Thanks to Barb, my dogwalker, for alerting me to this blown glass cupcake from Avalon Glassworks. The proceeds benefit Westside Baby, a West Seattle non-profit, so it really wasn’t that bad of me to purchase a glass cupcake, right?
Thanks to Barb, my dogwalker, for alerting me to this blown glass cupcake from Avalon Glassworks. The proceeds benefit Westside Baby, a West Seattle non-profit, so it really wasn’t that bad of me to purchase a glass cupcake, right?
As always, click to enlarge
So, you’ve already heard about my experience baking for Cupcake Camp… I will be more organized and not forget ingredients next year!
In spite of my difficulties in preparation, I was really excited about Cupcake Camp. I thought I could take some cool cupcake photos and maybe meet some other bakers. I already had my volunteer assignment, which was helping at the children’s craft table, so I knew I wouldn’t get to see ALL the cupcakes. Mr Shuck, who I’ve already established is an angel, was volunteering with me (one of only 2 male volunteers listed) so I didn’t have to choose between him and cupcakes.
We arrived at 10am to drop off my cupcakes. It was nice that there was plenty of fairly inexpensive parking ($5 for all day). It was also nice that there was a coffee shop right across the street so we could kill some time before our volunteer shift started at 11am. We ran into my friend Millie (who baked) and her husband Geo (also a great guy for spending a a couple of hours at Cupcake Camp). If I had known how the day would end up, I would have spent the hour photographing what I could…
When we arrived back at just before 11, there was already a line developing, so we squeezed past the people in line so we could take our place at the children’s craft area. The craft activity was decorating blank cupcake wrappers, provided by the presenter, Bella Cupcake Couture, with markers and stickers. There were also temporary tattoos advertising the event charity, The Hope Heart Institute. We met our fellow volunteer, Orly, and got oriented to our area. Crafting had a slow start, so I took a few minutes out to go and take a few pictures of displays by professional bakers. I assumed I’d have a chance later to go back in and get more pictures of the amateur bakers wares. I was able to catch a few pictures of plates that attendees had filled with cupcakes and wondered how they’d eat those without becoming sick.
Average Plate of Cake: Click to enlarge
I also was able to get a photo of my name on the schedule. I know it’s lame, but I was excited!
Cupcake Schedule
I went back out to my assigned area and hung out with the kids for a bit. After 11:30, I thought I’d go in and check to see if my cakes were out yet. I was aware of the line, but when I got up to go in, I wasn’t expecting this:
Throngs of cupcake lovers
When I got to the table, I was thrilled to see people interested in my cupcakes. (I realize that these people were cupcake rabid and probably the flavors didn’t matter, but still…) As I said above, I’m easily excited.
Mrs Shuck's Cupcakes: Drumstick and French Toast
I couldn’t get around to my box of Caramel Popcorn cupcakes, I did see them on a couple of plates that passed by though. Made me happy that someone was about to try them.
Cupcake Plate with Caramel Popcorn on it: Click to enlarge.
I was also excited today to be mentioned on the Bella Couture blog.
So enough of my rambling…. I had fun presenting my cupcakes to the public. Thanks to Alla and Millie for wearing their TheCupcakeAddict.com T-shirts to the event. Thanks to the presenters and sponsors for all their efforts. There were a few kinks (like running out of cupcakes and some overcrowding), but it sounds like they are already thinking of ways to improve next year.
And now for some random photos:
Making cupcake wrappers: Click to enlarge
Cupcake wrapper tools
Support from a friend
Cupcake Camp was a gathering of cupcake lovers to benefit the Hope Heart Institute. It was presented by Bella Cupcake Couture who make designer cupcake wrappers.
Hope Heart Institute Temporary Tattoo: click to enlarge
The cupcake extravaganza started at 11am on Saturday, April 10th. Some professional sponsors included Trophy
Trophy's Cupcake Dress. Photo by Millie.
and Wink…
Wink's Display
New York Cupcakes
and Cupcake Royale….
Cupcake Royale's Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Bella Bella Cupcakes
I had an Almond Joy from Bella Bella and it was very tasty.
I know it’s hard to believe, but Mr Shuck had to rush out to the grocery store again today.
