Last Time On Cupcake Wars . . .

This weeks episode revolved around the 100th episode of Ace of Cakes.

The taste challenge was to make a cupcake that not only would Ace of Cakes, cupcake-hating Duff Goldman like but one that would contain some of his favourite food stuffs: pulled pork, gummy bears, goat cheese, jalapeno jelly, bacon crunchy, and crunchy peanut butter.

It seemed as if for this particular challenge a lot of the contestants had the same idea in mind which reminded me of a previous episode that left me sick of seeing lemon cupcakes and fondant decorations.

Alyssa Magliato's (The Perfect Circle Cupcakery) assistant, Jeff , suggested a pulled pork and jalapeno jelly cupcake that I wouldn't have minded see become a reality but somewhat understandably Alyssa worried this was too far out of the box and wanted to play it safer. Her ultimate choice to make a dark chocolate cake peanut butter chocolate inside was "a little caramel surprise" yielded a very nice looking confection.

Poor Erica Tucker (Sweet E’s Bake Shop) was up next and this woman underwent a real struggle in the kitchen. After overcoming a heating issue while cooking her cupcakes she came to the challenges end and realize she'd forgotten to fill her cupcakes!

Michael Centimore (Cupcake Charlies) made a cinnamon velvet cupcake that contained a goat cheese and jalapeno jelly mousse center which he then iced with a maple butter-cream frosting that he topped with bacon. I must admit when I heard him working up his cupcake idea in the kitchen I wasn't sure how behind it I was but I think his ultimate choice was daring, creative, and inspired.

Taste and presentation brought back more of those familiar red velvet cupcakes and fondant toppers a Cupcake Wars viewer may be getting very used to seeing. However, because Ace of Cakes desserts are always draped in fondant this may be the week to go ahead and make that move.

Everything that Alyssa quite literally brought to the table was beautiful and sounded fantastic but she had me with her banana bomb; which was "a banana, cream cheese, pecan, caramel topped cupcake." Even hard to please Florian Bellanger (formerly) of Fauchon (a favourite of mine) was able to enjoy it. All of this made it a shock to me to see her go.

Mike's choice to utilize his cell phone camera in conjunction with an available edible printer to make Duff toppers was once again, a unique move. I. Loved it. The finished product was a chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate peanut butter ganache, iced with a peanut butter butter-cream with full peanut butter cup adorned with "Duff's mug."

When it came down to the final presentation challenge I was feeling totally on board with team Mike. He'd proven himself to be a creative baker who consistently brought something tasty to the table. But what really seemed unique was how incredibly thoughtful he was in all of his preparations. With every challenge he kept who he was baking for in mind and it always showed through. Apparently his final presentation just did not quite bridge the gap between thoughtful and event appropriate.

In all honesty this is where the show ended for me. Tuesday's winner, Jessica Cuff (The Coffee Shop), was the contestant I had pegged to win from the moment I saw her in the introductions. What bothers me most is that of the four episodes that have aired I have been able to pick the winner this way for the last three. In some cases, the winner was someone who totally deserved it. I just did not feel this was the reason this week. I felt a face that popular opinion considers pretty won with the added help of shameless, open flirting.

Cupcake Wars Episode Three - Matchmaking Party

Tuesdays show opened up with it's usual introductions but at the same time that I was learning a little about Cupcakes Nouveau from Shayrin Badillo, I was being introduced to the concept of guava cupcakes which seemed all too inviting. Jeff Bonilla, of Cups looked as if he were torching some creme brulee cupcakes but sadly no mention was made of them so this girl will have to only dare to continue her dream.


This weeks taste challenge was to incorporate ingredients known to have, or associated with, aphrodisiac properties (oysters, strawberries, aniseed, ginger, honey, vanilla beans, dates, nutmeg, champagne.) So many choices and only 45 minutes. This time the contestants seemed to feel the time crunch even more than in previous episodes.

I must admit the idea of a vegan cupcake no longer excites me (it did in my vegan days and those are behind me) but Chloe Coscarelli peaked my interest once I heard the words "date caramel drizzle" and her presentation was just beautiful. I must say if I were fellow competitor, Shannon, I could understand her total shock when she heard the judges gush about this "indulgent" confection.

Jeff (Cups) started to make me feel he was playing it a little safe with the chocolate champagne cupcake (which I wouldn't turn down any day but this is war we're talkin' here) but quickly won me back his choice to top it with a raspberry, basil, cream cheese icing topped with organic raspberry. Sadly no matter how safe it seemed he was with his attempt to insure a delicious cupcake that didn't step too far out there and fall flat the time seemed to be his ultimate demise. Watching him struggle with cooking the cupcakes through with the rest of the time was hard enough but then to watch as his BEAUTIFUL topping melted and slid off was a bit heart-breaking.

I've got to say I was barely able to pay total attention Shannon Noormand (Crushcakes) after I heard her mention Grand Marnier, but I did my best and all other ingredients fell short in my mind.

For round two's taste & presentation challenge I found myself surprisingly on team before the time was even set! This round brought those almond guava cupcakes from that I was so hoping to hear more about, but Chloe managed to dominate my almost Pavlovian cupcakey response even more than before with her Tiramisu cupcakes with espresso and amaretto frosting.

