A new apron for Miss Cupcake

Christmas has come early for Miss Cupcake! :) :) :)

I am totally in love with this little gift from my bestie...she is so clever!  She made this cute apron pack above (which includes an apron - complete with cupcake print, a wooden spoon and a recipe).  She has been making a whole lot of them for friends and family...all with different patterns, kitchen utensils and recipes.  The best thing about them is hte cute accesry that is attached to the apron...like a little broach...who said you couldn't look glam in the kitchen!

For any of you ladies who are looking for a beautiful and original gift to give to a friend....hit me up with an email...and I will put you in touch. 

Thanks Wenz...you little beaut...I love it!

xx 

Two special friends of mine had birthdays recently, so I thought some special treats were in order to celebrate....Cait and Em....I hope you both had wonderful birthdays :)
x

Lemon and Lace

I know I said just yesterday that it was tradition for my sister to give her class cupcakes at the end of each year, but what is a new tradition, is cupcakes for the Mums!  Meg and the other Grade 6 teacher (Stacey) went out for a Christmas dinner with the Mum's in their classes.....and took them cupcakes!

For the occasion I baked vanilla cupcakes and iced them in pink and yellow white chocolate icing, and finished them off with lace and ribbon trim, with white wafer roses to top them off....so pretty! :)

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Every year, it is tradition that my sister gives Christmas cupcakes to her class....and this year was no different.  I decided to make little Christmas trees this year....apparently all the girls loved them coz not only did they look quite cute, the icing made their tongues go green!  Kids!  So easy to please! :)

Chocoate Ganache Cake with love from the UAE

Who knew that MFC would ever get into online gifting!  I love this story, because it is another one of those stories about a foreigner remembering a local birthday.....I'm such a sucker for romance!  All you foreigners sending cakes from afar....it's my favourite part of this job!

Anyway, I digress....back to the real story....

A guy from the UAE mailed me last month (in fact it was almost 2 months ago now....plenty planning went into this cake) asking about cakes that he had seen on my website, he explained that he lived in the UAE and wanted to send a cake to his lady who lives in Durbs.  

I sent him a couple of pics and he was quite sure about what he wanted - cake, tick!  

....But that was not enough for this guy!  His lady was way more special than just a cake!  So, he asked me to arrange some flowers and a special birthday gift as well.  In the end we decided on a pamper parcel - a basket filled with all sorts of delightful things to make her feel pampered and special....so she would know that her guy was thinking of her......so sweet hey! :)

Now I know you are probably wondering what goes into a pamper parcel, so I have included some pics of the basket and the flowers.....but not the actual content of the parcel - some things still get to be personal and private for the couple involved....sorry guys!  I will give you a hint though - think of all things feminine and gorgeous....chocolates and Turkish delight, beautiful creams and soft slippers....you get the general idea! :)

So, for those of you foreigners who are feeling far from home and would like to do something special for those you love.....Christmas is just around the corner.....and MFC has this online gifting thing down....so whether your request is big or small, cake or no cake....send us an email - we would love to help you out!

White Chocolate Mini Cake

Happy Birthday to my Granny today! :)

I won't get to her today, so I made her this white chocolate mini cake over the weekend to celebrate....vanilla sponge with white chocolate cream icing....mmmmm mmmm melts in your mouth when you eat it....awesome!

Love you Gran, hope you have a super birthday
x

Caramel Cupcakes

Carmel cupcakes were the order of the day for today....how delicious do they look!  I could barely contain myself when I was icing them yesterday....they smell divine, and those little caramel treats on top just make them irresistible!

Happy Birthday to Kev....hope you enjoyed them dude! :)

Blueberry and Nut Cake

One of my favourite reasons for being in this business is so that I can help people who are far away connect with those people in SA that are close to them on their special days!  This particular cake was a good example of one of these stories...

A couple of weeks ago, a girl by the name of Nervanya got hold of me to order a cake for her mum's birthday.....Nevanya does not live in SA, but her Mum does.  We got into the planning of the cake...what it should look like, how it should taste etc....and then she got her sister Verusha involved and between the three of us we decided on a vanilla sponge with white chocolate icing topped with blueberries and nuts....decedent and delish! 

I delivered the cake today to a very surprised "squirrel" at the school that she works at - she was so touched by the lovely gesture that her daughters had made.....they sent through a beautiful message which I wrote out in a card.....the whole thing just made my day! Nothing quite like getting a surprise from your family on your birthday....especially when that surprise is a cake that you can enjoy with the whole office!

