The Black and White Collection

It started off with an order I got from a good friend for her sister's 29th birthday - my criteria: chocolate cupcakes, vanilla buttercream, and something that would remind her sister of Paris..Paris is my favourite place on Earth, so I was excited to get crackin' on this project. I immediately started brainstorming and thought..Paris...Fashion...Coco Chanel...BLACK! This is when the black and white collection was born...

I started experimenting with black fondant and ofcourse did a lot of consulting with my good friend, Google...from here, the Chanel cupcake, the classic black bow, and a simple black gerber flower with a gorgeous silver pearl center came to life...This collection is still growing, but take a look at the beginning:

Let me know what you all think of the latest collection!

A final note - we now have a facebook page where you can keep updated with all the cupcakes that come out of Pipedream Bakery's oven and your best place to request orders! "Like" our page today!

Stay Slim, eat cake

Cookies n' Cream!

So last weekend, I decided to test out something that's been on my mind since I started this adventure: Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes! All I have to say is that these babies were a huge hit with both kids AND adults! Here's a look at what it took to get to the finished product:

Step 1 - Place half an oreo - icing side up, in cupcake liners (and crush the rest - that part was fun!)

Step 2 - Make my newly perfected vanilla cupcake batter....and add in the crushed oreo cookies!

Step 3 - watch them bake....and then reveal the surprise inside...

Step 4 - make cookies n' (butter)cream icing and ice 'em...and voila!!

Now the biggest question of the day..what should my next project be?? Any ideas????

Stay Slim, eat cake

Vanilla Cupcakes - my attempt at perfection

So, I've been on this mission to perfect my vanilla cupcake recipe. The taste is definitely not the concern here - my vanilla cupcakes have this intensely delicious "vanilla" taste to them that prevents you from being able to eat just one...My issue with them is finding that happy medium between density and fluffy-ness! So, I ran a trial -

Trial 1: Too Small, Too Dense, SO yummy!

• Although they came out super cute and small and perfect for the easter baskets cupcakes, they were too small to stick to the large cupcake liners!
• They were also on the dense side...onto Trial # 2...

Trial 2: Perfect Size, SO yummy....still too dense - ugh!

• This time, I added a bit more baking powder and mixed my batter for a bit less time (just enough to incorporate the flour)..the result - the perfect sized cupcake! These ones, I topped with a super yummy purple tinted buttercream (did I mention yet how much I LOVE buttercream frosting? I'm pretty sure this will evolve into the Signature Pipedream Cupcake)..mmm
• The verdict from two of my most trusted taste-testers: a dense but yummy cupcake (with great frosting ofcourse). One of the testers prefers a lighter cupcake and the other didn't mind the "heavieness"..onto Trial #3..

Trial 3: Less butter, a bit of oil, and a tad more milk

• Okay, this time, I substituted half of the butter with oil and added an extra splash of milk
• These cupcakes turned out great! They have the perfect balance of density, strength in vanilla, and "fluffyness"!
• This batch also evolved into one of the newest members of the Pipedream Bakery Cupcake Family - Vanilla Chocolate Chip..check it out:

My next mission - Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes...stay tuned!

Stay Slim, eat cake

Introducing...Red Velvet

Well...when I first started on this adventure full of buttercream and cake, I thought I would stick to the basics: chocolate and vanilla...but then..my curiosity got the best of me and i just HAD to attempt making a red velvet cupcake..Now, those of you who know me..know that I'm a perfectionist, so if I was going to do this..I was really going to do this! I needed to have the perfect colour red paired with the most moist (say that ten times fast!) cake ever! After searching through dozens and dozens of red velvet cupcake recipes, I found one that I thought would work out perfectly..I ended up tweeking it - increasing the amount of cocoa and decreasing the amount of oil by a smidge....and voila!



P.S. What's that frosting, you ask? Well...I couldn't do red velvet without the famous vanilla cream cheese frosting from Georgetown Cupcake!

Stay tuned for my fight with the vanilla cupcake...I'm onto my 3rd trial to perfect my yummy recipe later this week!

Stay Slim, eat cake

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, more Cupcakes...and a Fantastic LOGO!

