Featured Cake

OCCASION: Birthday

FLAVOR: Chocolate Peanutbutter

I made this cake for my best friend Mallory. Mallory has many obsessions, most of which relate to TV or books: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, and so on. I've been planning on making her a Rocky cake for months now, but it was definitely difficult to narrow down on a theme. The most difficult piece was definitely the glove, which I carved as best as I could to mirror the shape and curves of a real boxing glove. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Please share your thoughts!

Captain America Cupcakes

OCCASION: Birthday

FLAVOR: Vanilla

I made these cupcakes today for my friend Nick, who is celebrating his 19th birthday. Nick and his dad LOVE Captain America and have a whole collection of comics/action figures/etc. They were super siked to see these, and it was really fun to make a design that was simple but iconic.

University of Maryland Graduation Cake

OCCASION: Graduation

FLAVOR: Vanilla and Chocolate

I made this cake for my college friend Nick's older sister, who just graduated from the University of Maryland in May. Nick allowed me to design the cake myself, and his sister and mother chose this design from a list of options. I always love getting to go crazy with a cake! I really enjoyed making this, and hopefully I'll be making one for myself in 3 years!

Magic Hat Number 9-Butterbeer Cupcakes

OCCASION: Birthday

FLAVOR: Butterbeer

In honor of the last few weeks of the Harry Potter era (don't get me started--I cry about it often), I made these butterbeer cupcakes. Well, actually, they were for my brother Thomas, who just celebrated his 24th birthday. I made the logo for one of his favorite beers, Magic Hat Number 9, and decided I had to have a flavor to match. As I am not 21, I couldn't buy real beer for it, and I'm sure that wouldn't taste so great. Instead, I did my own variation of a butterbeer cupcake recipe I found on a blog a few months ago. I decided rather than copy the recipe, I would make up my own. They were essentially brown sugar cupcakes with a butterscotch filling. The results were delicious, and I went out of my way to deliver the extras to friends so I wouldn't eat them all.

Fast Food Cake

OCCASION: Birthday

FLAVOR: Grasshopper: Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Peppermint Icing

So we all remember the Grumble Meter from last summer. This summer, I decided to reward Dillon with a cake that reflected his primary interest: food. Dillon and I frequently go on what we call "Late Night Fast Food Runs"--LNFFRs for short, which involves us driving around our suburban town and only sometimes involves us actually purchasing anything from a fast food restaurant. I knew Dillon was the perfect friend when he told me we could get fries from McDonalds and frosties from Wendy's. So this cake combines those two bests with my favorite thing, cake! The Wendy's cup was made out of cereal treats (a first for me) and the ketchup is red candy. I used sugar for salt and a thick icing tip for the ice cream. This was an all day event, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. My friend Mollie, who calls me Mmmeliacakes more often than my regular name, helped me out on this one, so it was definitely made with a lot of love!

Sand Cupcakes

OCCASION: Birthday

FLAVOR: Chocolate Cupcakes filled with Chocolate Pudding and topped with a Brown Sugar and Graham Cracker topping

For my best friend Julie's birthday, we surprised her with a beach day trip, something she always wanted to do. We dragged her out of bed at 9 in the morning (on one of the first days of summer, even) and drove her to Ocean City. We spent the day on the beach and boardwalk and devoured these on the way home!

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, and More Cupcakes

Here's what you missed while I was away at school: a TON of cupcakes--500 to be exact. The Robert H. Smith School of Business at UMD hosts an event called Terp Marketplace through the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. Aspiring new en-TERP-preneurs sell their stuff for students and faculty. My first try, I sold out in 3 hours--my second try, I sold out in less than two. I guess College Park just really has latched on to the cupcake craze. I'm uploading all the photos so you don't miss out on all the flavors!

Dirt Cup: Oreo Cupcakes filled with chocolate pudding

Pink Lemonade: pink lemonade Kool-Aid flavor

Fear The Turtle Vanilla Cupcakes

Cookie Dough: chocolate chip cookie yellow cake w/ brown sugar icing

Blueberry: Real blueberries topped with blueberry PopTart

S'more: chocolate cake w/ graham cracker crust & marshmallow icing

To My Loyal Followers...

I thought I would update all 179 of you on the current goings-on in my life. I have made a few cakes over the past year (not enough), but I DID start a cupcake delivery service at the University of Maryland for students, parents, faculty, and fans. It's launching in the fall and being run out of the College Park Volunteer Fire Department. So while I haven't been doing cake creations, I've made 500 cupcakes this year in a ton of flavors, and that's been pretty exciting!