Round three's presentation challenge Chloe ran away with it when she came up with a fresh, exciting, and dare I say hip idea to create a "hot" cupcake bar with silk flames blowing in the center. When it came to Shannons bedroom display what I really enjoyed was the stands at the foot of the bed - really, really beautiful cupcake-covered, tiered dessert stands.

Congratulations to Chloe Coscarelli

Cupcake Wars Goes to Sea World

Last nights Cupcake Wars centered around the twelfth birthday of Killer Whale Sumar at Sea World San Diego. All of the nights challenges centered around not only looking the Sea World part but very much tasting the Sea World part.

After Hollis Wilder's lemon-scented lox cupcakes I was beyond excited for "the taste challenge", where the first chosen flavours were borrowed from the sea and the bakers were given sea weed and sea salt. Instantly, plans for sushi cupcake creations swirled around my mind (which would be in terrible taste for the Sea World theme).

Allyson Fiander's idea of rimming the cupcakes with brown sugar and sea salt didn't sound as appealing as it did plain. I thought the idea of rimming a cupcake with salt would be fantastic for a Margarita cupcake of some sort - "to-cook" list you just got bigger.

Bret Thompson chose to break out some spirulina, an idea that was only a taste the originality he had to dish up. He then powdered the spirulina and mixed it with vanilla as the base for his cupcake. This is a cupcake I may just leap at the chance to taste.

When it came to baker, Lindsay Morton, I got distracted by her choice to use honey frosting which is a refreshing change from so many butter cream frosting's that seem to await you atop a cupcake. The cake underneath however, didn't sound as special to me.

The star of the "taste & presentation" challenge for me was once again, Bret Thompson with his cherry coke ice cream cone cupcake with cream cheese frosting and hot fudge ganache topped with a maraschino cherry, pink lemon aid and cotton candy cupcakes with marshmallow frosting, and dark chocolate squid ink infused cupcakes topped with a Sumar marzipan garnish. Squid ink is an ingredient I have been dying to get my hands on for my own at-home use. I agree with the judges that these all came out looking a bit more fun-at-the-fair than they did see-Sumar-at-sea-world.

This round left me sick of seeing lemon and fondant. It felt like nearly everyone was using it and none of it really "popped".

Here's hoping the next episode is much better than last nights which despite the culinary inventiveness of Bret Thompson, left me unaffected.

How 'Bout Them Cupcake Wars?

Last night marked the beginning of The Food Network's Cupcake Wars. I thought about warning your earlier but somehow felt that most of you already knew. If you didn't, I apologize. But no matter what - if you don't have your DVR's set to record the series, what are you waiting for!?

Each episode will feature four amazing bakers going head-to-head-to-head-to-head in three elimination challenges until, but much like Highlander, there can be only one. The winner not only absorbs all the other competitors baking prowess (that is if judge Florian Bellanger doesn't beat them to something similar after his Simon Cowell-esq remarks) but an opportunity to display their delicious cupcakes at an A-list event, ten-thousand dollars, and sugary glory!

Congratulations to last nights winner, owner of Sweet bakery in Orlando, Florida, Hollis Wilder. From the moment that woman dared to try a lox cupcake I was in her corner and now can only think of finding a way to score such a sweet sweet treat!

Cupcake Pebbles

Ever since I heard about Cupcake Pebbles I've wanted to get my hands on some. Who could blame me? Yesterday when I went grocery shopping I was finally successful.

Naturally, this morning I decided to try some for brekkie.

When I opened the box and took a whiff I swear it smelled exactly like cupcakes. Exciting.

I made sure to get a quick pic of the cereal before I laid into it.

This cereal tastes a lot like some sort of rice krispy treat cuppy.

The Om Nom Nom stance on this cereal is - for the win!

Celebrate Good Times!

Today is a day for celebration in my house. My husbands contract with the military officially ran out today! ! !



Tonight I am making one of his favourite meals, my Fettuccine Alfredo. I don't know about everyone else out there but after I eat I almost always want dessert, so I am making dreamsicle cupcakes using the basic info provided to me by a good friend and Facebook fan, Darling Misty B.


I was told I would need:
1 box cake mix
12 oz POP of choice (which translates to 1 1/2 cups)
Cool Whip

The idea here is to recreate the magical pairing of vanilla and orange to get that oh so familiar, childhood taste of dreamsicle in cupcake form. The store did have French vanilla cake mix but I am terribly allergic to French vanilla so we got white cake instead.

The back of the box has two recipe options, with or without egg-whites. The egg-white option called for more water 1 1/4 cups) and less oil. In lieu of a twelve pack of "pop" (as my Michigander friend put it) we bought a two-liter bottle. I measured out the "pop" ahead of time and put it in a glass to the side while I checked the directions of the back of the box.

At this point all you really need to do is follow the directions on the back of the box (combine cake, oil, water ["pop"], and egg-whites. Put into cupcake pan. Cook.)

The box says to cook for ten to fifteen minutes, I put them in for thirteen minutes but my test stick came out with stuff on it so I put them back in for another four. Those four extra minutes finished cooking them beautifully.

The cupcakes were so incredibly light when I took them out of the pan that it was a shame I did not have cool whip to use instead of icing (Which I have quite a bit of. We keep cake mix around because my husband enjoys making himself impromptu cake.)







The end result was a happy hubby.

I didn't think it tasted too dreamsicle-ish (maybe it was because I couldn't have the french vanilla cake mix). Hubby said he could taste the orange in it - I did not.

I won't give up tho, just gives me tons of ideas for later.