Cupcakes go Corporate!

RBC Tile & Stone recently launched a new line of tile called Sonoma Tilemakers.  Along with cupcakes I also have an odd obsession with all things tile.  It's sick really, but whatevs...don't judge me.  The showroom manager asked if I would do cupcakes for their launch party themed "From Wine to Tile".  Here's the resulting cakes:



Sonoma Cupcakes



The S "tiles" were a second attempt at making a "tile" candy for these.  The first attempt with marzipan and a carved relief with food coloring 'stain' failed miserably.  Well....ok...not completely miserably...if I had a month to make the candies that would have worked just fine.  But as it was a month I did not have.  Luckly I found a candy mold that worked out perfectly.  

I'm sure that all cupcakes should have an "S" on them...it's really the prettiest letter.



Luckly the launch party went great...I'm sure it had everything to do with the cupcakes!!





For kids from 1 to 90....

Nothing says Happy Birthday like sugar!  Recently I had the privelage of cupcaking for a first birthday, and then shortly thereafter a 90th birthday!  Turns out no matter what number is attached to your birthday ~ cupcakes are a good idea!! 

Lucy's 1st Birthday!!

These were done for my dear friends daughter's first birthday.  She had requested one giant cupcake for Lucy (the birthday girl) with a '1' on it.  Then I did mini's on lollipop sticks for the rest of the celebrants!  They turned out super cute and weren't quite as tricky as I thought they would be.  I also used a low-sugar and whole-grain recipe so that the indulgence was more on the 'wholesome' side.  However there was nothing 'wholesome' about the frosting unless sugar and butter is considered wholesome.....

Here's some closeups of Lucy's cakes:

The next week I did these for a co-workers grandmother who turned 90!!  Confession:  I did not make the roses.  I ran out of time and so I had to purchase them from a local cake supply shop.  But I did do the sunflowers and leaves.  I did a special cupcake for Grandma and did a series of florals for the other guests.  My co-worker said they were a hit and that Grandma was happy with them.  Rule #1 ~ always make Grandma happy!!

Grandma's cupcake is in the center with 2 roses and a sunflower.  I also tied a ribbon around the bottom to make it extra special!

I do...

 Cupcakes are a statement of a small glimmer of hope.  I think so are weddings.  They are a representation of beauty in a world that tries so hard to show how ugly it is.  They make us take a step back, and sometimes a deep breath, and appreciate joy for the purity that it is.  The wonder of it all is that each are really so simple at the core.  It is love, and it is hope, and it is beauty. 

Ok, so maybe I'm getting a little deep for cupcakes...but then again....

These were done for my beloved cousin Rachael and her new husband Josh.  They recently married and it was one of the most beautiful and touching days I can remember.  So much to be thankful for in family!  It was my first wedding (cupcaking I mean...I have been to many and had my own 7 years ago)...so I was pretty nervous about how the cupcakes would turn out.  Especially after I took a giant digger on the living room floor of the house and almost sent two boxes launching through the air.  I came away with only one giant bruise on my knee (and some sweet, sweet wood floor burn...and maybe a little bruised pride), the cupcakes...well, luckily one of the boxes was the 'reject' box...the other one... my sweet sister quickly jumped to my aid and I immediately directed her to the cupcakes...they needed her more than I did.  There were a few casualties...but nothing seirous.  No major head wounds or severed limbs...unless you consider a petal a limb.  ;o) 

The cake itself made it just fine.  Once I had demonstrated my affinity for gracefulness I quickly made the decision to enter the house from the other direction....  The cake I covered in fondant which went pretty well...I was happy to have the large sunflowers to conceal a few flaws...but all in all for a first time I was a little proud.  The whole thing was a great collaborative effort.  My sister-in-law extrodinaire came to the rescue one evening and helped me tie ribbons on all of the cupcakes and she and my mom gave me much needed feedback on the cake.  What is it they say?  Many advisors make for wise cupcaking?....something like that.

Anyways...my deepest congratulations and love to Josh & Rachael.  I hope your lives are filled with many small glimmers of hope and delightful reminders of joy!

Cheers!!!!

My Life with Powdered Sugar

So it seems that my life has been overtaken by a fluffy white substance.  I used to purchase said substance about once every other year when I needed it for a certain recipe...usually involving a special event.  Now it seems I am at Costco on a much more regular basis than I'd like to admit procuring embarassingly large ammounts of it.  I have yet to cave to the 50# bag...but honestly it's simply because the bag is not resealable.  Instead I resort to the 7# version...and just buy several at once.  I suppose there are worse things than investing in powedered sugar in amounts that rival your body weight.  For instance...being covered in it because you turned the mixer on too fast....not that I've ever done that....I've just heard it can happen................

I digress...here are some new creations!  I had a Black Jack themed birthday for which I used a recipe for lemon freezer cookies and card themed cutouts (thank you Jessica!!) to create the look.  The freezer cookies were VERY tasty...but very fragile too.  I think I successfully broke all of the 'cards' before assembling them an placing them on the cakes.  Luckily frosting is a great adhesive!  ;o)  The flavor theme was Lemon and it was absolutely delightful!

This was my first attempt at a cake...isn't it small and cute?!  It's just a little 6" round cake and I think it turned out delightful.  I covered it with fondant and made the cutouts from fondant and then used white buttercream to complete the design.  In hindsight I think I would have spread out the design more...but I still thought it was cute!

Fun with themes...

Polka Dots with Monogram

These are some recent creations... 

The polka dots were for a friend's sister's birthday.  Who doesn't like polka-dots!  The chocolate ganache was a hit and the fondant dots were pretty easy to do!

The apples were for my friend Emily's daughter.  They had her birthday party at an apple orchard!  How cute is that?!  The little apple is made from marzipan since I couldn't find any small apple shaped candies.




Apples!



And since football season is upon us...what could be more appropriate than a football field?  Although I hear the good ol' Gophers could use a little more than cupcakes to help them out! 

Go Gophers!

Introduction

Greetings!  Welcome to Sweet Sarah's Cupcakes!  As I have recently discovered my passion for all things cupcake I have decided to share my confectionary adventures with you.  Please check back often for new pictures, laughs, mistakes, and victories! 

Who am I?
  Well, my name is Sarah and I seem to have a propensity for beginning new adventures on not much but a whim.  All of this cupcaking came about almost out of no where.  I was invited by my mother (see...it's always Mom's fault!) to bring a dessert to our Thanksgiving dinner last year.  Well, clearly a simple pumpkin pie would not do.  As I have a love for all things small I decided that cupcakes would be the way to go.  I started searching out pictures, techniques, and inspiration wherever I could find it.  Finally I had a design and a flavor (pumpkin cream-cheese swirl....delicious!).  They were a hit!  I also did some for my 30th birthday complete with hand made flowers, pearl sprinkles and organic raspberry puree....also fantastic!  I was then invited by a girlfriend of mine to participate in her open house (she is a consultant for Stella & Dot jewelry...which is gorgeous by the way!).  So I came up with several designs to showcase what I could do.  By then I had friends and family wanting to place "orders" with me for birthday parties and other events. 

I am not a licensed business...but this is a fun hobby that I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring and as such would love to have some feedback!  Perhaps if this silly little passion continues to prove itself worthy of continuation I will explore further the idea of moving forward and becoming and actual scenery cupcakery! 

Enjoy the photos!