Cute monster cupcakes and chocolate hazelnut crunch mini cupcakes

These cute monster cupcakes are by Tammie Coe Cakes, taken by me at Cupcake Love-In. I didn't try them, but did try the chocolate hazelnut crunch mini cupcakes seen below, and was told to eat mine "like a shooter." I did and it was delicious! Light frosting, a little crunch, perfect size as it was the very last cupcake I ate at Cupcake Love-In.

Big thanks to Kelly of Butter & Me for having me at Cupcake Love-In!

I'm on my way back to snowy New York tonight, so I will be posting more about today's Cupcake Love-In, which featured 30+ bakers and 750 guests, as the week progresses, but I've had a lovely time visiting Scottsdale and hope to return. Many thanks to Kelly of Butter & Me for having me come out as a judge, and the location of the event and hotel where I stayed, Hotel Valley Ho, which was beautiful. This was a benefit for Central Arizona Shelter Services.


Me rocking the Cupcake Love-In photo booth



Kelly's daughter with a temporary Cupcake Love-In tattoo

Random cupcake photos:

Cupcake blog dedication: I ate a real grasshopper on and inside a cupcake!

Barb's Bakery of Phoenix, Arizona, was not to be outdone in the "I can't believe I'm eating this" unofficial cupcake category today at Scottsdale, Arizona's Cupcake Love-In, serving up a chipotle grasshopper cupcake. Not "grasshopper," like the chocolate mint flavor, but grasshopper, like the bug. I was challenged as a judge to eat it, along with the four other judges, and we all did so at the same time. I closed my eyes, expecting it to be crunchy and chocolatey. It was indeed crunchy, but salty, and didn't all go down in one bite. I didn't know what flavor cupcake I was eating, so I took a fingerful of frosting, and it turned out to be spicy, so I bit into the cupcake, and it was crunchy! More grasshopper! It was intense. I heard their other cupcakes were alcohol-inspired, including cosmo, but I didn't get a chance to try those. Kudos to Barb's Bakery for going there and forcing us to try something new. I don't think I'd eat grasshopper again, but I'm glad I tried it, and the chipotle had an unexpected kick to it.


that's a grasshopper on top!



yes, those little flecks in the cake are grasshopper.

Live from Scottsdale at Cupcake Love-In: cupcake costume, cupcake photo booth, and cupcakes galore!

A few snapshots from the beginning of Scottsdale's Cupcake Love-In, where there's a photo booth, a kids' cupcake bar, poolside checkin, raffle prizes, mini cupcakes in amazing colors and flavors, and so many amazing-looking cupcakes. (I'm a judge, and am about to go try them.) Full report this week. So happy to be here in the sun and discovering so many cupcake makers! Stay tuned to @cupcakeblog on Twitter because I may Tweet a few images too. I'm in a big rush posting these but if any of these are your cupcakes, email me at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Love-In" in the subject and I'll add your credit and link.


Cupcake costume!



ballerina cupcakes



peanut butter and jelly cupcakes



lemon tree angel wing cupcakes



rainbow sherbet cupcakes



cupcake photo booth



apple tree cupcakes












candy corn and pumpkin Halloween cupcakes

Steve Jobs tribute cupcake at 21 Cakes

At 21 Cakes in Scottsdale, Arizona, they've made a special Steve Jobs tribute cupcake that's displayed there today, via their Facebook page:



In other 21 Cakes news, their October special flavor is "chocolate cupcake filled with coffee cream, frosted with vanilla buttercream and drizzled in caramel. Available every Thursday and Saturday in October."

And they've got these red velvet breast cancer cupcakes, $1 from the sale of each will be donated to breast cancer research:



And some others they sell: a breakfast cupcake and their signature chocolate cupcake:






21 Cakes
7001 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite #175
Scottsdale, AZ 85253
602-316-4435
linda21cakes at gmail.com

Cupcake murder mystery Death by the Dozen on sale today!

The third book in author Jenn McKinlay's cupcake bakery murder mystery series, Death by the Dozen, officially comes out today! I got behind on my reading so am just now reading book two, Buttercream Bump Off, and am not only excited to read the new one, but also to be a judge with Jenn at Cupcake Love-In on October 30th in Scottsdale, Arizona, which is the setting for her fictional series. Read Chapter 1 here.



Official description:

Melanie and Angie are determined to win the Challenge to the Chef to promote their Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. Mel's mentor from culinary school, Vic Mazzotta, may be one of the judges, but Mel and Angie will have to win fair and square. But, when Vic's dead body is found inside a freezer truck, Mel and Angie will need to use their best judgment to find the cold-blooded killer or they may lose more than the contest- they may lose their lives.

Not only is she an author, but Jenn McKinlay is a blogger and baker, and if you click here you can get her red velvet beet cupcake recipe at Mystery Lovers Kitchen, where she's a contributor!

More about Cupcake Love-In, who you can follow on @cupcakelovein on Twitter and Facebook:

Join us on 10.30.11 at the Hotel Valley Ho Hotel for the second annual Cupcake Love-in event for an afternoon of FUNdraising for Central Arizona Shelter Service (CASS). Come mingle with bakers from all around the Valley and sample their amzaing cupcakes. There will be activities for the kids, a cupcake eating contest and more!