Tag Archives: hot chocolate

Take a “Plug” out of it! Cupcake Tools put to the Test

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Everyone has different tools and techniques to create a filled cupcake, and we Crusaders thought it might be fun to test different filling tools. Having baked and filled cupcakes for over a year now, you’d think I would have fancy tools to cut out the “plug” (aka the piece of the cupcake that you take out so you can fill it) but I don’t. A small curved pairing knife that my Nona gave me has always been my tool of choice, so this tool test gave me the perfect excuse to buy some fun new kitchen items. After reviewing suggestions from our Facebook page, Crusaders Jenn, Stacy, and I decided which tools we would test, and I set out to bake some cupcakes.

FillingTools
(The six tools of choice.)

I found the Betty Crocker box of the Hot Chocolate cupcakes (which Crusader Stacy had made and reviewed) for half price and decided to use them for my test cupcakes. Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled it was time to put my tools to the test.

Cupcake Plunger
CupcakePlungerPlug

While this really did a fantastic job of removing a perfect plug, I think the amount of cake it takes out is too large. It seemed as though there was so little cake left around the edges that it might not stay together when you pulled the wrapper down. If the diameter of the plunger were just a little smaller, this would be the perfect filling tool, especially because the push plunger makes removing the cake plug super easy.

Mini Scoop
MiniScoopPlug

I only just got the mini and large scoops for Christmas, so having a chance to use the mini for this tool test was exciting. Sadly, it didn’t work perfectly. You really have to use your fingers to hold the cake while you scoop and then the filling hole it creates is too shallow and wide, again diameter is an issue.

Melon Baller
MelonBallerPlug

Who would have thought, a melon baller?! The melon baller I purchased has two ends, one large, one small, so I used the small one as the test. Similar to the small scoop, I had to use my hand to hold the cake while scooping. This did create a smaller filling area, but still felt a bit too shallow for the perfect filling amount. Not a bad little tool to have though, and now I can make those cute little melon balls this summer.

Large Piping Tip
PipingTipPlug

This was an interesting suggestion, but one that worked pretty well. The larger tip easily pushed down into the cake and removed the plug, but getting the cake out of the tip was the harder part. Using a toothpick made it a little easier, but the plug still ended up breaking into two pieces. Not a total tragedy, but not the easiest tool when you have to have another implement to help you clean out the cake plug.

Apple Corer
AppleCorerPlug

I was very skeptical about this, but was also very excited to purchase this tool… and my excitement rose when I used the apple corer to create the filling hole. Not only does the corer cut right through the cake, but because it is has an opening you can push the plug right through the bottom. It creates a very uniform hole and you can also make it as deep as you’d like. This might create a hole that is a little smaller in diameter, but it works very well.

Tiny Pairing Knife
TinyKnifePlug

Having had lots of practice with this tool, it didn’t fail me in this tool test. What’s nice about cutting the plug out with a little knife is you have complete control over how wide and deep a plug you cut, creating the perfect amount of space for your filling. This might be the simplest tool, but it is still my favorite of the bunch.

HotChocolateCupcakeFINAL
(The finished hot chocolate cupcake! Filled with marshmallow fluff, WOW were these good)

None of our tools were failures, they all made room for filling, but some did work better than others. The best tool really does depend on what size you would like the filling hole to be and how much filling you want in the cupcake. Or perhaps you are just set in your ways like me, and prefer using a trusted tool and technique. Either way, I’m looking forward to using all of these tools for other baking and cooking experiments. I’ve already thought of other ways to use the cupcake plunger (cookie cutter anyone?) and can’t wait to core some apples.

Next tools to test: what tool to use to put filling into that hole! I use a tiny spoon or a piping bag… but who knows what our readers and followers might suggest!

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Elisa (Baltimore, MD)

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Warming Up This Winter with Hot Beverage Cupcakes

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As a graphic designer, you would hope that I would be impervious to products marketed specifically for the winter season. I know the tactics used to get shoppers to buy these products, so theoretically, this should keep me from purchasing them. Well cupcake lovers, this is not the case. I too fall subject to the snowflakes, fun type, and bold colorful photos. Exhibit A:

BeverageCupcakes2

When I saw this Betty Crocker Hot Chocolate cupcake mix, I almost danced in the grocery aisle. I can’t help myself. Sure, I know that it’s really just a normal chocolate cake mix with some mini marshmallows tossed in and a sub-par frosting mixture added to the box, but while my head says “don’t succumb to the festive graphics,” everything else inside of me screams, “BUY IT!”

