sweetstuff

School Birthday Celebration

2011-05-27T16:45:00.000-04:00

I suppose that it is not surprising that my kids take a great deal of time to consider what type of baked good they would like to bring to school for their birthday celebration. This year I made all types of what I thought were quite excellent suggestions to my daughter... she didn't like any of them. Then one day she came home and announced "I want you to make cupcakes with faces of all the kids in my class" (I made the mistake of doing this when she had a SMALL preschool class a couple years before)... so I tried my best to dissuade her and offered some other suggestions. No takers.

24 cupcakes, vanilla with buttercream and fondant decoration. All with my best effort to match the faces of the kids in her class.... hoping that 8 year olds would not be offended if their nose or ears were too big or their hair was the wrong shape or color.

My husband and I arrived at her classroom with the cupcakes. The kids were thrilled! A couple mentioned that their hair had changed (I was working off a picture that was taken at the beginning of the year) and one or two mentioned another feature that they thought I could have improved upon... but to my great sigh of relief, the majority loved their cupcakes... most were quickly devoured and a few faces came off the cupcake to take home to show Mom & Dad. Best of all my daughter said - "See Mom, it was the best birthday snack EVER!"

She has already started designing her cake for August... I dare not even ask!

Happy 1st & 2nd Birthday

2011-05-02T14:01:00.000-04:00

A Little Baby Talk

2011-03-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

Seems like I have been doing cakes by theme. Strange, but just the way the orders have come in. Last month was a string of baby shower cakes..

The fist was a pastel cake with a teddy bear sitting on the top. The cakes were "I Remember Vanilla" with fresh strawberries and vanilla buttercream and "I Remember Vanilla" with chocolate ganache

Next up was a re-appearance of our "Sporty Baby Lamb." This time he was wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap and was sitting atop a "Best Ever Vanilla" filled with chocolate ganache

For this party we also provided Cupcake Lollis done as bottles and baby heads for the centerpieces of all the tables... The lollis were displayed in fun sports themed containers...

A Study in Texture

2011-02-19T10:19:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I became a little obsessed with mono-chromatic designs that featured texture. The first cake was a little "old school" for me.... instead of fondant I used buttercream to decorate this cake... piping "roses" in a medium pink. I have to say I love the way it turned out! The inside of the cake was Best Ever Vanilla with alternating vanilla and chocolate buttercream filling.

This next cake was for a Surprise "Red and White" themed birthday party and was the centerpiece of the dessert table. It was covered in red daisies with a single white candle on top. The cake was a gluten-free chocolate cake with white buttercream filling.

Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!... Part II

2011-01-29T08:54:00.011-05:00

Back in November I made cupcakes and styled a commercial shoot for Squeezie Cakes. I just received the stills from the shoot and wanted to share - what a difference professional lighting and HD cameras make!!

Stacks of cupcake boxes and tubs full of batter... trying to get it organized and ready to go!

Styling the set for all the "beauty" shots

All the cupcakes made by Sweet Stuff (with more in boxes for later in the day)

Sundae Cupcakes - yummilicious!

Fauxstess cupcakes

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting and cake crumbs

Animal cupcakes.......

Simple, but elegent birthday cake

2011-01-04T15:06:00.002-05:00

This "old school" birthday cake was I Remember Chocolate with a coffee mousse filling. It was covered in blue fondant and featured gumpaste flowers.... simple, but elegant!

Football!

2011-01-03T11:07:00.002-05:00

Cupcakes with fondant footballs to celebrate T's 9th Birthday

Best Ever Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Ganache Cream shaped into a Gray Hawks' Football Helmet...

Cuptail Lollis Bouquet

2010-12-28T14:15:00.001-05:00

This bouquet was made to celebrate a Sweet Stuff 21st Birthday...

The Melissa Bouquet:

2010-12-27T22:22:00.002-05:00

This is a dessert table I created for a beach themed surprise birthday party...

kettle corn cones.... (supported by pretzel M&Ms)

Cuptail Lolli cones. YUM

More Cuptail Lollis and some salt water taffy

A sand castle cake surrounded by some white chocolate shells

Cuptail Lollis

2010-08-23T17:08:00.001-04:00

What?! Cuptail Lollis? I thought they were called cupcake lollis!

Well... meet the newest additions to our Cupcake Lolli family - CUPTAIL LOLLIS - because it is 5 o'clock somewhere!

We have had a couple requests in the past couple months... "It would be great if you could do some sort of adult lolli... you know something that incorporates alcohol into the cake..." Hmm. Interesting. Maybe rum cake. No. Not to start anyway...

We were busy in the Sweet Stuff kitchens last week!

Our new CUPTAIL LOLLIS:

Margarita: Best Ever Vanilla Cake mixed with lime syrup and tequilla - coated in white chocolate with an ever so slight sprinkle of sea salt.

Toasted Hazelnut: Best Ever Vanilla Cake mixed with buttercream icing, Frangelico and Creme de Cacao - dipped in dark chocolate and topped with toasted hazelnuts.

Irish Kiss: Best Ever Vanilla Cake mixed while warm with semi-sweet chocolate chips and Bailey's Irish Cream - topped with white chocolate and a sprinkle of espresso powder

Have an idea for a different cuptail lolli?

Enter for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate

Leave a comment on the Cuptail Lolli post with the flavor you'd like to try and a new idea
Deadline to enter is Tuesday, August 24 at 6:00 pm ET.
One winner will be chosen at random and announced sometime Tuesday evening on the Cuptail Lolli post

Good luck!

A Little of This, A Little of That

2010-06-23T20:20:00.003-04:00

I haven't been doing a very good job of posting... don't know where the time goes!

Here is a peek at what I have been working on lately. More to come, I will try to get it up in the next couple days.