Happy Birthday Mala, I hope you were as delighted by the cake as your daughters were by sending it to you! :)

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

My parents have been married for 30 years today....that is longer than I have been alive!  I think it is amazing....how many people can say that these days - it is a true inspiration!

We went away as a family this last weekend to a game farm near Phinda....such a beautiful weekend away in the bush with our family....it was awesome! :) I made these chocolate cupcakes to celebrate their anniversary, and we made a special family dinner - loved it!

Happy anniversary Mum and Dad - I love you guys
xx

Lucky Ladybug Cupcakes

My friend and flatmate Haylea (who some of you may remember from SA Idols) is singing in a musical production called Just Muzicals. The show starts tonight and will be running for the next two weekends at the Rhumbelow Theatre...she has one of the leading singing roles...fancy pants isn't she! :)

She has been working so hard for the past few months, going to countless auditions late into the night, all the while finishing up with her varsity exams....total dedication...its actually been really impressive and I am very proud of her!

Last night I got to thinking that it would be nice to make her some special cupcakes to wish her luck for the show, so I baked her these cute lucky ladybug cupcakes....just to let her know that I am thinking of her....

Halsie my friend, good luck with the show – I know you are going to be awesome!  
I am so looking forward to seeing all your hard work in real life! :)
Break a Leg!
xx

For anybody out there who would like to go and check out the show, you can read more about it on the Company Of Theatre Arts website, or you can check out what IOL had to say about it....alternatively, you can go straight through to Computicket and purchase your tickets for the show there.  

 

Venue: Rhumbelow Theatre, Cunningham Rd, Umbilo Supper Theatre (bring your own picnic, CASH BAR for drinks)

Cost: R100 per person

Friday 4th November 2011 (6.30pm for 8pm start)
Saturday 5th November 2011 (6.30pm for 8pm start)
Sunday 6th November 2011 (5pm for 6.30pm start)
Friday 11th November 2011 (6.30pm for 8pm start)
Saturday 12th November 2011 (6.30pm for 8pm start)
Sunday 13th November 2011 (5pm for 6.30pm start)

Mardis Gras Cake

Novelty cakes are always such fun to make, but they usually take quite long to decorate, so they are a real labour of love! This Mardis Gras themed cake was no different...in the end it turned out quite well though...the "kitsch" mix of purple, green and yellow (which are so typical of Mardis Gras) looked very festive when combined with the hand made gold mask.

 

There is a bit of an embarrassing story behind the mask though...after I made it, I was a little too hasty to lift it to my face to see how it would look...the super glue had not quite finished drying...and the mask took off part of my eyebrow when I removed it! Ha ha. What a cost! Lucky for me,eyebrows grow back quite quickly...or so my horrified beautician was quick to promise me! :)

Red Velvet Candy Cane Cupcakes

Last Saturday night, I went to a Halloween party for one of my best friend's birthdays....as fate would have it, she was born on Halloween, so Halloween parties are kind of her thing....this year it was a Zombie Apolocoypse.  I went as a zombie nurse...obviously...what Halloween party would be compete without one!

In years gone by I might have been inclined to make Halloween themed cupcakes....giant spiders or the like, but this year I decided that the "treat" side of "trick or treat might be a little more appropriate for my friend....while she makes an amazing "prom zombie"....I think in real life is is a lot more prom queen and a lot less zombie...so I made her these....

They are red velvet candy cane cupcakes (coz red velvet is her favourite kind of cupcake)...and then had them delivered to her office this morning so they would be fresh for her day at work....coz no birthday is ok without cupcakes at work...even when I don't live in Cape Town anymore!

Lex,
Happy Birthday my precious friend! 
Thank you for a fantastic party on Saturday...loved it!  I hope that you are absolutely spoiled today and appreciated every second of this day for the amazing person that you are :)

Lots of love to you
xxx

Milo and Condensed Milk Cupcakes

I've just got back from a fantastic weekend in Leisure Bay.....I went down with some friends to celebrate our friend Craig's birthday.  It was a stunning weekend of sun and sea, good food, good wine, good company....you know, the usual! :)

Anyway, we all stayed together at Craig's beach cottage, so I took these Milo and condensed milk cupcakes with me for everyone to enjoy.....and boy did they get enjoyed!  Those 24 cupcakes did not stand a chance with the boys who were there....they smashed them in their faces so fast it was like they were never even there! 

This was the first time that I have made these cupcakes - this is a new recipe that I was trying out....looks like it is a bit of a banker....especially for people like Craig who have a really sweet tooth!

