Cute vanilla snowman cupcakes with only 143.5 calories each

Blogger Gina Homolka at SkinnyTaste serves up recipes that are fun and healthy - even cupcakes! From her about page:

On Skinnytaste, you'll find healthy dishes that don't sacrifice any of the flavor that can be found in their full-fat origins. Gina knows all the food she prepares for Skinnytaste is tasty and satisfying, because after all, this is the same food she cooks on a daily basis for her friends and family, and they are some of her toughest critics!

She caught my eye with these very cute vanilla snowman cupcakes.



The recipe involves Duncan Hines Cake Mix and Chobani yogurt, whose nutritional stats clock in at:

Servings: 24 • Size: 1 cupcake • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts* (3 pts no frosting)Calories: 143.5 • Fat: 2.7 g • Carbs: 27.3 • Fiber: 0 • Protein: 2.1 g • Sugar: 19.6Sodium: 143.2 mg

And if you just can't get enough, she's got lots more recipes on her site. Here are two of the cupcake ones:


super moist low fat chocolate cupcakes with chocolate glaze


pink lemonade confetti cupcakes

You can also follow SkinnyTaste on Facebook and @SkinnyTaste on Twitter.

Edible fondant turkeys on cupcakes at Sweet in Boston

Via @SweetCupcakes_ on Twitter - more turkey cupcakes from Sweet in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. See sweetcupcakes.com for more information.

Free pumpkin maple cupcake on Thanksgiving morning with purchase of Stumptown Coffee at Seattle's Cupcake Royale

The latest from Seattle's Cupcake Royale, which is featuring several seasonal cupcake flavors (gingerbread, pumpkin/maple, eggnog, peppermint bark & sweet potato)...is a free cupcake to thank you for supporting them, with a coffee purchase! This Thursday, November 24th, aka Thanksgiving, via @CupcakeRoyale on Twitter:



They also show their Thanksgiving sense of humor:



What else is new? Check out cupcakeroyale.com and Cupcake Royale on Facebook, where these photos are from.


gingerbread cupcake: "Just like the classic cookie, we start with molasses, ginger, spice, and chocolate and mix it into a delicious cupcake. Next, we top it with our classic cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with gingerbread babies."


Limited edition (until November 24th, get yours quick!) toasted candied yam cupcakes


pretty pumpkin sugar

Mondays are for cupcake decorating for kids:

Interview: Jordan D'Amico of I'm With Cupcake

image courtesy of I'm With Cupcake

Name: Jordan D'Amico
Age: 21
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Occupation: Full-time student, business owner
Website: http://www.imwithcupcake.com/

Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
I’m currently a full-time student majoring in Human Rights but I’m also a business owner. I run an online boutique called I’m With Cupcake. We sell a wide variety of items, ranging from party supplies to fun spins on everyday kitchen tools. Our store focuses on anything cute and unique that is guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face.

When I’m not studying for an exam or packaging orders I can usually be found in the kitchen mixing something and then eating it. I have an unhealthy obsession with chocolate and I tend to annoy the people around me by putting it in everything I bake. I also like to take what I’ve baked, plate it, photograph it, and then blog about it on Kitchen Karate. 

When did you start your company?

The way that I’m With Cupcake came about is a long story. Actually, not so long. But the period of time that it took to start and then complete is long. Early spring 2010 it was time to look for another summer job. I couldn’t go the entire 4 months without making any money, but I’d worked retail before and it did not agree with me. There was a program run by my provincial government where students could start their own business for the summer. They would draw up a real business plan and pitch it and if they got approved they’d get a money to start a business for the summer plus more money at the end if their business was successful. I knew I wanted to do this. I pictured myself calling the shots for the summer and not getting screamed at by customers.

But, what would I do? I thought about and thought about it. I wasn’t going to be doing manual labour because I’m about as strong as a wilting daisy and I wasn’t going to be setting up a stand in the market because I really did not like downtown in the summer (way too hot). So, why not online? The idea could not have been farther from what I’m With Cupcake is today. I won’t bore you with the details but after being assured that I would be approved and that it was only a matter of time, I drove across the city to attend a day long training course that would teach us young entrepreneurs how to operate and what was expected of us in this program. I was even in the group photo. Sadly, I wasn’t approved because the program didn’t see that I would be much of a success. So, that idea was scrapped.

