Fudge Cupcakes

Let's talk about chocolate cupcakes. Specifically the light and fluffy kind with thick fudgy icing. Not the billowing cloud of butter cream, but the kind you can feel your teeth sliding into. The kind that melts in your mouth like a chocolaty dream.

There's really not a chocolate cupcake I'd ever say no to, unless it's concealing something healthy, like fruits or vegetables. I love giant mounds of buttercream, but this fudge icing is like a Hostess cupcake gone mad. I absolutely adore it. And the cupcake itself is like a pillow. Though I suppose one wouldn't get much sleeping done with that sort of temptation under their heads. Silliness aside, this cupcake is heaven.

These were made for a going away party for someone headed off to Brazil, so I chose yellow papers and blue and green sprinkles. But one of the greatest things about cupcakes is how they can be personalized for almost any occasion. Endless possibilities. Just the way it should be.

So yeah, chocolate cupcakes. Aren't you glad we had this little chat? Get ya some!

Photos by Monica Szczupider

Mint Cupcakes

No birthday is complete without cake, right? But why should that mean you have to settle for the same store bought sugar coma cake everybody else has? Not that there's anything wrong with that. I know I've eaten plenty of it in my lifetime. But on your birthday, you deserve something special.

These chocolate cupcakes are topped with a generous dollop of minty sweet frosting. It's cool and summery and delightful. And that minty cloud rests atop a unique chocolate cupcake studded with ground almonds. It gives them a wonderful chewy texture that's pleasantly surprising. And they stay light and moist for days.

We had a great time working, once again, with the fantastic Monica Szczupider on the photography for this post. Building relationships with talented artists is one of the best parts of my job. After eating dessert, of course.

And speaking of work, we received our business cards in the mail this weekend. I was positively giddy when I saw them perched in the mailbox. I'm not sure what got me so excited. Maybe it made it all seem just a little bit more legit. I can't wait to say, "Here's my card." I'm such a dork.

Summer might be coming to an end, but that doesn't mean you can't create your own sunshine. Try a fresh and delicious mint chocolate cupcake. You deserve it.

All photos by Monica Szczupider

Citrus Cocktail Cupcakes

I haven't posted in a while. What's that? You hadn't noticed? No worries. I'll make it up to you. Let's have a cocktail and a cupcake. All in one.

The first cocktail that comes to mind when I think about Hawaii is a mai tai. Even though it wasn't actually created here, there's probably not a single bar that doesn't serve them. But if you search the internet for mai tai cupcakes, you'll only find one recipe. It's delicious, but it doesn't taste like a mai tai. I was suspicious immediately, as it didn't contain anything pineapple. So, it's back to the drawing board for the mai tai cupcake, but that didn't stop me from eating about eight of these.

This cupcake is citrusy and boozy all at once. It stays moist for days. There's an orange and almond custard surprise on the inside that all my tasters loved. You can't stop eating them. They're perfect for a girls night or a Tuesday night. Just eat them. Then have a mai tai. You won't regret it.

Starting from Scratch: Red Velvet Cupcakes

We've been in our new home in Hawaii for a little over a week now, and I'm getting to know and love my new kitchen.  But when we first moved in last week we had almost nothing.  I came with my food scale, cutting board, rotating cake stand, 9 inch round cake pan, and an 8x8 baking pan.  That's it.  That's all I had in my kitchen.  For a food lover and an aspiring baker, this is a serious problem.

This is what my kitchen looks like now.  As you can see, I've managed to acquire a few things in the past week, including some pots and pans for cooking and baking.  Counter space is at a minimum, and we still don't own a table to eat at.  Can you say living room picnic?  I recently discovered mid-dinner-making that I hadn't yet bought a can opener for my tomatoes.  Luckily, my dad's pocket tool came to the rescue.  Starting a kitchen from scratch is not easy.  You don't appreciate how much stuff you need to actually make dinner until you have nothing to work with.

The first thing we baked in our new kitchen were red velvet cupcakes to celebrate my daughter's 11th birthday.  She helped to bake and decorate these cupcakes.  They didn't turn out quite as pretty as I would have hoped.  Like I said, I had to buy everything to make these, including the cupcake pan.  I didn't have time to go shopping around for pretty red papers, or even a piping bag.  But we made do with what we had.  I simply used a butter knife to fluff up the frosting on top of the cupcakes and create a fun little swirl on the top. Sprinkles are courtesy of the lovely Miss Em.

Birthday girl anticipation

Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

How is one expected to go about their daily business when their whole apartment smells like spice heaven?  That's the dilemma I was faced with when I put these baby cakes in the oven.  The warm comforting scent of cinnamon and ginger hung around my apartment for hours.  These golden teddy bear brown cakes sat cooling on my table, taunting me, begging to be eaten.  I wish I could have had them all to myself.

These sweet little cakes started out with that oh so heavenly spice cake I was telling you about.  A bit more substantial than the average airy vanilla cupcake, these cakes are loaded with flavor all by themselves, including a gentle heat that warms the back of your throat.  No wonder people were willing to sail thousands of miles for this stuff.  Spices make life much more exciting.  But as if that weren't enough, perched on top is a generous dollop of sweet and tangy maple cream cheese frosting.  It's just the right amount of sweet, and oh so smooth and creamy.  Finally they're hit with a sprinkling of demerara sugar to make them sparkle.

