A Cupcake Book of Brilliance

I just love talented, imaginative people and this book is certainly a product of those type of folks.

I received this book for Mother’s Day this year and I am just in love with it.  My kids love it too.  You can tell by the bent lower corner that it has gotten some use.  I often can’t find this book when I need it because my kids have wandered off with it just to sit and look at the pictures.

Inside there are more than a dozen cupcake and frosting recipes, but the point of the book is really the imaginative designs and decorations.  Just look at all the fun candies they show you how to cut and shape into amazing details on cupcakes.

This page shows you all kinds of different face expressions you can achieve using candy, cereal, fruit snacks, and icing.

Now here is where the book becomes amazing. Each page is filled with the most impressive, whimsical, lovely cupcake designs you have ever seen.  Just look at this garden.  Wouldn’t it be fun to set up a kid’s Beatrix Potter book night with some friends and then eat these chocolate, Oreo cookie crumb topped treats?  They could be called, “Mr. McGregor’s Cupcakes.”

The radishes are red M&Ms with white chocolate points.  The Peas are green M&Ms tucked inside flattened, shaped, green Starbursts.  The carrots are molded orange Starbursts.  (I’m starting to sound like Willy Wonka here!) The little cabbages are… well… I guess you’re just going to have to buy the book to find out!  All of the instructions and supplies you need are included in the book.

Now look at this one.  There is no way these even look like cupcakes.  Those mashed potatoes are frosting covered with caramel and a yellow Starburst masquerading as butter.  The peas are green skittles and the carrots are orange Starburst chunks.  The drumsticks are built up cupcakes, frosted and coated in grahm cracker crumbs and topped off with white chocolate molded like a bone.  I think this would be a huge hit at one of those “Ugly Christmas Sweater Parties.”

And look! There are even cupcakes for the Man Cave!

And this is one of my personal favorites.  I can’t wait to make this one next Spring.  I just think it is ADORABLE!  Some of the cupcakes are decorated as little patches of grass with Robin Egg Candies on top.  And then you decorate a handful of cupcakes like bunny bums with their feet and tails in the air.  I love it!

I told you! The makers of this book are some very talented and imaginative people.  There are so many more cute ideas in this book but I don’t want to post them all here now.  That would take the fun out of discovering them for yourself if you choose to buy the book.  I also plan to make plenty of them in the future and would love to share them with you then.

You may have noticed these pumpkin cupcakes on my website header.  I’ve been counting down the days until October since Mother’s Day just waiting for Fall to get here so I could make these little beauties.  The cupcakes on my header are an actual photo I took of the ones I made.  I documented the process and I’ll post that on my site this month, so stay tuned for that…

It was so much fun!

You might notice that the ones I made are just a bit different than these.  They are missing the vines.

This yummy little item is called a Watermelon Fruit Streamer and it is made by Kellogg.  I’ve bought these for my kids in the past, but of course now that I truly need them I can’t find them anywhere.  I looked for them at Wal-Mart, Vons, Albertsons, Winco, Target, and CVS.  I really hope Kellogg’s hasn’t discontinued them.  I’m going to need them for some Christmas cupcakes.  If you happen to see them at a store near you… PLEASE let me know!

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