You’d think I was baking for the president or something! To me, this was even better. If you follow my tweets/FB/Blog posts, you know I am obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba, er, uh, I mean my girls are obsessed, um, yeah. Who could resist falling in love with a show that brings your children so much joy, right? So, I get an e-mail from Laurie Cromie who runs the Gabba Friends website. This site is amazing. Anything you want to know about YGG from party ideas, to tour updates, to well, anything, it’s the place to find it. Anyway, Laurie e-mails me, after seeing our infamous YGG cake (which she posted on the site) and requests a cake for Parker Jacobs upcoming birthday. Yes, Parker Jacobs. I know, I had to google him too. Parker is the Art Director for Yo Gabba Gabba! He also was the Senior Design Director for Paul Frank and Professor for the Aquabats. I just about died laughing while reading his profile on Linkedin which stated his job interests as the following: my kids, organizational development (not really), strategic napping, corporate financial paychecks, extreme slurpee sipping, community (Church) theater, semi-professional networking, internet web research, canoeing, international travel, special cake baking, friends that like skiing, Disneyland history, listening to people reading novels, playing the ukulele. He also has a pretty sweet blog you can check out here.  Oh and check out this “Daily Doodle”! 

So, Parker’s cake…Laurie tells me he requested a “Big Pink Cake” as seen in The Cat in The Hat. The flavor….cherry chip. She attached an image and let me run with the flavor. I had no idea where to start with the cherry chip. I started thinking of the ice cream, chunks of cherries and chocolate chips. Then, I noticed a box of Duncan Hines Cherry Chip cake mix while down the baking aisle in my local grocery store. It would be perfect. I scowered the internet for cherry chips and experimented with icings until I thought what I had was just right. So, here’s the new flavor:

Parker Cherry Chip (yes we named a flavor after him, cause he’s just THAT rad!)….vanilla bean cupcake with cherry chips mixed in, topped with vanilla bean buttercream and cherry ganache drizzle….So Yummy!

Me, cake, Parker and daughter

Laurie is SO sweet, she made it a point to get in touch with us the following day, here’s what she ahd to say!

“I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful cake! Parker and all of his family and friends LOVED it! Even the caterers were asking about it! Parker’s youngest daughter said, “Daddy, it looks like a cartoon!” which was the point! And the flavors were sooooo delicious! You did the most amazing job! Everyone raved over your cake, and I mean everyone!” -Laurie

“One of the most amazing things about the party was this CAKE. It was PINK & Suessy. The most delicious cherry chip & vanilla bean cake… So Good!! It was a Parker dream-cake…My favorite…And you know me and cake…     So, I’m a fan….” -Parker Jacobs

It was so special to me to be able to create something for someone who has created something so special for my girls (yes, YGG was created for MY GIRLS…lol!). Parker, from our family to you…we wish you a very happy birthday and a big thank you for being a part of our favorite show!

We have been soooo busy! Here’s a few thing we have coming up, and all I can say is INSANITY! 

First, if you haven’t seen yet, we’ve got a newline of goodies…GLAM BITES! These are our gourmet treats all glammed up ready to hit the town! They are available in all colors and all treats! (The pictures don’t do them justice!)

Also, be on the look out for these cool cakes: Lacrosse cakes, Teddy bear minis, Money bags cupcakes, Damask cake, Turntables cake, pink/black vintage cake, Angels baseball cake x 2, Plumeria wedding cake, Sesame Street cake/cupcake combo…just to name a FEW! 

AND….

We’ll be taking our treats to the VIP BOOTH at TASTE OF LADERA….THE MTV MOVIE AWARDS gifting suite at the SLS Hotel…..the AMERICAN IDOL FINALE…and more soon to be announced!

I still can’t believe all the opportunities presenting themselves and am so thankful to all of our customers and supporters.

What a fun theme! I absolutely LOVE doing new cakes/cupcakes…keeps things interesting. This one was for Ellie who was turning 1. The theme…Snoopy! Fun right? So I began to search for cakes to get ideas and sent over some images to Ellie’s mom. She immediately fell in love with Julie’s (Blue cupcake) cake. Side note: I have admired Julie’s work since I first started doing this. Her work is AMAZING and she is such a sweet gal! OK, so it was a simple cake…not to much could be changed, but we did our best to tweak it just a tad. We also made coordinating cupcakes with Snoopy, Woodstock, Snoopy’s dog house, and some #1s. Once assembled on the stand, it all came together and looked fantastic. 

“The cake and cupcakes were a hit! Everyone, myself included, just loved the Snoopy decorations you created.  So cute! Not only that but they tasted delicious, especially the raspberry red velvet. Those were gone so fast that my husband didn’t even get to try them, haha!”  

