Hot Wheels...Leadin The Way...

I find cake decorating to be a daunting task. I have issues with perfection and the way things "should" look & when I look at this picture all I see are the imperfections...

Let me list them for you:

• the little black & white balls aren't perfectly symmetrical
• the cake was leaning...literally
• I have water spots you can visibly see (that's how I make my fondant stick to fondant)
• I free handed everything...so nothing is perfectly straight
• my icing wasn't even underneat...so my fondant was a bit "wavy"
• my hot wheels signature blue was a bit off

Some of you may think I'm being a bit hard on myself...seeing as how I've only done 2 cakes...but to me...I'm making myself better...improving each day...cakes aren't my passion (if you're looking for an amazing cake...check out http://www.newberncakes.com/ and you can be guaranteed a beautiful and delicious cake). My passion is the marriage of flavors...that's why cupcakes make the most sense...I get to experiment with flavor combinations and make them look beautiful at the same time...I did this Hot Wheels cake as a favor to a friend...she entrusted me with her son's 5th birthday cake...that's why I'm blogging about it...this cake was a fluke...

I'm a bit of a "Wild Card"...get it?

Santa Baby...

At the farmer's market I am approached by many people expressing their delight in regards to my cupcakes. They comment on their seemingly delicate nature and my attention to detail. Some of these individuals become clients that entrust their special occassions to my skilled (yet at times hesitant) hands to accompany them to birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, dinners, nurse's appreciation days, luncheons and community functions. About a month ago I met a woman by the name of Ruth who had inquired about ordering cupcakes for the annual Greenbrier Christmas party. She had stopped by my booth at the market and had commented on how wonderful cupcakes would be at their party...they add a little extra flair and convenience to any party...deciding which flavors would be the most difficult. If you've ever cooked for anyone then you know just how hard it is to please people...and who wants to be displeased at a Christmas party...Ruth most definitely didn't want to be responsible for any disappointment in the flavor department. She decided that the flavors should be red velvet (because it's a classic), white chocolate peppermint (a wintery classic) and cranberry (because it's classy). I was left with the responsbility of making Christmas themed cupcakes for a super nice woman and an entire Crhistmas party...yes...I was nervous. After many hours of baking, creating and beating myself up (you see...I'm my own worst critic...nothing is ever good enough until it's perfect) I delivered the cupcakes to the Greenbrier Country Club and I hesitantly loaded the beautiful white cupcake tier with my hand made creations...

Here's a secret...I am anxious until I have spoken with or heard from a client in regards to an order...I want to know what you think...was it dry, tasty, perfect, amazing, horrible? Did you love it, hate it, think it was "ok"? My goal is not to be "pretty good"...it's to be the best at what I do...I'm slowly building my empire...one cupcake at a time...Thanks, Ruth...you rock... 

Filling The Void...

Owning a business is difficult. Of course, there are added benefits of being your own "boss", for example; I come to work in sweat pants, take my lunch break whenever I feel faint, clock in at any point during the morning or night, I have complete control of anything and everything and most importantly...I have the final say. Ok...now the negatives (I wish someone would have told me); I work for everyone else, I have to keep my home exceptionally clean (even when I don't feel like doing dishes), I don't have a set schedule...I either work or I don't (it's hard to plan accordingly when you don't know what you're doing) and finally...I'm covered in batter & buttercream (horrible...I know ;). With all of that being said...I love what I do...

When I'm bored (and yes...it does happen) I fill the void with new pastries...this time I made Teeny Pear Tartletts. I began by caramelizing pears with cinnamon and sugar and baked them in teeny hand made phyllo shells and topped them with a cream cheese frosting. I have an obsession with teeny things...teeny cupcakes and bite size whoopies...teeny things are cute and dainty...and teeny enough to eat all at once. These pear tartletts were splendid...but not perfect yet...once they are...I'll be adding them to the ever growing Wild Cupcake menu...

Humble Rosettes...

I have had alot of downtime here at The Wild Cupcake as of late...so after spending 3 solid days on the couch watching prerecorded episodes of General Hospital...I forced myself to be productive. In general, I'm a person of contradiction...I hate cold weather but I love winter gear, I don't love cooking but I adore baking, I hate making cakes but I adore cupcakes...and I love a good challenge. I'm a firm believer that we learn by experience and by making mistakes...I'm just trying to make all of my mistakes before I actually open a store front. Cakes are challenging to decorate because you have a large canvas to work with and mistakes are visible to the naked eye. A cake decorator needs to pay special attention to detail and be very patient...two things I struggle with. Needless to say it's not my strongest attribute. Since I've had so much time "off" I decided to challenge myself...I saw a rosette cake somewhere online and fell in love so I decided..."I can totally do that".I immediately got to work.

