Care Bear Cupcakes

If I were ever to get a tattoo, I want a tattoo like a Care Bear…

These were made for Eliza’s 1st Birthday. From the time she was born Stephanie had Eliza’s first birthday all planned out including Share Bear Care Bear Cupcakes. She had sent me a link months before showing a bear made with two cupcakes stacked on top of each other one forming the body and one the head. I am sorry I don’t have photos showing the process but essentially you make big and small cupcakes, let them cool, peal off the paper from the small cupcake, frost the larger cupcake, place the smaller unwrapped cupcake just of the center of the larger one and frost that one all while making sure it doesn’t slip off. It sounds harder then it actually is but I am glad I only had to make one for the birthday girl and not for the whole party! Accompanying the bear were cupcakes made to look like Cheer Bear and Share Bears belly’s.

Happy Birthday Eliza! I look forward to many more years of making you Cupcakes!

LOST

It’s finally here, the last season of LOST! I know I am a bit late on posting this but better late than never right? I hand piped dark and white chocolate to make the DHARMA initiative symbol. I am not going to lie; it took a really long time. By the time the chocolate was hard enough for me to pipe out the lettering my hands and eyes hurt so badly. The DHARMA initiative symbols were only about an inch and a half in diameter. They got placed atop a cream filled chocolate cake with chocolate glaze. Thanks to Natalie we enjoyed these little treats with DHARMA wine straight off the compound! By far the best LOST night to date. Big thanks to Graham and Peter, we’d be lost without you guys :)

CREAM FILLED CUPCAKES

Make your favorite chocolate cake according to the cupcake directions.
Let cool completely before filling or the cream will melt.
CREAM FILLING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make filling:

In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Blend in confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Fill a zip lock bag with mixture and cup off the tip. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the top of the cupcake. Fill each cupcake being careful not to over fill. Cover with glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.
Spoon over cupcakes.