I started to make the icing for Caramel Popcorn and it just didn’t work! I made the “gravy” for the flour based icing Thursday night and put it in the frig. When I opened the container, it was runny, not mostly solidified like usual. I poured it into the butter anyway and hoped for the best. The Best didn’t happen. I ended up with a clumpy greasy mess. I pondered for a few minutes, then decided (at 8:30 this morning) to try for a caramel meringue butter cream….as I intended when I first worked on the flavor. I had used all made in advance caramel on the trashed icing, so Mr Shuck ran out to Thriftway to pick up some cream…so I could try to make some more.
A few minutes after he left (without his cell phone again), I realized that I had used the last of the butter too. He was surprised to hear himself paged over the loud speaker at the grocery store, but realized immediately that I had run out of something else. By the time he returned with the cream and butter (and a jar of Fran’s Caramel Sauce…just in case…), I had whipped the egg whites, boiled the sugar syrup and pureed some caramel popcorn in the food processor. While I finished the icing, Mr Shuck boxed up the other two flavors for me. I piped the caramel popcorn icing and he garnished with a kernel of Uncle Woody’s.
A rushed through a shower and blow dry, pony tailed my hair, and we were out the door and to Camp by 10am! Whew!
So I forgot to put the sugar cone crust on the bottom of the vanilla cupcakes for Drumstick. The whole French Toast sugar fiasco got me all out of whack. I am giving up for tonight and doing the icing in the morning.
Things were going so smoothly. I shouldn’t have even said it aloud. Cakes for caramel popcorn were done and in a container. French Toast cakes (mini bread puddings really) were cooling. I had a bit of a rest… Then I went to taste the French Toast.
No sugar! I went back and read my blog entry for the day I fabricated the recipe. I didn’t mention any sugar! There was supposed to be sugar! So…a tear ran down my cheek. Mr Shuck, the saint, ran out to Thriftway to buy more bread. Unfortunately, he didn’t take his cell phone as I realized right after he left that we were also out of foil cupcake liners. When he got back, my wonderful husband left again to retrieve cupcake liners. While he was out, I started the batter for the vanilla cakes for Drumstick. I got them in the oven, then remade French Toast…
Sugarless French Toast cupcakes: click to enlarge.
I realized as I looked at the mounds of cupcakes around me (2 batches of 48 and a batch of 60) that I ended up with more than 150 cupcakes. I could have been a Cupcake Camp sponsor! I thought that 150 wasn’t doable. Apparently I was mistaken. TheCupcakeAddict.com could have gotten a bit of publicity and I could have gotten a poster. Darnit. Maybe next year…
PS…for anyone who attempted that recipe and thought it was crap, I apologize. I have updated the post to include sugar.
Click for camp info....
Since I’ve been baking regularly, I seem to have a lot of supplies around all the time. It’s really bad to have a couple of pounds of chocolate in varying degrees of sweetness just lying around the house. It’s tempting.
My kitchen is especially enticing since I have extra Cupcake Camp groceries. Every time I walk through the kitchen, I have to divert my eyes from the loaf of Franz Bainbridge Island Cinnamon Swirl bread waiting to be made into French Toast cupcakes.
Franz Cinnamon Swirl Bread
I just ate a couple of handfuls of bittersweet chocolate chips that I used to make the fudge for the center of Drumsticks.
The Uncle Woody’s Caramel Popcorn is whispering to me. I’m glad I haven’t broken the seal on that yet. After this weekend, the rest of that bag is going to have to go to work with me so someone else will eat it up.
There are always mini marshmallows around (usually a bit stale, fortunately) waiting to be packed around cupcakes for transport.
I need to lose about 40 pounds, but I think I’d have an easier time if the Alphabet of Cupcakes wasn’t going on… and I stopped trying inventive cupcake flavors that my favorite bakeries have produced… and Bakery Nouveau would just stop opening their doors!
Did I mention that we stopped there yesterday for Chocolate Cake and Praline Dream? Mr Shuck was driving, so I blame him… And he made the Hazelnut Cream decaf coffee to go with them once we got home… I only ordered, carried to the car, and consumed half of each one. (Chocolate Cake: super moist chocolate cake layered with 64% chocolate mousse and finished with chocolate glaze and chocolate shards. Praline Dream: 64% chocolate mousse with a delicate and flakey milk chocolate and praline paste layered on a chocolate biscuit finished with Gianduja – fancy word for Nutella.) If you are a Seattle reader and you haven’t ventured to Bakery Nouveau, VENTURE soon! Or maybe you shouldn’t, then they will have to close and lock their doors permanently and I will no longer be drawn through them.
The Cupcake Addict's Cupcake Collection 