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Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake has been Crowned!!



As all of you who follow this blog know, a couple of months ago I was chosen out of 700+ people to participate in the search for the ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe. Well after a few good tries it has finally come to an end with what I and 65% of the 50 Explorers feel is The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake! When I first started with this project I was skeptical that we would ever come up with a cupcake that I would deem the best of the best. You see, I'm not really a vanilla cupcake fan. Give me a chocolate, strawberry, red velvet or any other off the wall flavor and I can't turn them away. But vanilla is different. It's the plain jane of the cupcake world. That's what I used to think, until Round 3 of The Ultimate Vanilla Challenge. The minute I took the pan of Round 3 cupcakes out of the oven, I was sold. The appearance and smell alone was unbeliveable. They were a perfect little domed confection, speckled with vanilla beans, that smelled amazing. It was all I could do to wait for them to cool long enough to eat one. And after the first bite of warm vanilla heaven there was no turning back. The texture & taste were like no other vanilla cupcake I had ever tasted. As far as I'm concerned these cupcakes needed no stack of icing to make it taste or look better. They were PERFECT! After reporting back, Stef finally realized that there was no way to satisfy and get 80% of people to agree on anything, so at that point we re-evaluated where we stood and she decided that 65% was a pretty fair assessment of goodness. And I would have to agree!

So what's the next step. It's your turn! If you're the type that likes to bake and try new things then I highly recommend trying this recipe, but I have to say, follow it exactly as it is written, and be careful to fill the liners just a little over half full. If you don't it changes the whole outcome of the cupcake. If you're not the baking type then call me or email me and order some of The Ultimate Vanilla!

This was an absolute amazing experience. I feel like I have become friends with Stef without ever meeting her. She has changed my cupcake business in so many ways, and has been so great at providing information about all things cupcake. I hope to continue the friendship we have created online and I hope that she will continue with the new and exciting cupcake recipes that she has shared with all of us. You can check out her blog at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/ for The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake recipe and many other amazing food and cupcake creations!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Menu for Saturday, September 17, 2011

With the Summer Season winding down and only 4 more weeks of the Farmer's Market left, a slight sadness is coming over me. Now what do I do? Where do I go? Will people still want my cucpakes in the winter time? All of these are questions I continue to ask myself. I'm working on a few options for the cupcake business and I just hope that the winter will be just as good as the summer has been. If anyone has any suggestions for selling my cupcakes, please let me know!!

And now, on to the cupcakes!!

Menu for September 17, 2011
Vanilla Vanilla
Black & White
Cookies & Cream
White Chocolate Strawberry
Triple Chocolate Fudge
Peanut Butter Perfection
Red Velvet
"Pup"Cakes
Canine Carrot
Barkin' Bacon

And, Our newest flavor creation...

The Tailgater
A sweet cheddar cheese & beer cupcake topped with cheddar and bacon cream cheese frosting and a chocolate covered almond football. The perfect addition to any game day festivities!

Come out the the Sidney Farner's Market on Saturday from 8am - 12:00 noon and check out all of the fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, crafts, and cucpakes!! Hope to see you there!