So that is exactly what I did.

It turned out to be a good thing that I purchased this box mix because I signed up to make 3 dozen cupcakes for a charity event and knew the kids would love these. To go along with the “hot beverage theme” I also decided to make two dozen Coffee and Doughnuts cupcakes, which have been on my list for quite some time.

BeverageCupcakes1
(Coffee and Doughnuts and Hot Chocolate cupcakes ready to be eaten.)

Aren’t they pretty? I wish they all had turned out this well…

I decided not to modify the Hot Chocolate cupcake mix in order to provide you all with a review of exactly what I thought of Betty Crocker’s winter product. The directions say to beat the frosting while it cooks on the stove and that it will fluff up in the process. Unfortunately, I have no electrical outlet near my stove, so this proved to be a challenge—which I lost. The frosting ended up super runny and there didn’t appear to be enough for twelve cupcakes, so I added confectioners sugar until the consistency thickened and there looked to be enough for the dozen cupcakes I had cooling. This, however, made the frosting lose its marshmallow-like flavor and instead, just taste like sugar. Despite this, it went on the cupcake nicely and I figured the kids probably wouldn’t mind the sugary flavor.

BeverageCupcakes3
(I only have a few of these fancy teacup cupcake cups, so the majority of the cupcakes were baked in Christmas paper liners.)

I was really happy with the end result and added little marshmallows and a cookie roll to the top for the finishing touches. Sadly, when I woke the next day, the cupcakes looked like this:

BeverageCupcakes4

The frosting on about half of them had oozed and melted off the cupcakes, while the other half remained in place. I have no idea what happened. The cupcakes had completely cooled and (ignoring my usual “no fridge rule”) I left them in the fridge overnight, just to make sure the house didn’t get too warm with all the baking I was doing. In the end, I decided that these could not be taken to the event so only delivered six of these and two dozen of the coffee and doughnuts cupcakes, instead of the three dozen I initially promised.

The Coffee and Doughnuts cupcakes actually ended up being much easier to make than the Betty Crocker Hot Chocolate cupcakes. I used my typical chocolate cake modification for box mix (one box of instant chocolate pudding and mini chocolate chips). For the frosting, I made a simple buttercream recipe (3 sticks of butter and about 5 cups of confectioners sugar to taste) and then mixed one to two tablespoons of cream with about a tablespoon of instant decaf coffee and added it to the frosting. I just did everything to taste, so if you like a sweeter frosting you can use more sugar and if you prefer a more buttery frosting, just use less sugar. It’s really as easy as that.

BeverageCupcakes5

To make these cupcakes even easier, I bought pre-made doughnut holes and placed them on top before delivering them to the party. These cupcakes were a huge hit, and I have to admit, the coffee buttercream was some of the best frosting I’ve ever made.

Since there was some frosting leftover, I decided to freeze it to make cakepops at a later time. I also had some frozen chocolate cake leftover from removing the center of cupcakes for fillings, so all I had to do was thaw the cake pieces and frosting, mix those together, roll into balls, and freeze. For the chocolate coating, I didn’t want it to be too thick, so I turned to one of my favorite blogs, Love from the Oven. From there, I navigated my way to Simply Designing, which recommended to add a bit of vegetable oil to the chocolate while melting it.

BeverageCupcakes6

The cakepops dipped well into the melted chocolate and, as I had hoped, there was only a thin layer of coating. I was worried that some of my family wouldn’t like them because of the coffee flavor (they aren’t all addicted coffee drinkers like my sisters and I), but the chocolate ended up overpowering the coffee, so everyone loved them. Next time I will add some instant coffee granules to the cake/frosting mixture to bump that flavor up more, but for this occasion, I think it was perfect and that the coffee undertones actually helped to enhance the chocolate flavor.

Even though not all of these hot beverage cupcakes turned out as I had hoped, I still have many “beverage themed” cupcakes I would like to explore, like tea-infused and Dr. Pepper cupcakes. My advice, however, is this: skip Betty Crocker’s Hot Chocolate cupcake mix, and make your own version of a Hot Chocolate cupcake instead. You’ll thank me later.

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader Stacy (Baltimore, MD)

Flowers, Hearts, Candy, and CUPCAKES!

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I’ll be honest. I love Valentine’s Day. Even in my single days, my family and friends always made me feel very loved on this day filled with cupids and hearts, so I was very excited to see all the Valentine’s Day specials being offered by local bakeries and cupcakeries.

