Minion Cupcakes!

Minions are the rage these days... blame it on the recently released Minion movie!  Even McDonald's is into it - their happy meal features a minion toy!

So here's our "contribution" -

They are really just our signature chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and topped with minion toppers!

Suzies stuffed with Reese

Suzy is the name we gave to our chocolate cupcake which is double frosted with chocolate buttercream and peanut butter frosting. 

As an extra-special treat, we stuffed our Suzy with Reese' peanut butter cups...  It quickly became one of the most sought-after variants!

Choco Almond Cupcakes

A new chocolate cupcake variant!  Our super yummy chocolate fudge cupcake frosted with almond whipped cream and garnished with almond slivers and grated chocolate.

Yum!

Castle and Princesses Birthday Cake

Here is another Disney Princess-themed birthday cake (kindly ignore the background?!?)

And in case anyone is wondering... we rarely, if ever, use fondant...

Queen's Favorite

It is wonder that these cupcakes made an appearance only now... seeing as I love peanut butter!  But I guess my only excuse is that I often indulged by eating peanut butter... cookies!

What's even more amazing is the overwhelmingly wonderful response by everyone who took a bite out of these cupcakes!!!

The tops look like cookies, right?

The dark chocolate buttercream is the perfect frosting to complement the cupcake!!!

Super duper yummy!!!

I could eat this the whole day!

Bouchon au Chocolat

This was dessert for Valentine's Day dinner...  Yes, bouchons!

These were baked not in bouchon or timbale molds, but in Ikea's DRÖMMAR muffin pan!

A bouchon, by the way, based on what I've read, is so named because it is shaped like a cork.  The word "bouchon" is French for cork!


The recipe is from Bouchon Bakery by Keller and Rouxiel.

Take a look inside -

Oops.  We forgot to dust the bouchons with powdered sugar!

Noir Amer Moelleux au Chocolat (Bitter, Dark Chocolate Cake, French-style)

We'd been quite busy, almost to the point when there is little time to indulge in baking.  But a birthday cannot be celebrated without cake.  So, because of time constraints the cake had to be fast and easy, and of course, utterly delicious!

Answer?  French-style Chocolate Cake - dense, rich, flourless (or almost flourless) chocolate cake, meant to be served warm and without icing, except maybe to be garnished (or accompanied) with/by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  

A slice of cake, with a scoop of ice cream on the side.  Due to the richness of the cake, it is better enjoyed in thin slices.

It is fast and easy to make, especially with a stand mixer.  And with no icing or frosting, it was a breeze to serve.  It was simply fantastic with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or both!

Chocolate Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes, stuffed with peanut butter filling and frosted with marshmallow buttercream!!!

A peek at the cupcake and the filling...

Now topped with minions...

Happy Birthday friend M!

Mmmmmm....

Angels & Demons Cupcakes

What better way could these cupcakes be named for being sinful and heavenly at the same time?

Chocolate Cupcakes, filled with custard cream and frosted with Triple Chocolate Ganache!

Here's a box of 6...

A peek inside...

Super duper delicious!

Rowie, a Prettier Version

Chocolate and Vanilla Marbled Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting...

I think the marbling is quite beautiful!

:)

Variations of the Same Theme...

Cocomia:

KitKat Peanut Butter

Both variations are available as midi cake (approx 6 inches) single layer or as single layer, 8-inch cake.

Reese-this-Christmas Chocolate Cake

Finally, we've finalized our offerings for this Christmas.  Fudgy Callebaut Brownies and Stuffed Blondies were easy choices, as is the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake of last Christmas (2012).  The Carrot Cake will still be available but in limited quantity only because of a limited supply of carrots.

The focus for this Christmas is chocolate.  So we decided on a chocolate cake and a white chocolate cake.  The dilemma we encountered was how to adorn the cakes without using frosting.  Frosting would be a problem especially if we had a lot of orders since I did not have a separate refrigeration unit and the cakes would definitely not fit in my fridge!

The idea actually came to me when I saw rocky road brownies at a kiosk in the nearby mall.  I realized I could use a variety of toppings instead of icing.

So here's our chocolate cake, topped with chopped Reese cups!

A peek inside...

The cake is approximately 6 inches in diameter, single layer, no filling.  It's a bit taller than our carrot or banana cake.  The cake itself is somewhat bland (this is deliberate on our part) because it is meant to be complemented by the sweet and decadent topping!

