Frosting and Cupcake (Part I)

Last time we talked about our Top 10 cupcakes in America.  This time I am going to share some tips with you of how we choose the right frosting to go with your favorite cupcakes. 

• Vanilla cupcake is a very classic flavor.  And this flavor can almost pair up with any flavors of frosting.  If you like very light frosting, I suggest you to pair with our classic white chocolate frosting or home-made whipped cream.  If you like fresh fruit, our classic strawberry buttercream will be a great choice.  If you like chocolate (who doesn't?!), pair it with our classic chocolate buttercream or hazelnut buttercream. 

• Pumpin cupcake is a seasonal cupcake for Fall and Winter.  It's great pair with classic cream cheese frosting.

• Banana cupcake pair with banana frosting is always a great choice.  Banana flavor also goes well with fresh fruit icing, such as strawberry, raspberry or any other berry-flavored icing. Also, any type of chocolate frosting will be a great match with this cupcake also, but if you're in the mood for something really different and light, try adding a dollop of whipped cream. It's simple and delicious!

• Coffee is featured prominently in desserts because it goes well with just about anything that tastes sweet. Therefore, there are a myriad of possible frosting options for coffee cupcakes. Chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, almond, raspberry -- really, any flavor that might go with a cup of joe is a possible contender for the cake or icing part of your cupcake.

• Chocolate is another popular and classic flavor at our Cupcakery!  If you are choco-holic, top with a heavy dark chocolate frosting.  If you like chocolate, but would like something lighter on top, go with our classic white chocolate.  If you like fresh fruit, rasberry or strawberry frostings will be another great choice. 

• Lemon cupcakes typically pair up with sweet but slightly tangy yellow frosting. Last time I made a lemon flavored frosting with a candied orange on top and it was a great hit!  If the combination of lemon cake and lemon frosting is too tart for your taste, ask for an unfrosted cupcake with just a light dusting of powdered sugar for a subtle dose of extra sweetness.

Max Brenner Chocolate Restaurant (Las Vegas, NV)

Mr. G and I go to Las Vegas quite often in the past few years.  Sadly, we have not yet got chance to visit Vegas together this year due to our busy work schedule, friends' weddings and other family events since our last visit in September 2010. 

During our last visit, we stopped by Max Brenner Chocolate Restaurant (located at the Forum Shop at Caesar Palace in Las Vegas).  The atmosphere of the restaurant is very casual - good for a quick bite, a coffee break, an after-dinner-hang out-place, a desert place for couples, a casual family dinner or a fast and decent brunch.  However, the shop is relatively small compared to most of the restaurants in Vegas though, if you have a big group of people (more than 6), that would not be a good fun place to dine together.

Their famous hot wings

Mr's G hang over breakfast

My chicken panini sandwich

My pren-go friend told me chocolate and pinkle are a great combination!  She didn't lie; they were pretty dang good.

My strawberry white chocolate milk shake

We went there on a Sunday morning for a brunch before leaving Vegas.  We got there at the perfect time because they offer both breakfast and lunch menus; the menu is short but "sweet".  They offer mostly American classic food (sandwiches, wings, burgers, and milk shakes).  They provide good size food portion; the taste of the food is great and price is reasonable.  We will definitely go back again to try more stuffs the next time.

Although their breakfast and lunch menu are small, but they do have an extensive dessert and drink menu.  Since only two of us, and Mr. G was not ready for something too sweet in the morning, so we didn't get chance to try their dessert.  We did order a strawberry white chocolate milkshake and a hot chocolate for our drinks though.  Both of them are so tasty, and you could not miss them!  Their signature chocolate pizza has been featured on the Food Network Show's The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Pizza.  They have a little To-Go counter just right outside the restaurant, if you just want to grab a slice of the chocolate pizza of some cookies, you could just order it from the To-Go counter.  They also have a little gift shop inside the restaurant.  You could take home some cute gifts for your family and friends or just pick up something "sweet" to reward yourself!

You could order the chocolate pizza by slice.

Chocolate bar

Pipe full of chocolate

Picked up a mike shake glass and a mini fondue set for myself.

How to make your cupcakes look like a super model (without fondant)?

Mrs. G has heard a lot of people expressed how much they dislike about gum paste and fondant decoration on their cupcakes.  Most of them agree that they make the cupcakes look like a "super model", but those decoration kill the flavor of a cupcake.  So if you don't like gum paste and fondant, what could you/C for Cupcake Cupcakery do to make your cupcakes look as amazing as their taste? 

There are quite a few alternatives -

Seasonal fresh fruits - such as strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. 



