Saturday, August 20, 2011

T's MONSTER PARTY!!!!

My nephew turned 1 on Friday!!! His party plan came together when I came across a site for these adorable knit mini-monsters! T's aunt knitted these little critters for T to give out to all of his family as part of his party favor. The other part of the party favor, I thought, was a great idea! It was a photo album with a photo of the birthday boy, from each of the previous 12 months - it was ADORABLE!!!! 



Because this was a 1 year old's birthday party, we wanted the food and snacks to be enjoyed by every age! My absolute favorite thing at the party, other than the birthday boy, was this fruit monster! Sooo fun for the kids, and healthy too!



T's cake was a fairly simple decision, he is a banana monster, so it was a no brainer when we decided on a roasted banana cake with a vanilla buttercream. For the cupcakes, we opted for a delicious carrot cake base with traditional yummy cream cheese frosting!


Before the birthday boy attacked his green monster, I decided to take a last picture of the cake, cupcakes and cute little knit monsters - as one big happy family!





The party was a huge hit! as were the cupcakes and cake. I love it when there is next to nothing left by the time the presents are being opened!


HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY MONSTER T !!!!!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

BLESSINGS ON YOUR CONFIRMATION J

It still amazes me how crazy social media is! I think of all the people and orders I have received solely due to people seeing my Facebook Fanpage and the numbers are unreal! I haven't yet put word out in my neighborhood because I am busy enough by word of mouth! So a BIG Thank You to all of those who have supported Cupcakes On The Side and let your family and friends know about me!

Chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream and Dulce de Leche drizzle
I received an email for J's mom requesting cupcakes for his confirmation. She already knew exactly what kind of cupcake J wanted, so we just played with the toppings and she included personalizes labels. I was really happy with the outcome! The Cupcakes were moist and fluffy, the buttercream was smooth and light, and, for me, the clencher was dulce de leche caramel drizzle.

Full cupcake with Label (available in pink, purple, beige & blue)


There is something about that caramel just about to drip off the cupcake that makes me want to scoop it up with my finger! This was a tough cupcake to box up and deliver, I just wanted to brew a fresh coffee and have a silent moment with just me and this cupcake!


Congratulations J on such a  blessful event!


Monday, May 23, 2011

"C" is for COOKIE, and "Z" is for ZAC!!!!


So bittersweet when your baby turns ONE! I love being a part of  first birthdays because its such an event! Its a day where parents look at their little one and smile with such joy, but also weep for how fast the time has past. It is a celebration of what a wonderful little person you have raised. Besides, by the child's second birthday, they start having their own ideas, likes and dislikes. So, first birthdays, in some way, is a chance for mommy and daddy to relive 'their' first birthday party!


I had so much fun baking and decorating this cake and cupcakes. The planning for this party started long before Z's birthday! Zacs' Mommy, who happens to be a great friend, had a clear vision. The main theme of the party would be Cookie Monster accented with blue and white decor. For the cupcakes we decided on a simple vanilla cake and tinted the buttercream blue - of course! We were gonna keep it simple at first, but then we decided to push forward with creativity! I first saw these cupcakes I knew they were going to be PERFECT for the party! Then Z's mommy decided that a smash cake would be MUCH more FUN for Z to get his hands into then just a little cupcake, so this is what happened...
Vanilla Cookie Monster Cake
I was sooooo EXCITED for little Z to get his hands dirty - and boy did he!!!! Given the recent popularity of smash cakes, i have yet to see one of my creations attacked - until now!!!! It was so AMAZING to see his reaction to the cake...the cookie, the texture, that first taste of sweet vanilla buttercream - I was overjoyed! in less than 2 minutes he had both hands full of cake and was covered in blue icing looking absolutely 
A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E


Instead of having a larger cake for the friends and family to discreetly eat served on a plate with a fork, we opted for cupcakes (of course) Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla and milk chocolate buttercream for the adults, and mini cookie monsters for the little ones :)




HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY Z-MAN!!!!
Zacs' 1st Birthday was brought to you by the letter Z and the #1

Cookie Monster Cake and Cupcakes was a production of :
Cupcakes On The Side
...hehehe - I couldn't resist ending the post this way ;)

Monday, April 11, 2011

FASHIONABLY LATE

Hello All!