It had been a while (and by “while” I mean a whole month) since my last visit to Kupcakes & Co. so when I saw they would have some amazing Valentine’s Day cupcakes, I knew that was where I wanted to order my sweet treats. From cupcakes, to cake pops, to sugar cookies, they had it all! For their cupcakes, you could pre-order a dozen cupcakes with conversation hearts, a dozen cupcakes with roses, or the ULTIMATE CUPCAKE.

(Valentines Day conversation hearts and rose toppers from Kupcakes & Co.)

Each conversation heart had a different message like, “True,” “Hot Stuff,” “Hottie” and “Text Me.” The flavor below is Hot Chocolate. It’s one of our favorites, which we reviewed here. Not knowing how much longer they will carry this seasonal flavor, we knew it was a must have.

Next, was the Chocolate Chocolate topped off with a edible red rose. The roses were beautiful and completed the look of this cupcake perfectly.

I was nice and shared this cupcake with my “forever Valentine.” We both really enjoyed the rich, creamy chocolate frosting. It was the perfect decadent treat. But then, it got even better…

As I mentioned above, Kupcakes and Co. offered the ULTIMATE CUPCAKE (for pre-order only), which is an oversized chocolate or red velvet cake that has been hollowed out and filled with rich chocolate mouse and fresh raspberries. Then, when you thought it couldn’t get better, it’s topped with a smooth dark chocolate ganache, creamy chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting, and edible gold flakes.

The one pictured above is a miniature version of the real thing. You can see the full size version on their Facebook page. Our friends at Kupcakes & Co. were sweet enough to treat the Crusaders to this special gift. It definitely is the ULTIMATE CUPCAKE. I can’t imagine how impressive the full-size one must be becuase this smaller version was still plenty to share between two people and it blew me away. The fresh raspberries combined with the rich chocolate is the perfect way to indulge with the one you love, whether it be a best friend, sister, or significant other.

It might be too late to order these cupcakes from Kupcakes & Co., but make sure to treat yourself to something sweet this Valentine’s Day!

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)

A Sad Farewell to Caroline’s Cupcakery

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Last week we heard that Caroline’s Cupcakery, located off Fort Avenue in Locust Point, was closing. Hearing this sad news, Crusader Elisa and I planned our final visit for their last day, which was this past Saturday.

Caroline’s has always been one of our favorite places to get cupcakes. We even listed it as a Top 5 pick for cupcakes inside Baltimore City on KimberlyLoc.com. Since this may have been the last time we were able to indulge in their signature “mile-high” frosting and fluffy moist cake, we decided to focus on getting our favorite flavors.


(Yes, you are looking at 2 dozen cupcakes. No, they were not all for Elisa and I. Almost a full dozen was for my family, who I was meeting up with later that day and some were for Jenn who asked Elisa and I to get some for her, because she couldn’t join us there.)

Since we did end up getting quite a few, and we have reviewed Caroline’s Cupcakery several times before, we will just quickly share some of our favorites that we decided to get on that last day:


(Pink Wonder with Strawberry Drizzle – I don’t normally like Strawberry cupcakes, and now I know why. None have ever compared to this one from Caroline’s.)


(Citrus Wonder with Lemon Drizzle – Like summer in a cupcake. Light and refreshing, this cupcake will be missed.)


(Red Velvet – I’m not sure how Elisa, our “Red Velvet Crusader,” feels about this cupcake, but I love it. The cake is rich, light and moist, and the cream cheese frosting is buttery and not too sweet.)


(Carrot Cake – I’ve had a hard time finding a Carrot Cake that I like, but this one is moist, light, and full of spicy carrot cake flavor.)


(Sunday Morning (French Toast Bacon Cupcake) – This cupcake sometimes has me wishing I ate bacon. It’s one of Jenn and Elisa’s favorites and the maple frosting on top (which I’ve sampled) is amazing.)


(Guinness cupcake with toasted coconut – Perfect combo of beer, chocolate, and sweetness. Elisa reviewed this cupcake before here.)

We were also able to try a new cupcake. It was called the Butterfinger Candy Bar Cupcake. This cupcake was buttery and sweet, just like a Butterfinger should be. The only thing that could have made it better would be the addition of more chocolate. (You can never have too much chocolate).

(Butterfinger Cupcake from Caroline’s)

Every bite of these cupcakes brought back some great memories. The Pink Wonder with Strawberry Drizzle took me back to my first experience with Caroline’s when Jenn and I attended a wine and cupcake night and were able to sample tons of mini cupcakes paired uniquely with specific wines.


(Cheers! What is better than wine and cupcakes? Click here to read about this night.)

