Tutus and cupcakes, can there be anything gosh darn more cute.
A while back I styled, D.I.Y’d, and photographed this photo shoot with Sugar Cat Studio. I had just learned how to make a homemade tutu and decided that I could shrink the design and make a cupcake size tutu for a little girl’s themed party.
It was such a fun day with the sweetest little girls, playing at the park, eating cupcakes and giggling.
I thought I would share with you how to make a tutu for your cupcake:
Instructions:
Start buy cutting your ribbon. You will need the length of each ribbon to go around the width of a cupcake. Decide on how many cupcake tutus you will be making and cut the appropriate amount of ribbons. Next, cut strips of tulle. You will want 1 inch width by about 2-3 inches long (depending, on your desired tutu fluffiness) Cut a large pile of strips. Then begin securing them onto your ribbon. Create a loop with one strip of tulle, pull the opposite ends through the loop and between the ribbon. Do not pull too tight, the less tight the knot the less strips you will need. Continue doing this till you have gone the entire length of each ribbon. Secure with non-toxic glue or hot glue to each cupcake wrapper and allow to dry overnight (at least 6 hours).
*If you are making this tutu for yourself or child, you can just eat the cupcake and make a larger size tutu. Follow instructions and cut a piece of ribbon large enough for your waist with some room to tie a bow.
It’s a beautiful thing, waking up to a warm cup of coffee or, for the more adventurous, a cup of espresso. That instant kick to the brain helps drive the morning into the day. And, for those of us who relish the moment, the aroma alone kick starts the senses in anticipation of that special first sip.
And so, even though Stacey doesn’t like coffee, it was a deceleration of her love for me that got her inspired to whip up this delicious treat. If you have a coffee lover in your life, share a tiny indulgence such as these sweet shot of espresso cupcakes.
Sidenote: Stacey was not certain if the mug would shatter or break or what would happen, but she threw caution to the wind and it came out perfect.
Make your espresso and then set aside to cool down. Pre-heat oven to 350. Combine in a mixing bowl flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. Beat the butter along with brown and granulated white sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (4 mins). Add the egg then add half the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the rest of coffee and milk mixture (wet ingredients), ending with the flour mixture (dry ingredients). Bake for 15-18 mins or until toothpick runs clean.
You can then add them into lined baking pans or add them into espresso cups.
For the espresso cups only fill up 1/2 the amount of the cup, the mixture will bake for half the time, so keep an eye on your espresso cups.
Espresso Buttercream
Need:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons espresso powder
pinch of salt
How:
Start with mixing espresso with the vanilla. Then in your stand-up mixer or bowl mix all ingredients (slowly adding in powdered sugar) on medium speed for 5 mins or until fluffy.
Oh Cupcake Wars. You gave me amazing publicity and glory, and also provided me with an endless supply of nightmares that haunt my dreams three to four times a week. Most times I’m in the Cupcake Wars kitchen, scrambling to frost a 1000 cupcakes in under 2 hours, but sometimes it changes up and I’m in front of the judges, getting ripped apart. Truly, there’s always another creative cupcake nightmare to be had. Usually I wake up happy and relieved, knowing I won Cupcake Wars and it was just a dream, but I’m still wondering when my Cupcake Wars post-traumatic stress disorder will end. Honestly, how do people handle shows like Top Chef, where they are filmed for days and weeks on end, having to compete in challenge after challenge? One exhausting day of filming was enough to scar my life for months!
However, it was truly an amazing experience, sparked first by my unhealthy obsession with The Food Network. I would record every Cupcake Wars episode and be so inspired that I couldn’t fall asleep at night, and at the same time be so insanely jealous of every baker who got such an opportunity, that it made it hard to even watch. So, I did what every obsessed girl does, I stalked Cupcake Wars on Facebook until I saw they were casting! There was a casting email address, so of course I emailed them with photos, a link to my website, and every possible bit of information I thought they might find relatively important. A few days later, checking my email on my phone at Trader Joe’s, I got an email from Cupcake Wars casting! They wanted to see a video of me and my cupcakes in action! What!? The checkout girl must have thought I was insane by the way I rushed out of there. Fifteen minutes later I was on the phone with my best friend and former roommate who lives in San Francisco, asking if she would make a last minute trip to Santa Barbara to help me film this audition tape. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this crazy Cupcake Wars experience, Erica is a true friend! She drove down two days later, and with the tireless help of Stacey and Oliver and Michele, filming, directing, and editing this video, we came up with a gem. After watching it, I knew I would have to resign myself to being the biggest dork in the world if I made it on the show; apparently when I get on camera I am a complete and utter cornball. Check it out below, if you’re ready for your daily dose of cheese factor.