Happy Birthday my friend - thank you for a rad weekend!  I hope the rest of your year is as good as the weekend was....coz then it is destined to be great! :)

Happy Birthday to my Mum

Happy Birthday Beazle! 
I hope you have the a wonderful day today....looking forward to dinner in PMB tonight!  Love you lots Mum
xx

Happy Halloween Cupcakes

Creepy Crawlie Cupcakes

Halloween is here at the end of the month, so I thought I would make a head start with the Halloween cupcakes when I was visiting my parents at home this weekend.  Red velvet cupcakes, with cream cheese icing and an assortment of creepy Halloween toppings...complete with spiders and vampire teeth...can't go wrong with that!  So, those of you in Durbs looking for some scary treats at Halloween...you know where to find me! :)

Put a Smile on your Dial

Halsie and her favourite smiley cupcake

Sometimes cupcakes just because are good enough...

I haven't really been around much over last month or so....been traveling a lot for work....so I came home the other day and made these Smiley Face Cupcakes for Halsie and her Mum...just for fun.  Then, the next day I went for dinner with my friends Lee Lee and Scotted Dogg, and so I made another batch and took a box full of smiles through to them....happy faces all round! :)

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

I believe that good ideas should always be given credit....and I have to give the credit for this good idea to my friend Bob...

Bob lives in Cape Town, and he visited Durbs this weekend to go to a wedding (a varsity mate of his got hitched in Port Edward), so those of us living in Durban got to see him for a quick visit.

Although Bob and I have been friends for some years now, in conversation last week, it transpired that he has never had the pleasure of tasting one of my cupcakes - I couldn't believe it!  So this weekend was a perfect opportunity to right that wrong....so I invited him to choose his favourite cupcake so that I could make it.

What did he choose you ask....(well I guess that is a bit obvious because the pic is at the top)...Cookie Monster cupcakes!  Initially I was horrified at the idea of icing heavy vanilla cupcakes...in bright blue, but I think they turned out ok actually.  In fact, I got a lot of satisfaction out of making these little guys - I think it may be because they have eyes, and so they feel a little bit like they have personalities - they feel like more like little creatures and less like baked goods.

Bob - thank you for the idea, it was a pleasure having you to visit - next time you come to Durbs please make sure you bring another great idea....coz these Cookie Monsters are definitely going to take Durban by storm...watch this space! :)

Your mother should have named you lovely

Today was my Indian's birthday, so I made him a cake to celebrate.  His favourite cake is maderia, but that seemed a bit boring for a birthday, so he got a personalised chocolate cake instead. (In truth the maderia cake that I baked had an argument with my oven, and my oven won)

The message on top was specially crafted to suit my friend - on a daily basis I hear the phrase "Your mother should have named you irritating" whenever I ask for artwork - it seemed only fair that a similar phrase appear on top of his birthday cake!

Happy Birthday Sel! 
I hope that this year you do not receive a Weber braai and that your friends buy the right watch...Heaven help them if they don't! ;)
Wishing you a great year ahead my friend.
x

Taking Bets with Boys

This is what award winning cheese cake looks like

Taking bets with boys - this is what I have learned:

1. If you threaten them with a challenge, even when they know they are going to lose, and they still always take the bet
2. When they realise that they are going to lose, they bail before it has to be proven to them in person
3. They will do almost anything for baked goods!

Last week I took two bets with a guy....after he lost the first bet (to do with beer and awards and boy stuff), he was silly enough to suggest that instead of him actually conceding defeat, we would instead have a bake off....little did he know that I was actually a chef! 

Suffice to say I won the bet by making the cheese cakes in the pic above....no surprises there seeing as though he bailed on baking anything and opted out of the bake off before it began!  What was my prize you ask....roast chicken dinner cooked for me in person by said guy....it was delicious....well worth the 45 minutes it took me to make the cheese cakes! 

Bets with boys....I will take one any day! :)

My Favourite Family...Birthday Spoils

Meg and the goodness that she baked for my birthday

It was my birthday yesterday, and (not for the first time), I was spoiled rotten by my family and friends....I'm so lucky like that! :)  In particular, my sister Meg went all out this year!  She and her (newly aquired) husband James invited me over for birthday dinner, where she baked the most delicious chicken and mushroom pie and some scrumptious chocolate cupcakes in cute little crown holders...for my crown birthday....sweet hey! 

The pie was honestly one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted - you can see it in the pic above, complete with pastry roses on top and everything - I was madly jealous that it was not something that I myself had baked!