Fast-forward about eight months to January and I’m still thinking about my idea. Sure, I hadn’t been given the money to start it, but why should that stop me? I was going to do this. I revamped the idea and the name which was something completely unrelated to cupcakes, and set out. I found a web designer who was unbelievable to work with and so incredibly patient with me and my barrage of e-mails about the littlest thing. I found product I knew I had to carry and sort of formed the idea as I went; the entire time having this vision in the back of my head of what I wanted to do. Another six months and I’m With Cupcake was launched!

Do you run your website on your own? 

I do! Thankfully though I have amazing people around to help me. My web-designer Sarah is so incredible whenever I have questions or send her panicked e-mails because something “disastrous” has happened. My parents are also a great comfort and confidence boosters. They were the ones who drilled it into my head about starting out organized with all the papers and finances instead of realizing a few months in that I needed to do it. 

Aside from selling cupcake products, do you bake any cupcakes in your spare time?

Yes! I love, love, love baking cupcakes. It was my love of cupcakes that inspired the name of I’m With Cupcake. Usually I start out with a simple cupcake recipe and then when it’s time to make them stand out, that’s where I go wild. Of course, no cupcake would be complete without the most amazing butter-cream!

How do you choose what products to sell?

When I first started I knew that the products I wanted to carry had to be things that I would buy myself. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, or at least like it, how can you expect other people to respond the same way? I try to fill a niche in a way. I try to find things that people would use anyways but when selecting the product I make sure it has a fun twist to it. I don’t think you’ll ever see us selling a regular wooden spoon.

Out of all the products that you sell, what is your absolute can’t live without favorite?

My absolute favourite? That’s hard. After nearly a year with most of my product I’ve grown to love each one as if they’re all mine to keep. But, if I absolutely had to choose, it would probably be a tie between the Matryoshka Measuring Cups and the Cupcake Pillow!

What is your favorite cupcake flavor?

Honestly, to me, the base flavour doesn’t make the cupcake (although chocolate or vanilla can certainly help) as much as what’s on top. But, I like to stick to fairly simple combinations. I love topping cupcakes with Martha Stewart’s butter-cream and then taking that phenomenal recipe and adapting it with chocolate or different flavour extracts. I also love topping the icing with crushed up chocolate bars to add a different texture and, of course, more chocolate.

What is your favorite thing about cupcakes?

Definitely not the calories. Honestly, for so long I’ve loved watching people eat what I bake and then asking them what they thought. It might make me sound vain, but I love seeing people’s reactions knowing that they love them. Cupcakes truly are a unifying dessert, much like cake or pie, because really, no one can resist them.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I’d like to finish this tirade of thought by thanking so many people who’ve helped me and I’m With Cupcake grow. My parents obviously, for giving me life and thus giving I’m With Cupcake life. Really, you have them to thank. Sarah of Dodeline Design, my amazing web designer who is such a talented individual and an amazing business woman. 

Finally, I just want to say that since I’m With Cupcake has launched I’ve had the opportunity to work with and learn from some amazing business owners, both on and off the internet, and bloggers. So many bloggers have believed in I’m With Cupcake and supported us from day one, whether it be through mentioning us on Facebook or Twitter, to posting about us on their blog, or just being open to me telling them about I’m With Cupcake. The power of the internet, and the people behind it, is an amazing thing.

CupcakeCamp Atlanta is December 4th!

CupcakeCamp Atlanta is coming up on December 4th. Details below, and you can also follow them @CupcakeCampATL on Twitter. Don't know what CupcakeCamp is or want to host one in your town? Visit cupcakecamp.org.



