Find Your Beach

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It’s officially summer! I know it has been awhile since the last post, but like clockwork, the second I go into summer mode the time flies by. Somehow my summers are always jam packed with BBQs, birthday parties, weekend trips, and stay-cations on Long Island. Before I know it, I don’t have a free weekend until the end of July (true statement) and sneaking in some baking time, better yet “me” time becomes a serious challenge.

Last weekend I had a double order for Sunday (ring boxes AND bagels), but I decided to make these summer themed cupcakes for fun with the extra batter. From graham cracker sand, to Gummy Lifesaver inner tubes, these cupcakes were just what I needed to get the (beach)ball rolling on my summer baking schedule. 

As everyone flees Manhattan for The Hamptons, Montauk, or the Jersey Shore (back in action), I can’t help but follow suit. I kicked off my summer spending Memorial Day Weekend in Montauk- one of my favorite places. Coming off of a particularly stressful week, all of my problems went out the window once we hit Montauk Highway. There is something about the beach that just makes everything better- and I happen to believe the same rule applies to cupcakes. 

(Channeling Gray Malin with this photo. Don’t know him? I bet you do. If not, check out his work. I love it all.) 

Cupcake Corsage

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This past weekend was filled with flashback moments for me- not only did my brother graduate from college, but my sister went to her junior prom! Talk about a weekend of milestones, and some serious strolls down memory lane.

I can remember prom being the biggest deal, so I wasn’t surprised to find my sister somewhat (totally) freaking out about her dress, hair, makeup, etc. Once she was calm and dressed she looked gorgeous, and while she didn’t wear an actual cupcake corsage, I thought this idea would be a fun spin on the concept, and they matched her nails perfectly! These cupcakes were actually an order for a bridal shower, but I made a few extras for her to enjoy once all of the festivites were over.

The act of asking someone to prom has seriously escalated since I went through the whole process. From changing the lines in the school play, to the jumbotron at Yankee Stadium, my sister told me some crazy stories. What route did she take? Cupcakes. That’s my girl. (Photo below)

Try These On For Size

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When I was little, I insisted on watching The Little Mermaid on repeat for what I have been told were months. Clearly I had a serious love for Disney movies, and I still have a hard time changing the channel when I see one on TV. 

Recently I was asked to create cupcakes for a Cinderella themed birthday party, so I decided to try these “glass slippers” on for size. I’m always happy to hear that the classic Disney movies are still a hit with today’s younger generation, so I was particularly excited for this order. The “glass slippers” have yellow cake toes, graham cracker soles dipped in candy melts, and Pirouette cookie heels.

While my taste in movies has somewhat evolved- I could watch  this one over and over again (terrible quality, but it was too fitting for this post), I still can’t get enough of The Little Mermaid.

More is Better

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This weekend I completed my biggest order to date! Saturday was the 50th Anniversary Party of The Brownstone School, and I was asked to bake one hundred cupcakes for the event- 50 burgers and 50 dishes of french fries. 

Baking these I couldn’t help but think of this ad, and feel a bit like the Hamburglar. These cupcakes were covering every inch of counter and table space in my house! I always think I allocate plenty of time to finish an order, but always find myself working down to wire- I was filling the “ketchup” bottles with icing minutes before I needed to walk out the door.

In the end, the delivery went smoothly (thank goodness). I could not relax until these were finally out of my hands! Luckily for me, it was a beautiful Saturday evening, and I was done just in time to meet up with friends and enjoy the rest of the weekend. 

Wedding Season

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Whenever I hear that someone got engaged, my immediate reaction is not to ask to see the ring. Instead, I want to know the details of the engagement. From flash mobs, to choreographed dances, to the jumbotron at a baseball game, people love to get creative. While I appreciate their efforts, I lean (hard) in the conservative direction…unless we are talking about cupcakes. For this order, I had to think outside the box. 

The wonderful bride-to-be and I discussed these cupcakes weeks prior to her engagement party to make sure they were exactly what she wanted- cupcake ring boxes with candy diamond rings. For this very special occasion she decided on red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. See the adorable couple below- she said yes (again)!

While I haven’t been to enough weddings to be able to do this quite yet, I have a feeling my time is coming. I am off to my first bachelorette party in a few weeks (which I imagine will look nothing like this, but closer to this) and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that one of my best friends is getting married. With New York International Bridal Week wrapping up today, spring flowers popping up all over Manhattan, and people preparing for a summer of wedding festivities, this cupcake order came at the perfect time to kick off wedding season.

