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The Cupcake Thread!

FrekeChild

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Date: 3/30/2008 11:25:46 AM
Author: Mara
hey miss freke, i was curious...based on the recipe i posted...how should these cupcakes have worked out? if i add the extra flour, what will happen? what about extra flour and an extra egg or egg white? a bit fluffier inside? i'm looking for a really soft moist cake but not too dense. these were very good but wondering what i can do to perfect them.
Hmmm...well when I'm making baked goods for other people's consumption I always use whatever flour is most appropriate. This is kind of a random tangent about flour...For cupcakes, cakes and most cookies I will use cake flour-because it has the lowest amount of protein and it takes a lot of work to build up gluten. Pastry flour (which is usually pretty hard to find-at least where I'm at) is about middle of the road between cake flour and bread flour. So the closest to P flour is AP flour-because AP is a mix of cake and bread flours. I'll use pastry flour to make stuff like puff pastry, pie dough, etc. Bread flour has a high protein content which makes it desirable for bread...There is a long complicated explanation about wheat grains including stuff like: white and red, hard and soft, winter and spring and what wheat grains can make the different flours. Honestly, it's never been something that I've really concerned myself with--more of a bread maker's thing.

And for my own baked goods- I'll use whole wheat flour, unless I need more lift in the product than it can give me. Here's a link that explains a little about whole wheat flour. I just use it because it really doesn't make a huge difference in the end product if you use it in conjunction with AP or whatever other flour, and it's a heck of a lot healthier.

So Mara, I don't understand why they're trying to get you to use AP flour in the first place. What I would do to alter the recipe is this: use a cup and a half of cake flour, up the baking powder to 2 teaspoons, and see how that turns out. If it's still not as fluffy and moist as you were wanting, then perhaps adding a egg would help. Or an egg white or the yolk.

1 tablespoon=3 teaspoons
1 tablespoon=1/2 an ounce (only of water, eggs and a couple of other things.)

An adaptation that I always have to do is up the liquid level in the recipe because it's SO DANG DRY here in NM. So you might try adding a couple of teaspoons more of the buttermilk and see if that does anything for you to make it more moist.

Most of the time I'll try to make things a bit healthier by not using hydrogenated fats, instead using butter (which should always have AT LEAST 80% fat--European butter should run higher than that), instead of vegetable oil, using olive oil, using whole wheat instead of white flour, but one thing I almost always do for a cake is use either half and half or whole cream (40% fat) instead of milk. It's so bad, but it makes everything SO GOOD.
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So maybe instead of just the buttermilk, whisk in some yogurt or sour cream just to give it that extra somethin' somethin' (my old Chef used to say that all the time when she'd add something extra-usually liqueur-to a recipe). But really it should add some extra moisture and flavor for sure.

ETA: I usually only have AP flour (and whole wheat) lying around because it's the easiest to get around here but I think it's a little bit of a waste in a lot of ways if you have bread flour lying around. It's way too easy to just grab a 1/2 cup of cake and 1/2 cup of bread and make your own 1 cup of AP, but that is only if you have both around. Having said that, I think having AP flour around is a heck of a lot easier than dealing with having to find pastry flour. Oy. I could go on and on about flour and other baking stuff for HOURS. This is why my posts are always super long...
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Mara

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thanks for the education on flour, freke. i actually was very curious about flour because i see such a variety of suggestions for cupcake recipes. some call for all cake, some call for all AP and some call for a mix of each. so i was like what does each one do...i know that cake results in a finer crumb --do most cake mixes/boxed use cake or more like AP? they seem so fine.

also i have tried AP and cake before and some AP and i really like the texture that cake AND buttermilk gives me. so that is why i used those in this recipe. i like buttermilk more than milk for moistness, esp since i only ever have ff milk in the house, so if a recipe calls for whole milk, it''s not happening. and we always have lemons so i can make my own buttermilk.

i will try to up the cake flour as you suggest...and see what that does, and maybe next time add an egg white to see if that makes any diff. 1 tablespoon of baking seems like SO much...doesn''t it? i have not seen any other cupcake recipes that call for so much baking powder. that''s why i thought it was a typo. i just used about 1 tsp and got some rise, but i wanted a bit more. so we''ll see...maybe i''ll up it to the 2 as you suggest.

i know this isn''t cupcake related but we just got back from breakkie at a fab little place we found on yelp...they had a special which was rolled lemon pancakes stuffed with ricotta blueberry...omg so yummy. i love anything with lemon and blueberry, such a fab mix. it made me think of the cupcake recipe steph posted about from cooking light. those were yummy too.
 