This cake was a "dune buggy/ go cart" for one of my long standing clients. One of these days I will have to do a retrospective of the cakes I have made for his birthdays... he always comes up with a challenging request! The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla" filled with chocolate ganache. The cake is sitting on brown sugar "sand"

This cake was for "Grammy Iris". Sometimes I have a tendency to over think and over do cakes... I was very happy I was able to keep this one simple and let the single flower speak for itself.

The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla" with vanilla buttercream

Nothing says "1st Birthday" like Elmo.... made from "I Remember Chocolate" with vanilla buttercream

Chocolate dipped pretzel ice cream cones for my daughter to bring to school for her birthday celebration! Happy Almost Birthday G!

Happy Sweet 16... Hogwarts Style

2010-06-04T09:04:00.004-04:00

This stack of books was made for the surprise Sweet 16 Birthday party of a Harry Potter fan. The stack was created of "I Remember Chocolate" and "Best Ever Vanilla" cakes and filled with chocolate ganache and vanilla buttercream. The cake featured a gold quiddich ball, Harry's glasses and a scarf. The books were titled "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Beginners Guide to Transfiguration"

Lollipop, Lollipop Oh Lolli Lollipop

2010-06-03T11:50:00.005-04:00

I was recently told by a friend that Cupcake Lollis are her "go to gift" (YEAH!) These are 2 of the bouquets she ordered to send as 40th Birthday surprises!

This first bouquet was sent a guy who worked at the Dairy Barn on Long Island in his youth....

And the next one was just a fun bouquet sent to the mother of twins - a boy and a girl....

And finally - a patriotic logo bouquet sent to POLO Ralph Lauren's offices in NYC....

Lolli Flower Bouquets

2010-05-20T12:12:00.004-04:00

For a First Communion party last weekend, we had a client request "Lolli Bouquets." When we met to discuss what she wanted, I was thinking our traditional "lolli bouquets" which you have seen many times on this site - but NO! The client smiled and tilted her head and said "Well you do flower bouquets, right?!" (Yes) "So - I want flowers and lollis together for the center of the tables!"

Never one to say no to a challenge - I said yes and figured we would figure it out. Luckily for me, Jean the Supreme was visiting for the weekend - so I put her in charge of the flowers. I was thrilled with the result, as was the client. Somehow I have the feeling we will be doing these again!

A Golden Anniversary

2010-05-19T09:55:00.003-04:00

This cake was made for a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration and delivered to The Landmark in East Rutherford, NJ. The bottom tier is "I Remember Chocolate" with bittersweet chocolate ganache filling. The top two tiers are "Best Ever Vanilla" with vanilla buttercream. The outside is fondant with quilting and gold dragees and the top and bottom and royal icing scrolls. The bow is made of gumpaste and hand painted with gold luster dust.

DJ Turntable

2010-04-27T15:12:00.004-04:00

What could be a better cake for a music lover than a DJ turntable???!!! The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla" and all the decorations were done out of fondant (even the noise cancelling earphones!)

To complete the look - the dessert table was covered in an organza with circle embroidery and we hung a curtain of records behind the cake. It was a sight to behold!

Four Big Cans of Beer

2010-04-15T08:30:00.003-04:00

These cakes were created for a Sales Meeting for NY based beer distributor. They were BIG and heavy!

The Heineken Keg Can was alternating flavors of Best Ever Vanilla and I Remember Chocolate with vanilla buttercream

The Miller Lite can was Best Ever Vanilla with Blackberry Buttercream....

The Brooklyn Ale was Best Ever Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream

and last but not least the Guiness Draught can was I Remember Chocolate....

Through the Looking Glass

2010-03-26T09:16:00.005-04:00

These lollis were created as the centerpieces for an "Alice in Wonderland" tea party for a 10 year old girl's birthday party. As you can see - I used Disney, not Tim Burton as my inspiration.... (a lolli is a perfect candidate for animation!)

There were many possibilities - but I narrowed it down to the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and some teacups all made out of "Best Ever Vanilla" lollis

The White Rabbit wasn't looking quite like himself until I added the collar and bow tie. All decorations were made out of fondant or colored white chocolate.

The Cheshire Cat's evil grin and other decorations were also made out of fondant...

“It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

Oh Baby, Baby

2010-03-24T08:35:00.004-04:00

These "Best Ever Vanilla", "I Remember Chocolate" and "Signature Carrot Cake" lollis were made as the favors for a baby shower.... CUTE AS A BUTTON!

Baby heads had fondant bows and "pluggies" in their mouths

Baby bottles were topped with fondant...

Happy 40th Birthday - Shopping Style!

2010-03-22T12:18:00.004-04:00

The following cakes were made to be the centerpiece of a dessert bar (pictures coming soon) for a 40th Birthday celebration. The cakes were designed to represent some of the birthday girl's favorite brands....

A Chanel purse...

A Neiman Marcus shopping bag...

A Christian Laboutin shoe...

and a Coach shoe box...

Lollipop, Lollipop

2010-02-24T10:28:00.004-05:00

This first bouquet was a request from a client that wanted to send a bouquet to an advertising exec. at Ralph Lauren. She wanted the POLO logo on some lollipops. I got a headache. I called her and told her I didn't think I could do it... too much detail on too little surface. We came up with plan B and I went to work.

Just for kicks I decided to try to draw the logo on a lollipop with edible ink. It looked surprisingly good, but I still didn't feel like it looked good enough to send to Ralph Lauren's offices. Then I decided to "trace" my drawing in chocolate. Hmmm. Lovely if I do say so myself!

This is the bouquet that shipped out this morning. It featured the pastel colors of Ralph Lauren's spring line and a few logo pops. They look good enough to eat.