As I am still trying to find my 'happy balance' between work, baking, and most importantly my Mommy duties; there are some of my past baking projects hidden in the 'pictures to post' album. As I scan through these pictures, it seems as though I have taken a bit of a break from cupcakes. I guess the endless taste-testing by my family and friends has hit its limit and a change was in order. Cakes, I find, are challenging. It doesn't help that I tend to lean towards being a perfectionist and am very critical of my work. That, and with cupcakes, it is very easy to make a 'tester' with a little left over batter, whereas with a cake, I don't know until it is sliced and served. That's why serving cake or cupcakes to family has its advantages. Firstly, they are honest - sometimes brutally honest. Secondly, less stress, cause they will love me no matter what! and Thirdly, I get to have a piece and judge for myself!


This delicious cake was baked for my sister-in-law who turned 29.....AGAIN ;)





Chocolate layer cake filled with Vanilla-Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Covered in Milk Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I stumbled across this cake recipe and knew that it wouldn't be long before I tried it. Layer cakes have recently become all the rage! The first layer cake that caught my attention was the Rainbow Cake that I baked for my sons first birthday, and this cake I knew would make a birthday appearance FAST!








This cake consisted of 3 decadent layers of moist chocolate cake, layered alternately with a creamy toasted-marshmallow vanilla frosting with bits of actual crispy marshmallows. I know, I know - DELISH right? and why stop there? I frosted this cake with the fluffiest, smooth milk chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and  topped with a toasted marshmallow...YUM! I was told that it was one of my best cakes thus far and tasted DEVINE!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY S!!!!

Monday, March 28, 2011

SWEETER THAN HUNNY!

Hmmmm...where to start??? With the birthday boy of course!!! I had the pleasure of making cupcakes for D's baptism last year, so his mom and I have been planning this birthday cake ever since!!! To describe D, I would ask you to take every sweet word/emotion and then top it off with a huge smile - and that just about sums him up over this past year! Upon arriving at his party, it was obvious that D is very much loved - a large group of people, family and friends, with open arms; offering up wonderful food, drinks, laughter and even a few tidbits of Greek history - Thank You Pappou!

The Party had a Winnie the Pooh theme, so naturally, the cake would reflect that! This, by far, has been my most challenging baking endeavor! I'm kind of one of those personalities that is 'all in'! Even though I have no formal training in baking, I enjoy challenges and often surprise myself with what I can do. This cake is exactly what I wanted it to be - visually appealing, and Delicious!!! This cake was based on Poohs' House and was entirely made of cake, covered in modeling chocolate. I used modeling chocolate instead of fondant because I have yet to find a recipe that tastes yummy and has that smooth quality that store-bought fondant has....and who wouldn't want a chocolate covered cake anyway???



D's mommy also requested a 'smash cake' and left it to my creativity, so I decided to continue with the Pooh Bear theme. What is Pooh's favorite thing to do? Eat Hunny! and where does Poohs Hunny come from? The Bee hive!!!
Bee Hive Smash Cake
Vanilla Cake layered with Chocolate Buttercream, covered in Yellow Vanilla Buttercream

The main birthday cake was enjoyed by all, and it was so rewarding to see everyone eating it up! This is why I love doing this! It's amazing how a few ingredients whipped up together can make people so happy!


Bottom Tier: Marble cake layered with Chocolate Buttercream covered in modeling chocolate
Trunk Tier: Vanilla cake layered with Dulce De Leche Buttercream covered in modeling chocolate
 What I loved most about this cake was the attention to detail. It was fun to create a birthday scene with a mixture of modeling chocolate, fondant, buttercream and accessories.


As much as I loved baking and decorating this cake, it was a pleasure to cut into it and serve it to all of the loved ones in D's life.

What a fantastic first year D! I look forward to what the next year brings us!


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Sunday, March 6, 2011

R's 1st Birthday!!!

I can't believe how fast the year has gone by! I swear, it was only a few months ago that I remember getting the good news that Baby R had arrived....and now he is 1! His first year has brought many memories and laughter...OK and a few tears, but most of those were from laughing so hard!

