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.

Yes, you heard right…we absolutely LOVE Kitchen Couture and all it represents! For those of you unfamiliar with Kitchen Couture, they are a mother and daughter team, Dalyne Easley & Michele Fox that create beautiful couture aprons! You can read their story here! We LOVED their aprons so much, we HAD to have some made exclusively for Two Parts Sugar! This is one of our coordinating mommy/daughter aprons. Complete with cupcake and butterfly prints,hidden pocket, and princess tulle!

We really wanted something unique and AMAZING! Since children are a HUGE part of my life, I wanted to be sure to include some children’s aprons. We went with a few different styles to coordinate with the “mommy” aprons. They turned out fabulous! I can’t wait to get our “shop” up and running to be able to bring you the opportunity to get your hands on one of these exclusive couture designs! Keep checking back for the latest! A BIG thank you goes out to Kitchen Couture for some amazing designs!

AND…a big THANK YOU to Zen Cupcake for the post!

We just got word that the LA Cupcake Challenge is already in the works! This is the 3rd Annual Challenge and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it. It will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2010. It will take place from 2:00-5:00 pm at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. The event sells out each year, and for those that think cupcakes are just a fad, this event (and the media attention it garners) proves otherwise.  The goal this year is to get about 30-40 “judges” (in addition to the attendees’ votes) consisting of bloggers, editors, etc. Oh, and the icing on the cupcake (so to speak)…a percentage of proceeds will support Noah’s Bark Animal Rescue.  

For those of you who made have missed all the “buzz” last year, here are the results:

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

While we took 2nd last year in the best traditional category, this year we want a SWEEP! Yes, you heard correctly….bakeries BEWARE, we are holding nothing back and WILL be the talk of the competition! OK, but really, we can’t wait for this event! We had such a fun time last year and win or loose, we know this year will be even better. We will be sure to keep you all posted on what’s to come!

Busy day so I’ll make it quick! We got an order for a Yo Gabba Gabba cake…I think they are my new favorite to do! My girls LOVE Yo Gabba Gabba, so they are always fun to make and even more fun to show my girls! Here’s the latest! 

You might notice Toodee and Foofa are missing….well, it just so happens that’s what my girls were for Halloween!

YOOOOOOOOO GABBA GABBA!

So much buzz about Cupcakes Wars….AND WHY NOT!?!?! Everyone seems to have the cupcake bug and we are NO exception!

Cupcakes Take The Cake has recently posted a few things about us…from our casting call phone call to a recent Cupcake Wars cupcake we made! HOW COOL! We absolutely LOVE to share our work and experiences with fellow cupcake lovers and were thrilled to see these posts! A super big THANK YOU to Cupcakes Take The Cake for the support! You can read more about our entire experience here!

OMG!!!! So, I just got a CALL BACK! Yes…you heard right…A CALL BACK! So, I just got off the phone with Peter and he said they want to bring me back in. This time it would be the exact same thing, he just said to “glam it up”. Ok, so, am I offended that I wasn’t glamorous enough the first time around….HECK NO…it’s a CALL BACK! So, I go back tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. This means I have to have someone do my hair and makeup (cause that’s totally not my thing) and be ready to leave by 8:00 am…it’s a least an hour drive for me and who knows with traffic.  So now the hunt begins…where do I find a good hair and makeup somebody who can come to my house by 7:00 in the morning?!?!?! The search begins….

Check back with us to see how it goes!

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!

OK, I know it’s been a while since we have posted anything….but what a way to come back! So, yesterday I saw a posting on Cupcakes Take The Cake about an opportunity for a new Food Network series focusing on “extreme cupcakes”. I thought what the heck and sent in a brief description of Two Parts Sugar and what we do. I’ll be honest, after I sent it in I was checking my e-mail about every 2 min…expecting a rejection letter. Well, today at about 5:00 just as I was finishing up dinner with the girls (we had an early dinner cause my 3 year old had swimming lessons) when I got “the call”.

Peter (who was quite funny) from The Food Network called and introduce himself. I didn’t really register when he introduced himself (I was still in mother-mode focusing on my girls) until he said he received my submission (mother-mode off!)….it then hit me and I began to pace (I get the pacing from my mom). He explained a little about the show and asked me to come in for an interview/audition! He explained what they were looking for and what I would be required to bring. OMG! 

So, I accepted and we said our goodbyes. Then I hung up, put my phone down and kinda let out a little squeal of excitement….although it was really a scream that ended up scaring my girls! After consoling my little ones, I got on the phone and called my entire family. Ok, I know it’s not official…yet, but, I am so thrilled to have the privilege of even being considered. I must admit, like the LA Cupcake Challenge I feel a bit out of my “league,” but I will go and give it my all.

Check back with us to see what we create for the interview and we will keep you posted! WISH US LUCK!!!!!

Here at Two Parts Sugar there is nothing we LOVE more than cupcakes and cakes…except maybe for BABIES! What could be better than putting the two together! Here are a couple of cakes we did over the weekend to celebrate the arrivals of 2 baby boys!

This cake was made for a blue and brown themed shower. The customer asked that it be simple with dots and she specifically wanted a baby in a crib to top it off. The layers were made up of Lemon, cookies and cream, and raspberry red velvet. 

This cake was for a shower to welcome the couples “little peanut”. They asked that we incorporate the colors they were decorating with (blue, green, yellow) and add an elephant somewhere. They pretty much gave us creative liberty on this one. 

If you have any questions, comments or would like to place an order you can reach us here.