My second challenge was to make some Batman Lollis for my nephew's 5th Birthday. He calls me his "Cinnamon Cinnamon Sugar" - so they had to be good!

This is bouquet before each lollipop was individually wrapped. The Batmen are vanilla lollis and the bats are chocolate. I can't wait to hear what he thinks when the box arrives in North Carolina! HAPPY BIRTHDAY J!

2010-02-16T13:33:00.003-05:00

Purse cake - complete with lipstick and a pearl bracelet (both made out of gumpaste) to celebrate a 40th Birthday. The cake was Best Ever Vanilla with chocolate buttercream.

"Well, as I predicted, the cake was the hit of the party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone thought it was real!!!!!!!!! My brother walked by it and said, "Where's the cake?" I put it on the dining room table with the gifts and he thought it was a real handbag. ha-ha! So once again thank you for the exceptional job! And...it tasted fabulous! "

Feedback -

2010-01-23T15:26:00.006-05:00

Skier made of gumpaste and fondant sitting atop a cake covered in snowflakes.

Fancy lollis for a midnight champagne & dessert buffet

Here are a couple of the notes we received about our lollis....

Beth: We received a dozen or so of your various cupcake lollipops for the Holidays. I just had to send a quick note to let you know how much everybody enjoyed them …. The shipment came in great shape, the box, presentation was very nice and the quality of the cupcake lollipops was “outstanding” … I’ve been watching my weight and have lost 30+ lbs this year .. but even I couldn’t resist and had (3) of them .. the rest went quickly with the office staff … just enough to have a great treat without feeling too guilty! The chocolate mint was my favorite .. and someone snagged the carrot cake before I could. Again, my thanks and best wishes for success! UCG - United Computer Group, Inc. - Cleveland, Ohio

___________
Hey Beth! We absolutely loved the pops. I actually had to watch Paul because he was eating them up left and right and was afraid we wouldn't have any left for the kids. T. - New York, NY

_________
Sent to one of our customers.... The ladies in the office have tears in their eyes eating the lollypop cup cakes! Thanks a bunch for being more than business partners! Merry Christmas,

Westchester, NY
_____________
Beth -

Received cupcake order earlier this week. FANTASTIC!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Fairfield, NJ

Where have I been?!?

2010-01-22T14:06:00.005-05:00

That is a very good question. Absent! Busy baking lollis! It was a crazy, insane, but very successful holiday season. ~ 2000 lollis - lots of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate and lollipop sticks! Thank you to everyone who ordered and enjoyed our lollis. In my next post I will share some of the wonderful comments we received in response to our lolli shipments. Our website is almost ready - coming soon to a computer near you. Watch for the announcement!

These assorted beauties went into some of our Thanksgiving bouquets

Teacups made for a special event Langham Hotels International held in NYC to celebrate the grand reopening of the Langham London

Hmmm. What could these chocolate turkeys have been for? Thanksgiving! Chocolate lollis with colored licorice for the tail feathers, chocolate fondant heads and a small piece of licorice for the waddle. YUM

My son said - "Mom, Thanksgiving isn't just about turkey - IT IS ABOUT FOOTBALL!" - so I made some footballs as well. I think this design will also come in handy for the SUPERBOWL. Don't you?!

Birthday PRETZELS!

2009-11-18T21:03:00.004-05:00

My son was so enthralled with the chocolate shells I made for a cake a couple months ago - he decided chocolate was definitely the treat he wanted to bring to school for his birthday. I found these great molds that allow you to use a pretzel as the lollipop stick. PERFECTION. Chocolate, pretzels and a nod to his favorite sport - FOOTBALL!

Mad Science

2009-11-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

This "I Remember Chocolate" cake was made for my son's 8th - "Mad Science" birthday. He designed the cake himself... many hours of painstaking drawing and explanation! He wanted a dark cake with a beaker containing an overflowing potion...

Happy Birthday little man. I can't believe it has been 8 years already!

Great White Bear

2009-10-02T15:40:00.002-04:00

This Great White Bear... the polar bear.... was created for a 50th birthday. The bear was created from Best Ever Vanilla cake and buttercream frosting. His snout and legs were made from my magic cake crumb mixture that usually turns into cupcake lollipops. The board will be finished with royal icing to create ice for him to stand on - more pictures to come. Stay tuned!!

Under the Sea

2009-09-21T08:49:00.007-04:00

This Best Ever Vanilla cake with cookies n cream filling was created for a Sweet 16 celebrated at Hamilton Farms in Somerset County, NJ. The cake featured white chocolate shells painted with luster dust and brown sugar "sand" around the base. We also created individual bags of shells to be handed out as party favors.

A Magical Birthday

2009-09-20T19:32:00.008-04:00

This birthday cake was created for someone who loves all things Disney. It featured Tinkerbell (created from gumpaste) sitting on top of a large flower. The cake was Best Ever Vanilla with raspberry cream filling. The vines on the cake were painted with gold flecked luster dust to give them a little shine.

These cupcake lolli bouquets featured yellow, pink and orange flowers to mimic the Gerber Daisy bouquets at the bridal shower. Each guest was given a cupcake lolli as their favor.

Congratulations & Farewell!

2009-09-04T14:19:00.003-04:00

Congratulations Cara! This cake was created for a combination graduation and going away party (what a great idea!) The three layers were all I Remember Chocolate with different filling - chocolate, coffee and raspberry. The flowers on the top and sides were made with gumpaste.

Oh Baby Baby

2009-08-18T11:37:00.003-04:00

Seems that I have been very busy lately doing baby related cakes! This first cake was for a baby shower for twins! The cake was I Remember Chocolate with raspberry filling and Best Ever Vanilla with chocolate filling. The decor matched the invitations and featured some "scrapbooking" decorative items

This cake was for a Baby Naming celebration. The cake featured sugar pearls, a large gumpaste bow and gumpaste butterflies hand painted with luster dust. The cakes were I Remember Chocolate and Best Ever Vanilla.