It's Masters Week

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Golf never struck me as the most exciting sport, but I have to admit that all of the hype for The Masters Tournament has me looking forward to watching on Sunday. 

I grew up watching a lot of golf. My grandparents were avid golfers and every time we visited we were watching golf, talking about golf, or discussing the players- my grandmother loves Phil, hates Tiger, and is befuddled by Rickie’s attire. While I have played, my fondest golf related memories are golf cart racing my cousins to the halfway house for frozen Milky Ways, or convincing each other an alligator was going to jump out of the water at every hole. 

Everything I learned about golf I learned from that side of the family (and Chubbs of course), so I felt inspired to bake for the big weekend. Who do you want to win the green jacket? 

RBC on Crush New York!

Check it OUT! Reality Bites Cupcakes is featured today on Crush New York

Founded and edited by Steph Vorhees, Crush is an insiders’s guide to navigating Manhattan, so I couldn’t be more excited to see Reality Bites featured today as the “new cupcake in town”!  

Best.birthday.present.ever.

Happy Easter!

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Can you believe it’s already Easter weekend? The holiday seriously crept up on me- as of Monday I had no idea what I would bake. My family is in charge of dessert, aka cupcakes, for our Easter Sunday celebration, so thanks to a few friendly suggestions I decided to give this idea a try. 

These cupcake eggs are meant to look like robins eggs and regular eggs, or even Easter eggs before and after dying them. However you see it, these cupcake eggs have candy melt shells and yolks, making them a lot less messy and a lot more delicious. 

Easter candy is my favorite when it comes to holiday sweets- Starburst jelly beans, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Reese’s Eggs, I could go on. I just can’t warm to Peeps, but I do have fond memories of my siblings and I putting them in the microwave when we were little. Here is the most bizarre use of Peeps I have seen to date, just in case you need a recap of this past season of GIRLS.

Wishing you and your peeps a Happy Easter! 

So Rich, So Pretty

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It’s been a whirlwind of a 2013 so far. Lots and lots of baking. While I’ve shared most of the cupcakes I’ve created, here are some of the ones I haven’t. I’ll call them “the pretty ones”- they are the cupcakes I was asked to make that cater to a specific person’s likes. From a purple theme, to pink and pearls, to a high fashion influence, all of these cupcakes remind me of spring.

It’s finally here (somewhat) and I am so ready.  From spring fashion, to the warmer weather, to all of the bright colors, the season could not have come soon enough. During the winter I often forget why I opted to live in New York City, but once the weather takes a turn for the better I quickly change my tune. 

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

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Along with the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it’s because it was one of my dad’s favorites, maybe it’s the reappearance of green bagels, or maybe it’s just the Irish in me- long story short, I’m excited.

I consider anyone born on St. Patrick’s Day to be pretty lucky (no pun intended). Their birthday falls on the same day as one of the biggest parties of the year- so when I was asked to bake for one of the lucky ones, I was happy to do it, and a little green with envy (pun intended).

I have been wanting to make “cup of coffee” cupcakes, so this felt like the perfect excuse to try them out. And I figured why not add a little booze- it only seemed fitting.

The recipe called for a cup of hot coffee and coffee liquor (I used Kahlua), so these cupcakes came out looking like my ideal dark roast with a little kick. The frosting even has a little something extra, as it is spiked with Irish cream. As for the bagels- I couldn’t help myself. I love the novelty of green bagels, so I figured I would put the same spin on my own “bagel” cupcakes.

I am very much looking forward to all of the festivities of the holiday, and will leave you with this advice from Grub Street New York and this song to get you in the same mindset I’m in. Sláinte!

Chocolate Covered (Red Velvet) Strawberries

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What: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Where: Reality Bites HQ

When: If you follow Reality Bites on Instagram, you saw that I was making these while watching the Academy Awards

Why: For a birthday girl whose favorite foods include red velvet cake and chocolate covered strawberries 

How: Red velvet heart shaped cupcakes, cream cheese frosting dyed red, mini chocolate chips, mint leaves, and of course melted chocolate

Simple but incredibly decadent at the same time, these cupcakes were rich and delicious. While red velvet cake really isn’t that complicated to make, here is an informational feature on BuzzFeed about this popular cake. 

"You’re a human being, and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake." Whatever you say, Emma Stone.

