Here are the results…needless to say we are thrilled with the outcome!

Best Traditional
1st Place:  Big Man Bakes “Red Velvet”
2nd Place:  Blue Cupcake “Sweet and Salty Vanilla”
3rd Place:  Southern Girl Desserts “Red Velvet”

Best Original
1st Place:  My Delight Cupcaker “Breakfast Cake”
2nd Place:  Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
3rd Place:  Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Best Overall
1st Place:  Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
2nd Place:  My Delight Cupcaker “Breakfast Cake”
3rd Place:  Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

So there you have it…we took 3rd place in the Best Original category and what we were most excited about was taking 3rd  (out of 54 cupcakes) in the Best Overall category. Congratulations to all the bakeries who attended…it was an accomplishment just baking all those yummy cupcakes and presenting them along side all of your beautiful displays. To all the other bakeries who placed…awesome job! Again a super-duper big giant thank you to everyone who helped….you all played a huge role in our success.

We have been doing a lot recently trying to bring some new things to the table. From filling orders, to blogging, tweeting, getting the new site up and running, and a few more tricks we have up our sleeve…..we’ve been pretty busy. So, we decided to recruit some help.

Meet our newest team member Alicia! Yes, she is my sister. Alicia is 21 and mother to my beautiful niece Adrienne. She is a wonderful Mommy and full time student. She is just getting her feet wet with this whole cupcake universe and I think she will quickly realize how amazing and popular these goodies are. Alicia will be handling a lot of the “paper work”. She will be introduced to the world of Tweets and blog posts and will be answering your emails and helping with deliveries! We are super excited to have her on board and know she will bring some great things to the table. We would love it if you sent her some words of encouragement to show her how amazing this cupcake community is.

Be sure to keep checking back with us as many exciting things will continue to unravel!

What do you get when you combine sinfully sweet treats, sultry fashion, and a sexy songbird….

…Two Parts Sugar and the L.A. Cupcake Challenge, of course!!!  On February 20^th the cupcake innovators of Two Parts Sugar will be teaming up with Kitchen Couture and Sugar Cat Studio to compete for the title of best cupcake in all of southern California as they go head to head with 18 other bakeries and cupcake winner hopefuls.

This year we are hoping to leave a lasting impression on the competition with our signature flavors & unique presentation. While yes, we are ultimately there to win, we really wanted to focus making it fun for everyone. We decided to play off of “Two Parts” Sugar…one part “naughty” one part “nice”.   Our booth will not only feature fun & sweet cupcakes, but we will be bringing “sexy back” with a very special guest who will help glam up the competition.  We will be hosting special guest & recording Artist Jo De La Rosa (formerly of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County and Date My Ex).  The up and coming artist will help us showcase our delectable treats – essentially putting the “icing” on the competition.  Every woman can relate to the naughty and nice side of their personalities.  Even the sweetest person is capable of being a little mischievous at times, and our concept is to deliver something that most people can relate to.” Our love of cupcakes and quest for fun, plus De La Rosa’s captivating charm promises that spectators won’t be disappointed.

From the cameras to the stage

Jo De La Rosa is best known for her starring role on the BRAVO mega hit “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”  Jo starred in seasons 1 and 2 of the show where she played herself as the sexy newcomer to the gate-guarded and ultra-exclusive community of Coto De Caza.  With the popularity of her character, Jo continued on, landing her own show on BRAVO called “Date My Ex” in which fans got to watch the misadventures of her dating life as she moved to L.A. to pursue her career in music.

With pop culture’s high demand of reality television, recording executives took notice of Jo’s singing and dancing talent on the show and offered her a record deal, transitioning this Latin beauty from the cameras to the stage.  Jo’s first album, Unscripted, was released in summer of 2008.  Jo is currently back in the studio writing and working with producers on her second album.  Her new single, “A Good Thing” is due to come out in Spring 2010 with a brand new music video. She is also the new face for the Fall 2009 handbag collection of Rough Roses which is featured on numerous billboards and buses throughout the Los Angeles and New York areas.

Don’t forget to pick up your tickets here!

First, can I say WHAT A YEAR! One year ago this month I embarked on the journey that is cupcakes.