This extra large lollipop bouquet was sent to celebrate the arrival of a baby girl. All the lollis were vanilla, decorated in pink and white.

This diaper bag cake was created for another Baby Shower of a mom expecting her first girl. The cake was Carrot with cream cheese frosting. All the decorations on the top were made from fondant.

Mountain Lakes Lacrosse - 30th Anniversary

2009-07-09T10:31:00.003-04:00

This cake was made for the 30th Anniversary Celebration of ML Lax. The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla" with vanilla buttercream. The lacrosse stick is made out of modeling chocolate covered with gumpaste.

This super large bucket of cupcake lollipops accompanied the cake.... Assorted flavors (chocolate, vanilla, mocha, coconut, lemon & carrot cake)

Curious George at the Zoo....

2009-06-27T12:09:00.004-04:00

This Curious George cake was created to celebrate a 2nd Birthday at the Central Park Zoo. The attendees were treated to a safari style trip through the zoo before returning to the party room for the celebration!

Congrats Grads!

2009-06-27T12:05:00.002-04:00

This final graduation cake of the for the class of 2009 - featured the grad's favorite things... drum sticks, a camera and the logo from his beloved Jeep Wrangler. The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla" filled with vanilla buttercream.

Time for a Margarita!

2009-06-27T12:00:00.003-04:00

Continuing on the drinking theme.... this "I Remember Chocolate" Cake was decked with Margarita glasses and limes (the glasses are rimmed with sugar instead of salt!)

Lillypalooza

2009-06-27T11:46:00.002-04:00

These Lolli Bouquets were created for a party celebrating all things LILLY. All the guests were clad in Lilly Pulitzer and the lollipops were up to the task! The assortment included Vanilla, Chocolate, Lemon, Mocha and Coconut Lollipops...

Special Delivery

2009-06-27T11:42:00.002-04:00

"Showers of Happiness" and "Cups of Tea" sent to recipients that turned out to be on vacation... so very sad! I fear that they will be but a puddle of melted chocolate and soggy cake when they are finally delivered. Bummer!

Martini Madness

2009-06-13T08:20:00.002-04:00

What type of cake to make for a lady that loves coffee and martinis? An "I Remember Chocolate Cake" with Espresso Buttercream filling covered with gumpaste martini glasses and fondant olives! Cheers!

Congrats Rosie!

2009-06-13T08:11:00.004-04:00

This is the cake I made for Rosie's graduation celebration (Magna Cum Laude!) It features memorable moments from her 4 years at Princeton. 6 years ago Rosie had my first ever fondant cake at her Sweet 16. It is posted at the very bottom

A panda bear to celebrate a trip to China

The Mexican Flag and a stethoscope for a summer spent working in a clinic in Mexico

Kappa Kappa Gamma and Skis to celebrate Spring Break spent in VT skiing!

My first ever fondant cake!

Showers of Happiness

2009-06-13T08:03:00.005-04:00

These were 2 of the 4 bouquets created for a bridal shower. The lollis were given out as the favor!

Here is a picture of the ladybugs arranged in a bouquet. They were eventually individually wrapped -

LADYBUG, LADYBUG

2009-05-28T18:20:00.003-04:00

I spent the better part of the day figuring out how to make cupcake lollis into ladybugs. The biggest challenges were making the body longer (leaves less room for the lollipop stick) getting the fondant head to stick on and finding something edible that would work to make the antennae. The heads were made out of black fondant (and glued on with red chocolate) and the antennae were made out of black jelly beans with little fondant balls on the top. These pictures show the result... not the best on time per piece, but pretty darn cute!

TEACUPS!

2009-05-20T09:47:00.003-04:00

I created these cupcake lollis as a sample for a corporate client. The teacup saucers and handles are made out of fondant and the decorations were all hand painted with luster dust. Which is your favorite??

Cakes of All Shapes & Sizes

2009-05-17T17:10:00.003-04:00

There wasn't really a theme to grab onto this weekend....

First an antique suitcase with vintage luggage tags to celebrate a 21st Birthday. The birthday girl just landed an internship at CNN International - so of course that needed to go on the cake as well. The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla" with Lemon Meringue Filling. Yum.

This 2 tier "I Remember Chocolate" cake with raspberry filling to Celebrate a First Communion was designed to mimic the communicant's dress and head piece. There were over 200 gumpaste flowers on the cake between the headpiece, prayer book and cake.

Finally a Yo-Yo cake for a birthday boy enamored with Yo-Yos. The cake was "Best Ever Vanilla with a chocolate ganache center. Happy Birthday Jack!

Football and Whimsical Pink & Green

2009-05-17T16:57:00.004-04:00

This cake was for a 9 year old who wanted a football cake. I decided a NY Giants football helmet was the way to go... my husband walked in and said "wow, that's a cool cake.... I thought they like the Jets." At which point I almost had a nervous breakdown. I made a phone call, felt relieved and poured myself a celebratory glass of wine. It was the correct team!

A whimsical "50" for an al fresco birthday dinner. The only thing that the birthday girl said she wanted was one of my cakes! I was very honored! The cake was "I remember chocolate" with a German Chocolate pecan and coconut filling. Decor was green and pink whimsy!

This "Best Ever Vanilla" was a surprise for a birthday girl returning home from college for the summer. It featured hot pink flowers with light pink centers and green foliage. Happy Birthday Amanda!

Sweet 16 and Other Party Lollis

2009-04-27T01:33:00.003-04:00

Here is a sampling of the different lolli bouquets I have done over the last week....