Libster

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It's CUPCAKE WEEK on The Martha Stewart Show! She will be preparing all sorts of cupcakes all week on the show.

Today she made some amazing looking coconut cupcakes. I'm guessing the recipe will be posted on her website. Set your Tivo!!
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sevens one

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Date: 3/31/2008 2:36:12 PM
Author: Libster
It''s CUPCAKE WEEK on The Martha Stewart Show! She will be preparing all sorts of cupcakes all week on the show.

Today she made some amazing looking coconut cupcakes. I''m guessing the recipe will be posted on her website. Set your Tivo!!
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thanks Libby. I just checked out the cocnut c-cake recipe. I don''t know if I''ll try that one. I''m the only one in the family
that loves coconut.

Hey Cupcake fans, Martha is having a cupcake decorating contest. Just send in your pics and it may appear on her show
http://www.marthastewart.com/contest-and-gallery
 

Mara

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all the martha recipes are already on her website i believe, along with photos, i was checking them out last week. i am not as interested in the recipes as i am in the guests.

tomorrow the author of ''hello, cupcake!'' ... this cool new book that JUST came out last week is going to be on. my neighbor just bought the book and lent it to me, it''s got so many cute ideas for kids stuff, most of it is WAY too elaborate for me but there are some cute ideas. it''s funny how they say all you need is a ziploc for the decor in the book because some of this stuff is pretty difficult, as greg pointed out, they didn''t take pictures of the 100 or so ''practice'' runs before they had a worthy shot! hahaha.
 

sevens one

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Date: 3/31/2008 4:57:28 PM
Author: Mara
all the martha recipes are already on her website i believe, along with photos, i was checking them out last week. i am not as interested in the recipes as i am in the guests.

tomorrow the author of ''hello, cupcake!'' ... this cool new book that JUST came out last week is going to be on. my neighbor just bought the book and lent it to me, it''s got so many cute ideas for kids stuff, most of it is WAY too elaborate for me but there are some cute ideas. it''s funny how they say all you need is a ziploc for the decor in the book because some of this stuff is pretty difficult, as greg pointed out, they didn''t take pictures of the 100 or so ''practice'' runs before they had a worthy shot! hahaha.
Yeah, I agree. And we don''t get to see Martha''s "staff" doing all the dirty work either!
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As for Martha''s recipes I also agree. meh- I''ve tried some things in the past and they didn''t do it for me.
Oh well, I ain''t no great cook either! he he
 

FrekeChild

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My favorite Martha on TV moment was when she had a show on mixed drinks, and she was plastered by the end, and hanging all over the cute bratender who had taught her how to make the drinks.

Sorry for the randomness.

I really want coconut cupcakes. Oh! And I bought cupcake/muffin paper cups the other day at Target. Don''t get excited though, only plain old boring white.
 

Mara

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freke i love sur la table''s cupcake liners....they are like a slight bit more ''squat'' and wider than typical. kinda visually fun.

i have a whole container of cupcake liners at home now. obsessed??? yes!

had our 2nd class last nite for cake decorating. learned how to make things like shells, borders, stars, using the pastry bag etc.

next class is tomorrow!! i really wanted to bake last nite but i was so tired. plus i''m saving my baking for wed night for my special guest on thurs!

had the last snickerdoodle cuppie last nite (mini for me) and it was SO GOOD still. does anyone else though sometimes get ''refridgerator'' taste on the stuff that is in the fridge for a few days? how to get around that...mmm.
 

FrekeChild

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Usually I try to get around it by using a lot of ziplock baggies...Or wrapping the heck out of it.

I''m having a SERIOUS cupcake craving. I''m SO TEMPTED to go buy some cupcakes, because luckily the red velvet has been disposed of. It''s really really bad...
 

Mara

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DO IT DO IT DO IT.