-Ellie’s Mom

A little while back we were contacted by a woman who requested some cupcakes for a company fundraiser. Everyone was contributing something to raffle to help raise money for The Haiti Earthquake Relief. She thought our cupcakes would be a perfect fit. We love to participate in things like this and immediately jumped on the opportunity. We donated 3 dz cupcakes in an effort to help raise some money for this organization. I later heard back from her and she said they were a hit. They were able to raise $1,200.00!

We are thrilled to have been a part of this fundraiser…it’s kinda why we do what we do, after all they are just cupcakes. Don’t get me wrong, they are definitely not JUST cupcakes….I mean they are my passion, my livelihood, my life. But when you look at the big picture, there are so many other things that are more important. We can’t wait until we are able to help in bigger and better ways. Until then, we will continue to help out the community and other non-profit organizations as much as we can. Who knows, maybe one day we will be able to start our own charitable non-profit organization!

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Two Parts Sugar is headed to the Academy Awards. Okay, Monica, breathe. It’s still amazing to me how this even happened.

So, back in November I received a call from a man that literally changed my outlook on life. My family and I were dealing with some personal issues that made me feel like my world was falling apart. I don’t think I can even begin to tell you about the intensity of running a start-up business, not to mention balancing it with a husband, a household, and three children. Needless to say it can be overwhelming. This particular day (keep in mind I had a 4 day old baby at the time…so emotions/hormones were all over the place) I had a breakdown. I didn’t know if this business was what was right for me or our family…I was having second thoughts.  I gotta tell you, I think that way a lot…no, really, A LOT. But, at the end of the day, I think about the smiles our creations bring to peoples faces, the opportunity to give back, and really, I just LOVE doing what I do. Also, it seams as though when ever I am super swamped with work, or having a “moment” of doubt, something fantastic happens. Well this time, it was a phone call.

A few hours after my “meltdown” I get a phone call. I answer the phone…the man on the other end asks for me. I say hi and he starts in with a proposal for a booth at the Academy Awards. I just kinda brush it off and explain we are still somewhat of a start up business and do not generate the capital to fund an event like  this. He then puts me on hold to speak with his business partner. He gets back on the phone and says he may be able to “work” something out. Long story short…WE ARE GOING TO THE ACADEMY AWARDS!

We will be participating in the Academy Awards Gifting Suite and supplying our yummy goodies to the “stars”. We will also be putting together some “sweet” swag bags which will include some goodies from Kitchen Couture, Sugar Cat Studio, and Dazzle and Chunk…we will share with you soon! We are so grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait for the event!

For all of you out there…bakers or not, please realize the lesson here. When you feel like your world is falling apart, realize good things can still happen. If you are doing something you absolutely love, don’t give up on your dreams. My dad always said “if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.”

I can’t believe how popular Yo Gabba Gabba is! For those of you unfamiliar with these toddler friendly characters here’s the rundown. This “Super Music Friends Show” is a children’s television show airing on Nick Jr that focuses on manners, music and fun. There are 5 characters, Muno (red), Broobee (green), Plex (yellow), Foofa (pink), and Toodee (blue), as well as DJ Lance (he wears a fuzzy orange hat). There are special guests each episode including Sean Kingston, Mia, Biz Markie, Mark Mothersbaugh, The Roots, The Aquabats, Elijah Wood, “Wierd-Al” Yankovic, Weezer, and my all time FAVE epsiode with Jack Black. Think of them as the Teletubbies of today, but better. My girls are hypnotized by the show and love everything YGG. They were Gabbas for Halloween and my 2 year old just celebrated her birthday Gabba style…..which leads me to t he pictures of the YGG cakes we have done (3 in one week).

Interested in one of our YGG cakes? Contact us here.

Mark your calendars!

Grab your Gucci, slip in to your Betsey Johnson best, and bring your appetite because the L.A. Cupcake Challenge is back and this year the competition is going to be fierce! Nineteen of the ‘best of the best’ cupcake masters will gather in Los Angeles at the Renaissance Hotel on the 20th of February to display their top-secret cupcake recipes with hopes of winning the title of the tastiest cupcake in all of southern California! 

Kitchen Couture and Sugar Cat Studio will be joining Two Parts Sugar who will be bringing some “sinfully sweet” treats (and a little bit of fashion) to the challenge. In 2009 Two Parts Sugar took 2nd place in the “Best Traditional” category for their Raspberry Red Velvet cupcake, and this year we are coming prepared with more than just mouth watering delectable’s. In preparation for their 2010 battle, we have been busy preparing two new cupcakes especially for this event. Their special ingredient? Two parts sugar (of course) consisting of one part naughty and one part nice…a sinfully sweet combination that is sure to leave a mark on the competition. We have a lot planned for this year,  including a very special announcement which will be made on January 11, 2009…We are bringing lots of fun to this challenge and are hoping to walk away with a victory and, of course, bragging rights for the best cupcake in all of Southern California! You can read more about last year’s competition here.

