whisper neapolitan

Have you ever heard of a Neapolitan cupcake before? No, neither had I, until I read Sprinkles' Facebook feed and did a Google image search. Sure, most people know Neapolitan ice cream as strawberry/vanilla/chocolate, where the unwanted strawberry always gets left behind. But in cupcake form? Well, this looks promising. I wonder what Sprinkles' Neapolitan looks like. More on this research tomorrow. [image via The Cupcake Blog]

speaking of bombpops...

These are pretty cute. Here's the recipe for Bombpop Cupcakes. I'd suggest waiting for September to turn on the oven, but that's just me. [image via confessions of a cookbook queen]

fantasizing about the cupcake atm

It's 1 hour past 3:00 sugar. So why am I fantasizing about the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills? I don't know. At least there are videos to watch. The first one's pretty boring. The next one's better. In fact don't bother watching the first one. Just watch the official one below by Sprinkles owner, Candace Nelson. It's almost like being there. Minus the cupcake.





***
This just in (just learned on FB) Friday, April 13:

Random cupcakes in the Cupcake ATM contain lucky Golden Tickets! You may unexpectedly win 1, 6 or 12 cupcakes the next time you swing by for your favorite flavor!

***
Update, Monday, April 16:
NYC is getting a Cupcake ATM!!!!!!!!!!

a cupcake atm. yes you read that right.

According to a pretty reliable source on Facebook, "the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM is now dispensing freshly baked cupcakes in Beverly Hills!" How is this possible, you ask? I don't know either. I guess, just "swing by to see the world's first Cupcake ATM in action!"

The Cupcake ATM
9635 S. Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA
888.220.2210
always open*

*Even after Sprinkles closes at 10pm, the Cupcake ATM right next store is stocked with hour-old freshly baked cupcakes. Q: When they drop down, how does the frosting not get all smudgy? Maybe they're packed in a box... Do you get a fork and a napkin? I should probably call the toll-free number and find out.

***
Update, 4:13pm
Apparently, it comes packed in an individual box. The dude on the phone didn't know much more. Bummer. Fork or no fork? Exact change? Credit cards? Don't know.

oscar-winning cupcakes

[image via Sprinkles on Facebook]

Okay, I saw this a bit late, but this is pretty genius! Imagine all the girls who love to throw Oscar parties. Why do people throw Oscar parties again? Well anyway, these would be the perfect finger food for the occasion.

cupcake apps!

This is so cool! Cupcake apps! via Sprinkles Cupcakes' Pinterest This person is totally from New Jersey. Who else would make a 280 cupcake decoration?

cupcake candelabras

Cheers! [image via hwtm daily blog]

How do some people think of such good ideas? I have party envy every time I look at Hostess with the Mostess blog. I look at the ideas and think, I wish I could throw a party a week. But I don't even own a pedestal cake plate. So many beautiful presentations! I am in awe. I especially love the cupcake candelabras. I would have never thought of that in a million years.

sprinkles arrives in nyc!

The Sprinklesmobile on 6th Avenue (39th/40th Streets) this past Friday.
The first 500 people got a free, freshly baked cupcake! [image via Sprinkles on FB]

We just missed it! The Sprinkles van was parked 1 block from the Dollhouse showroom on Friday, and we had no idea. I hope they come back. In case you haven't heard, the LA-based awesome cupcake chain is -- at long last -- opening in NYC, this FRIDAY!!!! In preparation for this exciting event, the Sprinkles van is parking around NYC, giving away free cupcakes, 500 and 1000 at a time! Now that's pretty generous. Let's all watch their Facebook page, shall we? And agree to inform each other when there's another giveaway. Comment right here. Deal?


Sprinkles NYC
Opens Friday, May 13
780 Lexington avenue (60th/61st)
Right near Bloomingdale's
NY NY 10065

support a sweet cause!

Sprinkles Japan relief cupcake [image via Sprinkles]

Attention Californians, West-Coasters, fans of cupcakes, and good-hearted people. We just read on Facebook that today, Spinkles is donating 100% of the proceeds from their Red Cross Red Velvet cupcakes to the American Red Cross to benefit the Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami relief efforts. Please eat, give, share. Thanks!

GO TO SPRINKLES FB PAGE for information.

did someone say cupcakes?

I love Pacman!!!! [image via Geekolgie]

I wonder if the object of this game is to gobble up all the cupcakes à la Pacman? If so, who wants to try for the high score? Gotta love the '80s.

time for a sweet treat

It's Friday people! Indulge. (Thought-of-the-Day, courtesy of Dollhouse)

carpe cake-um!

[image via Blondie and Brownie]

I don't know about you, but during the 3:00 sugar hour, I like to browse what the gals who eat everything and anything sweet (and finish every last bite) are eating. Yes, I am talking about Blondie and Brownie. I think I finally tracked down a pic of these two happy food bloggers -- you know, to see if they are what they eat... And you know what? They're not! They are perfectly thin and trim. Is this un-PC to say? Well, they do defy normal metabolism, so color me fascinated.

And so concludes today's food for thought. In the form of a cute marshmallow-y smiley-faced cupcake. Oh, just one more thing if you happened to read their accompanying blog post that goes with the cupcake. Are you guys so over food trucks in NYC? I kinda am. There are just too many of them these days.