Power Rangers

2009-04-27T01:29:00.001-04:00

These lollis were designed for favors for a Power Rangers themed birthday party

BASEBALL

2009-04-27T01:23:00.005-04:00

I love April - because it means the opening of another season of baseball! Baseball has been well represented by Sweet Stuff of late... A Yankees cap carved from "Best Ever Vanilla", a bouquet of Red Sox themed lollis that was shipped to California, and Mets themed lollis to celebrate another birthday here in NJ....

EASTER

2009-04-27T01:15:00.004-04:00

I was very busy for Easter (and I am not sure I have recovered, thus the lack of recent posts!) Anyway - here is one of the many baskets of lollis that was done for Easter - This basket was actually done for Perrotti's Butcher Shop in Far Hills. It never made it.... IMPORTANT LESSON... Chocolate will melt when left in a car, in the sunshine. Bummer.

This was the only cake I did for Easter. A giant egg made out of "I Remember Vanilla" with lemon curd and buttercream.

EASTER and SUSHI???!!!

2009-03-31T13:58:00.006-04:00

I have been busy creating pops for Easter.... in addition to The flowers and leaves (as seen in a previous post, and again here) I am taking orders for Easter until 6pm on Monday April 6th. I will be making the following pops for inclusion in Easter bouquets.

Bright Colorful Flowers

Easter Eggs

Chicks (not a great picture) - they are really cute. Yellow with little chocolate eyes and chicken feet and an orange jelly bean beak.

Bunnies. I made 3 to try to figure out what to do. The bunny in the front (pink ears) was the winner. The ears are made from a marshmallow dipped in some colored sugar. Again the actual bunnies will be variations on this theme.

And - last, not Easterish, but definitely not least - SUSHI. I was walking through the grocery store a couple weeks ago and stopped to buy myself some spicy shrimp rolls for lunch. That got me to thinking.... how cute would sushi on a stick be ?! Well here are my versions: California rolls and spicy shrimp rolls (underneath is delicious vanilla cake.) Maybe you don't want them for Easter - but they are cute, and you should consider them for another occasion (just because I said so..)

I also made some lady bugs. But you will have to wait for that picture!

Showers, Congratulations & Happy 1st Birthday

2009-03-31T13:39:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have been busy with sick kids (who are now better and knock on wood will stay that way for the Spring)... and getting work done. I have received a few comments that it is hard to see the detail on the cupcakes when they are already wrapped and that the backsplash in my kitchen (while beautiful) is distracting. So I have been trying to take 2 sets of pictures - one before wrapping and one after arranging. The picture thing does not always happen - and then when it does I am often rushed and don't do a great job at it. Maybe someday I will hire a photographer to come and take pictures or get myself better equipment.... but for now you will just have to imagine that things in real life look better than my photographs of them.

In other news I just bought the domain www.cupcakelollis.com !!! For the time being it will be this blog - but in the future who knows ?!?!

These lollipops were created to celebrate a summer internship at CBS Radio. I shipped them to Pennsylvania. The pops featured the CBS eye, CBS, a radio tower and a couple "congratulations" - flavors included chocolate, vanilla, mocha and lemon.

Here they are before being wrapped:

This is what the bouquet looked like before going in the box:

This bouquet was created to send to Florida to celebrate the 1st birthday of a little boy. The pops were done in blue, purple and white and arranged in a lime green bucket. Very colorful!

And the arrangement:

This is one of 2 arrangements that I did for a Bridal Shower outside of Baltimore, MD. The bride's colors are teal, chocolate brown and white. Cupcake flavors were lemon, mocha, chocolate and vanilla and were distinguished by the decor. I actually did the arrangement twice - once without wraps and then again with wraps (but forgot to take the 2nd picture.) I am sure this one does them better justice anyway!

Spring Lollipops

2009-03-20T11:40:00.004-04:00

I have been busy trying new lollipop designs for Spring (hurry up and get here all ready!) This bouquet was designed to be an abstract bee hive - with one bee on the top.

This is a close-up of the bee. He was very cute if I do say so myself (but very delicate - so local delivery only!)

This bouquet features bright colors - purples, pinks, yellows and greens! Some had flowers, some were more leaf like and some were just fun. The bee also is a nice compliment to this floral design...

Here are some of the lollipops in progress. I often forget to take pictures of them in progress, before they get wrapped. The designs are much easier to photograph before the plastic covers go on. (If you click on the picture it will get bigger!)

This was one of 4 bouquets I made for my Dad. He is running for Treasurer of the New England District of Kiwanis. The lollipops were for his campaign hospitality suite at the last regional meeting. We had ribbon printed for the event and tied each lollipop - a nice addition to the bouquet!

Next week I am planning to work on easter egg, ladybugs, sushi and some sports themes.... as well as a couple bridal shower bouquets and an arrangement for the West Point lacrosse team. Stay tuned for pictures

Kirigami

2009-03-20T10:52:00.003-04:00

This cake was created to celebrate a Confirmation. The "honoree" (and one of my kids favorite babysitters) does kirigami as a hobby. Her designs are absolutely beautiful. This cake was my attempt to mimic a few of her creations out of fondant. It was a challenge - as fondant stretches when it is cut and you try to move it! The top layer of the cake was "I Remember Chocolate" with raspberry and vanilla buttercream and the bottom layer was "I Love Lemon" with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream

This is the thank you note her mother sent with one of her Kiragami designs. The back read - The cake was wonderful in all ways!

Cupcake Lollipops and More Cupcake Lollipops

2009-03-12T11:05:00.002-04:00

Last Friday night I did a sugar cookie decorating workshop for the Nite Owls of Mountain Lakes. These cookies were a few of the examples I prepared ahead of time. It was quite a rowdy evening - but the ladies did a great job of decorating their own cookies and hopefully learned one or two helpful hints. A good time was had by all!