While yes, a majority of the business was in my hands, from baking, decorating, and flavor concepts, to marketing, blogging, and even clerical….by NO means did I do it alone. I’ll try and make it quick, but here is where my gratitude lies: I am blessed to have help from my NUMBER 1, my husband. Thanks for ALL the PATIENCE and SUPPORT. My now three daughters Alicia (3), Anabelle (2), and Angelica (1 week)….they have no idea what lies ahead in the cupcake world! My Mom and sisters who have been there to help with baby sitting, taste testing, and creative ideas. My Dad, who is my voice of reasoning. My genius of a brother and sister who help in all creative aspects from packaging, marketing and website design. Ruth my beautiful model. Kitchen Couture for partnering up with us to bring you a couture line of aprons exclusive to Two Parts Sugar. Sugar Cat Studio for partnering with us to bring you couture cupcake wrappers. Dan Silberstein for getting us in last minute for last year’s LA Cupcake Challenge. The ENTIRE Super Delicious Team, Food Network and Ren Messer for believing in me! Katie B for graciously extending a hand to someone in need. Andy Ortega Photography for some amazing photos. The awesome bloggers out there….Zen Cupcake, Bake And Destroy (Natalie),Cupcakes Take The Cake, The Cupcake Activist, and anyone else who has helped spread the cupcake word. The CUSTOMERS……without you we would not have a place in the kitchen! Thank you to anyone and everyone who has crossed our path and helped to get us where we are today! 

So, as I was saying….This time last year we launched our website and life has been madness (in a good way) ever since. I have to admit, being a wife…no wait, a coach’s wife,  raising 2 children (now 3) and running a business is no easy feat. There were many times I wanted to give up, but my stubbornness wouldn’t allow me to. In the past year we have whipped up lots of cupcakes, cakes and treats, and have learned lots along the way. Our favorite moments of the year include participating in the arthritis walk to help spread the word about amazing kids like Faith who suffer from Juvenile Arthritis. Almost as rewarding, our blog was featured in the OC register, we took second in the LA Cupcake Challenge in the best traditional category, and auditioned and earned a spot on The Food Network’s CUPCAKE WARS (due to air December 27)! Needless to say it has been quite a BIG first year of baking for us!

This post is just to let all of our supporters, customers, family and friends how much we truly appreciate EVERYTHING! Also, to let you all know we are NOT slowing down! We have lots of aspirations for 2010! Some of our newest features include….a “make-over” for our website, new packaging exclusive to Two Parts Sugar, our “shop” which will include couture aprons and cupcake wrappers, new gourmet treats added to our menu, and much, much more! Events where you can find us: The Food Network’s CUPCAKE WARS, air date December 27, 2009…..The LA Cupcake Challenge, February 20, 2010…..The Arthritis Walk May 16, 2010! Please keep checking back for the latest, and if you have an event you’d like us to participate in or would like to place an order let us know!

twopartssugar.com

That’s right all you cupcake enthusiasts…WE HAVE AN AIR DATE! The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars will air on December 27th! We do not have a time yet but will keep you posted! For those of you who don’t already know, we were fortunate to be one of the competitors on the show. SO, tune in on the 27th and watch what happens!

I recently posted about an opportunity we had with THE FOOD NETWORK….just an interview, a chance  of a lifetime that could potentially catapult our cupcakes to the next level….well, WE DID IT! We were cast to be a part of a show that should be airing within the next couple of months. I haven’t posted anything until now because of very strict confidentiality rules. But, one of our favorite blogs, Bake and Destroy has posted a little tidbit, so we figured we’d give you all just a taste. 

I know my posts can be lengthy, so I’ll try to adapt this to those with even the shortest attention span. I will first say OMG….I can’t believe we were blessed with such an amazing opportunity! I mean this is the FOOD NETWORK…win or loose…this is HUGE for us! I have to mention everyone working on the show from the fabulous judges, to the friendly contestants, to the AWESOME production crew…they were all so down to earth and friendly. I have never been surrounded by SO many fun, energetic, kind people all in one place at a time! From the actual casting audition, the call back, the long hours and intense hard work and the time that goes into something like this is just unreal. All in all it was an AMAZING opportunity and such a fun time. You can read more about Natalie’s (from Bake and Destroy) experience here and find out a little more about the contestants and judges. 

For now I will have to keep all that I have experienced a bit more confidential….but will keep you updated! 