I need to live vicariously through you guys until Wed when I can have a cupcake of my own. I''m trying to carb watch in anticipation of my visitor this wkd since all we will be doing is EATING. Cupcakes as well.
 

sevens one

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I made the snickerdoodle cupcakes today. They were so delicious.
The frosting is amazing. dh tried the frosting. He loved it. He's trying to stay away
from too many cupcakes though.
I didn't have any cake flour so they were a little dense- but still wonderful.
 

asscher_girl

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Hey Mara! How''s it going? This cupcake thread is great and is growing so fast! I can''t keep up. I just had to tell you that this past Saturday we went out to dinner and I actually had a cupcake for dessert, they''ve been on my mind since I saw this thread!
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It was soooo good too. It was white cake (simple) with toasted hazelnut frosting, yum!
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I was half way done w/ it by the time I thought to take a picture for this thread, hehe. I was so bummed, it was so pretty at first
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Still in SJ? We moved up to Foster City. We like it but its a little bit cooler here
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but it''s nice to be right on the water. I think we''ll be in Northern CA for a while, still exploring but I don''t think that will ever stop out here, so much to do. And lots of good restaurants! I can''t believe how many are crammed into downtown San Mateo! Hopefully we can all do a GTG in the spring/summer. Less than 4 weeks till I get married in Maui!! Hopefully we can do a GTG after that.
 

Mara

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evening all, i''m watching the martha stewart show today with the Hello Cupcake book gal on ... how funny cuz the book is sitting right next to me!!

asscher, yep still in SJ.....we talk about moving but greg just got a new fab job that he is so excited about so we won''t be leaving in the next 1-2 years. funny because he was looking in other states too but this is the one that happened and it''s exactly in the industry he wants to be so he''s jazzed. so now we might move to a house or someting, we have to figure out our timelines.

funny, greg first lived in FC when he moved here and both he and i worked there for a few years too. it''s def chillier there and a little windy for my taste but it was fun! and there are a ton of fab places in SM for dinner for sure. you are close to bgame too right? some great jewelry stores and cute little cafe''s there (check out Alana''s for breakfast and eat their oatmeal pancakes!! also Crepevine is yummy!)...!

anyway, i got the hankering to make some cuppies tonite, BIG SURPRISE. i have to make more tomorrow for my guest...but i''ll make it work. i am seeing a friend tomorrow who loves my cupcakes and wants to be a guinea pig, she even brought me little ziploc containers for me to use for her cupcakes. and she LOVES mint chocolate chip ice cream...and recently she gave it up for lent and then went to get it at ghiradelli and they DIDNT HAVE IT. so she was totally sad. so i figured i''d make her mint choco cupcakes.

i didn''t want to get all difficult with 4 bowls though so i found a 1 bowl choco recipe online and adapted slightly and they just came outta the oven. the batter tasted a little mild but i guess that''s how it is with cocoa recipes, they have to bake all together. so anyway they look fab, nice and puffy mound topped which is what i wanted. i''m going to do some sort of white fluffy frosting and then sprinkle mint choco chips on top.

nan did you take any photos? gotta say that i was REALLY impressed with how that recipe and YES the frosting came out....i hope to perfect it tomorrow!
 

Mara

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okay i made the one bowl chocolate cupcakes, added mint extract and got peppermint chocolate cuppies. yummy.

here they are baked. or naked.


one bowl baked.jpg
 

Mara

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i tried my hand at swiss merengue buttercream which i guess is like italian. i didn''t get it QUITE all the way to the stiffness i wanted, not sure why actually, but i will try it again. so because of consistency i used the biggest round tip i had and did dollops. they came out cute.

one batter dollop.jpg
 

Mara

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with some soft green sparkling sugar.

one batter sprinkled.jpg
 

Mara

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this is my favorite one hahaha. i made 7 large and 8 minis from the recipe (used martha''s one bowl chocolate cupcake recipe from her site and adapted slightly to make less)...and so i ate a mini after topping it with a ghiradelli mint chip. this is 1 bite in. so funny. it was YUMMY!

one batter bite.jpg
 

Deelight

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OMG those look mouthwatering

I seriously just come here to see the new pictures :)
 

icekid

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Mara, the mint choco cuppies are adorable!! I ordered some new coloring pastes and pretty sugars, OH and a new cupcake pan since I couldn''t find the old one. So I am awaiting deliveries and then I think the next recipe will be the snickerdoodle. Hubby and I both loooooove cinnamon, so I am really excited to try that one.

And I did want to mention about that yucky "refrigerator taste." We have a set of fridge containers that seal very tightly; they "lock" closed on all 4 sides. And using those, the refrigerator taste doesn''t get in. We still have the raspberry frosting I made last week in one of those and it still tastes normal. So I would try something like that for longer cupcake storage.
 

jas

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Gorgeous cuppies, Mara!

I love this thread...it''s delicious and informational!
 

LitigatorChick

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I love love love cupcakes! I wanted a cupcake wedding cake, but MIL didn''t like the idea, and she made me this hideous cake.
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.