From their site:

The event will be about 3 hours long (exact times still TBD, but afternoonish time going no later than 5pm). Now that we have an official date, we need your help! If you are interested in participating in Cupcake Camp, please reply and let us know. This means that you are willing to bake at least a dozen cupcakes to present and let guests try them. We need to know about how many stations to set up. Reminder, this is a FREE event, so no cupcakes will be sold. We are welcoming donations on the day of the event that will go towards the cost of this year’s event and hopefully expanding next year’s. In addition to just letting people walk around and try cupcakes, we will also be having a contest! The contest categories (as of now… we’ll update if there are changes) will be as follows:

• Best tasting
• Best looking
• Most unique flavor


If you’re thinking “I’m not a baker, but I still want to help!!”, we can still use your help! We’ll need plates, plasticware, napkins and, of course, MILK (all kinds. regular, soy, whatever). In additon, there’s the simple help of “spread the word!”. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell your neighbor. Whoever you want. Let us know if you’re willing to help out here, too.

Red Velvet #CupcakeChat This Friday

Last week's twitter chat was great, so I am doing another one this Friday. The next Cupcakes Take The Cake #cupcakechat will be about Red Velvet Cupcakes on November 18 at 2PM EST. We're going to talk  about red velvet cake. Did it originate in the South or from the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City? We talk about red dyes, beets and rhythms. Of course, there will chatter about cream cheese frosting and White Lily flour. We'll share the best recipes and good tips for baking them.  If you are an experienced baker or new to the game, you may join this hour-long conversation about red velvet cupcakes. You can follow the conversation by following the hashtag #cupcakechat or following @cupcakeblog on Twitter.

Apple brown betty, apple cider and fall maple bacon cupcakes

These fall themed cupcakes are by BAKE Cupcakery, based in Appleton, Wisconsin, via their Flickr account. Read more at their blog - and congratulations on their one-year anniversary! You can also find them on Facebook and @bakecatering on Twitter. They can be reached at bakecatering at gmail.com and you can see their flavor list on Facebook


Apple Cider cupcake topped with caramel-striped cider buttercream, a layer of Brown Betty and another swirl of buttercream!


Apple Cider flavor with homemade cupcake skirts




But wait, there's more! They've got these special seasonal cupcake toppers:

Banana split and margarita cupcakes

Both of these mouthwatering cupcakes are by Cupcake Blvd., who you can also find on Facebook and @CupcakeBlvd on Twitter. Via Flickr. They serve Maryland and Washington, DC and can be reached at thecupcakeblvd at gmail.com or 202-506-8989 or 410-721-8212.

See their site or Facebook page for all their flavors - these are just the cake flavors!

• Buttermilk Vanilla • Chocolate • Red Velvet • Carrot Cake • Cookies & Cream • Stuffed Guava • Stuffed Dulce de Leche • Pumpkin Spice • Banana • Key Lime • Coconut • Strawberry • Cranberry • Apple Spice • Almond • Apple • Mocha • Gingerbread • Maple • Lava Fudge • Orange • S’mores • Mojito • Margarita


banana split cupcake


margarita cupcake

From their site:

Please contact us 24 hours prior to delivery for standard cupcakes & 1 week prior for events or designer cupcakes. We are located in Crofton, MD (near Annapolis) & provide service from Washington D.C. to Baltimore including Montgomery County.

Kids' Cupcake Camp charity event looking for kid bakers!

This is the kind of cupcake event we love hearing about! It involves kids, charity and fun. Info from kidscupcakecamp.com, who you can also keep up with on Facebook and @kidscupcakecamp. The event takes place December 11th in Glendora, California. Questions? Email kidscupcakecamp at gmail.com. (Via Patch.com).





Here's what the event is:

The Cake Mamas Bakery is proud to announce the first ever Kids Cupcake Camp™! Finally, cupcakes with a heart!

Kids Cupcake Camp™ is a nonprofit event that creates change with cupcakes!

The concept for a “Cupcake Camp” originated in San Francisco and promotes a true spirit of community and sharing. Customarily, several bakers (professionals, amateurs, and even first time bakers) donate tons of cupcakes and guests come, pay a donation and eat cupcakes, all to benefit a charity or cause. Cupcake Camps now happen around the world and are hosted by people from all walks of life. They’ve taken place in Paris, Montreal, Orange County, Santa Barbara, Boston, and New York just to name a few. The most universal element of a Cupcake Camp is that it brings people together to share their love of cupcakes, and to give back!

