Someone must have put decaf in my large non-fat cafe vanilla au lait to go last week because I was sleepwalking through life...I completely missed Sugar High Friday no. 11, which is so long past now, that the decadent buffet of coffee-doused desserts in already up at LoveSicily, and I am betting that Sugar High Friday no. 12 has already been announced somewhere out there in the food blogosphere. I was late for Tea, now late for Coffee, and I just don’t know if I’ll be able to recover. Someone bring me a double espresso on the double so I can *snap* out of it, and while we're at it, why don't we just add a shot or several of kahlua, okay? Thanks. ;)
Ah well, better posting late than never, and I couldn’t let Espresso Mocha Babycakes with Vanilla Cream Frosting go without their fifteen minutes of delicious fame.
*pause pause pause* Okay, that’s enough fame.
what we all look like before coffee and makeup
These are the first of several babycakes that are being baked in the Delicious kitchen over the next few days since I have practiced cupcakes only once in the last year - Disco Coco Babycakes for Figi's Birthday. There is *ahem* a bridal shower coming up far too quickly. What fun it would have been to plan and cook brunch, but the whole party for 30+ pretty little princesses will be catered by Campanile. *sigh* I love Campanile, but that almost left me with nothing fun to do. Who wants to make the floral centerpieces? *gag* Who wants to put together glittery girlie bridal showereque party favors? *rolleyes* Who wants to...do this that and the other? *silent* Who wants to do...the dessert?
Everyone’s heads snapped toward my end of Jenn’s long dining room turned bridal shower planning committee boardroom. Well, duh. Sarah, of course! Thank God, otherwise I might have been relegated to attaching tiny sparkling barettes to to miniature bottles of nail polish with perfect pink and white ribbon. *shudders*
all dressed up sweet, soft and pretty for a bridal shower
The very LA thing to do would have been to place an order with one of the many upscale bakeries that are now selling fancy schmancy cupcakes for *gasp* almost three dollars! But that is too easy and not only would I feel guilty for spending only 10 minutes on the phone and maybe 10 minutes picking them up, but I’d also feel cheated because they are so ridiculously expensive. Not only that, the cupcakerie of choice, Sprinkles, didn’t impress me at all last time. There are a few others, but I'm not hopeful. So testing and baking and testing and baking and bringing two and a half dozen homemade cupcakes is my contribution. Espresso Mocha down. Red Velvet, Lemon (maybe with ginger), and Chocolate Fudge to go.
And I swear I will be caught up by the time Sugar High Friday no. 12 whips around. I swear I will have a post up on time. Or at least within a few days of the deadline, not weeks, LOL!
sarah says
not obsessed, la cheesemonger, just bitter, and not ashamed that i am, lol! and not about marriage, just all the fuss surrounding weddings. too much money for such a short period of time that is mostly stressful anyway. LOL!
by the way, these are not muffins. i am baking cupcakes, aka "babycakes" here in the Delicious world. ;)
Anonymous says
Wow, your cupcakes look fantastic! If they taste as good as they look, I'd definitely pay three dollars a piece for yours :)
By the way, I think Sprinkles tops every one in LA out in terms of price because they are in Beverly Hills. There are a few other bakeries in LA like Joan's on Third, Susina, and Toast that aren't quite as expensive. I've also heard that Leda's Bakeshop in the valley is supposed to have good cupcakes.
BoLA says
Mmm...your babycakes look absolutely delicious! Espresso mocha with vanilla cream sounds fabulous!
tara says
Sarah, could I please ask you for the recipe for these little delights? If it isn't too much of an imposition, I've been having a pouty couple of days, and I do believe these may be my cure!
sarah says
sprinkles is pretty expensive, and i just read somewhere, too, that they plan to expand their operations by opening more stores in other cities. good for them. but i still think they are overpriced for as *eh* as they taste.
tara: i will post the recipe in the comments just as soon as i get home tonight! (i am so flattered that you ask for my humble little babycakes, lol! :) )
Terila says
Sarah, you do good. Great looking cupcakes, classic black and white.
Lovely.
sarah says
hi terila! actually, i thought about calling it balck and white, but i wasn't sure what the EXACT components of a black and white are, and i am not sure that this would qualify anyway, since it has espresso in it. isn't black and white a dark chocolate cake and vanilla frosting?
Julie says
Hi Sarah,
I second that emotion about Sprinkles. They look great, but the cupcake I had was so dry. *Sigh* And for $3.25 nonetheless....
I'm with Tera about wanting your recipe. The cakes and frosting look great. And I'm baking the cake, in the form of cupcakes, for my friend's wedding coming up, and I could use all the great recipes I can get.
Thanks!
Julie
Anonymous says
Sprinkles are completely overrated IMHO. Frosting is way too sweet to a nauseating degree. The frosting also had an oiliness to it that I found distasteful.
The cake was heavy, dry & flavorless. Also it had this weird sickly smell.
Blechhhhhhh!!!
Try the cupcakes at Aroma Cafe/The Alcove with the whipped cream frosting. Looks very home made. Not slick in the least BUT, the cake is light & flavorful, the frosting nice & light as well.
Give it a try!
Anonymous says
will you be posting the recipe for these adorable babycakes?
sarah says
julie and all: it's been a while since i've come back to this post, just now realized i never posted the recipe, looked for it and...*gasp!* i can't find it! but i did find one that looks just about the same at recipelink.
anonymous #2: if i go back to aroma, i'll have to try it, though i think i am getting a little sick of all cupcakes anyway.
anonymous #3: see above! i can't believe i list the recipe, along with a whole bunch of others, like white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
Nush says
Hey! I don't see the recipe for this one either... I think I'm missing something :S