Lady Bug and Bumblebee decorated with fondant, royal icing, and chocolate

Cleat - fondant with royal icing details

Wedding Cake - fondant with royal icing, details painted with luster dust

Chicks - one with fondant, the other with royal icing and sparkle dust. Details with royal icing and chocolate

The Princess and The Frog

2009-02-28T13:28:00.003-05:00

This cake was created for MLHS' production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. It was made using styrofoam dummies - so that they will be able to use it in a dance number. The styrofoam is covered in white and pink fondant. All the scroll work was done in royal icing and then painted with gold luster dust... a very labor intensive process! I enjoyed working on this cake and must admit that I am sad to see it go....

This "I remember chocolate" cake filled with raspberry and vanilla buttercream was created for a frog themed baby shower. I used the shower curtain from T&G's bathroom as my inspiration. The frog sitting on the top of the cake was created out of fondant. He is holding a flower made out of gumpaste. Maybe the frog will meet a princes and turn into a prince. Stranger things have happened.

Peace, Love & Laughter!

2009-02-21T11:11:00.002-05:00

This cake was created for a 15th birthday.... alternating stripes of red, hot pink and orange - with a bow and a "sparkling" peace sign as the topper. The cake is "Best Ever Vanilla" with a chocolate buttercream center and vanilla buttercream to top. A groovy cake for a groovy girl....

This cake is for a baby shower for a beautiful boy - who surprised everyone by arriving 10 weeks early. The cake is traveling to Massachusetts - so I decided the little lamb needed a Boston Red Sox hat (it is spring training after all!) The cake is "I Remember Chocolate" with a chocolate buttercream center and vanilla buttercream to top. The lamb was made using a combination of modling chocolate, gumpaste and fondant.

This "old school" TV was created for a Sitcom Party... notice the wood vener on the set and the rabbit ears on top! It was a challenge getting the right proportions on a cake for 12 people - but the "I Love Lucy" title screen should help anyone challenged to figure it all out! The cake is "I Remember Chocolate" with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla buttercream. Have a little laugh and enjoy the weekend!

Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-02-14T13:50:00.004-05:00

This cake was for 1st birthday party held at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ held on February 14th (hearts, hearts, hearts!) The cake was alternating layers of Best Ever Vanilla and I Remember Chocolate with chocolate and vanilla buttercream. We also created 11 lollipop bouquets which were used as the table centerpieces.

Sweet Dreams

2009-02-14T13:31:00.006-05:00

This cake was created for a surprise baby shower. The bunny was made using modeling chocolate and the tutu is fondant. The cake is Triple Threat Lemon with raspberry filling. The order also included a couple dozen cupcake lollipops decorated in pink and brown that the hostess gave out to guests as favors

This cake was created for the "PJ" party of a 5 year old that was held at Kinetics in Montville, NJ. The birth0day girl wanted a cake that looked like a bed! The cake was Triple Threat Lemon with vanilla buttercream filling. The pillows were made using our cupcake lollipop filling - and the little bear was made out of modeling chocolate! Now that's what I call "Sweet Dreams!"

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

2009-02-07T16:18:00.002-05:00

I couldn't decide how to decorate this cake - the birthday girl gave me a list of colors she liked and told me she wanted a bow on the top. The rest was for me to decide! In my struggle, I glanced down at the cupcake liners and voila! The cake is "I Dream of Chocolate" with a raspberry buttercream center, the cupcakes are "Chocolate Brownie" with mint buttercream, and "Oh Sweet Vanilla" with vanilla buttercream.

2009-02-03T09:07:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

2009-02-01T15:06:00.003-05:00

This birthday cake was to celebrate a 40th birthday that just happened to fall on Superbowl Sunday. The birthday boy was a Steelers Fan (and with 35 seconds to go - the Steelers granted 1 birthday wish!) The cake was vanilla with vanilla buttercream. As you can see by the 2 pictures - I gave the cake some thought after I thought I was done, and decided it needed to be shinny (the matte cake was just too old school!) I painted the top of the cake with diluted apricot preserves. I think the shine was just the touch it needed!

This cake was created for a 12 year old's birthday. The only direction I was given was that the birthday girl likes music and yellow. I decided that music notes and black-eyed susans were the way to go. The top layer of the cake is "I dream of Chocolate" with vanilla buttercream. The bottom layer is "Best Ever Vanilla" with vanilla buttercream. The music notes and lettering are created from piped dark chocolate (which was also used to create the centers of the flowers) which was "glued" to the cake with more chocolate once dry. My son thought "the cake would have been nicer with more colors", but I was happy with the simplicity!

Peace, Love and Chocolate

2009-02-01T09:19:00.002-05:00

I was contacted by The Mountain Lakes Market to make these Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes for a 50th birthday party they were catering. I made a hybrid coffee French buttercream and piped dark chocolate squiggles (that's a technical term) and 50's for decoration. I have become enamored with using tempered chocolate for piping... I love working with the warm chocolate (feels great on my hands!) Although it is a little unforgiving when paired with fondant (no making mistakes!) The cupcakes were presented on a 3 tier glass cupcake stand (birthday girl's cupcake was on the top with a candle.) If they send me a picture I will post it later!

This "Best Ever Chocolate" cake was created to celebrate a 12th birthday. The birthday girl is a big fan of peace signs and the color yellow. The fondant base was made mixing yellow and white fondant to create a tie-dye effect. The decorations featured piping in colored white chocolate and/or were dipped in sanding sugar to give the cake a little "bling". The little flowers on the top of the cake were designated to hold some pink sparkly candles... Now what 12 year old girl woudn't love this!!!

