Source: Cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com linked from Rock your Party's "Juicy Lucy burger" cupcake, click here for instructions

Ich bin berühmt
Translation: I'm famous!

Not really. Not at all actually. But I do have exciting news! My steak cake made it in a German cake decorating magazine called magie des zuckers or "magic sugar".

It's in a section which I think is man cakes.

I am so excited for the opportunity to be featured. Danke, Magie des Zuckers!

My friend came back from Italy and brought me the most amazing gift.
A mini jar of Nutella.

I have to figure out where to buy these for the next World Nutella day event at my place. These would be perfect for a nutella appetizer! Just put a nut in the jar for garnish and provide a spoon. To give you an idea of the size, here it is next to a normal nutella jar…

next to a tea light...

next to a tomato...

next to a shot glass...

next to toothpicks...

And for more fun, some pics on Flickr:

A couple more weeks to squeeze in some beach time...

 Invader Zim Gir Cupcake Attack Beach Towel from Hot Topic

JADEtribe Pom Pom Beach Tote on shopbop.com

Betsey Johnson 'Hello Cupcake' Skirted Bikini Bottoms

Today marks my first year anniversary of this blog I can't believe it. My first post:

To celebrate, I went through the posts to narrow down my top five picks. If anything I have to say its a relief to say the photography improved. (Thanks to my hubby for the awesome Canon Rebel!) Sorry to my mom, my #1 reader from day one who had to look at those crappy photos. Another thing worthy of noting, I did make a resolution at the beginning of this year to blog more and see that I have been <pats on back>. That feels good.

HERE ARE TOP 5 POST PICKS:

a discovery in Nice, France.

I really want to try my Johnny Depp: chocolate cake with chocolate chunks and coconut buttercream.

for World Nutella day!

my husband's birthday of steaks.

working with my inventory to make something green.

I am addicted to entering contests.

Here is the thing, if you enter enough times you HAVE to win something right? So this is the challenge I propose. Let's do one of those 365 day challenges and enter a contest every day this year. That is 365 days of contests, a lot, right? We will win at least one.

I will post contests I find on my new side bar section --------------------------------->
and try to make them food or design related, sometimes they won't be. Click on the logo, or check this page for an archive of the links.

ps. If you don't want a whack of junk emails make sure when you enter to un-click the box they have clicked for you that subscribes you to offers, etc. Then you should be alright.
pps. Create another email for yourself if your still worried. An email just for contests. I won't judge you.

Make sure to email me and tell me what you've won! Pleeeease!
I need some proof this will work.

Goodluck...

I wish I remembered my first birthday. Moms go all out for you, friends you didn't even know you had are there, you get good gifts, good food, games, loot bags, the works. My friend's son just turned the big one last week and she threw him the cutest golf-themed birthday brunch at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club. He wore the cutest golf outfit.

I designed the invitation and brought the theme through the tags and the cake.
(contact me for custom designed invitations!)

My friend Nadia and I spent a day baking and icing the sugar cookie favours.

The cake was banana flavour. I wanted to do a carved-type of cake resembling a golf course but also have a tier, below was my way to incorporate both. The sand dune was crushed ginger spice cookies. The evergreen trees and golf ball were both made out of fondant. The flag pole was a shish kabob stick painted with food colouring. The top of the flag was 'glued' on with royal icing.

This is the first cake Liam got to try. And by the looks of it not the last.
Happy birthday buddy.

As promised, here are the red velvet cupcakes (I call them Red & White) from the steak-off party.

Wouldn't foam shapes make great cupcake toppers? I attached them to a tooth pic. The design of the simple shapes and the sort of 3d effect of foam gives it a little bit of dimension compared to the paper toppers...

The cupcake below isn't watermelon flavoured, it's watermelon decorated...
red velvet with chocolate chips for the 'seed's, the white part is a little large than a watermelon slice would be but you could never put too much cream cheese icing. Buttercream for the green and black on top.

Before you notice, I'll point it out myself. The chocolate chips fell to the bottom of the batter. I missed this step...
tip. you should coat your chocolate chips/chunks in flour before adding them to the batter, it will prevent them from dropping to the bottom.

next batch I'll remember.

As a follow up to my jar post, below are the hot sauce favors I gave away at my party. A homemade mole recipe and package design by my friend, Monica. (pssst, I'm filing this post under wedding, it would be such a cute favour idea for a backyard wedding).

It was a steak-off party, with a bbq theme (my husband being the best bbq man I know). I made some of the desserts myself, had to do it, couldn't stay away. They included "watermelon" cupcakes, which are actually red velvet with chocolate chip 'seeds', and sugar cookies.

Cupcake pics will be up tomorrow.

Sometimes you need just a quick cupcake or cake fix. I get it. You don't want to make a full batch, you don't want to eat five. You want one and you want it to be ready to eat in a matter of minutes. I saw this in the grocery store the other day:

Would you try it?
Personally, I am not a microwave fan. At all. You could always make this recipe my friend sent me awhile go that is also featured here: The five-minute Chocolate mug cake from iVillage.

Vanilla fan instead?
Try the One Bowl Vanilla cupcakes for two from How Sweet it is.

Or, just stare at this picture of Devil's food cake from The Pastry Affair and imagine you took that bite...

but I can't promise you that will work.