Card and cupcake gifts from Barker and Hales

As if the spoils from my sister were not enough, my friend Hales and her boyfriend Barker (who also happens to be my No 1 cousin), gave me a whole lot of cupcake inspired gifts....Hales even hand painted my logo onto a pj top to match the cupcake pj pants that they gave me....now that is serious effort!  But, it must said, that even though I loved the gifts, my favourite part was the card....there is a pic of it on the left...you okes are such beauts!

Thank you all for the spoils...love you dudes lots
xx

A-muis-ing Birthday Cake Biscuits

 

It was my friend Alice's birthday in the middle of July, but she went off to Cape Town to spend a million years there - so when she got back on this week, she came over for dinner to collect the goodness that had been baked for her :)

Muis child....hope you liked the biscuits, sorry they were late, but that is what you get when you choose to be such a jet setter! :)
xx

Pretty in Pink Chocolate Birthday Cake

 

It's not often that I bake a cake that I really struggle to have to give away.....but this delicious chocolate number definitely tugged at my taste buds as I handed her over!

My friend Haylea ordered this cake for her sister-in-law Mags...my instructions were to "make something that she would want to eat her way out of"....it's not your average descriptor for a cake, but if you know Hales, then you will completely understand!

Hales - you are a great apprentice chef...I just can't leave you alone with the icing...if I did, there wouldn't be any to put on the actual cake! :)

Happy birthday Mags, this cake may not be as cute as your new puppy, but at least it was good enough to eat!

Singing with Cake...baking a difference for the Durban Childrens Home

As you know, My Favourite Cupcake got together with Haylea Hounsom this past weekend to do an event at the Durban Children's Home called Singing with Cake.  I'm happy to report that it was a raging success! :)

The kids absolutely loved Hales....she sang like the star that she is....it was awesome!  We had the event in the home's main hall, so it was like a little concert - by the end of the day the kids had cake all over their faces and were singing along to the likes of Beyonce which Haylea couldn't sing enough of!

Thanks must go to everyone that came out on the day to support the event, as well as those who gave donations for the cushions and the goodie bags - the kids loved them!  Each child had a cupcake and some hot chocolate during the show, and they all took a goodie bag away with them when they left....so special!

This is an event that most definitely needs to be repeated! :)

The preparation of the goodie bags

We stuck to and orange and blue theme for the day

Hales singing to the kids

Lemon and Lace Cake

In the spirit of Nelson Mandela Day, I got an email at the end of last week asking me to bake a cake for the grannies and grandpa's of Riverside (a home for the elderly in Pietermaritzburg).  The email came to me from a girl named Sarah, who lives in JHB.  Her Granny used to live at Riverside, but sadly passed away six months ago, and she thought it would be really cool to surprise some of the other elderly people with a cake for Madiba day.

My grandpa actually used to live at Riverside before he passed away (lots of love to Grandparents who have passed on), so I was only to happy to do this special thing for Sarah...hopefully the beautiful lemo and lace cake made the grannies and grandpas of Riverside feel some love today.

Thanks Sarah for the awesome gesture
xx

Peppermint Crisp Cake

Seeing as thought I was already baking cakes for the grannies and grandpas of Riverside, I thought I should show some love to my own Gran, so I made her this chocolate and peppermint crisp cake.  I had some of it yesterday with tea....and it was amazing....even if I sat so myself!  It was rich and creamy and delicious....if you have a sweet tooth, this one is most definitely for you! 

Red and Black Hens Party Cupcakes

It seems to be wedding season at the moment because I have been making tons of Hens Party goodies of late!  These particular cupcakes were ordered from Cape Town by a bridesmaid named Amy who flew down to Durban specially for the actual Hens party.....another story about a great friend....at My Favourite Cupcake we love that! :)

Hopefully these decedent chocolate cupcakes perfectly suited the black and red theme that the BM's have planned for their bride tonight....hope you girls have a fantastic evening! :)

Singing with Cake for Mandela Day

 

So it's Mandela Day on the 18th of July....that is this coming Monday....and in an effort to do our bit, me and Haylea Hounsom (who you may know from the most recent season of Idols) are planning to do our bit by hosting a little event for the kids at the Durban Children's Home.  We are going to be there with cupcakes, goodie bags and music from 3:00 until 4:00 next Saturday (coz that is when they could fit us in).

For the moment, our plan is very simple...
Go to the home, hand out some cupcakes and goodie bags to the kids, let Hales sing and spend some time hanging out with the kids.  If you have ideas on how we could make this day even more special for the kids (there are about 100 of them, all different ages), please give me a shout so that we can arrange it.