Then, the Citrus Wonder with Lemon Drizzle reminded me of Jenn’s baby shower. We got a variety of cupcakes from Caroline’s, but this was a clear favorite of the day and was perfect with the hot summer weather.


(Caroline’s Cupcakes dressed up for Jenn’s baby shower.)

I also thought back to a more recent Caroline’s cupcake adventure where Elisa brought us Hot Chocolate cupcakes to enjoy while watching the most recent Twilight movie at the theater.


(Disclaimer: Most movies theaters are NOT okay with bringing in your own food. Do so with caution. Read our review here.)

Caroline’s will not only be missed for their amazing cupcakes, but for all the many wonderful memories we’ve had that have included their cupcakes.

We love you Caroline’s Cupcakery!

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)

Super Cupcakes for the Super Bowl

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With the Super Bowl yesterday, it was a big weekend for parties. And we know what that means…CUPCAKES! This was no exception for the Crusaders. Many places were offering Super Bowl themed cupcakes, so we got out to make sure we had a few ourselves.

Starry Night Bakery and Coffee House not only had their cupcakes decorated with hand-drawn candy footballs and XLVIs, they were also offering a new flavor…Hot Chocolate!


(The decorated cupcakes are Starry Night’s amazing Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes)

After having a few hot chocolate cupcakes from other bakeries this season, I was very excited to try this flavor from one of my favorites. And it didn’t disappoint. The moist chocolate cake was complemented with a marshmallow filling and what I believe was a marshmallow buttercream frosting. I hope they keep it on the menu through winter, because I’ll be needing another one!

When Crusaders Stacy and Elisa heard that Pirate Cupcakes created a spicy chocolate cupcake specifically for a Super Bowl chili cook-off that was taking place at Captain Larry’s in South Baltimore, they knew they had to try it.

According to Stacy, “The rich chocolate cake was moist but WOW there was a ton of heat after the first bite!” This cupcake was also filled with pepper jam and topped with cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting was sweet and delicious, but unfortunately did nothing to cool the burning left behind. This cupcake definitely requires a cold beer immediately after sampling. Elisa and Stacy just couldn’t handle the spiciness and decided that they will return to try some of Pirate Cupcake’s other, non-spicy, cupcakes.

Did you have any cupcakes during the Super Bowl? Were any more on the savory side? Do you like savory cupcakes, or do you prefer them to stick to their roots as a sweet treat?

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Jenn (Westminster, MD)

Winter Cupcakes for the Winter Cold

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During our quest for holiday cupcakes, we encountered some that were more winter themed than Christmas themed. So, as the days get colder, we decided to share these cupcakes with you today.

The first two are from Fancy Cakes by Leslie.

Our first experience with Fancy Cakes was back during our 2011 Cupcake Tour. It was an overall crowd pleaser and a favorite to most of us that day. Crusader Elisa was lucky enough to sample their cupcakes again when her cupcake loving co-worker, Rebecca, brought them to her. Here are her thoughts:

Red Velvet with Purple Icing:
Red velvet is a tough cupcake to get right, and while I love Fancy Cakes, this one was not my favorite. The cake was dry and somewhat flavorless. The buttercream icing was the saving grace, with it’s sweet, buttery, savory flavor. Rarely do I eat the fondant toppings – I’m just not a fondant fan – but I do eat them from Fancy Cakes because they are simply scrumptious! So I enjoyed the glittery snowflake and scraped every bit of icing off the plate.

Chocolate with Raspberry Icing:
I love raspberries and so when Rebecca brought me this cupcake I was very excited! The chocolate cake was mild and not too sweet, and while it was a little dry, it really boasted chocolate flavor. The icing, while very sweet, had a true raspberry taste and I would bet that it was made with real raspberries and not some extract flavoring. This cupcake makes my list of cupcakes to order again, next time I am down that way.

The other cupcake we wanted to share is the Hot Chocolate from IcedGems Baking.

Elisa had a great experience with all the Christmas themed cupcakes from IcedGems, and this one was no different (from Elisa):

How can you not love a cupcake with marshmallows on top and a tiny straw for decoration? The cake was swirl cake – a cupcake rarity in my experience! I was so pleasantly surprised by the moist, swirling chocolate/vanilla cake, and then the icing just melded all the flavors together into a cohesive, creamy, yummy, chocolate-y cupcake. I would definitely order this cupcake again!

The Crusaders are excited about all the wintery flavors out there right now. Have you had any winter cupcakes yet? If not, you should definitely get out and see what your local cupcakeries have to offer!

