1st Birthday Cakes

A very very special boy turned 1 last week and in celebration I made Magnolia's Vanilla-Vanilla cakes (recipe at the very bottom of the blog, my first post) and a fudgey chocolate cake ("recipe" below). I was a little tired while baking and somehow ended up with all self-rising flour instead of the 1/2 1/2 Magnolia calls for. I panicked while the cakes were in the oven, expecting them to explode in some way. But in the end they came out tasting as delish as they always do. I served them at the fancy party and got lots of compliments. So I guess you can use all SR flour in a pinch and be fine. Hmm...

For the chocolate I cheated. I bought a box of Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge cake mix. But I didn't really follow the directions (I'm not so good at doing what I'm told). I substituted buttermilk for the water, butter for the oil, and added a package of Devil's Food flavored instant pudding. I topped them with the Magnolia Vanilla Buttercream and red candy-melt stars (how-to a few posts down, with blue stars), and sprinkles of course!

The kids (big and small) went crazy for these Party Cakes. I was even told that "Saint Cupcakes has nothing on [me]!" from a family who had been raving about SC before mine were served (and I didn't even let on that I thought their cakes were bland and oily). Another smashing success, but I was just pleased that the boy liked them (see post below).

boy's first birthday & first cupcake

I scream! You scream! We all scream for cupcakes?

To disguise a cupcake as an ice cream cone is as easy as making a cupcake! Just whip up a batch (or 2) of your favorite flavor (I made Magnolia's vanilla-vanilla - recipe at the bottom of this page- and a mocha chocolate chip: devil's food mix with coffee instead of water, 1/2 bag of chocolate chips, a touch of cinnamon, and butter instead of oil). Fill your cake cones just as you would cupcake liners (1/2 - 3/4 full). Even if they overflow a bit, it just adds to the drippy ice cream look. Start testing after about 20 min. Mine seemed to take about 5 minutes longer than the recipe said it would. Oh, and I stood the cake cups up in cupcake tins and put those on top of cookie sheets so the bottoms wouldn't burn. I topped with Magnolia's vanilla buttercream and marachino cherries. It's a perfect summer treat. Yum!

Bye Bye Miss Jaime - We'll Miss You!!!

that is, indeed, a cupcake in jaime's hand - recipes & photos to follow shortly.

Pumpkin and Mexican Chocolate w/ Toasted Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The Cakes:


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 15-oz can pumpkin purée
3.1 oz. Mexican chocolate (4 “wedges”) shaved or grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

2. In a Kitchen Aid, mix together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add shaved Mexican chocolate. Add dry ingredients, and mix until smooth. Mix in pumpkin purée.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

4. Frost with cream cheese frosting (1 stick unsalted butter, 2 pkgs light cream cheese, confectioners sugar to your liking) with lots of toasted cinnamon* added (at least 1 tablespoon). I decorated these with chocolate covered sunflower seeds from Trader Joe’s. *Toast cinnamon by heating it in a frying pan on low heat until aromatic.

this recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe for pumpkin cupcakes - I added the Mexican chocolate, took away some sugar, changed the brown sugar from light to dark and used different spices. And the frosting is all me!

Oh! And one more thing, these sparkler "candles" are super super cool, however, you have to light both at once or one will be 1/2 way done by the time you get the second lit. I found mine at a local boutique, but you can also get them here. See them aflame (and the excitement it evokes) below!

Birthday Pink Cake

Pink Cake is a birthday tradition in our friend group - it's nearly mandatory that each person's birthday gets celebrated with a pink cake. For Kristine's 30th, I put the pink into little silver cups and added aqua stars for an extra special touch.

Using 1 box Duncan Hines Strawberry cake mix, follow recipe on back of box, but use butter instead of oil, and blush wine (or white) instead of 1/2 the water (2/3 c. wine, 2/3 c. water)

Top with cream cheese frosting (1 stick unsalted butter, 2 pkgs light cream cheese, confectioners sugar to the level of sweetness you like, but remember, the cake is quite sweet). Color with red food coloring to a shade of pink to your liking.

If you're feeling extra loving towards the recipient of the pink party cakes, go to Michael's, or your local bake shop, and purchase a bag of candy melts in the color of your choice. Purchase molds in the shape of your choice. Melt candy (which is just colored white chocolate) per directions and melt in molds. Very easy and super duper cute.

And remember, it isn't a birthday without pink cake!

Happy 30th Birthday Kristine!!!

photos and recipes of the birthday girl's cupcakes to be added shortly!