The Cake Mamas are putting a different spin on it! This winter’s Kids Cupcake Camp™! will be a huge TOY DRIVE! Due to rough times, job loss and several other economic hindrances, lots of needy families and children will not be able to celebrate or enjoy their holidays this season. We want to make their holidays a little SWEETER and donate TOYS to them!

And here's where kids can get involved and raise money for their schools:

We’re looking for a team of representatives from each school in the Charter Oak and Glendora Unified School Districts to compete for some cold, hard CASH for their school!

Whether, you’re from the Student Council, ASB, Football team, Cheerleading Squad, or any other group/team from your school, we want you! We’re asking you to organize a group of students to create a great recipe and bake 200 cupcakes to compete with at the 1st ever Kids Cupcake Camp!

Each school in the Charter Oak and Glendora Unified School Districts is invited to participate. (*Unfortunately, we can not open the Kids category to all schools due to lack of space. But we will keep you posted if anything changes!) Each school must commit to baking, bringing/donating a minimum of 200 cupcakes and will compete in a TASTE CHALLENGE. *Judges will be determined soon…But, we’re working on some pretty cool prospects so be sure to bring your A game!

The school with the “Best Tasting Cupcake” will provide The Cake Mamas with the winning recipe. The Cake Mamas will bake and sell the school’s winning cupcake at their bakery in Glendora for 30 days (beginning Dec 19th-Jan 21st 2012). 100% of the profits from the winning cupcake will go straight to the school!!!

So, if The Cake Mamas sell 2 dozen cupcakes per day for 30 days, that’s over $2,000!!! It’s that easy!

($3 cupcake x 24 per day = $72 per day. $72 x 30 days = $2,160!!!)

If you are interested in competing and representing your school, please complete the BAKERS REGISTRATION FORM.

They are raising money for Shepherd's Pantry.



About the cause:

Shepherds Pantry is a nonprofit organization in Glendora, CA that provides emergency food, (groceries), clothing, resource counseling, children’s educational programs and a helping hand to struggling families during times of crisis. Shepherd’s Pantry serves local residents of ten cities in the San Gabriel Valley. (Azusa, Baldwin Park, Claremont, Covina, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, La Verne, San Dimas, West Covina and Valinda)

18-year-old opens cupcake bakery, sells 3,500 cupcakes opening weekend

Those are numbers that I think are good for everyone: the economy, cupcake fans, anyone who dreams of opening a cupcake business!

From the East Aurora Advertiser:

Michael Wulf, who graduated from Attica High School in June, said he wanted to bring something that was so popular on a national level to East Aurora. “It’s a great small community that supports their local businesses,” he said.

On opening day, Swirls had a 35-person line out the door and sold out of 1,000 cupcakes in less than four hours.

“I was floored at how many people came. The support from the community has been overwhelming; I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Wulf said.

In the 30 minutes this writer visited Swirls for an interview and to “test” some of the treats, more than 30 customers came in, most of whom left with goodies of their own.

Follow the @SwirlsCupcakery on Twitter and get more info from their Facebook page, where these photos are from.


Salted Caramel-A salted caramel cupcake with a caramel buttercream frosting, caramel drizzle and sea salt


Raspberry Lemon-A lemon raspberry infused cupcake with a raspberry buttercream frosting


pina colada cupcake




Swirls Cupcakery634 Main Street (Rear)East Aurora, NY 14052716-713-7720swirlscupcakery at gmail.com

Happy National Vanilla Cupcake Day!

We'll have many more vanilla cupcakes for you today as we celebrate National Vanilla Cupcake Day (have you made some? Email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com with "Vanilla" in the subject line and your URL or photo, though, as always, the best place to submit photos is via our Flickr pool) or send links we can retweet on Twitter (we're @cupcakeblog). Thanks and hope you have a delicious National Vanilla Cupcake Day! The next cupcake holiday is National Cupcake Day on December 15th! See the master list of American food holidays here. And tomorrow is our latest Twitter chat, taking place on Friday, November 11 at 2PM EST. Follow @cupcakeblog on Twitter as well as follow the hashtag #cupcakechat.