*Carpe cake-um, the title of this post, is a genius phrase coined by Blondie and Brownie. Yes they are masters of the dessert world.

getting into the holiday spirit

[image via Sprinkles FB page]

It's getting to look a lot like Halloween! Everywhere we go...

3:00 sugar, 2 hours late

[image via Serious Eats NY]

So perhaps we are thinking about cupcakes... Aren't you? Serious Eats NY published a great best-of list you have to check out. While you're there, check out their other best-of food lists at the bottom of this post.

hbj!

Hope you're having a great day Janice! If you've seen this, then click over to Dollhouse FB and Dollhouse Twitter too!

sprinkles cupcakes

[image via The Independent]

[image via What I Ate Today]

Let's try a little word association:

Los Angeles
Sprinkles Cupcakes

Yup, me too. And that icing! How do they get their icing to look so darn mouth-wateringly delicious? I wonder if our sales team is ordering Sprinkles to the Dollhouse LA Market showroom right now? They could send someone to the store in Beverly Hills on 9635 Little Santa Monica Boulevard to pick some up. Or they can order online. I hope they get the Red Velvet.

time for a cupcake

What goes well with a studded cupcake?


Some studded booties of course.

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

I don't know about you, but we're sitting here in a snowstorm. And we're thinking a lot about cupcakes. Let's fantasize, shall we? It's perfect weather for eating cupcakes, drinking hot cocoa (with marshmallows!) and shopping online. Don't you think?

or how about some caramel cupcakes...


...and caramel booties? YES!

crazy creative

Good ole checkers.

Pacman!

Simon! It's as old as Close Encounters of the Third Kind!
This kind of digital is so analog. It's almost quaint.

This is such a great idea. 100 cupcakes decorated with 100 different games, ranging from old school Pacman, Super Mario Brothers, and Simon, to even older school Checkers and Marbles. Check it out here. See how many games you can identify.

crumbs intervention required?

A Dollhouse showroom birthday, catered by Crumbs Bake Shop

The Birthday Biggie at right, still left! Many slivvers later, it was gone.

Dear Reader,

Where do you live? Do you happen to live in a town with a cute lil' cupcake bakery? Or do you live in NYC where there is a cupcake bakery on every corner? And on every other corner, a Crumbs cupcake shop.

In fact, we at Dollhouse NYC are the proud new neighbors of a brand new Crumbs. It's just half-a-block away and less than a month old. It is way too close to burn any calories getting there and back, which we at Dollhouse believe to be most dangerous.

We celebrate a lot of birthdays here at the showroom with Crumbs. Generally, how it works is the birthday girl gets a biggie cupcake (where she always says, "THAT big one is for me? No I just couldn't..." and then proceeds to eat it all, plus another mini) while the rest of us get a mini. Do you know the 12-pack?* It's the best.

So there I was this afternoon getting a café au lait (with skim milk) and no cupcake. I know, no cupcake! I couldn't believe it either. But 'tis the season to make healthy resolutions right? Oops, I said 'tis the season again. Sorry, I must resolve to stop that. But anyway, there I was this afternoon getting a café au lait when I spotted them. Crumbs bandanas. For sale? Twelve bucks. And then I looked over at the girl behind the counter, and sure enough, she was sporting one too. I really wanted to buy one, and wear it back to Dollhouse, for people to gradually realize that I was wearing Crumbs attire. They would whisper to each other, "Did you see Elaine today? Did you see what she was wearing? I think she has A Cupcake Problem. I think we should get her some help, don't you? Maybe we should schedule a cupcake intervention...."

I will have to snap a picture of the new Crumbs bandanas for you tomorrow. I guess they are too new to post on their site. Stay tuned. Do you dare me to wear one? I totally will and record the reactions. Now that would be funny.



*If you know the 12-pack, what is your favorite? Mine is the mini-m-n-m one. Yum. Our graphic designer was always the first one to dive for that one. It's certainly a tasty one. Our tops designer loves the red velvet. Everyone else (jeans designers included) claim to not have favorites, but I know they do. They're just playing it cool.



***
Update, 1.7.2010
Here it is, the Crumbs Bandana. And as far as I know, the only picture on the Internet so far...

magnolia cupcake recipe

Magnolia cupcakes are just so beautiful
[image from adozeneggs.com]

If you're anything like everyone, you love Magnolia Cupcakes. You would think the craze for Magnolia would have died down after all these years, but no, still going strong in NYC and beyond. We think it's all the butter they put in the buttercream frosting. Anyway, we thought you might like to take a crack at the recipe, and spread the love to all your friends this holiday. Wouldn't a half a dozen cupcakes make a lovely handmade gift? Plus you could buy one of those cool "Cup a Cake" holders and include it with each package.

Cup-A-Cake holders are so cute! And just $2.99 each.

Here's Magnolia's NYC-famous Vanilla Cupcakes, via RecipeLink. Hope you enjoy!

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)

• CUPCAKES:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ICING:

• Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

The beauty is in the beholding. Be sure to get cute decorations for the frosting. [image from nyceats.net]

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners’ sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.