavors: Chai Latte, Ceylon Cinnamon Orange, Honey Ginseng Mint

Retail: $5.95 per box

Spiced Chai Tea Bags

In October, Gevalia coffee and teas contacted me to do a review on their products. Gevalia has always been known for their quality products so I was thrilled. Being a major fan of tea, I opted to try three of their nineteen tea flavors: spiced chai teas, ceylon cinnamon orange and honey ginseng mint. I’ve found a nice cup of tea to be soothing on a Sunday afternoon; and a great accompaniment to my cupcake treats.

Gold Foil bag keeps tea bags fresh

This day I would be having a fresh cup of spiced chai tea. The average box of Gevalia tea retails for about $5.95 which is more than your average box of tea. However Gevalia uses only the highest blend of tea leaves and is known for their quality. After I un-wrapped the box of tea, I pulled out a gold bag filled with high quality cotton tea bags. When opened, the gold bag released fragrant notes of cracked pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Chai tea with cream and sugar

After heating up some water in the microwave, I let the teabag steep for two-and-a-half minutes. I tinkered with the idea of making it an iced chai tea after I added the sugar and fresh cream. When I sipped the sweet tea my initial reaction was that the tea was pure quality; living up to Gevalia’s well-deserved reputation. It was rich and full-bodied with notes of cinnamon and fresh nutmeg.

Three flavors: Honey Ginseng Mint, Ceylon Cinnamon Orange
Spiced Chai teas

The following day I decided to try the ceylon cinnamon orange tea which is also a black tea.  The tea had strong notes of cinnamon and orange rhine making it perfect for the fall season. It’s also perfect for someone who enjoys a husky and warm citrus drink.  Overall they are the perfect accompaniment to your cupcake treats or even an after dinner drink.

Time for tea!

You can purchase your own box of Gevalia teas (or coffee) at your local grocer or on Gevalia’s website at www.Gevalia.com. 

This is 40: Cupcake Freebies from Sprinkles-Georgetown

Actor Paul Rudd stars in This is 40
Photo courtesy of AP

Sprinkles cupcakes make their movie debut in the Judd Apatow flick, This is 40 starring Paul Rudd. To celebrate, whisper "This is 40" and receive a FREE cupcake from Sprinkles-Georgetown when you buy one through Friday, January 11th!

Georgetown Cupcake Owners Star in Windows Phone Commercial

Georgetown Cupcake owners Katherine Kallinis-Berman and Sophie Kallinis-LaMontagne were recently featured in a Windows 8 Phone commercial. There's even a quick appearance by "Mama" and Katherine's adorable baby bump. Great brand alignment and a huge hit for the hometown heroes!

           

Top 5 Favorite D.C. Cupcake Shops

I love the Best Friend's For Frosting (BFFF) blog! So imagine my glee when they asked me to write a guest post on the top 5 cupcake shops in D.C. Check out the full blog post here. 

And the Winner Is...The Best of 2012

Winner: Cakelove

Tie-Breaker: Aside from being wildly entertaining and informed about their cupcakes, one of the staff members at Cakelove had on a Wu-Tang Clan shirt with every member of the Wu-Tang Clan's names on it. I guess that's a fairly shallow reason to break a tie but do you know how many people are in the Wu-Tang Clan? Enough to put on a shirt. 

Congrats Cakelove!

R.I.P. Russell Jones

Winner: Georgetown Cupcake 

Tie-Breaker: The Sweet Lobby has amazing macarons and won Cupcake Wars' All-Stars with their MacTop creation. However Georgetown Cupcake cleverly debuted their cupcake hamburger at the start of the summer picnic/BBQ season and didn't forget the special sauce, poppy seed bun and cheese. But let's face it, food in the shape of others foods versus food on top of other foods is pretty creative. 

Congratulations Georgetown Cupcake!

Winner: Buzz Bakery 

Tie-Breaker: Baked and Wired has kickin' cool flavors like the Smurfette and the Fat Elvis that are beyond creative and big enough for two people. At the same time Buzz Bakery has the creative genius of Tiffany MacIssac who made an appearance on Sweet Genius. They also scored a 4.3 on their review compared to the 4 received by Baked and Wired. Overall both bakeries are awesome and yes, I gave Baked and Wired points for being next to a moat. Wait, that is a moat, right? 

Congratulations Buzz Bakery!

Best Cupcake Food Truck: Curbside Cupcake

Curbside Cupcake has a special place in every D.C. resident's heart as the first cupcake food truck. It's destined to go down in D.C. history with Marion Barry and  Ben's Chilli Bowl or Yum's carryout. With new locations in Pentagon City Mall and Union Square, they've revolutionized the food truck industry...lobbied and withstood city regulations and at the end of the day keep it classic.

Congratulations Curbside Cupcake!

Best Liquor Infused Cupcakes: Pretty Girl Cupcakery 

Pretty Girl Cupcakery is an oasis in the cupcake desert of Prince George's County, MD. They explore with various flavor choices but still keep it classy, San Diego. Their liquor-infused strawberry champagne cupcakes have been personally tested by yours truly (twice, don't judge me) and I am pleased as punch to congratulate them on their win!

Congratulations Pretty Girl Cupcakery!

Best New Bakery: Pretty Girl Cupcakery 

Pretty Girl Cupcakery is an exquisite cupcake shop located in suburban Maryland that is truly making its mark on the cupcake scene. They deliver on their promise with delightful waitstaff, innovative technology all housed in a perfectly pink and vanilla box shop. 

Congratulations Pretty Girl Cupcakery!

Best Online Bakery: The Butter Scotch Shop

The Butter Scotch Shop is one of my favorite online bakeries. Their moist and fluffy creations are reminiscent of my own grandmother's cupcakes; and that is hard to do. Owner Brandiss Smith creates each batch with love and delivers with a smile. 

Congratulations to The Butter Scotch Shop!

Best Vegan Cupcakes: Sticky Fingers Bakery

Although most shops have adopted handsome vegan and gluten-free offerings, Sticky Fingers Bakery in Columbia Heights, DC is the Vatican of veganism. It would be a travesty for them not to win this category. Further rockstar baker, owner, author, and two-time Cupcake Wars winner, Doron Petersan is the face of veganism in D.C. 

Congratulations Sticky Fingers Bakery!

Winner: Sprinkles Cupcakes

Tie-Breaker: Although I'm still steamed that DC doesn't have a Cupcake ATM or ice cream store, I am happy that they exist and are only a plane ride away. Further their expansion to the UAE is well, epic! But the true tie-breaker is their announcement of curbside service which makes the Critic very happy when attempting to park on those Georgetown Streets!

Congratulations Sprinkles Georgetown!