This beautiful vanilla cupcake is by blogger The Lone Baker, who always goes all out, and who has the recipe for you! Via Flickr. Officially, it's "Vanilla fairy cake with Fluffy Mock Vanilla Bean Cream and crystallised vanilla pod shred."

Baby shower ultrasound photo cupcakes

Sara Underwood (@sara_underwood) Tweeted this photo of her custom baby shower ultrasound photos that she got from Sweet in Boston. You can follow them @SweetCupcakes_ on Twitter and find out more about their locations in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as custom orders, at sweetcupcakes.com. Congratulations, Sara!





In other Sweet news, here's their caramel apple cupcakes, via their Facebook page. "Seasonal apple preserves fill the Sweet vanilla bean cake, caramel buttercream atop and a Sweet, gooey caramel drizzle. Complete with its own stick!"

Twitter Chat This Friday, November 11

You can't cheat with vanilla cupcake.  Yes, you can try to disguise a dry, flavorless cupcake with color, filling, or frosting. But why not learn and share tips on how to make a good one?  Since National Vanilla Cupcake is November 10, we're going to chat  about vanilla cupcakes and the best tips and recipes for baking them. Also,we will talk about vanilla itself- Tahitian, Madagascar, Mexican. If you are experienced baker or new to the game, you may join this hour-long conversation about vanilla cupcake. The Twitter Chat will be Friday November 11 at 2PM EST. Follow @cupcakeblog on Twitter as well as follow the hashtag #cupcakechat.

Johnny Cupcakes meets Crumbs and Doilies in London and madness ensues, plus your chance to win big!

Extra spooky Johnny Cupcakes Halloween cupcakes by London's ultra creative Crumbs and Doilies! Photo via Twitter. Get ordering information at crumbsanddoilies.co.uk.



Amore cupcakes via the Crumbs and Doilies blog:



And in other Johnny Cupcakes news, football t-shirts, and a photo from their Tumblr. Visit johnnycupcakes.com for the latest news and to order from their online store.

Halloween eyeball, ghost, worm/dirt and candy corn cupcakes, plus pumpkin patch

These cupcakes are by Polkadot Cupcake Shop of New York City/New Jersey, via Flickr, celebrating Halloween and pumpkin patch, their October flavor of the month. Find out more about them at polkadotcupcakeshop.com and on Facebook and @sweeterwithcake on Twitter.

Very pretty in pink edible lace and fondant rose cupcake and Halloween bats and pumpkins

I love the look of this vanilla cupcake, decorated with edible lace and hand made sugar rose by Cakes by Miriam in Londonberry, Northern Ireland, via Flickr. It just stands out and is definitely in my "(almost) too pretty to eat" category (which is totally a compliment, in case it wasn't clear). I've actually had cupcakes at times that were so delicate and beautiful I almost felt bad eating them and ruining that aspect of them, but they are, after all, meant to be enjoyed. For ordering information, visit their site or email info at cakesbymiriam.co.uk or call 07817289509. You can also find them on Facebook and @cakesbymiriam on Twitter.



And because Halloween is almost here, here's one of their Halloween cupcakes featuring bats and pumpkins:

The Office Actress and Writer Mindy Kaling No Longer Eats Cupcakes After An Attempted Cupcake Bakery Twitter Bribe

In her very funny new book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), The Office actress and writer Mindy Kaling (who you can also follow @mindykaling on Twitter) has a chapter entitled "The Day I Stopped Eating Cupcakes" (proving my oft-stated contention that cupcakes are everywhere - I didn't pick up the book thinking there'd be anything about cupcakes). Here's a little bit of that chapter, which I encourage you to check out in full; she also muses on her childhood, Hollywood, The Office, Matt and Ben, dating and more. Sections include "I Like New York and It Likes Me Okay" and "Hollywood: My Good Friend Who Is Also a Little Embarrassing." Mindy, if you're reading this, we'd love to buy you a cupcake (not a bribe!) and/or hear about your favorites when you used to eat them.