Christmas 2008

2009-02-01T09:15:00.001-05:00

Lots of Christmas Cupcake Lollipops

2008-12-19T21:59:00.001-05:00

A Bucket of Tennis Balls

2008-12-19T21:58:00.001-05:00

Bouquet sent to the brothers of a new baby boy

2008-12-19T21:57:00.001-05:00

Mini Cupcakes for Langham Hotels

2008-12-10T20:53:00.001-05:00

2008-12-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

2008-12-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

Tugboat for a 75th Birthday Celebration

2008-11-23T21:56:00.002-05:00

This cake was for a 75th birthday celebration. The birthday boy's father owned a tug boat company and this is the picture of the boat they gave me to replicate. The cake was our best ever vanilla with vanilla buttercream. The boat was surrounded on the bottom with blue royal icing to mimic the water...

On Sunday morning I received the following email:
"Just wanted to thank you again for doing such an amazing job with my dad's cake! It truly was the talk of the party...people couldn't believe it was a cake!!! My dad was blown away...he couldn't believe the level of detail!!!"

A "Beary" Cute Shower Cake

2008-11-23T21:52:00.002-05:00

This cake was for a "Baby Sprinkle" - a bunch of women getting together to share some drinks and conversation while "sprinkling" the mother to be with a few gifts to celebrate the pending arrival of her 1st daughter.

The cake was our Best Ever Vanilla with lemon buttercream. Of course there was also a cupcake lollipop bouquet which featured lemon and peppermint lollipops. YUM!

Cupcake Lollipops for a 50th Birthday Celebration

2008-11-23T21:41:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, my business partner and I ventured into a new line of business - Catering. (Well, it is not exactly new - I did catering as a career about 12 years ago - pre-husband and definitely pre-kids! - but that seems like it was a different lifetime at this point.) We did a cocktail party for a couple celebrating their 50th birthdays. The menu was designed around the events of their lives... and was a huge success. We haven't decided whether or not it is something we really want to pursue, but it was good to have a successful first venture.

The couple did not want a cake, so we served a variety of cupcake lollipops - Vanilla, Chocolate & Carrot Cake!

Sweet Treats for my not so little boy!

2008-11-23T21:34:00.003-05:00

These are NY Giants sugar cookies I made for my son to take to school for his 7th birthday. The cake was for a trip to Medieval Times with a couple of his friends. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the cake before we left - and it got a little tossed around in the car on the trip there (7 year old boys are crazy!)

The Shipping Disaster!

2008-11-23T19:32:00.005-05:00

This is a cake that my uncle ordered for my aunt. They live outside of Buffalo, NY. I shipped it to them express mail - I was hopeful that it would make it without a blemish, but in my heart of hearts didn't think it would work. As you can see by the following pictures, it is not something I will be replicating anytime soon!

Little Lambkin

2008-10-24T17:26:00.003-04:00

So I had to tear myself (briefly) away from the cupcake lollipops to make a baby shower cake for a good friend. She saved the gumpaste lamb - I don't know how well it will keep - we will have to wait and see!

The cake was a chocolate cake with chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cup buttercream and the cupcake lolli's (you don't think that I could not include these little delights?!) were carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. OMG!

Mini Cupcakes for a Food Tasting

2008-10-24T17:14:00.003-04:00

These little gems were created for a food tasting fundraiser held at the Mountain Lakes Club on Monday October 20th. I wanted to show a few of the MANY possibilities for these cute little bite size pieces of goodness (yes I am gushing, but I really do love them!)

I think I forgot to mention how exactly they are made. First, start with yummy cake (freshly baked.) Second, crumble said cake into a bowl and mix in a couple large spoonfuls of buttercream icing (not the canned stuff please!) Third, shape them into mini meatballs and chill. Fourth, shape them to look like little cupcakes. Fifth, dip them in chocolate and put on a stick. Sixth - decorate. Seventh - try to stop yourself from eating them!

The cupcakes for the tasting were vanilla with buttercream and chocolate with vanilla buttercream. The possibilities however are endless - my head is swimming.

The PERFECT Bite of Cake

2008-10-24T17:08:00.004-04:00

I wish I could take credit for these wonderful, yummy, perfect bite of cake cupcakes! Sadly, I cannot. They were invented by BAKERELLA and I found them while blog surfing. I immediately decided I needed to try making them - and a week, and 600 of them later (well, that might be an exaggeration, but I feel like I have been making them 24 hours a day) I AM IN LOVE! They are so sassy, and so different - perfect for kids or adults. Amazing.

The first project was to send a batch to my mother for her birthday. I put them in a pail and sent them on their way. It was a success. No casualties. Life is good.

Haunted Hayride Birthday Party

2008-10-18T21:15:00.003-04:00

These cupcakes were for a 11 year old's birthday party following a haunted hayride. There were chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream and Halloween inspired decorations - mummies, pumpkins, black cats, bats, witches & Frankenstein! On the very top of the cupcake tower sat a fondant birthday girl - surrounded by candles!

Delbarton's Homecoming

2008-10-12T15:50:00.002-04:00

It was a busy weekend... I also did 3 dozen cupcakes for Delbarton's Homecoming. They were very cute - vanilla cupcakes with white buttercream, green sparkling sprinkles and mini footballs made out of chocolate fondant. I forgot to take a picture of them - so you will just have to trust me when I say they were very cute - they were!

Town Club of Mountain Lakes - 50th Anniversary

2008-10-12T15:41:00.004-04:00

This cake was made for the Town Clubof Mountain Lakes' Newcomers Party. They wanted something to recognize the 50th anniversary of the club's existence, so I did the logo in a fabric pattern all over the cake. The top tier was vanilla/vanilla and the bottom was the the infamous chocolate/vanilla combination. The cake was covered with vanilla fondant and decorated with chocolate fondant.