I made a two layer vanilla cake and I filled it with The Wild Cupcake's signature salted caramel...I chose to top the cake with a traditional vanilla buttercream. Even though I was a little intimidated by the rosettes (and yes...I know how to make them)...I did it. I started with a base coat layer of buttercream and then I piped as many rosettes as I could fit atop my canvas...practice makes perfect. Since it was my first...it wasn't perfect...but I'm proud to say that I completed my first rosette cake and I can't wait to do another...probably today...

Makin' Whoopies

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies...Once upon a time a red velvet cake met a red velvet cookie (because these things exist in fairy tales) and they fell in love. Friends and family told them it was a union destined to fail...how could a cake and a cookie share a life...one was destined to be dunked in a glass of milk and the other was to be served on china. Cake and Cookie eloped and nine months later a beautiful whoopie was born...Whoopie had been blessed with the best of both worlds...soft cake/cookie like shell with a creamy buttercream middle. Cake, Cookie and Whoopie lived happily ever after (in my stomach). This is the untold "true" story of the creation of Whoopie Pies ;).

I had been wanting to try my hand at whoopies for quite some time...and it went really really well...well enough to add them to The Wild Cupcake's menu, which seems to expand every single day...

Rosettes...

I've decided that you can learn any type of skill from watching YouTube...and I did. I made fondant rosettes...I made 24 to be exact...and it only took me 3 hours...I'll get faster. It was a time consuming process but I think it gives the pumpkin spice cupcakes a feminine touch.

On a side note; things for The Wild Cupcake have been going increasingly well. Today was my first day off in FOREVER...and I spent it snooping around stores and getting inspiration from a super cool chick...thanks for the "Hot Date"...I'm blogging ;)

For Constance, with love...

Yesterday morning I received a phone call from a man by the name of Terrance. He told me that he was in Japan and he wanted to do something nice for his wife's (Constance) birthday. He had found The Wild Cupcake on Gathering Guide (which totally rocks...because that means I set my account up right) and wanted to know if I could make cupcakes for her..."Yes...of course", I said. We got to chatting over the specifics and he mentioned that he wanted a Cuban flag, a Hawaiian flag...and Florida Gators tied into the order...along with the simple message, "I love you Constance". I made each piece that you see by hand out of fondant (that I make myself)...the real challenge was the gator...but after having some issues finding her house...and hand delivering her the cupcakes that her husband ordered for her...I realized why all the hard work didn't feel like work...because it was worth it. Terrance, thank you again for choosing The Wild Cupcake to create something special for your wife's birthday...I genuinely enjoyed the challenge...Sincerest thanks, Nicole Costa

More Than Just Cupcakes...

There is more to The Wild Cupcake than just cupcakes. I've been hard at work in my lab (kitchen) experimenting with a few challenging projects. The humble chocolate cookie...should taste of butter and quality cocoa...it should be neither too hard nor too soft...and should hold its own paired with ice cream, chocolate drizzle...or home made caramel. Caramel...victory. Given a choice between caramel and chocolate I will always choose caramel, however, when united...it's a force to be reckoned with. I finally completed my first batch of caramel...successfully. No burns to mention or scalding of sauce...I am thrilled...there is much more to come from The Wild Cupcake.

Sentiment...

I have a girlfriend of mine who asked me to do girlie cupcakes for her daughter's class. I did 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 chocolate with a purple tinted traditional buttercream. I was given the opportunity to deliver them to her school and see her smiling face when she saw all the goodies her mother had packed...especially when she put on her birthday tiara. Thanks for the opportunity...much love

Happy Birthday...why I do what I do...

 I recently received a phone call from a woman located in Connecticut. Apparently she had found us on the web under a general search, "cupcakes, New Bern, NC." and there we were. That feeling is overwhelming...to know that my teeny tiny business is visible to people other than my friends and family...I'm getting to where I want to be...ever so slowly. She placed an order for sugar free boston cream cupcakes for her father's birthday...and I was able to fulfill her request.

That is why I love this business so much...I get to be a part of celebrations and love and laughter...it makes life that much sweeter <3

It's Been a While...

Every single day I wake up and I'm more and more in love with what I'm doing with this crazy life (sigh). Over the past few months I have remained extremely busy updating recipes and improving previous flavors...and adding new varieties to the mix. The Wild Cupcake now boasts more than 30 flavor combinations with tons more to come. I have been frequenting The New Bern Farmer's Market each Saturday peddaling my goods to willing consumers...and I am more than appreciative...it's because of the market that I can continue to expand my business...and my vision of what The Wild Cupcake will one day be. The numbers of special orders have increased every so slowly and The Wild Cupcake is now available at Our Town Cafe in Havelock each Wednesday for "cupcake Wednesday". I'm also hoping to be a part of something truly amazing and up and coming in down town New Bern...if you haven't checked out http://www.newbernartstudios.com/ you should...asap.  I wanted to extend my gratitude to those of you who have supported me and continue to show your support to me...thank you <3

Blueberries & Cream

A vanilla cake bursting with blueberries and topped with swiss meringue buttercream...I garnished these dainty cakes with fondant flowers and edible pink pearls. This project was for a little girl's 2nd birthday...happy birthday Emma

No Tiers For Me...