From the chapter ("on script" means "when writers are sent off on their own to write a first draft of an episode of the show," according to Kaling):

This time when I was on script, I stopped by my favorite cupcake place, which I will call Sunshine Cupcakes. (Sunshine Cupcakes, while a ridiculous name, is actually a restrained parody of cupcake bakery names. You have no idea. In Los Angeles, cupcake bakeries are as pervasive a Starbucks. They are the product of a city with an abundance of trophy wives, because trophy wives are the financial engines of cutesy commerce that makes Los Angeles like no other American city: toe jewelry, doorknob cozies, vegan dog food, you get it. If I am sounding mean, I should tell you how envious and admiring I am of these trophy wives. I'd marry a partner at William Morris Endeavor and start a cat pedicure parlor m'self if I were so lucky.)

So, yeah, on my fourth consecutive visit to Sunshine Cupcakes, I was paying for my cupcake when the female manager (cupcake apron, Far Side glasses, streak of pink hair: the universal whimsical bakery lady uniform, as far as I can tell) approached me.

FAR SIDE: You've come here a lot this week.

ME (mouthful of a generous sample): Yeah, I love this place, man.

FAR SIDE: We know you're on Twitter. (Leaning in conspiratorially) And if you're willing to tweet about loving Sunshine Cupcakes, this cupcake (gesturing to the one I was buying) is free.

I did not know it was possible to be triple offended. First of all, Manager Woman, if you notice that a thirty-two-year-old woman is coming to your cupcake bakery every day for a week, keep that information to yourself. I don't need to be reminded of how poor my food choices are on a regular basis. Second, how cheap and/or poor do you think I am? A cupcake costs two bucks!

There's more, but you should read the book for that (also, I very rarely see a cupcake that costs two dollars). I hope Mindy is exaggerating and that that wasn't really the last day she ate cupcakes, because that would be sad since she clearly loves them. Someone at least bake some for her!

Free cupcake alert: The Walking Dead zombie cupcakes by CupcakeStop in Albany and NYC

While yesterday Los Angelenos were being treated to free The Walking Dead cupcakes and apparently, Texas got some too, today Albany, New York is being treated to free cupcakes as The Walking Dead takes over the CupcakeStop truck and they deliver red velvet cupcakes with zombie fingers (via @CupcakeStop):









And tomorrow, Friday, October 14th, from 11 am to 3 pm, New Yorkers can hit up Madison Square Park for their free zombie cupcakes as part of this movie promotion. From NewYorkology, which also notes that the cupcakes will be made by CupcakeStop:

A pack of zombies will hand out free cupcakes in Madison Square Park on Friday to hype the new season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”

(By the way, shouldn’t there be an awesome name for a group of zombies, like a murder of crows?)

The zombie cupcake truck will park at the corner of Madison Avenue and 26th Street
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, a spokeswoman for Time Warner Cable told NewYorkology. When they invaded Texas earlier, the desserts were topped with delicate severed fingers.

Follow @WalkingDead_AMC on Twitter for the latest news on The Walking Dead (and maybe future cupcake promotions).


photo by @TWCable_TX via NewYorkology

Cupcake violence captured in photographs

I don't really know what to call these photos other than cupcake violence:






But then in their whole form they are gorgeous. First are "Coffee Cupcakes topped with an indulgent Irish cream frosting. Decorated with a white & dark chocolate curl & a dusting of cocoa. Served with a pipette of Irish cream Liqueur."



This next one is: "A moist banana muffin sprinkled with chopped almonds & brown sugar. Topped with peanut butter frosting & embellished with crispy streaky bacon. Served with a pipette of maple syrup - perfect for drizzling!"



They're all by Arthur & Aleksandra, who you can reach at frostme at arthurandaleksandra.com and can also be found @oohhhfrostme on Twitter and on Facebook. They're doing a pop-up bakery October 7-9 as part of Birmingham, UK's Grand Designs Live.