I couldn't help myself.  I had to have one before we packed them up for Canada day.  I couldn't believe my taste buds.  These cupcakes turned out to be even better than the smell had promised.  I couldn't stop dancing with delight.  I wanted everyone in the world to try one.  As long as they left one more for me.  

Inspired by The Hungry Mouse

Triple Caramel Cupcakes

I'm a chocolate freak myself, but my husband LOVES caramel (which must be pronounced with three syllables).  So when it came time to find ideas for last weekend's Taichung Improv show, he, of course, suggested caramel cupcakes.  These cupcakes delivered on all fronts.

It starts with a dense sticky caramel cake made with brown sugar.  Then there's a secret filling of homemade caramel sauce.  Piled on top is a caramel butter cream and a drizzle of that caramel filling, just in case you hadn't had enough caramel already.  Sadly, they all sold out before I even got to try one, but I hear they were divine.  If you love all things caramel, you're gonna melt when you sink your teeth into one of these.

Inspired by Sprinkle Bakes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

There are some things you just can't get in Taiwan.  Reese's peanut butter cups are one of them.  No matter where you look, they cannot be found.  Reese's is one of my all time favorite candies.  It makes me sad every time I have to choose something else at 7-11.

But this makes me very happy.  A chocolate peanut butter cupcake to fulfill all of your peanut butter cup cravings.  It's a light as air devil's food cupcake topped with the best peanut butter frosting I've ever tasted.  It's like crack, this stuff.  It makes me dance every time I taste it.  

One of our Taichung fans requested these.  The only way you can get chocolate and peanut butter together in this country is to make it yourself.  Which is what I did.  I hope you enjoy!

We'll be in People's Park today with these cupcakes and our amazing sandwich cookies.  Hope to see you there.

In the Works-- Tequila Sunrise Cupcake

We've got great things cooking in the Treatsies kitchen.  You loved the margarita cupcakes so much, we've decided to develop a whole line of drunken cupcakes based on all the drinks you love.  Just because you can't go to the bars in Taichung anymore doesn't mean you can't still enjoy the flavor of your favorite cocktail.

This weekend we've been working on perfecting the tequila sunrise cupcake.  It's sweet and orangalicious with a slight punch of tequila working in the background. It will make you feel like you're on a Mexican beach.  

Tell us what your favorite cocktails are, and we'll create the perfect cupcake for you.  What are you craving today?

Margarita Cupcakes

It's cupcake mayhem in the Treatsies kitchen today, and you can try one for free.  Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out when we'll be giving away these gorgeous cupcakes at the Taichung International Food and Music Festival today!

It's hot outside.  And I mean really hot!  Time for a margarita or five.  We're bringing something sweet to the party with these petite margarita drunken cupcakes.  These treatsies are layered with tequila on every level.  That's right.  Tequila in cupcakes.  Tequila in the cake, tequila on the cake, tequila in the frosting.  It's everywhere.  But it's the sweet lime flavor that really makes you want to eat another one.  And each cupcake is topped with a hand-crafted chewy lime candy for an extra punch of flavor.

You're already at a festival.  You might as well combine your drink with your dessert.  Find us today to try our margarita cupcake for free!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

I was literally dancing with delight when I tasted this cupcake.  There were yummy sounds coming from all over the kitchen.  Unbelievably delightful.  These little treatsies start with a base of the moistest vanilla cake filled with a burst of raspberry jam, then generously topped with a thick creamy peanut butter frosting and hit with a bunch of rainbow sprinkles.

This peanut butter frosting has got to be the best I've ever tasted.  It's thick and creamy and perfectly sweet.  You just have to try one to believe it.  Be sure you are following us on Facebook and Twitter to find out when we'll be at the Taichung International Food and Music Festival to get your free cupcake.  It might be the best thing you eat all day.

Oh, and if you order a batch of these cupcakes for yourself, you can have them filled with your favorite jam flavor.  I promise, it'll be the best PB&J you've ever eaten.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

These gorgeous treatsies start out with the most tender devil's food cupcake you've ever eaten.  The rich chocolate cake is then filled with a surprising burst of sweet and tart cherry jam.  The smooth sticky chocolate icing and cherry on top will take you back to your childhood.  This cupcake may actually be of the devil.

In case you hadn't heard, the heat has begun to rear it's ugly head here in Taiwan.  The most challenging thing about making these cupcakes was temperature control.  It was 27 degrees in my kitchen at the time of decorating.  Yikes!  Chocolate and butter dislike heat just as much as I do.  But don't let the heat stop you from enjoying a chocolate cherry cupcake.  Just be sure to have some ice cold milk standing by.  You'll need it.

Order 2 dozen now for $16 or $0.80 each

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson from Kitchen

Red Velvet Cupcakes

What could be more fun than red velvet cupcakes?  They are almost magical.  Topped with luscious and tangy cream cheese frosting, they are one of the South's most delicious gifts to the world.  Have some delivered to you for your next party, or just because they're awesome.  Delicious.

Order 18 cupcakes now for $30 or $2 each

Original recip by Nigella Lawson from Kitchen