Owl Cakes for Emily

As much as I love Chicago, some of my favorite things are still in Boston. Included in that list of things I miss from the homeland are some of my favorite people on the planet. These cupcakes go out to Emillama, who I miss terribly. Emily loves owls and the color yellow almost as much as I love her.

Inspired by: Emillama.

Best enjoyed: While listening to The Concretes on an autumn afternoon when the sun makes everything look shades of orange.

I want your skullcakes...

I've always wanted to play in a Misfits cover band. Over the weekend, I decided to take the most logical step to fill this misfits-cover-band shaped void in my life...but instead of practicing el guitaro and posting a craigslist ad for bandmates, I baked skullcakes.

Little did I know when setting out on this task that it would come damn close to being an epic faiulre. You see, I did my homework. I made a template for the white chocolate skulls, and I assembled them while the vanilla cuppers were in the oven. It was only once the cupcakes were cooled and I was ready to place the glorious white chocolate skulls on top of them that I realized my mistake. The skulls were gigantic. I don't even know how my measurements ended up as off as they were, but these skulls were about the size of two cupcakes (each).

No biggie, though. I just stacked two cupcakes on top of eachother (with the wrapper removed on the top one), secured with chocolate buttercream and a lollipop stick, then dipped the whole thing in chocolate ganache. Crisis averted. Cupcakes prevail.


The details - vanilla cupcakes dipped in chocolate ganache (tinted black). The skulls are made of white chocolate that I piped on wax paper and set in the freezer to harden.

Would Glenn Danzig eat these cupcakes? That I can't say, but I can say that you won't lose any punk cred by devouring one (or three). Hey - if the [chocolate] drains down like devils rain, we'll bathe tonight.

Inspired by: Danzig, The Misfits, Skulls, and my lack of a music related creative outlet.

Best enjoyed: while wearing a black hoodie and listening to Skulls by the Misfits on repeat.

White Wedding.

This blog has been in hibernation mode for a while (read: a year), but I've decided that it's time for a revival. My dear friend and soulmate, nikkiehippie, is currently planning the raddest wedding in the history of weddings. Nikkiehippie is one of the raddest people that I know, and she will be marrying her rad fiance with a rad ceremony in the rad month of May, 2009. Rad-I know. Not only do I get to play the role of rad bridesmaid, but I've also signed on to [potentially] make 200 cupcakes and some sort of mini-cake/giant cupcake for the bride & groom.

No small task, but one that I am super stoked about, if it ends up happening. Those of you that know me know that I don't really need an excuse to break out the mixing bowl, but what better excuse is there than "research and development" for your best friend's wedding?

Well, in the name of science, I will be spending the next eight months testing recipes and design ideas for cupcakes, mini cakes, tiered cakes, and more. Some will be wedding related, while others will be to answer some age old questions like:

Can fondant be punk rock?

What is the best edible medium to recreate a devilock with?

Can a cake look badass and still taste good?

How many cupcakes can one person make in a 24 hour period?

Are there limits of the power of cupcakes? They can mend friendships and heal broken hearts, but can they fight terrorism? Capitalism?

I will try to get you the answers to these and more, while testing recipes and flavor combos on anyone in my path. Expect to hear some reviews from my wonderful roommate, my life hostage/partner in crime - daenra, and anyone else who'd like to sample my 'goods.

Get into it. Stay tuned. And while you're at it, check out my "get inspired" links for some rad folks with rad skillz.

xo
ms.s.