I was recently contacted about an order for a young lady’s cheer coach. Ah…how this brought me back to my high school days. I was Cheerleader of the year my Senior year in high school…but don’t let that title fool you…I was also captain of our high school wrestling team! Anyway, Vanessa is a part of the Aliso Niguel cheerleading team and wanted to get her cupcake loving coach, Joy,  something special for her birthday. What could  be more special than a box of cupcakes from Two Parts Sugar? 

Joy and Vanessa enjoying some cupcakes (not our cupcakes, just a photo for reference).

We went with the school’s colors, paw print (they are the wolverines), Joy, pom-poms, and mega phones. 

Happy Birthday Joy!

Last week we had an order for some too cute cupcakes. Little Adam was turning 2 and his mom wanted cupcakes to match the party decor (plates/napkins, etc.). How fun! So we worked out all the details and she sent over a photo of the decor. Here’s what we came up with:

This was my first time attempting to swirl the icing colors…it was a little heavy at first and I feared there’d be kids running around with dark blue tongues (which I’m sure they’d love). We did 3 dz cupcakes, each with swirly blue frosting (the “water”) and chose some cute elements off the plate to decorate each cupcake with. We were very pleased with how they turned out! 

“Thank you for the yummy cupcakes! They were definitely a big hit!” 

Tiffany…Adam’s mom

So, there you have it Cupcake Wars has aired and we couldn’t be more thrilled (for the airing, not the outcome). If you don’t know the story behind it all, you can read about everything from the call, the audition, the call back, the dilemma, the casting and all of our thank yous. Yes, you can experience it all as if you were there! 

So, if you caught it I really hoped you enjoyed it! We would love to hear any feedback, good or bad! Let us know what you thought of the show, the competitors, the judges, the host…we want to hear all of your comments! If you caught us on facebook or twitter, you got the inside scoop on a few things and how we were feeling as we watched. We received lots of feedback and questions…we’d like to answer a few questions: 

When are you due?

Had baby girl number 3….Angelica on November 27, 2009! Yay! 

Where was the “spicy”? 

 Yes, I know we technically did not use the “spicy” component as many of the others interpreted the term. However in reading the definition below, you can clearly see our cupcake fell into more than one of the 5 definitions!

Spicy

adj. spic·i·er, spic·i·est

Was the churro cupcake the only thing you could come up with?

Of course not! Sky’s the limit when it comes to flavor combos! We originally were going to go with a mexican chocolate cupcake…always had a box of Abuelita or Ibarra sitting around the house as a kid. The initial plan was a mexican chocolate cupcake, filled with cinnamon whipped cream and topped with a rich mexican chocolate ganache frosting and topped with gold sprinkles. I absolutely cannot stand the taste of mexican chocolate, so I made the executive decision to cut it. I can’t sell something I don’t absolutely LOVE! Plus…we wanted to stay away from the chocolate as we felt it would be a popular pick amongst the contestants. I wouldn’t change a thing though…except the frosting!

The frosting?

OK, so our frosting pretty much sucked! We made one batch of icing that just wasn’t hitting the mark for us, under the pressure, I think we missed a step. So, we made it again. This time not having enough vanilla bean or enough time to mix it to the consistancy we would have liked…..that’s just how it goes. We have since improved our recipe and LOVE it!

Did we know we were going home after the judges table?

We knew it was a possibility before the judging even began. We knew if it was anything it would be our frosting that got us sent home. The cake was delicious…moist and flavorful…the churros, to die for. The frosting was our detriment and we saw it coming before those bad boys were even plated. We were just hoping someone else had a worse encounter. But, at least I know the judges were on top of their game…they knew exactly what was wrong with each cupcake, including ours. 

Was it hard to film being pregnant?

Yes and no. There was a lot of prep involved and lots of sleepless nights. I am a very persistent person and put my all into everything I do. That being said, I was not going to let my pregnancy get in the way of anything. I was mindful of my little angel, careful and knew my limitations. But I was not going to go into this without giving it my all. Days were long and my feet and back would hurt…the tent was a bit warm at times too, but everyone was very supportive and helpful. The whole production crew made this experience amazing for me! 

What was your design for the presentation round?

While no, it was not a lady in a dress, it’s kinda hard to describe without a photo. Do I think we would have won that round with our design…possibly. But I must say, Elfie’s idea was great. I loved that she incorporated a real woman in the center and that it was mobile. She did a great job!

What’s next?

Well, maybe you guys should be asking what’s not next. We are working everyday to bring our tasty creations to you all. We are constantly trying to put a new spin on cupcakes and everything they represent. We have the LA Cupcake Challenge in February, the Arthritis Walk in May and hopefully many things in between! I also hope to open a storefront by the end of the year! 

So, Thank you to everyone who tuned in. We really do appreciate the continued support. Again, we’d love to hear your feedback…so drop us a message!

You can also read more of the “inside scoop” from Natalie over at Bake and Destroy.