No more Baby R...He is now a Big Boy! He and his parents have grown to be an extension of our family and we have enjoyed many days, nights, afternoons with each other and our boys. Our boys are best buds and do a lot together, like fight for the same toy when there is a room full of them! Grab each others sippy cups even though they are completely different, and they even started walking within the same week! 


Party time was fast approaching and the theme of jungle animals was set. So the cupcake thinking cap was put on. Hmmm...what should we do this time? Animal cupcakes, an animal cupcake cake? focus on one animal (like R's favorite - the Monkey)???

Jungle Cupcakes: Vanilla, Chocolate & Marble all topped with Vanilla Buttercream



























We decided on Vanilla, Chocolate, and Marble Cupcakes with grass Vanilla Buttercream and the cutest Animal Cupcake Toppers I have EVER seen!


What a fantastic afternoon spent with a room full of special people!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY R!!!!!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A HOUSE FULL OF LOVE

This cupcake order couldn't have been filled with more love and adoration. A good friend of mine, had contacted me wanting to surprise her husband with some cupcakes as a 'We love you' and 'Welcome home' gift. Unfortunately, over the Christmas holidays, a medical emergency arose, and a lengthy stay in the hospital was necessary. While recovering, she thought it would be a great idea to surprise him by presenting him with cupcakes at their sons first birthday party. He had no idea that...Covert Operation - "We Love Papa" was in FULL effect!!!!

After discussing a few different flavor options, OK...maybe more than a few ;) I was given the 'ok' to pick what flavors I thought would work - eeek!!! After much deliberation, I decided that the Guinness Cupcakes topped with a Peanut Butter Buttercream, and the Lemon Berry-Licious would be the lucky two winning flavors!

Lemon Berry-Licious and Custom Guinness Cupcake topped with Peanut Butter Buttercream


These cupcakes were then made even more special by the addition of personalized cupcake flags. I decided to go with a more mature silver/grey/blue colour scheme. I wanted the cupcakes to stand on their own and not blend in. However, it was also important that they didn't interrupt the main celebration of their sons first birthday. The tags were a mixture of 'Welcome Home Papa', 'We Missed You', 'We Love You', some flags were patterned, and others plain. I also added flags with all family members names on them.


Photo taken at the party

I felt honoured to be part of such a special occasion. I look forward to being a part of more, and wish you all Love, Health and Happiness!


You can further read my friends review of the cupcakes here:

Saturday, January 15, 2011

LOVE = CUPCAKES

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, and many email requests, I have decided to put together a 6 pack of decadent cupcakes for you to share with that special someone! Show some love this Valentine’s Day by pouring your heart out with Cupcakes!!!  It’s a day of love afterall, and nothing says love like a huge dollop of frosting, at least for me that is.

So go ahead and have one, or two or three!!! Who’s counting? Or share one with someone you love!…and then get another one for yourslef later on...don't worry, I won't tell *wink*

Special Valentine's day 6-pack will include:

2 Red Velvet cupcakes with creamy cream cheese frosting

2 Rich Chocolate cupcakes filled with smooth chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate fudge frosting

2 Light and Fluffy Vanilla cupcakes topped with whipped vanilla swiss meringue buttercream

$14.00 (delivery available - please email me for details)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY XOXO

Saturday, January 1, 2011

IT`S THAT TIME...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Thank you to all of you that have been following my blog....and ordering my cupcakes, I want to extend my gratefulness. This venture has been more than I could have ever imagined it to be! Who knew that baking a few cupcakes for my husbands co-workers could morph into all of this craziness!

As of Monday I will be returning to work - bittersweet pill for me. I absolutely LOVE my job as a Dental Hygienist, and I truly miss my patients and co-workers. But I will miss my little monkey sooooo much *tear*

This post is to let all of you cupcake lovers out there know that I will continue to bake cupcakes in 2011, I`ve just limited my openings available. So.....if you know of a birthday, wedding, or event that you would like some of my cupcakes to attend, send me an email!!!

AND...for all of you that have made the resolution to get healthy, go to the gym more often, I say Good Job!
I support you 100% - lets celebrate with some cupcakes...I can make carrot *wink wink*