This past week has been a whirlwind and I couldn’t have done it with out my partner (and sis) Maria, she really  pulled through for Two Parts Sugar. Also, OF COURSE my loving, supportive, PATIENT husband, who without I would be completely LOST! My girls (although they may not have known what all was going on) for being such troopers. My mom for her unconditional support and willingness to drop whatever she had going on to accommodate to my schedule. My sister Alicia (who has a 6 week old) for babysitting my two little rascals. My dad for his handy skills and willingness to guide me through the process. My big brother Juan for also dropping what he was doing to help guide me, support me, and bring out my best and most creative ideas. Katie B for being available to me LAST minute and willing to work with my budget and schedule. Also, to the entire production team…you all ROCK and were a pleasure to work with…I will remember you all forever. Thank you to all our loyal customers and everyone else who has crossed our paths in the last 10 months since our journey in the cupcake world began. I can’t express how truly blessed and appreciative I am of every single one of you!

OK, here it is! So, I get the call today about a CALL BACK for the Food Network Cupcake Wars audition. Peter (who has casted for shows such as Hells Kitchen, The Phone, and Nanny 911, just to name a few), calls me and lets me know they want me to come back and do another run through on camera….but to “glam it up” a bit. THRILLED at the chance I tell him yes. We work out the details and end our phone conversation. Then, I realize I have to be in LA at 10:00am with my hair and make up done…who does hair and make up that early?!?!?!?! Also, for those of you who don’t know me, I wear only mascara and my hair is usually just thrown up in a bun after I get out of the shower. The funny thing is for the first audition I dried my hair nice and straight, and spent extra attention on my mascara (LOL). I even put on a dress (which usually happens only at weddings and funerals). So, my search began.

I remembered seeing Katie B as one of my Myspace friends and seeing how GORGEOUS her work was. I thought what the heck…I’ll give her a shot. Now, for those of you who don’t know, Katie B is IT for hair and makeup. She has won a few awards for her makeup & hair talent including Orange County’s Best Makeup Artist which was noted in the Orange County Register, Los Angeles’ Best Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist of the Year which was acknowledge by MyFoxLA Channel 11, and Perfect 5 Star Ratings for Project Wedding. Further, her makeup & hair styling work has been featured on lots of wedding sites as looks to achieve on the big day. She is also often referred to as the “go to” makeup artist & hair stylist for blushing brides on many sites including the knot.com, projectwedding.com, and weddingbee.com. She has worked on many Playboy models and the Kardashians, just to name a few!

I sent her a message and within no time she had responded and sent me her contact info! I called immediately. I asked a few questions and explained my story…she then told me she was available for tomorrow! So far, so good. Then, she told me her background and the kicker…what she charges! I explained that I didn’t want to  offend her in anyway (I understand she is the best at what she does and it is an art form not to be taken lightly by me of all people) and that my husband would flip out if I spent that much on makeup and hair. She was gracious enough to work something out with me (she is SO getting cupcakes) and that was that! I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this entire experience has been thus far. I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that have presented themselves and for the people helping me along the way. I could not do this with out all the support from everyone….including my patient husband and my loving family. 

So, be sure to check out Katie B and her make up line and check back with us tomorrow for all the juicy details about audition #2! Now I’m off to finish icing cupcakes and get my beauty rest (Lord knows I NEED it).

So, yesterday was the “big day” and what a whirlwind! For those of you just finding out about this here’s a breakdown of how I even got this audition: I applied for a post I saw on Cupcakes Take The Cake on Wednesday and got a call back on Thursday night (you can read the details here). We got an audition for Tuesday evening. So now it was crunch time. I had 5 nights to prepare, which you think would be plenty of time right? Here’s what they wanted me to bring:  some photos of “extreme” cupcakes and an idea for a stand that would hold up to 1,000 cupcakes. Well, I had 2 orders to fill over the weekend, and 2 sample boxes to deliver as well….not to mention 2 daughters to take care of, a house full of half done renovations (trying to get done before baby #3 gets here) and a husband to keep entertained over the 3 day weekend as well. So, here’s how the prep all played out:

Thursday night…..Thoughts swarmed my head, nerves were going crazy, and really tried to figure out how I was going to manage my time. I couldn’t work during the day….my family is priority and I didn’t want to spoil a 3 day weekend with me working the whole time, so I decided I would just do everything after my girls went to bed. I made sure to focus on the orders I had to fill over the weekend and then just go full force. So, the whole night I worked on cupcake toppers and cake decorations for my already booked orders.