You're a Peach

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I was recently asked to bake for a going away party for someone moving to Atlanta to start a new job. The cupcakes had to be special, so I immediately did some research on foods Atlanta is famous for, and any defining characteristics of Georgia. After coming up with a few mediocre ideas, this one came to mind: peaches. I found the amazing recipe for these cupcakes here, and immediately knew they were the perfect idea for this occasion.

Covered in dyed sugar and filled with butter cream frosting, these “peaches” are some of my favorite cupcakes to date. Topped off with a cinnamon stick “stem” and mint leaves, they evoke juicy expectations when instead you bite into buttery yellow cake. 

Whenever I think of peaches, I am reminded of this movie. I also recently saw this photo taken by an artist that is currently being exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ironically enough, his exhibition is called “At War with the Obvious” which fits as seamlessly with Reality Bites as the cupcake peaches did for the Atlanta send off party. Clearly I’ve had Georgia on my mind…

Let's Go to the Movies

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With the Academy Awards coming up this Sunday, I decided to make these “popcorn” cupcakes as a fun treat for the weekend. Instead of butter and salt, they are covered in vanilla frosting and mini marshmallows, throwing my movie snack routine off entirely. Whenever I go to the movies, I always want popcorn, but I can’t have it alone- I also need M&Ms. The combination of salty and sweet treats is borderline unavoidable walking by the snack counter.

I love going to the movies, but I don’t go nearly as often as I would like. This year I told myself I would see all of the films nominated for best picture, but only ended up seeing two of them (does seeing Argo twice count for anything?). For me, “best pictures” are the ones with the perfect combination of a good story and a great soundtrack. I wouldn’t be opposed to there being a soundtrack to my life, so I love when I find a movie that knocks it out of the park on both fronts (i.e. Forrest Gump, Pretty Woman).

Ironically enough, I have had this song stuck in my head all week. It not only fits Sunday’s movie theme, but it has also gotten me excited for the weekend. And the Oscar goes to..

Labor of Love

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Happy almost Valentine’s Day! I am so excited to have baked these cupcakes for the Bonjour + Hola Valentine’s Day party. Elizabeth, the writer and creator of this lovely blog, wanted a sweet Valentine’s Day treat for her party goers, so I was happy to be put to the test! 

I found the idea for these conversation heart cheesecakes on Pinterest months ago, so to make sure I could get them done as perfectly as possible, I began experimenting 2 weeks back. At first, I tried using cake batter, but as the cupcakes rose they looked less like hearts and more like bubbles/blobs. I realized that in order to make my “sweethearts” look realistic, I had to learn to make cheesecake.

I will admit that the ones you see above were not my first batch- third time’s a charm, right? But making these cheesecake cupcakes was such a fun challenge, and it brought me back to my college days, mixing colors and messing with (edible) paints. I even bought a box of the actual sweetheart candies to get ideas for the sayings, but ended up deciding on a few of my own. Call me old fashioned, but "Tweet Me" doesn’t strike me as romantic!

In the end, the best part was boxing them up and delivering them to Elizabeth’s apartment (see above). Sadly, Elizabeth got the flu and had to cancel her party, but I thought cheesecake was just what the doctor ordered. Check out her post this week featuring Reality Bites and these cheesecake cupcakes! Merci and gracias!

Throwback Thursday: Mardi Gras!

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In 2008, I went to Mardi Gras with 26 friends from college. We stayed at a friend’s parents’ house, so imagine seventeen girls all sleeping in one room, and nine guys in another- a scene straight out of a movie. It was an incredibly fun weekend filled with beads, beer and Bourbon Street. Even though Mardi Gras itself was a blast, what I enjoyed most was getting to see New Orleans for the first time. NOLA is a beautiful city, known for its music, culture, but most importantly, good food. And while my diet consisted mainly of jambalaya for four days, I also existed on the amazing treat I tried to recreate above. The king cake.

Since Fat Tuesday is next week, these cupcakes are a #tbt to my trip to Mardi Gras. The tradition goes if you find the plastic baby hidden in the cake, you have to bring the king cake to next year’s party. I remember finding that custom a little strange, but also hoping I would bite into something hard so I had an excuse to go back. 

Super Bowl XLVII

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Not only is the Super Bowl this weekend, but tomorrow is also my little (big) brother’s 22nd birthday. He is the family football star, so I decided to make these football cupcakes in honor of him and this upcoming football inspired weekend. 

This year I have no emotional attachment to either team, but I am excited to see what commercials the ad world whipped up. (This was my favorite spot from last year.) I admittedly fall into the group of people that really only watch for the ads and of course, the halftime show. 