Stuffed Blondies

Blondies are brownies without the chocolate... this is how it was explained to me and this is the same way I explain it.

This is definitely a favorite, with a caramel-ly taste, and a punch from whatever "stuffing" is used.  Most common are chocolate chips, chopped chocolate candy bars, dried fruits, nuts...

The picture below, in particular, is stuffed with Snickers Peanut Butter Squares (chopped up) and is absolutely my favorite!

We're getting ready for Christmas!  How about you?

Callebaut Brownies

My signature brownies are fudge-y, with a crust.  But it is not one that is fast to make - it is so time consuming (whoever thought that brownies could be time consuming?!?!!)  But those brownies are special because it was a recipe where my mom and I worked together (rare moment indeed).

But these days I want a fast and easy, yet very delicious brownie that I could whip up in a flash (read as done in an hour and after fast cooling, ready to send out in another hour!).  The result?  These brownies, made with Callebaut brand.

It is intensely fudgy and very moist... extremely chocolate-y too!  And they are sooooo good straight from the refrigerator, or the freezer!!! 

I'm seriously considering offering these as Christmas goodies!  In boxes of 12...

This is now my favorite brownie!!!

Mickey Mouse-themed Cake

For the first time, a request for a cake and cupcake "package" was asked of me... specifically with a Mickey Mouse theme!

I thought about it for a long time!

The "easiest" would be if I found figurines or cake toppers to plop onto the cake but I couldn't find any (in our part of the world the marketplace is limited!).  In my desperation, we even asked a friend abroad if he could find some for us (but he wasn't able to find any too...)

At the last minute (and I do mean just the day before the party!) I was meeting someone in a relatively small mall and while waiting I strolled around... and found a small Mickey Mouse stuffed toy!  Of course I checked its legitimacy and yes!  It was the genuine article... and it was on sale!!!  I bought it!

The concept came together after that.  Cupcakes with Mickey (and friends) candy and logo pick toppers for the bottom and middle layers and a top layer of cake with Mickey Mouse, a spray of flowers at his back, and candles that read "Happy Birthday".  The sides of the cake decorated with mickey logo candies...

The cake was beautiful!!!  but I have to say that the artistry is by hubby - I had the general concept in mind but execution was his - like I said, I have little (very little!) artistic talent.

A close up of the cake with the "happy birthday" candles lit.

It was yummy!!!  I am proud to say that my standard chocolate cake is always good but the bittersweet buttercream (a new recipe for me) was so yummy that hubby could not resist!  He said he would only taste a bit and he ended up finishing the "test" run!

Happy Birthday!

Now someone is asking about a Minnie Mouse-themed cake!!!

Chewy Brownies!

This is not my usual (signature) brownies.  For some reason I don't feel like baking that one. 

But this is good, too... a chewy, fudgy brownie that's irresistable!

Irresistible, I tell you!

Rowie

This cupcake is named after the person who requested it...  she wanted a specific flavor combination - Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cupcake frosted with Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting...

a clearer picture of another one in the same batch...

It's actually pretty good... but I have to work out the marbling thing more carefully.  Some cupcakes ended up looking more like chocolate with minimal vanilla.

(I will see you again, cupcake! and next time, you will be prettier!)

Billie

Imagine a chocolate cupcake spiked with Kahlua, with Kahlua Cheese Filling and topped with Bailey's Truffle Frosting...

It's dreamy...

Ode to the King

Nope, I don't mean Elvis Presley.  I mean the king of my life... hubby.

"Ode to the King" is the name we gave to our black chocolate cupcakes with cheesecake filling baked in and frosted with Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Twist Buttercream.

Cross cut view of the cupcake:

It is so named because it is THE cupcake that hubby cannot get enough of.  He can actually eat the whole batch if I let him!!!  He gobbled up 6 in one sitting before I realized it!

Oh well...  We are hoping that a lot of people will like it too...

It is THAT yummy!!!

Diablo

Or, Chocolate Chili Cupcakes!

Spicy!!!

We initially thought the flavor combination was unusual and we had doubts about it.  But after hearing a lot of raves as to how the chili complements chocolate and how the kick is pleasant and mild, we decided to try it out.

We discovered that it a great flavor combination!!!  The kick really amps up the chocolate!  Delicious!

Thank goodness we are willing to try things out even if we have some doubts!