Friday night…..Hubby and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary (10 years together) with dinner. Then, baked 48 cupcakes and topped with decor. Also made a 2 tiered cake (about 80 servings) covered in fondant and decorated. In bed at about 3:30 am.

Saturday night…..After a loooong day of appliance installations, cabinet hardware installation, 4 deliveries, and sprinklers with the girls it was time to get started. Decided to make a couple extreme cupcakes to take in, sometimes pictures don’t do a cupcake justice (especially if I photograph them). Also worked on some ideas for a stand that I passed over to my big brother to sketch out for me. Up until 3:30 am….again! Keep in mind my girls are up at 6:00 am EVERY morning!

Sunday night…..Reality is starting to set in. Daytime consisted of more cleaning, cabinet installation, rearranging EVERYTHING in ALL our kitchen cabinets, a trip to Ikea, and fun with the girls. Then it was recipe ideas with my sister, sketch modifications with big bro, picture printing for a portfolio to present, and one more “extreme cupcake to make”.

Monday night (night before)…..Where did the time go?!?!?! During the day it was breakfast with the family, renovation clean up, another trip to Ikea, a ceiling fan installation at moms, and lots of activities with the girls. Then it was 5 dz cupcakes to bake, finishing touches on the cupcakes, sketch and portfolio and 2:00 am was my cut off time.

So, Tuesday rolls around….it was up at 6:00 am with my girls and then on with the day. We ate breakfast and did a little cleaning together, then it was off to Michael’s. I had to be sure to leave my house in Mission Viejo by 2:00 pm in order to arrive at my moms to drop off the girls and pick up my sister, and make it to LA by 5:00 pm. After Micheal’s and the grocery store it was now lunch time, after lunch it was nap time. The day FLEW by and before I knew it my sister an I were on our way to Hollywood. We took with us 2 “extreme cupcakes”, 4 dz raspberry red velvet cupcakes, 1 dz of our new CHURRO flavored cupcakes, a portfolio with as many pictures as we could cram into it, and a sketch for a display of 1,000 cupcakes. 

Chocolate cupcake covered in white chocolate icing, topped with oreo crumbles and adorned with a rose and butterfly

We arrived at about 5:00 (15 min early) and headed into the building where the castings were being held. What happened next still has me busting up! We are walking on the sidewalk up to the entrance of this building and my sister and I see this guy who looks like Alton Brown. My sister points him out and says “OMG is that Alton Brown?” My jaw dropped in disbelief and we just kinda stared at him. He stops at his car and looks over and waves…we wave back. He then walks over and my sister and I just kinda look at each other dumbfounded. He asks if we were here for the cupcake wars audition and we said yes. He then asked if what we were carrying were cupcakes and we said yes. He is now making his way toward us and my sister and I (both getting pretty nervous at this point) realize this is NOT Alton Brown! HAHAHAHA! It was just some Joe Schmoe off the street, maybe just getting out of his audition. We offered him a cupcake anyway and headed inside. My sister and I both felt so silly! We were able to laugh about it afterwards though. We were just so caught up in this whole experience our minds started playing tricks on us. 

Our attempt at a snow globe cupcake (our globe part didn’t come in on time with the holiday weekend). This was a red velvet cupcake turned upside-down, covered in fondant and then decorated with the winter olympic mascots, graphics from the website, snow, a mountain, and then there was supposed to be a globe on top. (we’ll post pics of completed cupcake soon!)

So we get inside and there were about 7 people already there. They were also casting for the host of the show. We watched all the hosts (even those arriving after us) going in and out of this room where they were conducting on camera auditions. I sparked up conversations with the other bakers who were all very excited as well. Many of them had been baking for a few years, up to 5 or 6…I’ve been at it less than a year. this began to get me even more nervous. Then, out walked Peter and Nick, the casting directors. They called in the next auditon for host and said hi. They also handed me a 3 page questionaire to fill out. I introduced myself and tried to throw out some whitty comments before they returned to the room for their next interview. I filled out the papers and joked around with the other people in the room. I was trying to get a feel for my competition and sneak a peek at what they had brought. Peter and Nick made it a point to strike up a conversation with all of us as they pulled in the next interview, and I made it a point to stand out. I was always involved in the conversation and tried to make my presence know and memorable. Time passed rather quickly and before I knew it it was about 6:30 and I was up!