Ok, so yeah, not going to win any major cool points with my ultra amazing acting skills, but Stacey did an incredible job filming us, and Erica and I had a blast. Video sent in, I waited anxiously for the next few weeks for a response. Amazingly enough, on my 29th birthday, August 22nd, I received a phone call from Cupcake Wars. “I just wanted to let you know you’ve been selected as a contestant on Cupcake Wars” the voice on the other line said. The amount of freaking out on my part was insane, and if you know me, you know I get excited at pretty much the tiniest of things. If I see a kitten, I have a heart attack and die of cuteness. And kittens are pretty commonplace. So, being told I’m on Cupcake Wars was crazy; it was definitely the best birthday present I had ever received. From the time I found out I was selected, to the time Cupcake Wars filmed, Erica and I put ourselves through what I like to call “Cupcake Bootcamp”. It was hardcore, “learn everything we don’t know about cupcakes” intensity. We watched every episode of Cupcake Wars we could get our hands on, read cupcake blogs, tried new decorating ideas, and I bought a book called “The Flavor Bible” which tells you what flavors are most likely to pair well together. I made cupcake flashcards, I memorized recipes, nothing was going to get in my way. My poor friends, they knew the only way they would see me during this time was if they came over to try a new cupcake flavor. Wait, why am I feeling bad for them?
Finally, the day of filming came, and of course, Erica and I found it hard to sleep. I think I got a full one hour of sleep that night. Waking up at 5am the next day, Erica and I rallied ourselves with far too much hotel coffee and a pre-Cupcake Wars dance party. From now on “You Make Me Feel…” by Cobra Starship will forever remind me of that morning. Don’t judge. It’s a great song to get the adrenaline flowing before an all day cupcake competition. Oh and if you haven’t seen our episode, you can watch it below!
Honestly the episode really says it all. It was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, but truly the most rewarding as well. On December 11th, the night my episode aired, I hosted a “Cupcake Wars Viewing Party” at Oreana Winery. We poured Sugar Cat Noir and Sugar Cat Blanc, and I made a zillion Sugar Cat cupcakes. It was so amazing to be able to celebrate with my friends, although I have to admit, slightly awkward for me to watch myself on the big screen. Turns out I’m overly animated with my facial expressions; I’m pretty sure any time they wanted a glimpse into what people were thinking, they panned to me raising an eyebrow or smiling ridiculously. But hey, we weren’t playing poker here, we were baking cupcakes! All in all, it was an amazing experience, but I couldn’t have done it without Erica and Stacey, and the support of my friends and family. I owe you all a lifetime of cupcakes!!!
It’s the best day of the week, Wine Wednesday! I’m so happy to be sharing a chardonnay that has quickly become one of my favorite white wines of all time, the 2008 Morello Chardonnay. Nick Morello is the winemaker at Morello Wines, and I met him last November when I started baking brunch cupcakes to pair with sparkling wine at the tasting room he runs in downtown Santa Barbara, Corks n’ Crowns. Since then, I’ve started working there on Sunday mornings, while selling my cupcakes as a trio to pair with the wine and beer flights they offer. Corks n’ Crowns offers an array of five wine flights, ranging from a pinot flight, to an international flight, to the “diamond” flight, which consists of ultra-premium wines. There are also two different beer flights, a craft beer flight and a flavored beer flight. Plus, with the sparkling wine and cupcakes on Sundays, there truly is something for everyone!
The first time I tried the Morello Chardonnay was my first day working on a Sunday, and Cecily, the girl I was working with, said, “you HAVE to try this.” Sidenote: I love all the girls at Corks n’ Crowns; they are all super fun, friendly, and welcoming. Seriously, if you want to meet awesome people, start working at a tasting room, it’s amazing how many friends you will make! Getting back to the wine, before I tried it, I noticed the rich, just slightly oaky flavor this wine had. I know a lot people are turned off by overly oaked, buttery chardonnays, hence the shift to stainless steel barrels as opposed to oak barrels. But as I’ve recently learned, it’s not just the oak that gives the chardonnay that buttery flavor, that happens because of the second ”malolactic” fermentation that occurs with most reds and some whites, to soften the acidity of the wine. In chardonnays, this results in a creamier, buttery flavor, as opposed to a more tart, crisp, fresh, and citrusy taste if there was no secondary fermentation.