Happy Winter!

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)

Southern Maryland Cupcake Pavilion

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While away from home I can’t avoid thinking about (or eating) cupcakes! So, on a recent trip to visit my parents and twin brother in Southern Maryland, I knew I’d be sharing my cupcake love with them! Stacy had even researched cupcake places in Waldorf, so I had one place on my list to go to right away: Cupcake Pavilion! My Mom and I love to shop, so the fact that Cupcake Pavilion was in the mall made it very easy for us to access! We easily stopped by and bought four cupcakes to eat later in the evening, but first, more about the shop…

This quaint cupcake shop recently moved into the St. Charles Town Center Mall and is adorable. Decorated in blue and brown (as is their website), with very friendly staff, it is a diamond in a mall full of brand name stores and chain restaurants. The cupcakes are displayed in large cake pedestals with covers. The flavors change regularly and there are always specials going on. Prices are fair at $2.75 per cupcake with a dozen costing an even $30.

Now for the cupcakes!

Red Velvet:

Being the “Red Velvet Girl” I had to take one of these home! The cake was a little dry, but a lot of red velvet tends to be, so I wasn’t shocked. The icing was supposed to be cream cheese icing, but tasted much more like sweet vanilla icing – with a dash of cream cheese. Over all, it ended up being a very sweet cupcake, but not a very great red velvet. One of the reasons I love a good red velvet cupcake is because they aren’t too sweet, and this one fell short of that.

Pumpkin:

This beautiful cupcake had a lovely orange/yellow color with cinnamon swirling through the icing. The cake wasn’t the most moist, but with the icing, created a perfect autumn taste, texture, and feel. My mom – who is not a huge sweets eater – said, “It’s really good” and ate more than one bite, which is saying a lot for a little cupcake. I agreed with her and would definitely order this cupcake again!

French Toast:

Topped with a piece of a breakfast french toast stick, this cupcake really looked and tasted like breakfast! With a sweet butter cream icing that had just the right touch of maple. The cake was spicy and savory! I love french toast cupcakes, and while I think they are all better with bacon on top (because everything is better with bacon), this one is one french toast cupcake that can stand without it!

Hot Chocolate:

This cupcake was the standout of the for for me. While I am not a huge chocolate cake fan, this cake was dense, but moist and very flavorful! The “hot chocolate” butter cream icing was very creamy and smooth – NOT gritty the way that some icings with hot chocolate mixed in can be. Together they created one yummy cupcake that would like to eat again!

My visit home with family was – and is always – the best part of going to Waldorf, but finding and sharing great cupcakes is a close second. So, if you’re ever in Waldorf or find yourself in Southern Maryland, stop by the mall and grab some cupcakes from Cupcake Pavilion. You won’t be disappointed. 😉

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Elisa (Baltimore, MD)

Kupcakes with Santa

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It’s not every day that you get to eat cupcakes, make ornaments, have your photo taken with Santa and help give back to the community. But Kupcakes & Co. made that happen for kids and adults last Saturday. They organized and hosted an event called Kupcakes with Santa and 100% of the proceed went to Howard General Hospital Pediatrics. This little family owned shop – that has only been open for about 5 months – had a line out the door all day and ended up raising $2,500 to donate to the hospital. If you go to their website you can read the wonderful story about their business, but really, you should go there to experience their warmth and friendliness first hand.

The Cupcake Crusaders have been wanting to visit their storefront for quite some time, but it was really the youngest Crusader who finally got us there. Since it’s Jenn’s daughter, Leah’s, first Christmas she couldn’t pass up a chance to meet Santa, even if she’s still too young to indulge in cupcakes with us. The adult Crusaders were excited to finally taste Kupcake & Co.’s sweet treats. Combine that with Santa photos and a good cause? We are there.


(Who says your ever too old to take a picture with Santa? From left to right: me (Stacy); Guest Crusader – Beth Lacey; Santa (duh); Elisa; and Jenn)

As soon as we arrived there were a ton of people and excitement in the air. The line was quite long, but as we waited we were asked what cupcakes we would like and told they would be ready for us at the register. Sure enough, they were. After putting them in the car we heading back in for some crafts and Santa.


(The shop was decked out in holiday decor, including a small tree with this hand painted ornament with their logo!)

While there, the owner of Kupcakes & Co., Michelle, took a minute to speak with us and get to know us a little. She was so sweet and told us how it was always her goal, from the beginning, to give back to the community. Not only do they do events like these, but every week they freeze cupcakes that are left over at the end of the day and donate them to homeless shelters.