Medieval Times

2008-10-12T15:34:00.006-04:00

This is a cake made for a 5th Birthday party held at Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The cake was vanilla with vanilla buttercream with royal frosting as the water and a gumpaste knight guarding the castle.

Baptism Cake

2008-10-09T20:38:00.002-04:00

The first cake in the new kitchen. We were going for a "girly" simply elegance for the outside of this vanilla cake with carmel, chocolate crunch filling. Two tones of pink, with sugar pearls and a pink peony out of gumpaste. I think there were over 1,000 pearls on this cake - but it was done on the new CAKE COUNTER! So I must say that it was fun!

Oh so close!

2008-09-04T20:36:00.000-04:00

Just a few minor, but important details to go! So very exciting

Cabinets, Cabinets & More Cabinets!

2008-08-08T09:23:00.000-04:00

FLOOR

2008-08-08T09:21:00.001-04:00

New Walls

2008-08-08T09:19:00.001-04:00

Granite & Backsplash

2008-06-27T11:29:00.001-04:00

New Doorways

2008-06-27T11:23:00.000-04:00

No guts no glory

2008-06-24T07:23:00.000-04:00

GOODBYE KITCHEN

2008-06-22T22:04:00.000-04:00

The last cake has been baked in my soon to be OLD kitchen.... I can't wait for the new kitchen and new cakes - but for now here are the "before" pictures - stay tuned!

Happy 1st Birthday

2008-06-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

A cake to go with the Baby Einstein theme for a sweet little girl. The cake was vanilla with vanilla buttercream and chocolate with raspberry buttercream. A smash cake with flowers and another catapillar for the one day a little girl has complete permission to make a big mess!

Dear Mrs. Moran -

Thank you very much for making my beautiful cake. It was the highlight of my 1st birthday party! I liked eating it too.

Love, Sami

Golden Anniversary

2008-06-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

A simply elegant cake befitting a 50th wedding anniversary. Vanilla cake filled with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream. Decorated with a large 50 and dots made out of fondant and hand painted with gold luster dust. Delivered to GoodFellas Ristorante in Garfield New Jersey

Dear Beth - I just wanted to thank you for the amazing cake you created for my parents party...it was AMAZING and not only gorgeous but delicious! You have a wonderful skill and I wish you the best of luck in your business and will spread the word on your fabulous work! You are an inspiration to woman who keep it going after creating a family as well.....you must be busy! I think you probably have begun renovation on your kitchen...... I will be in touch for another celebration some time! Thanks again for making it a wonderful celebration for us! Fondly - Laura in Montclair

A Fish for a Fisherman

2008-06-19T10:26:00.001-04:00

This cake was made for the 40th birthday of a good friend who loves to fish. The Rainbow Trout was carved from vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream in the center and covered with fondant. I used luster dust and food coloring to paint the fish - VERY FISHY INDEED!

My Dad's A BLAST

2008-06-13T16:15:00.001-04:00

A Father's Day cake for a dad who works as a Blaster. The stick of dynamite is made from cake crumbs and has a "place holder" skewer in the picture which was later replaced with a sparkler candle to mimic the dynamite blast.

Red Sox Nation - New Jersey

2008-06-11T20:05:00.001-04:00

A 40th birthday cake for a good friend and fellow Red Sox fan. The cake is sculpted yellow cake filled with vanilla buttercream and the ball is made from crushed cake mixed with vanilla buttercream - a great big cake "meatball" My daughter loves cake done this way - she says it is the perfect mixture of cake and frosting in every bite!

Go Sox!

Beth,

Thank you. The biggest and coolest surprise of the year was to walk into the conference room here in Chatham and see the Red Sox Nation cake of the year. Very cool. I'll have to send a photo up to Jerry Remy - you have a new following of fans in Chatham. There were lots of "oohs" and "ahs", and I just got another "my compliments to the chef" by somebody on their way out the door.

D

Little People Cupcakes

2008-06-09T21:48:00.000-04:00

I wish I could take complete credit for these cupcakes - but I can't... I found the idea on the blog of an Australian baker, and all I can say is THANK YOU! I love them - so cute! I only hope the kids I made them for like them as much as I do!

Sweet Sixteen

2008-06-02T11:49:00.000-04:00

A 2 tiered vanilla with vanilla buttercream to celebrate a Sweet Sixteen. My daughter's "Dora the Explorer" patio furniture served as the inspiration for the colors - a whimsical, fun, celebration cake!

The Red, White & Blue

2008-05-20T21:59:00.001-04:00

These cakes and cupcakes were created to match a "red, white & blue" themed birthday celebration for 2 sisters. The cakes were vanilla with vanilla buttercream and the cupcakes were a mix of vanilla and chocolate with sparkle dusted vanilla buttercream and red or blue fondant starts. The fondant "lollipops" on the cakes were a big crowd pleaser!

Cupcakes

2008-05-15T08:59:00.000-04:00

My sister-in law wanted some upscale cupcakes to serve as dessert for a wine tasting.... She said they were a great hit! I would like to thank my sister for taking the time out of her busy schedule to act as my food stylist... I was too busy packing for a weekend escape with my hubby to take any photographs!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

Cosmo Cupcakes (vanilla cake with Triple Sec soaked cranberries and lime buttercream)

A birthday cake from my little cake bakers!

2008-05-07T23:35:00.001-04:00

This is the cake my 4 year old and 6 year old created my birthday - they were so proud... and so was I!

An invention for an inventor...

2008-05-07T23:32:00.000-04:00

or should it be of an inventor? Fudgy chocolate and the best ever yellow with buttercream, topped by who else... Albert Einstein!