Music note cupcake….again no time to order black foil lines that would complete this cupcake.

I walked into the room. This room was small with a white screen on one wall, a chair in front of that, and 2 cameras facing the chair. I sat down, introduced myself and answered some questions. I felt prepared, especially after talking to everyone in the waiting room and seeing what they brought. I really felt like I clicked with Peter and Nick, so that was good. Everything went well in front of the camera and I think Peter and Nick’s personalities really clicked with mine. So we finished up my interview and then I made sure to stick around and talk with them as much as I could before my sister and I left. I asked a bunch of questions about the show and what happens next. They said I would get a call by Friday (hopefully) if I made the show. If I didn’t make the show, there would be no call. He also mentioned that filming would be next week! NEXT WEEK! How fast does all that happen?!?!?! 

Cinnamon cupcake topped with vanilla icing and bunuelos (fried tortilla with cinnamon and sugar) pieces.

So, now we wait. What a super fun experience to have had. I had a blast preparing(although it was A LOT of work), the drive up with my sister was fun, and the whole interview process was great! It turns out a cousin of mine (who I hadn’t seen in years) just moved to LA so my sister and I got a hold of him and were able to stop by and visit for a bit. It really was an enjoyable day and i am thankful for the opportunity to have experienced it. i wouldn’t have changed a single thing! We will keep you posted on whether or not we get the call!

Going into this competition we were a little hesitant. We kinda felt like we were going up against the “big dogs”, which we were. I can’t say enough good things about all the bakeries involved in this competition. So, our main goal was to just get our name out there and to enjoy the experience. No, really. I know it’s a competition and you go to win, but we really were just in it to see what it was all about and gain some exposure. 

Then, the competition came and went. I have to say, after hearing so many good things about our cupcakes and display, I did start to feel a little better about having entered this challenge. Then, we started to see a lot of good reviews and it was over. I have to be completely honest here, the competitor in me was set loose! I wanted first place. I thought we had a chance and now, anything less would be a disappointment. 

I began to google and see what I could find about the results. We were supposed to know by Tuesday. I waited and waited, and waited. Finally we get an e-mail that the results would be in on Wednesday…oh, the suspense. So, this morning I woke up ran downstairs, one girl in each arm (my 2 and 1 year old girls). I set them down for breakfast and immediately started up the computer. The results were in!

Best Traditional:

1st:  Susie Cakes: Red Velvet

2nd:  Two Parts Sugar: Raspberry Red Velvet

3rd:  Blue Cupcake: Chocolate

Best Original:

1st:  Polkatots: Dulce De Leche

2nd:  Sugar Jones: Blackberries and Cream

3rd:  Southern Girl: Sweet Potato Pie

Best Overall:

1st:  Polkatots:  Dulce De Leche

2nd:  Sugar Jones:  Blackberries and Cream

3rd:  Sugar Jones: Casanova’s Kiss

HHHHEEEEEYYYYYY……Was that us placing 2nd under the best traditional category?!?!?!? WoooooHooooo! Ok, I know I said I ended up really wanting first, but second is not too shabby. I really want to thank everyone who helped and supported us with the giant task of baking 1,000 mini cupcakes for this competition. The support was unbelievable! Oh, and next year we want first place OVERALL! Watch out……we’re out for blood! 

Congratulations to all the other bakeries who competed, for doing such an amazing job, and to the top placers for coming up with such yummy cupcakes! 

That’s right!  The baking-mits are coming off! We have just been accepted to participate the 2nd annual LA Cupcake Challenge! On Sunday, March 29, the Two Parts Sugar crew will be heading to the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, to compete with a total of 18 bakeries for the prestigious title of best cupcake in LA! Last year’s competition was fierce as judges like LA Weekly food writer Jonathan Gold, Eating L.A.’s Pat Saperstein and Caroline On Crack chowed down on dozens of cupcakes to determine the winners in three categories: traditional, original and overall. 

Wish us luck on our quest to become LA’s best cupcake! If you’d like to place an order, have any questions, comments, or would like to send us well wishes, you can do so here!