We are looking forward to showing the kids some love, and we really hope that you will join us! :)

All the details you need are in the invite above the article.

xx

Winter Wedding Cupcakes for Meg and James

 

I made these cupcakes for my sister Meg and new brother-in-law James' wedding.  It was held at The Old Halliwell Country Inn in the Natal Midlands.  They actually got married on the 2nd of July, but I have been really slow about getting together the pics from the wedding in order to post them on my blog.  It was the most beautiful wedding (and I'm not biased at all being the older sister here).....lots of handmade detail by the bride and groom, you could feel their presence in every little bit of the decor....absolutely stunning! 

The cupcakes I made are Meg's favourite - chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow topping covered in three types of chocolate drizzle....they were divine!  (You might have previously seen them here) Thanks to all the other bridesmaids for helping me out with these - made my job a lot easier to have so many helpful hands!

Janie and Jameson I wish you many happy years together.  

Love you both lots!

xx

Ok, now that I have said my bit, let's be honest....as is always the case with wedding's.....you don't want to see the cake, you want to see the bride....so here she is in all her splendor.....can you tell what a proud big sister I am :) .....

 

The photos in this last collage were taken by James Gibbs -  

you can find more of his work on his website  - click here

Birthday Biscuits for Tash

Tash works in my office, and it is her birthday this morning  - I didn't have time to make her cupcakes coz I was in Joburg last night, so she got the next best thing....chocolate chip cookies! :)

Happy Birthday Tash!
Hope you have a fantastic day today :)
xx

Helicopter Cake

I often think that I am pretty lucky to have such great friends...and I do....but it turns out that I am not the only one!  I made this cake for a guy named Sean, he lives in La Lucia and he just qualified as a helicopter pilot, but this story isn't really about Sean, it's about Kelly - the girl who bought Sean the cake.

Kelly lives in Canada and she called me last week to order this cake for Sean....something for his birthday (which was today) and to celebrate his recent qualification....how awesome is that!  She had it all down, the idea, the type of cake, everything - all I had to do was bake it, so it's almost as though it was half made by herself! 

It's always such a pleasure to bake for those who are far away - I take such delight in being able to bring them a little bit closer to their people on their special day.  Sean, you are a lucky dude to have a friend like Kelly!  And Kelly - I hope you approve of the helipad!

Chocolate Star Cupcakes for Gwyn

The time has come to say goodbye to our friend Gwyn (who is going to join our friend Gav in Hong Kong...he's her boyfriend).  Sad as I am to see her go, I am excited to their new adventure! :)

Gin my friend, enjoy the new adventure....I'm jealous of all the things you're going to see and do....not so much of young minds that you are going to have to educate along the way! ;) Keep a mattress ready for April...I'm coming to visit!  Love you friend xx

Naughty Hens Party Cupcakes

My sister is getting married next weekend, and no wedding would be complete without a proper Hens Party celebration.....and no hens party would be complete without something a little bit naught.....so I mad penis cupcakes! *shock and horror*

We had the party at Yossis on Davenport road, and all the girls came dressed for an Arabian night...complete with a belly dancing lesson.  Was one of my best nights out in Durbs....thanks to all the other superstar BM's for an awesome evening!  And thanks to the bride-to-be for showing Rocca Bar what she was made of in the dance off - those other brides had nothing on you Janie! :)

Chocolate Mousse Cups

The best thing about dinner is definitely dessert.....especially when it is dessert in the form of a decedent chocolate mousse cup! 

I made these mini chocolate mousse cups for a dinner party that I had recently....coz people in Durban never seem to want to cook for one another at their own home....it's so weird!  Anyway, I must have done something right, because three course later I was told by a friend that I had "started a revolution" (a dinner revolution that is), so I look forward to the next stop on this dinner club journey...and the best thing is that next time it will be another chef's turn to cook! :)

Pink, Black and White Kitchen Tea Delight

 

Marshmallow cupcakes and chocolate brownies were the order of the day for this kitchen tea.  We had it in Pietermaritzburg, and it had a pink, black and white theme.  It was such a beautiful and sunny winters day, so everyone sat outside with some wine and snacks....while the bride to be opened her millions of prezzies...you're a spoiled girl Janie! :)

Coffee and Nougat Cake

Happy Birthday to my Dad! :) 

xx

The Farmer is coming to visit us in Durbs today for a birthday lunch, so I decided to make him a birthday cake....given that he likes nougat, I thought i would be nice to top the cake with some chopped up pieces of Sally Hansens finest...although it has to be said that when the cake was finished it looked a lot more like it was topped with popcorn than it looked like it was topped with nougat....it was delish all the same!