But this summer, it's back to business for Mmmeliacakes, so get those orders in! I'd love to hear from you. I especially want to try out new and crazier cake designs, so be sure to recommend me to everyone you know--it'd be a shame to go back to school and not have made a plethora of cakes!

Sincerely,

Mmmeliacakes

Egyptian Cupcakes

OCCASION: Bridal Shower

FLAVOR: Funfetti Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling/Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

My sister's high school friend Gaby asked me to make these cupcakes for her sister's bridal shower. The theme was Egypt because its one of the several locations Gaby's sister and her future husband will be visiting on their honeymoon. The cupcakes were filled in the middle and topped with vanilla buttercream icing.

Camera Cake

OCCASION: Birthday

FLAVOR: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Poptart

I made this cake for my good friend Zack's surprise birthday party. The cake consisted of a layer of brown sugar cinnamon poptarts and yellow cake (kind of coffee-cake-like) and a brown sugar icing. The cake is modeled after Zack's camera, the Canon Rebel XS. Zack will be starting at Northeastern University next week!

Carnegie Mellon Cake

OCCASION: Birthday/Going Away Party
FLAVOR: Fudge Marble

I made this cake for one of my oldest friends, Margo, who I met back in '98 when my family first moved to Maryland and I started in the first grade. Margo is the sweetest girl ever, and she's going to Carnegie Mellon this year. She had to leave before her birthday, so she had a big party and her wonderful mom, Judy, hired me to make the cake. Best of luck to Margo!

Testudo (Part 3)

OCCASION: Graduation
FLAVOR: Yellow

This cake is for an old friend, Saral, who will, as you can see, be attending the University of Maryland this fall.

Cupcake Challenge 6: Peach Raspberry Cupcakes

Peach Cupcakes with Raspberry Icing

I made these cupcakes with real peaches and peach yogurt in the batter and raspberries in the icing. The icing was a winner, but the peaches didn't provide a strong enough flavor--looks like artificial flavoring would have worked better. But combined with the icing, it was great!

Flavor suggested by: Marie M.

Seton Hall Cake

OCCASION: Graduation
FLAVOR: Red Velvet

This cake was for an old elementary school/middle school friend named Vania. She will be attending Seton Hall University this fall!

UMiami Cake

OCCASION: Birthday
FLAVOR: Funfetti

A high school friend, Laura, hired me to make this cake for one of her best friends, Emily, for her 18th birthday. Emily will be attending UMiami this year.

Ohio State Cake

OCCASION: Graduation
FLAVOR: Red Velvet

I made this cake for my friend Ben in honor of his graduation from high school. He will be attending Ohio State University next month!

Bowling Cupcakes

OCCASION: Birthday
FLAVOR: Chocolate

My brother's friend Reid hired me to make these cupcakes for a friend's daughter. They were having a party at the bowling alley for her 4th birthday and Reid told me to just go for it design-wise. I had a lot of fun with these ones. Hopefully Jen over at Cake Wrecks would approve of this CCC.

Cupcake Challenge 5: Strawberry Banana Cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Banana Cream Cheese Icing

I didn't want to overwhelm with banana flavoring, so I made the cupcakes just strawberry instead. I used strawberry banana yogurt with cream cheese to make the icing. Aside from the fact that it was a more gooey icing, the cupcakes were pretty good, especially when refrigerated.

Flavor suggested by: Joey H.

Cupcake Challenge 4: Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Icing

Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Icing

So before you are utterly repulsed, let me explain the background and reaction to these cupcakes. My friend, Julie, heard a segment on NPR about a man and his wife who own a bakery where a hot item is bacon cupcakes. Eager to try this out, I decided I'd rather experiment myself then search for a recipe online--as with all of my "challenge" cupcakes, I don't think there'd be a point if I didn't complete the recipe myself.

So I started with maple flavored bacon. I cooked a few strips in a skillet, patted every last bit of grease and moisture out of them, rolled them in a cinnamon sugar mixture, and folded them into a standard yellow cake. When they came out of the oven, it took me a solid hour to work up the courage to try them. I took a bite. Unsure of whether or not it disgusted me, I finished the cupcake and forced my brother to try it, too. He gave it the okay and I set to work on the maple syrup cream cheese icing, which I definitely think will make a comeback on another cupcake very soon. Once I frosted it with that, Thomas said it was definitely ready to go.