I have a friend (Tiffany) that has an amazingly creative mind and the skill to bring abstract thoughts to fruition...these beautiful cupcake towers are a product of Ms. Tiffany and I had the opportunity to show case them today...because I booked and completed my first wedding ;) The display turned out amazing...Congrats to Kevin and Robyn!!!

The Wild Cheesecake?

One of my best friends asked me to make a strawberry cheesecake for her husband's birthday...what would cheesecake be without buttercream? Seeee...I'm more than just cupcakes...I'm a multitalented baker ;). P.S. Thanks Amy...and happy birthday Jay!!!

Rose Cakes

Fresh cut roses make a lady feel pretty. I recently had the privilege of making cupcakes for my very good friend's surprise vow renewal ceremony (congrats Amy and Jay)...I chose roses...because they're pretty and timeless. My Rose Cakes are made with rose extract and candied rose petals...so they actually taste like roses...so when any one asks what you've been eating...you can say, "roses...obviously".

Fillin Nutty

I am a huge fan of Nutella...I enjoy it on toast, oatmeal, in a smoothie, on my ice cream...and it goes exceptionally well inside of a cupcake. For this particula treat I chose to do a yellow buttermilk cupcake topped with a generous helping milk chocolate buttercream and rolled it in toasted pecans and of course...topped it with Ferrero Rocher...I thoroughly enjoyed making (and eating) this one.

Late bloomers...

I really enjoy dark chocolate cake and swiss meringue buttercream...now that...is a good day. There is a story behind this specific order. If you are reading this, and you know who you are, thank you for being soooo understanding. I love this j-o-b.

Aloha Coconut

I have realized that people either LOVE coconut...or they hate it. I absolutely adore it. I love the smell of it, the texture and of course...the taste. It reminds me of summer and the beach...of coming home with a sunburn because I didn't wear enough coconut scented sunblock. My aloha coconut is a coconut cake with coconut buttercream...and topped with shredded coconut...toasted of course.

Sweet Baby Henry

A friend of mine had a baby shower this past weekend and she enlisted my services. I beat my head against the wall for days to come up with an idea to make her day special. The color theme was blue and brown so I wanted to stay as true to that as I possibly could. I did a chocolate cake with a traditional buttercream tinted blue. I hand made sugar cookies and frosted them with royal icing and rimmed them in chocolate jimmies. The letters were piped with milk chocolate (which is not easy to pipe when it begins to cool). I was so thrilled with the outcome...and it was well worth the beating of the head.

Cha Cha Cherry

10 years ago I had a cake at my friend's grandmother's house. Her grandmother had made a cherry cake with a candied frosting. Cha Cha Cherry is my take on her unforgettable desert. It is a yellow buttermilk cake (which is my favorite) with chopped maraschino cherries mixed in. I used a traditional buttercream with cherry extract and grenadine to get that lovely candied flavor. And it wouldn't have been complete without the cherry on top. I made those liners myself...I like that they have a rustic feel to them...tacky chic.

Lovely Lemon Ladies

These are my Lovely Lemon Ladies...it's a lemon cake with lemon buttercream. I use lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice...(squeezed with my own two hands). I "frame" them with crushed lemon cookies and top them with a lemon drop. I feel amazing as of late...I can't describe with words this feeling of elation rushing through my body...

Black Velllvet

This is a little number I like to call, Black Velllvet...they're dense and rich...and piped with tons of love...and dark chocolate buttercream. For the record, I feel amazing as of late...maybe it has something to do with LIVING THE DREAM!!! Thanks for all the support

Scantily Clad Orange

I find myself toying with props and stage settings for my cupcakes. It's silly really...I all but tell them to smile for the camera. This cup of cake is a yellow buttermilk cake piped to it's max with orange buttercream. I use orange zest in this buttercream along with extract so it's taste and consistency resembles a dreamsicle...remember those...

It's my first time...

I've never blogged, in fact, I don't even update my Facebook status regularly. I bake and I don't always bake things worth sharing, or even mentioning...but when I do bake (which is often), it doesn't feel like "work". My ultimate goal is to open my own cupcakery with chic little seating and uniquely designed (and tasty) cupcakes. I want my cupcakes to be a little piece of affordable elegance. I want to enjoy and look forward to each day that I practice my art. I invite you to join me on this awesome adventure and share my experiences with others, whether they're good...or bad.

Once upon a time an awkward gal had a dream...that she too could delight in a magical adventure with a wild cupcake...