For my little man''s first birthday, we did cupcakes from a local bakery that has the best best best cupcakes!! They wrote "Happy Birthday Miller" on one of them - so cute!!!!
 

canuk-gal

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Date: 3/31/2008 3:10:03 PM
Author: sevens one

Date: 3/31/2008 2:36:12 PM
Author: Libster
It''s CUPCAKE WEEK on The Martha Stewart Show! She will be preparing all sorts of cupcakes all week on the show.

Today she made some amazing looking coconut cupcakes. I''m guessing the recipe will be posted on her website. Set your Tivo!!
35.gif
thanks Libby. I just checked out the cocnut c-cake recipe. I don''t know if I''ll try that one. I''m the only one in the family
that loves coconut.

Hey Cupcake fans, Martha is having a cupcake decorating contest. Just send in your pics and it may appear on her show
http://www.marthastewart.com/contest-and-gallery
HI:


Oh coconut cupcakes........................I wonder if the recipe is similar to her coconut cake...........devine..................

cheers--Sharon
 

Linda W

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Mara,

Those look yummmmmmmmy!!!!!

Linda
 

sevens one

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my snickerdoodle cupcakes don't look as 'pretty' as Mara's but they sure are delicious.
thanks again for sharing the recipe

snicck.JPG
 

zoebartlett

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Date: 4/1/2008 2:24:30 AM
Author: FrekeChild
My favorite Martha on TV moment was when she had a show on mixed drinks, and she was plastered by the end, and hanging all over the cute bratender who had taught her how to make the drinks.

Sorry for the randomness.

I really want coconut cupcakes. Oh! And I bought cupcake/muffin paper cups the other day at Target. Don''t get excited though, only plain old boring white.
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This made me giggle.

All these cupcakes look soooo yummy! It''s taking everything I have not to run to the store and buy stuff to make cupcakes. I''ve tried staying away from this thread because I didn''t want to be tempted but it''s too late now. It sounds like your class is a lot of fun, Mara.
 

FrekeChild

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HAHAHAHAHA!!!I didn't even notice!!!

These cupcakes look wonderful guys.

I broke down and went to Cupcakeology yesterday. Half dozen. They only had 3 kinds left--red velvet, key lime and Monkeybutter (banana cake with butterscotch frosting).

Red Velvet is my favorite. The cream cheese frosting is yummy. The other two are ok, but they flavors aren't vibrant enough-if that makes sense...I expected more lime-y sour tang flavor from the key lime, but it was just soft sweetness with a tiny hint of lime. No full blown flavors over there.
The Monkeybutter was ok, but again with the frosting. I don't know what is up with that. You can't really do wrong with banana cake, but the buttercream frosting just wasn't butterscotch at all.

Seriously considering opening my own shop and how I could work out the financial issues as well as the practical issues...

ETA: Its easy to make your own colored sugars--just add a drop or two of liquid food coloring to about a cup of white sugar (whatever kind you like) and mix it in. You might even be able to make mildly flavored sugars by adding a tiny bit of extract (whatever kind) to the sugar as well.
 

Skippy123

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Date: 4/2/2008 6:03:15 PM
Author: FrekeChild
HAHAHAHAHA!!!I didn't even notice!!!

These cupcakes look wonderful guys.

I broke down and went to Cupcakeology yesterday. Half dozen. They only had 3 kinds left--red velvet, key lime and Monkeybutter (banana cake with butterscotch frosting).

Red Velvet is my favorite. The cream cheese frosting is yummy. The other two are ok, but they flavors aren't vibrant enough-if that makes sense...I expected more lime-y sour tang flavor from the key lime, but it was just soft sweetness with a tiny hint of lime. No full blown flavors over there.
The Monkeybutter was ok, but again with the frosting. I don't know what is up with that. You can't really do wrong with banana cake, but the buttercream frosting just wasn't butterscotch at all.

Seriously considering opening my own shop and how I could work out the financial issues as well as the practical issues...
You should open up a little stand by the university or something. I have to tease you, but why are you buying cupcakes Missy w/all your schooling?
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I bet you would have lots of customers. I remember I use to love to go over to the Flying Star after classes and buy a treat. Or what about a catering cupcake business?

ETA: Nan, your cupcakes look great!!!
 

FrekeChild

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Date: 4/2/2008 6:08:37 PM
Author: Skippy123
Date: 4/2/2008 6:03:15 PM

Author: FrekeChild
HAHAHAHAHA!!!I didn''t even notice!!!

These cupcakes look wonderful guys.