Crusader Jenn and her husband ate two cupcakes from their box of a dozen while we were there, so they already knew how good they were, but even though Elisa and I still hadn’t tried ours we left the shop that day already madly in love with Kupcakes & Co.

We ended up getting a ton of different flavors between the 3 of us, but for today’s post, since it is the holiday season, we are going to focus on the following holiday flavors: Candy Cane, Gingerbread Latte (cupcake and cake pop), Hot Chocolate, Egg Nog and Snickerdoodle (since it’s a “cookie” flavor, and this is the season of cookies, I’m counting it as a holiday flavor).

Candy Cane

This adorable cupcake tasted just like a holiday candy cane! It was a mint explosion, but in a light refreshing way. The cake was moist, soft, and very flavorful. While it had little red dots throughout it, the cake mostly tasted like delicious yellow/vanilla cake. The icing was divinely smooth and scrumptiously peppermint! Together, it was the perfect holiday cupcake and the teeny tiny candy canes on top we a nice change from the normal peppermint pieces that adorn peppermint cupcakes.

Gingerbread Latte

This cupcake is pure heaven! We loved the TRUE ginger flavor and the spiciness of the very moist and perfectly textured cake! The cream cheese icing was smooth, creamy, sweet, and savory! The bite of the ginger with the creaminess of the icing really created a perfectly balanced cupcake. It was so good that Elisa said she savored every bite and would make a trip down to Elkridge just to get one!

Gingerbread Latte Cake Pop

Like the cupcake, this Gingerbread Cake Pop had that true ginger taste and spiciness. It was a perfect compliment to the sweet white chocolate that surrounded it. This bite size treat went perfect with a small glass of milk. I think that Santa would love some of these left by the tree on Christmas Eve instead of cookies (he gets plenty of those)!

Hot Chocolate

This was a big crowd pleaser and it was Jenn’s favorite of all the cupcakes she tried. We both agreed that is was the perfect hot chocolate cupcake. The chocolate cake was moist and rich, and the marshmallow frosting was fluffy and light. We later found out that the frosting is a combination between marshmallow fluff and a meringue. (What a clever combination that works so well with this flavor!) Elisa and I shared one, but I think we both secretly wished we had one of our own.

Egg Nog

This cupcake flavor is one that I’ve been pining for all season. It was made with both an egg nog frosting and egg nog flavored cake. Despite flavor in both it’s not overpowering, but it makes sure that you taste egg nog in every bite. It is sweet though, so make sure to keep the glass of milk nearby!

Snickerdoodle

I was the only one to get this flavor. The other girls sure did miss out! While it wasn’t my favorite of the bunch (I think the Hot Chocolate and Egg Nog won that fight), it was still so good. Full on cinnamon flavor that reminded me of the actual cookie. The addition of the sweet cinnamon frosting was a great compliment to the soft cake.

Overall, I think we can all agree that Kupcakes & Co. has taken a spot on our favorites list. The cupcakes are on the large side (but no so large you can’t enjoy all to yourself in one sitting) and only $2.50 each. They bake fresh daily, so you never have to worry about day-old cupcakes. The whole day was a wonderful and we are all looking forward to our next visit there.

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)

Twilight and Cupcakes? Why not?

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So I’m sure you – and the rest of the world – are aware that the new Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part 1, opened a little over a week ago. Well, the Cupcake Crusaders couldn’t miss out. We admit it, we are fans.

A couple days before the opening, Caroline’s Cupcakery posted about a seasonal Hot Chocolate cupcake with Marshmallow buttercream frosting. There was no way we wanted to miss out on that either. Crusader Elisa decided she would go and get these cupcakes and bring them to us, since the movie was the next time we would all be together again. The result:


(Disclaimer: Most movies theaters are NOT okay with bringing in your own food. Do so at your own caution.)

Sweet decadent cupcakes combined with deliciously buttery and salty popcorn is an amazing combination. And this Hot Chocolate cupcake was fantastic. The chocolate cake was dense, moist and rich. It actually tasted like hot chocolate. The marshmallow buttercream was sugar, gooey and a wonderful addition.

The movie was pretty good too. Probably the best of the 4, in my opinion. Not the best movie I’ve ever seen, but for some reason, that doesn’t stop me from rushing to the theater every time one is released.

All in all, it was a great night with my fellow crusaders by my side.  🙂

UPDATE: We are sad to say that Caroline’s Cupcakery is now closed after serving Baltimore for 2 years.

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)