Home made candied orange

Dried fruits and nuts



Cashew Nut Brittle Cupcakes (Picture from Blog - Our Eyes Eat First)


Candies and other treats - or if you like a treat on the top of your cupcake, we could use candies, cookies, coconuts, etc.



Easter chocolate candies with toasted coconut

Belgium waffle

Powder sugar, powder chocolate or shredded chocolate 

Using powder sugar for decoration on cupcakes
(Picture from the Cupcake Blog)

Mixing fresh fruit and powder sugar for decoration
(Picture from 123RF)



Mrs. G home made vegan chocolate cupcake topped

with shredded chocolate

Fresh flower petals - some flower petals are edible, some not!

Mixing fresh fruit and fresh edible flowers for decoration
(Desert from Extraordinary Dessert; picture from Flickrfan Stan)

Cupcake topper - you could get the toppers from any craft store or baking supply store.  Or you could even make your own toppers. 

Picture from Epicute

There are so many ways to make your cupcakes look great without sacrificing the taste of them.  I hope that this post could help you to decide what you could do with your cupcakes the next time without those fancy gum paste and fondant decoration.  Mrs. G personally thinks that these non-gum paste or fondant toppings are classy and tasty!

Interacting with our clients!

Our clients are awesome!  Most of them gave us a lot of freedom to create what were in our mind to fit their theme.  They usually gave us few items or colors they like or want to be on the cupcakes.  Then, they trusted us and let us create what we visualized in our mind.

I love interacting with my clients! And the greatest thing about interacting with my clients are I always ended up doing something I would have never thought of making.  Like the cupcakes I made this weekend for a baby shower.  My client gave me these few key words - Green, 70's, mushrooms, vanilla and strawberry flavors.  I made some cute 3D mushrooms to go with the mushroom theme.  And since this is a 70s theme, I tied dye my frosting and also made some fondant rainbows and flowers to go with the theme.  I also bought some cotton candy to put under the rainbow to make it extra groovy.

They came out great!  What do you think?

Cream Pan in Old Town Tustin, California

A year ago, I went to get my car fixed and randomly discovered this place in Old Town Tustin by accident.  Cream Pan, a Japanese bakery located in Old Town Tustin, California; if you are familiar with the area, this place is not too far away from the Japanese restaurant, Honda Ya (btw, they serve amazing Japanese food there). 

Thanks to technology!  I immediately went on my iPhone and see what those yelpers recommend to get at Cream Pan.  Everyone said their strawberry croissant is amazing!  And "yelp" (yup), they don't lie!  The custard fillings are so smooth, strawberry is so fresh and the croissant itself is crisply flaky on the outside, with clearly defined layers.  I surprised Mr. G by bringing him some strawberry croissants home, his picky mouth even praised how great they were and asked me to bring him some more the next time if I happen to be there again.

(*Note:  They also offer a big platter of their famous strawberry croissant [the size is a little smaller than the regular one]; that will be a good desert alternative to bring to a party if you want something different.)

Beside their strawberry croissant, I have also tried their banana chocolate croissant, a curry pan (this is kinda of like a round donut with curry potato filling) and a pork cutlet sandwich; they are all amazing.
 

They also have some other interesting Japanese influenced sandwiches and pastries.  So if you are in town, check them out! 

Cream Pan
602 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780-4310
(714) 665-8239
Open Tue-Sun 7am-4pm

Mr. G's Favorite Dessert

Mr. G LOVES LOVES LOVES cream puffs!  Did I say that he loves cream puffs?!  He even requested to have cream puffs as his birthday "cake"!  Once in a while, I make cream puffs at home just to satisfy his sweet tooth.

Cream puffs are one of the easiest desserts to make for new bakers.  I am going to share my recipe with you and hope you enjoy these cute little treats at home too.

Prep:  25 mins  Cool:  10 mins  Bake:  30 mins
Oven:  400F  Makes:  12 cream puffs or 24 mini cream puffs

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
3 cups whipped cream (either home made or from the store)
or pudding, fresh seasonal fruits (e.g.. strawberries, blue berries) ice cream or powder sugar (optional)

1. Preheat over to 400F
2. Grease a baking sheet
3. In a medium saucepan combine water, butter and salt.  Bring to boiling, then add flour ALL AT ONCE!  Stirring vigorously.
4. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball
5. Remove from heat
6. Cool for 10 mins (VERY IMPORTANT)
7. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition
8. Drop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto greased baking sheet.  Bake about 30-35 mins (depends on your oven) or until golden brown and firm
9. Cool
10. Cut the puffs in half and insert whipped cream, or pudding, fresh fruits or ice cream inside
11. DONE!