Hello, Cupcake!

I seriously have been bitten by the baking bug... I've always loved to bake, but right now it just seems I can't bake enough! My neighbor Nicole and I have started working out together and baking cupcakes, and that has inspired me to bake even more! We follow recipes, but once we get comfortable I think we're going to start experimenting.

Our first batch was Red Velvet. They were delicious! Maybe a little dense, but the frosting, which was cream cheese with a hint of lemon, was SO YUMMY! Our second batch was even more delicious, Cafe Mocha Cupcake with espresso buttercream frosting. Um, yummy! We even spiked the frosting with some Bailey's. Oh, yes! This week we are going to tackle lime-coconut cupcakes. I'm going to garnish them with some lemon peel and toasted coconut. And I might try making the frosting with coconut milk instead of regular milk.

I came up with some ideas of our own cupcakes: chai cupcake with chai frosting and caramel drizzle. Nicole doesn't like chai, but maybe she'll try and make some with me :) I also came up with an idea of a vanilla cupcake with rum batter frosting. Have you ever had rum batter? If you haven't, you should. It tastes a lot like chai, but you're supposed to drink it warm. I, of course, just eat the batter because it's that delicious.

This this the website I have fallen in love with and we use: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/ If you like baking, READ THIS blog! Words cannot decide how yummy everything looks. Nicole and I are going to try and make all the cupcakes she has posted. I think the best part about this website is she doesn't use cake mix, you're doing everything from scratch, and you all know I'm kind of a purist when it comes to baking. I don't like to use any kind of boxed mix.

On a side note, I have recently made pumpkin scones and Chai spiced glazed donut muffins. Both have been scrumptious. I think I need to start my own baking catering company. I like nothing more than spending time walking my dog and baking the rest of the day while listening to show tunes.

So tell me: what's your favorite cupcake? Maybe it will inspire some of my own creations!