I brought it to a friend, Shana's house first for her and her mom to try. They liked the icing enough that the cake didn't disgust them. Then I brought a trayful to poker night at my friend Mary's house. I gave the cupcakes a huge disclaimer: "They're hit or miss, you might not like them, I won't be offended, don't try it if you don't want to, tell me what you think honestly, etc etc." Three boys took the challenge first--and loved them. I thought they must be joking, because I definitely didn't harbor that much affection for these cupcakes. But they actually enjoyed them! I thought they must be a "man cupcake", until two girls took the plunge and liked them too. As one friend said, "I don't even like bacon...but I like these."

So they may not be kosher, or even socially acceptable, but these cupcakes were pretty successful in my opinion. If I make the recipe in the future, I might try using a spice cake instead to aid the bacon's flavor.

Flavor suggested by: Julie T. and Sam J.

True Blood Cake

OCCASION: Birthday
FLAVOR: Red Velvet

I got an email from customer, Tom, a few weeks ago, who wanted a vampire-esque cake for his wife's "29th" birthday. Mary loves vampires (but no Twilight. Please, moms who fawn after underage boys are pretty creepy.) Anyways, so Mary and her daughter LOVE True Blood, and Tom sent me the above photograph to replicate. I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I can only hope it's acceptable for trueTrueBlood fans. I really enjoyed working with Tom and his family!

Cupcake Challenge 3: Ants on a Log Cupcakes

Ants on a Log Cupcakes

These cupcakes, inspired by the children's snack, consisted of a spice cake base with walnuts and raisins, frosted with a peanutbutter icing and topped with chopped celery and raisins.
Flavor suggested by: Shanee S.

Cupcake Challenge 2: "All-American" Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

"All-American" Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

These cupcakes were made up of yellow cake, with cinnamon-sugar apples and applesauce folded in. I frosted them with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing and served them to my friends on the Fourth of July!

Flavor suggested by: Marie M.

Cupcake Challenge 1: Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Icing

Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Icing

For my very first attempt at new flavor creations, I hid an entire piece of Pillsbury Break-n-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough at the bottom of each cupcake, allowing it to cook into the batter as the cake baked. I played around with the icing, using some brown sugar in place of a cup of powdered sugar. Success!

Flavor suggested by: Chelsea R.

Toy Story Cupcakes

OCCASION: Birthday
FLAVOR: Funfetti

I made these ALL BUTTERCREAM (no fondant) cupcakes for my brother's 23rd birthday. Thomas, a big Toy Story fan, has been waiting to see the new movie for days now and was planning to see it yesterday in honor of his golden birthday--23 on the 23rd. Thomas, like the rest of my family, hates fondant--so I used pastry bags to ice the cupcakes instead. I'm really happy with the way they turned out.

In case you're unfamiliar with these characters, I recommend you see the movies. But, here's a list to help remind you:
1st Column: Alien, Weezy (TS2), Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Potato Head
2nd Column: Hamm, Buzz, Lenny the Binoculars
3rd Column: Woody, Rex, Alien, Bo Peep
4th Column: Slinky, Alien, Bullseye (TS2), Jessie (TS2)

The Cupcake Challenge

To my loyal Mmmeliacakes Internet followers:
I regret to inform you that in a mere TWO MONTHS I'll be heading off to college at the University of Maryland, College Park, where I will be largely unable to bake cakes (although, if a big, awesome project came up, I'm close enough that I could try to make it home for the weekend and do it.) I want to make these last two months count by making as many cakes and cupcakes as possible.

This means that if you 'followed' me on blogspot because you knew one day you'd want to order a cake for some occasion or another, NOW is the time to do it. I'm free all through July and August for cakes (and also, cake decorating lessons for kids and adults ages 10+--email me if you're interested.)

After watching the new show Cupcake Wars, I was inspired to create new and innovative cupcake flavors as a challenge to myself. If you can leave a comment and suggest some unusual/fun ingredients for me to try to incorporate into cupcakes, that'd be great. If I go with your suggestion, and it turns out well, and you live in my area, I'll deliver YOU the cupcakes as a thank you!

Some examples would be: fruits that aren't usually used in cake (ex. canteloupe, watermelon, etc), vegetables, cereals, sodas, unique dairy products--anything FRESH would be preferred to frozen items. Please, give real suggestions--nothing disgusting. Of course, ALL cupcakes (good and bad) will be displayed on this blog for you to follow along.

Thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing from you :)
-Mmmelia