I broke down and went to Cupcakeology yesterday. Half dozen. They only had 3 kinds left--red velvet, key lime and Monkeybutter (banana cake with butterscotch frosting).

Red Velvet is my favorite. The cream cheese frosting is yummy. The other two are ok, but they flavors aren''t vibrant enough-if that makes sense...I expected more lime-y sour tang flavor from the key lime, but it was just soft sweetness with a tiny hint of lime. No full blown flavors over there.

The Monkeybutter was ok, but again with the frosting. I don''t know what is up with that. You can''t really do wrong with banana cake, but the buttercream frosting just wasn''t butterscotch at all.

Seriously considering opening my own shop and how I could work out the financial issues as well as the practical issues...

You should open up a little stand by the university or something. I have to tease you, but why are you buying cupcakes Missy w/all your schooling?
2.gif
I bet you would have lots of customers. I remember I use to love to go over to Flying Star after classes. Or what about a catering cupcake business?

ETA: Nan, your cupcakes look great!!!
The real problem, Skippy, is that I''ll be moving out of state in a few years when BF finishes his PhD. I have about another year before I''m done with my BA, so I''m free to do whatever I want (read: make money) after that. But as soon as he''s done, we''ll be moving to where ever he gets a job-if its in the government I''ll be in DC and if he decides to be a professor who knows where we''ll end up. So this means I''m totally reluctant to get my hopes up or make business plans. What I''d love to do is open a from scratch bakery/dessert shop in a area like by UNM or say by ABQ Uptown and have it open from about 11am and stay open until about midnight. Have from scratch everything-cupcakes, creme brulee, cookies, pies, ice creams, scones, fruit cobblers, quick breads (banana bread, carrot bread, zucchini, etc), muffins, eclairs, creme puffs, etc etc etc...

As for not making my own...I''m a lazy bum and refuse to put work into something for myself--if it was for someone else- I''d be all about it. I like to impress people with my cooking.
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(Keep that in mind if we ever have a GTG).

But for now...
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Skippy123

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Date: 4/2/2008 6:25:07 PM
Author: FrekeChild

The real problem, Skippy, is that I'll be moving out of state in a few years when BF finishes his PhD. I have about another year before I'm done with my BA, so I'm free to do whatever I want (read: make money) after that. But as soon as he's done, we'll be moving to where ever he gets a job-if its in the government I'll be in DC and if he decides to be a professor who knows where we'll end up. So this means I'm totally reluctant to get my hopes up or make business plans. What I'd love to do is open a from scratch bakery/dessert shop in a area like by UNM or say by ABQ Uptown and have it open from about 11am and stay open until about midnight. Have from scratch everything-cupcakes, creme brulee, cookies, pies, ice creams, scones, fruit cobblers, quick breads (banana bread, carrot bread, zucchini, etc), muffins, eclairs, creme puffs, etc etc etc...

As for not making my own...I'm a lazy bum and refuse to put work into something for myself--if it was for someone else- I'd be all about it. I like to impress people with my cooking.
28.gif
(Keep that in mind if we ever have a GTG).

But for now...
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LOL about your last Paragraph. Okay please save me one when you make them. hehe
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Maybe I can put in a request for chocolate or carrot cake cupcake.
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Well a little catering business would work and you could serve the Uptown offices, maybe.
 

Mara

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Freke, I love baking for others as well, I''d rather go buy a cupcake for myself and just call it a day but I love to bake for other people. Cookies I will bake for myself but other stuff not so much! I am starting to get more interested in cakes though, esp layer cakes, love the old fashioned layer cake and frosting on each layer....

I love the idea of opening my own business for something like this BUT it''s just so much work. I like the idea of doing it kind of for fun on the side for friends and fam or whatever, but not a SHOP. Like this local place, Sibbys, they don''t have a SHOP, they only take orders online and on the phone. You have to order 12-24 minimum depending on large or small. So they never just sell like 1 cupcake...unless they have leftovers from batches and people who are coming in to pick up 12-24 might buy one extra. But it''s so much better that way it seems. But then people LOVE to go visit a shop too!

It''s interesting because really honestly, cupcakes are the hot trend right now. But in another year, I don''t know...another 2-3 years, they might be totally out of favor! Trends are trends. So unless I wanted to open a full on BAKERY with all types of things, cakes, cupcakes, scones, danishes etc, it would be so hard I think to capitalize right now on the cupcake trend. A little late over here, considering there are like 10 places within a 50 mile radius.

So for now I am just doing it for fun....! But Freke with your training, you should TOTALLY do something fun with your skills!!!
 
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