Skeleton Cupcakes & Michael Jackson’s Gloves found in Atlanta

This has been a busy week, but believe me I haven’t forgotten about Halloween cupcakes, Below is a recipe for these Skeleton Cupcakes from Woman’s Day. If you don’t have time I spotlighted two Atlanta cupcakeries that have great Halloween cupcakes you can order and pickup. If you spot any great cupcakes or would like to share your own drop the link here.

• 1 box (18.25 oz) devil's food cake mix
• 1 1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 16 oz each) dark chocolate frosting
• Decoration: black gel or paste food color, 24 marshmallows, 24 (4-in. ) thin breadsticks (grissini) or lollipop sticks, a clean artist's brush, 24 grape fruit leather snacks (like FruitaBu), black decorating sugar, red nonpareil candies

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. You'll need 24 regular-size muffin cups lined with paper, foil or Halloween-themed liners.

Beat cake mix, buttermilk, eggs and oil in large bowl with mixer on medium speed 2 minutes or until just blended. Divide batter between muffin cups (1/4 cup batter per cup).

Bake 24 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes before removing cupcakes to rack to cool completely.

Tint chocolate frosting black with food color; frost cupcakes.

To decorate: Slightly flatten marshmallows with palm of your hand. Insert a broken length of breadstick or lollipop stick into each marshmallow. Place some black frosting in a microwave-safe custard cup and microwave about 5 seconds, until thin and runny. Paint skeleton faces onto marshmallows with a fine paintbrush.

Using the photo as a guide, cut fruit leather into bat wings with scissors; press in decorating sugar to coat. Roll fruit leather scraps into small balls, then shape into bat heads with ears; coat heads in sugar. Attach 2 nonpareil candies for eyes with a dab of frosting.

To assemble: Using photo as guide, stand bat wings upright in frosting on top of cupcakes. Insert a skeleton head behind wings into middle of cupcake. Attach a bat head in middle of wings with frosting.

Plan Ahead: You can bake cupcakes 2 weeks ahead and freeze. Frost and decorate up to 1 day ahead, cover and keep at room temperature.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/skeleton-cupcakes-82822#ixzz13bYaqCWx

Halloween Cupcakes from Lenox Cupcakes

Simply Sweet & More’s Michael Jackson glove cupcakes

Cocktail Cupcake

When my editor offered my three book deal  for A Good Excuse to Be Bad this spring the first thing that came to my main was I had to throw a Cocktail Cupcake Party. Little did I know at the time that a Cocktail Cupcake Company existed right here in Atlanta.  Now I’m not a drinker, but I they’re cute. Hopefully, they could make me some mocktail cupcakes. (hint)

So here’s the scoop:

Website: http://www.cocktailcupcakes.net/

Menu items that peak my interest:

Patron
Lime cake laced with Patron Tequila, Topped with Patron & Lime Buttercream Frosting.

Cosmopolitan
Cranberry Cosmopolitan cake laced with Vodka, topped with Cosmopolitan Buttercream frosting.

Chocolate Martini
Chocolate cake laced with Chocolate Liquer, topped with Chocolate Vodka frosting.

Caramel Appletini
Cinnamon Apple cake laced with Apple Vodka, topped with Apple Vodka frosting.

Party planning underway. I’ll let you know what happens with the book party.

The Great Cupcake Smackdown

The Great Cupcake Smackdown was Deliciouso!!!!

The Winners in a Nut Cup Shell:

Peoples' Choice:

 

Red Velvet & Judges' Choice Freestyle (Marie Antoinette) winner: Little Cake Bakery.

 

 

 

 

Peoples' Choice Freestyle (Better Than Sex) & Judges' Choice Red Velvet winner: Pink Cupcake Dreams.

I will blog in more detail about each participant this week. It was such big fun. My girlee can’t stop talking about it.

The Great Cupcake Smackdown & Two Delicious Divas

This Sunday, just after church service Girlee and I are attending The Great Cupcake Smackdown. Can’t wait. My favorite Cupcake Eateries here in Atlanta and some of you, who read the blog will be there and so will I. 

I’ll live blog from there so stay tuned. If you’re attending, let me know here on on the Smackdown Facebook Page.

Picture: Some Red Velvet & Oreo Cupcakes I made for my graduating Cousins.I’ll post up the recipe soon.

Dee