Christmas cups

I got a call from my mom on Friday asking me to make some cupcakes to bring for dessert on Saturday. Sooo... seeing all the super cute Christmas cups and cakes I had seen out there lately I thought I would whip up some too. I love the little holly ones although I would have preferred to have a holly leaf cutter next time so it doesn't take forever to make one leaf. I had made red and burgundy flower ones as well. I made French Vanilla and Red Velvet mini cupcakes. I probably made around 150 cups. Here's some pictures of the finished products!

Little Holly Cakes

Group shot

Cupcake Ornaments!

I though seeing as how it is the day before Christmas I would look for some cake related ornaments. I will say thank god for Etsy because if you try to find cupcake ornaments you will come across a bunch of weird and ugly looking things. Some of which barely resemble a cupcake. I actually gave up and went to Etsy knowing it wouldn't let me down, and I was right :) Here is a few I came across baring in mind every ones different tastes. The first and last ones are my personal favorite. I hope you enjoy looking and it puts you slightly more in the Christmas mood. Enjoy!

This first one is so pretty and can be found at Etsy made by madeinlowell.

This one looks almost realistic and can be found on Etsy made by FrostedFakes.

This one I found on a website called Pence Christmas Tree Farm and Ornament Shop.

These cute little tree clips I found on a store called Christmases Past.

This glass hand painted ornament was found on Etsy made by purplesmurple.

This sparkly little number found on Etsy made by melaniescrafts.

These mini realistic cupcakes were found on Etsy made by midoridesigns.

This super cute felted cupcake found on Etsy made by posieandme. She has a bunch of cute felted ornaments on there, check them out!

Last and certainly not least, this super cute robot ornament that bakes cupcakes in his tummy! Ok maybe I'm a little biased because I love robots too :) This was also found on Etsy made by paperandstring.

I hope you all have a great Christmas!

Lemon Drop's

Had a christmas cupcake order this past weekend. This is a picture of the Lemon Drop Cupcakes and then I also made Caramel Cup's as well. I personally would much rather sit around on the holidays having cupcakes over cookies any day :)

I have been so far behind this year. Before last night I had only purchased one gift so far. We headed out last night and bought a few more. I still have to bake some cookies (for my preggo sister in law :)) and then start making a bunch of various different chocolates. I will have my hands sooo full for the next couple days. We havent even picked out a present for our 1 year old yet! Yikes. I forced my hubby to bring up the christmas tree this morning even though he doesnt want to put it up this year thinking our son will try climbing it. But since Aiden was so little last year and keeping us so busy we never had the chance to put it up and I can imagine going 2 years without the tree going up soo, thats my goal to do today :) What are your plans for the holidays?

Cake Mania

So if your sitting around on your computer and are running out of things to do looking for something to pass the time I have a game for you. Its a cute game where you bake cakes for customers according to their orders and run around trying to get everything done fast in the correct order. Definatly a great time waster! Check it out :)

Vanilla Extract Recipe

I came across this about a month ago on this great website. Thought its was a great idea and will definitely be trying it out!

Lime Meltaways

I thought that with Christmas around the corner I would do up a recipe for something green. Even though you normally associate lime with summer, their still a cute green color which is probably the closest my mind has come to the season :) Without much snow around here it isn't feeling super festive. Not that I'm complaining about the warmer weather. If you love anything involving citrus or know someone that loves citrus, these will be sure to please. Not your typical sweet tooth cookie. Anyways, here it is!


Ingredients:

¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup confectioners sugar, Plus 3 Tbsp
2 Limes zest
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ teasp coarse salt

Directions:

Put butter and confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.

Add lime zest and juice and vanilla, and mix until fluffy. If you would like to add some green food coloring, now would be the time to add it.

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Place each half on an 8-by-12-inch sheet of parchment paper. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Refrigerate logs until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 6 to 8 minutes.

While still warm, sprinkle cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag.

Rolled in parchment

Chilled and then sliced into cookies

Finished Cookies!

Banana Bread

Well I have been making Banana bread for pretty much everyone this past week and thought I would share my recipe with you. So let me know how it turns out for you!

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 Stick) butter, at room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar
2 lrg eggs
1½ cups unbleached flour
1 teasp baking soda
1 teasp salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
½ cup sour cream
1 teasp vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts, chocolate chips or pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Yay!

My Website and twitter account (@SassyCakes) was mentioned yesterday on onlyhereforthefood.ca !! Thanks @mastermaq and @sharonyeo!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I decided to try a recipe I found awhile ago but hadn't got around to making. I can say after making these that I have found a new caramel butter cream that I plan on using over and over again in the future. The cupcake itself was pretty good too, although it couldn't stand alone without some sort of topping or fruit filling. As for the salt, I liked it at first which doesn't say much as I love salt but after a couple bites it started weirding me out that there was no sweet after taste that you typically have when eating sweet things. If you do try it with the salt I suggest trying it on a single cupcake first so you know if you like it that way or prefer the sweet caramel taste. Let me know what your preference was :) Well here is the recipe, Enjoy!






Ingredients: Makes 12 Cupcakes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teasp baking powder
¼ teasp salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.
2 lrg eggs, at room temp.
1 teasp vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk


Cupcakes: Preheat to 350°F.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the sugars and butter together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Here they are cooling :)

Ingredients:

Caramel:
1½ cups sugar
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 pinch salt
Buttercream:
3 lrg egg whites, at room temp.
¾ cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temp.

For the frosting:

In a heavy-bottomed, high-sided saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stirring with a clean wooden spoon, continue to cook until the sugar is melted and has turned golden amber, about 3 minutes longer.

Carefully pour the cream down the side of the pan in a slow, steady stream (it will bubble and spatter), stirring constantly until completely smooth. Stir in the salt. Pour the caramel into a small heatproof bowl and let cool completely before using. (The caramel can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.)

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 2 minutes (It always takes about 5 minutes for me). Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temperature, and holds stiff peaks (the mixture should not look dry), about 6 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the caramel drizzle (I only added about 1/2 cup) and beat until combined (or almost combined for a swirling effect), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, and serve. (The frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before finishing.)

All finished and sprinkled with salt.

Cupcake kids

I'm sure everyone by now knows about Etsy.com but if you are still out of the loop make sure you check it out. Its a site where crafty inclined people can sell there items. Basically a marketplace where you can find alot of handmade items. Today I decided to take a look on there and find some great kids items. Here they are!

These are felt tea party desserts made by gingerblossoms. I would have loved to play with these when I was little.

This super cute knitted hat is made by NinisHandmades.

This is a cute ruffle onesie made by PregnancyJournals.

Adorable felted booties made by prettylittle.

This is jumper dress made by vanessaandcompany.

Beautiful barrette made by gmjj4.

Another cute onesie, this one is made by smallthreads.

Welcome!!

I wanted to start a blog sharing recipes and ideas with others with the same interests as me. I have always loved baking even at a very young age. I enjoy cooking as well but baking is so satisfying. Its a single item that takes very little time to make and its a sweet treat that everyone enjoys. I love looking at other baking blogs getting ideas and thought it was time I contributed to something that has given me so much. I am a mother to a 1 year old boy, a wife and have started my at home business making Cakes and Cupcakes while working a couple days a week as well at my "day job" :) I look forward to getting feedback from you all!