Personally, I don’t discriminate. I would prefer more of a crisper chardonnay with notes of citrus fruits with a meal probably more than I would a rich, butterscotchy chardonnay. However, on its own, a chardonnay with notes of vanilla, caramel, and toast might be perfect around 6pm before dinner sitting outside on a spring evening. Or even paired with dessert, a cupcake perhaps? Oh come on, did you really think I wouldn’t suggest pairing a cupcake with this wine? I’d go with a salted caramel cheesecake cupcake. Truly, this wine is delightful on its own, and at $36 per bottle, it’s a great bottle to open either for a special occasion, or simply because it’s Wine Wednesday. You can order this wine online or stop on by to Corks n’ Crowns, preferably on a Sunday, for a trio of Sugar Cat Studio mini cupcakes too!
Last Saturday night, after a long day of baking cupcakes and pouring wine at Oreana Winery, I came home and wanted to do nothing else but curl up with a cup of tea and a marathon of New Girl episodes on Hulu. I LOVE New Girl. So well written, clever, and Zooey Deschanel is simply adorable. Or, adorkable, as she’s more commonly known as. I love New Girl because I relate to “Jess”, played by Zooey Deschanel. She’s a schoolteacher who loves to bake, wear ribbons, and rock a lot of polka dots. She has her flaws; she’s bad at directions, not the best driver, and sometimes is a just little too innocent and gullible. Yeah, I can relate to just about all of that. I bake cupcakes, hate maps, and I’ve been known to “rock a lot of bows”. I have my gullible moments; when I was hired at Oreana Winery, our winemaker convinced me that the wine bottle labeler was actually an old fashioned popcorn machine. I proceeded to tell customers that for at least a week.
One episode of New Girl in particular really resonated with me. Jess is fighting a traffic ticket she received when she braked for an injured bird in the middle of an intersection. Julia is a high-powered attorney helping Jess get out of the ticket. Check out this clip below for the background behind the story. Jess offers Julia some cupcakes and blanket, and Julia does nothing but condescendingly insult Jess and make fun of her wide eyes, which she says remind her of ”a scared baby”. I suppose I can particularly relate to this part because I have received some pretty messed up comments about my uncommonly large eyes; from being referred to as a “Disney character” to being asked if I could see farther than the average person. Really? Next time I’ll just pull a Jess and say, “well yeah, my peripheral vision is almost TOO good.”
There was one point in the episode that really struck me. Check it out below. Julia is mocking Jess for losing the court case, and Jess replies with,
“I brake for birds. I rock a lot of polka dots. I have touched glitter in the last 24 hours. I spend my entire day talking to children. And I find it fundamentally strange that you’re not a dessert person. That’s just weird, and it freaks me out. I’m sorry that I don’t talk like Murphy Brown. And I hate your pantsuit. I wish it had ribbons on it or something just to make it just slightly cuter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not smart and tough and strong!”
Although, I think they left out the best line…. “Now I’m about to go pay my $800 ticket, and my checks have baby farm animals on them, bitch!”
You go girl. Oh, did I mention I own nothing but Hello Kitty checks?
I love that Jess is breaking the rules of what it means to be smart, tough, and strong. The average person may look at her and see nothing but ribbons and polka dots and make an assumption that she’s ditzy and frivolous. I relate to Jess because she thinks in a different way. She thinks to offer people cupcakes and a blanket when they come to visit. She risks a huge traffic ticket for the sake of an injured bird. And she doesn’t need to prove she’s smart and tough by “acting” smart and tough. If I had to guess, I bet she scored crazy high on her SATs, reads because she loves to, and whatever she sets her mind to she achieves. I think that’s what makes a Sunday Sparkle girl; whatever you love, you let it shine and sparkle, and you ignore anyone trying to judge you or tear you down.
But truly, when I hear someone say they’re “not a dessert person”, what I really hear is “I don’t enjoy life”. I’m with you Jess, it freaks me out!
Copyright 2012 Stacey Millett All Rights Reserved
All photographs {unless otherwise noted} are copyright of Stacey Millett or The Sunday Sparkle, all rights reserved.