In an effort to try something new, I filled the “footballs” with a mixture of chunky peanut butter and caramel sauce (which reminded me of a Snickers bar and this ad). Once they cooled, I dipped these chocolate cupcakes in melted bittersweet dark chocolate and “laced” them with cream cheese frosting. You can see above my trying to hold a “football” properly, but my athletic ability is no where near my brother’s. I’ll stick to baking. 

Time to celebrate...

Please check out Cupcakes and Confetti today where Reality Bites is featured! Started by two sisters from Michigan with a passion for friends, family, and parties, Cupcakes and Confetti began as a journal and collection of things that inspire them. From how to celebrate the weekend, to recipes and crafts, to cupcakes, this blog covers it all, so I am excited to be a part of it! Here’s the link to today’s post!

Ellie

My amazing grandmother turns 90 this week, but we celebrated over the long weekend so as many of her 6 children and 18 grandchildren could make it as possible. She continues to live an incredible life, knowing more about sports, politics, history, people and life than anyone I know. She remembers everything and everyone and ceases to amaze me on a daily basis.

One of the first taste testers of Reality Bites, Ellie, as my dad fondly called her, is my inspiration to live as gracefully and selflessly as she does. 

After a few of us helped her blow out the candles, it was a group effort to almost finish off this cake. I didn’t bake it- I’m sticking to cupcakes- but I will admit it was delicious. Do you think it was big enough?!

Overall the day was fittingly special, filled with wonderful conversation, cousins, cocktails and of course, cake. I can’t imagine a better person to celebrate.

I Spy Reality Bites on CakeSpy!

I am THRILLED to be featured today on CakeSpy! The head spy of this lovely site is Jessie Oleson Moore- a freelance writer and illustrator whose writing and illustrations have appeared on DailyCandy.com, Serious Eats, and Taste of Home just to name a few! CakeSpy was even named one of Gourmet’s Favorite Food Sites, so I am incredibly excited to have been interviewed for today’s post! 

In an effort to pick the CakeSpy’s brain, I had a few questions of my own for Jessie: 

If you could only eat three foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Crumb cake, Birthday Cake, and Brussels Sprouts.

What was your first job? How did it help you get where you are today?

My first job was “Flower Girl” —official title—at Mueller’s Flowers & Gifts in Manasquan, New Jersey. My job, when the flowers came in from the wholesalers every day, was to prepare them for the store. This involved husking gladiola leaves like corn, de-thorning roses, and removing stamen from lilies. Probably the biggest influence this job had on me was that I always smelled good at the end of my shift, even if I’d gotten sweaty or something. It’s highly likely that this made me gravitate toward professions that would make me smell good. As CakeSpy I bake a lot, which makes me frequently smell like birthday cake batter and/or brownies.

What’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to you?

It’s more of an act than something said I suppose, but in recent memory, someone said “I’m sweet on you” by decorating the stairwell of my apartment building with like a hundred hearts. Um, don’t tell my landlord that had to do with me, I really want my deposit back. 

If you were to decide today what cake you will have on your 100th birthday, what would it be?

Same one I have almost every year: three tiers, white cake, pink frosting. Lots of flowers and scalloped frosting and stuff. Oh and we’ve gotta have the Birthday Mouse on top. (See below!)

Birthday Cake

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As we creep into mid January, I can’t help but be overly excited to have things to look forward to other than Spring. Sunday was my wonderful friend Valeria’s birthday, so in her honor I made these mini triple layer cakes. From wanting to try a few new things in the kitchen, to her birthday celebration, I had been counting down to the weekend more so than usual.

The recipe I followed for the cupcakes claimed to be the “best birthday cake recipe”, and I have to admit that it is my favorite so far. The cake wasn’t too sweet, but was instead the perfect pairing with the sugary frosting and sprinkles.

I saw one idea for these mini triple layer cakes on Pinterest that recommended baking the cake in washed out cans to create the cylindrical shape. Unfortunately, my attempt at this was a failure- the cake got stuck in the cans, which then created a frustrating game of trying to pry it out without ruining the shape…i.e. impossible. Instead, I had to go with my backup plan. After baking the rest of the batter on a cookie sheet, I used a circular cookie cutter to make the layers. So.much.easier.

In the end these came out even better than I had hoped- I am admittedly proud of myself. The weekend’s celebrations were a blast and these cupcakes ended up being a success. Is it Friday again yet?