So..I've had a VERY busy weekend...2.5 dozen "cupcakes at Tiffany's" Cupcakes, 4 dozen "Easter Basket" cupcakes (Pipedream Bakery's first order), PLUS I had the chance to work with La Closette's very own, Liza Amlani (follow her on twitter - @laclosette) - she is the mastermind and creative genius  behind the brand new logo for Pipedream Bakery! Check it out:

The "Cupcakes at Tiffany's" cupcakes were a TON of fun to make..I started with that super-moist and yummy chocolate cupcake that I swear by (shout out to the Happy Baker), topped the cupcakes with a mouth-watering Tiffany "blue" buttercream, and topped them off with the signature Tiffany white bow. The pretty pearly white Tiffany bows are made from white marshmallow fondant, coated with a pearl white dust..check out these bows and the finished product!

Next up - Easter Baskets! I was super-excited to make these cupcakes (I had a similar feeling when I found my Canvas Gucci Hobo/messenger bag in San Fran over the holidays)!! The coolest part: I used "edible grass" as the basket holders! Here's a peek - 

Next up...my first attempt at Red Velvet..mmmmm...

Stay Slim, eat cake

NYC Bakeries - the "real story"

Okay, so I'm officially back from a nice, loooong holiday and am ready to get back at it! My first order of business: to reveal the "real story" on a few bakeries I had the chance to visit while in NYC a couple of weeks ago...so, here goes!


1. Baked by Melissa: This was the cutest place on a super-happening corner in Soho. What a concept - a walk-up bakery!! It was the coolest (and best) thing I've seen since Starbucks Drive-thru came into the world (yes, its true people - I went to the suburbs)! It also brings the two things I love most together in one place - shopping and cupcakes..who knew it could be so satisfying - take a walk through Kate Spade, and Michael Kors and then make a stop at Baked by Melissa for a yummy treat!

2. Crumbs Bake Shop: So, Crumbs is a very cool and different concept. Replacing the idea of the "perfect little cupcake" is the not-so-perfect-looking, super "crumb-mee", delicious cupcake! This place had everything from "Cherry Blossom" to a GIANT chocolate cupcake - "The Colossal Crumb."

3. Magnolia Bakery: Ahh, the famous Magnolia Bakery...When we got there, I could hardly contain my excitement - I mean, c'mon! Was I really going to set foot in the same bakery that Carrie and Miranda went to? Was I really about to  experience the cupcake with the buttercream frosting that I swear by?? Needless to say, the first thing I did when I walked in was purchase an "I 'cupcake' NY" t-shirt, and the Magnolia Bakery recipe book. I then proceeded to walk past every single baked good they had - from cookies to cupcakes..."This place is wonderful," I thought to myself as I landed infront of the cupcakes! I immediately purchased 1 vanilla on vanilla and 1 chocolate with (duh) purple buttercream frosting...I left thinking, "wow - one day, Pipedream Bakery will be this big"...We proceeded to (yes, you guessed it) shop...5th Avenue ofcourse! As we walked, I dug into the vanilla cupcake..General consensus: good flavour, but not moist in the least bit! The frosting on the other hand - deelish! After a long (and fabulous) day of walking up 5th, browsing through the 3 floors that make up the Gucci store, and the 6 floors that make up Tiffany (sigh), we walked back to our super-cute boutique hotel for a break..I thought - what better way to take a break than indulge in a chocolate cupcake! I saved the best for last (or so I thought). I have to say that I was heartbroken when I tried it! I will give Magnolia this: 1. The bakery looks and feels like perfection - you do feel special when you walk in there, 2. The frosting held true and was fabulous, and 3. I do love my t-shirt! The cupcakes, however, need a splash of milk and a dash of love!

Conclusion: Crumbs Bake Shop - you're at the top of my list...for now. I mean, I still have to hit up Carlo's Bakery in good ol' Hoboken the next time I go to NYC - Can't wait to meet you, Buddy!

Stay Slim, eat cake

The result - my first "professional cupcake decorating" class

So...as you know, I was extremely excited about taking a "professional" cupcake decorating class...There we were, aprons on, spatula in one hand, sift in the other..we were ready! Well, this was NOT what we (my sister, our good friend, and myself) expected! Let's just say that we ended up creating our own versions of the Instructor's designs!!! As a result, I'm left unfulfilled and unsatisfied! I need to find the perfect class that's going to really teach technique...Now, I can't say that we learnt nothing...We learned how to make roses out of butter-cream (shout out to Raheema on this one!), we learned how to pipe "grass" onto a cupcake, and best of all, we learned that cupcake tops taste SO yummy when they are fresh out of the oven!!! Needless to say, we need to find a new class! 

Here are some pictures for your amusement:

Next stop..New York City - Magnolia Bakery and Carlo's Bakery...here I come!!

Stay Slim, Eat Cake