valentine's day Congrats to our winners!

Many congrats go out to Sandra of Yorktown, VA, and Janine of Pennington, NJ. They each won a copy of Everything Vegan!





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Thanks for playin' folks!


;)

valentine's day Reminder: Stand Mixer Giveaway Ends Today!

Don't forget, our excellent year-end giveaway of a Breville 5-quart die-cast stand mixer ends today at 5:00 pm ET. You don't want to miss out on this one!



valentine's day

valentine's day

valentine's day Happy Holidays, we're giving away a stand mixer!

Wow, I sure do love giveaways and this one's a beaut! Breville and CTTC are teaming up to giveaway a 5-quart die-cast stand mixer!! (Insert Oprah-like screaming...)


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valentine's day valentine's day


To win this treasure, all you need to do is "like" Breville on Facebook (if you have a Facebook account) and include in the comment section (below) your favorite use for a stand mixer, and a way Cupcakes Take the Cake can contact you (email is best!). We'll select a winner at random on December 20, 2010 at 5:00 pm ET. Due to shipping issues, this giveaway is open to USA residents only. Your mixer will be shipped directly from the company, not from CTTC.

And, here's one way you can use your nifty new stand mixer, making a batch of Butch Bakery's Picante Pumpkin Cupcakes.

Picante Pumpkin Cupcakes

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Created by David Arrick of Butch Bakery

Cupcake Ingredients

3/4 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Maple/Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting

8-oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/8 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon brandy

2 teaspoons cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. It's very important to sift the dry ingredients together so that the batter remains smooth and lump-free.

STEP 2: Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl of the Breville Stand Mixer, and blend until smooth and creamy (2 minutes).

STEP 3: Add the egg to the mixture, and beat until incorporated into the butter and sugar mix. Beat in the vanilla.

STEP 4: With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the pumpkin puree, in small amounts, until it is all incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX. Only mix until the dry ingredients are wet. Over mixing will make for a heavier cake.

STEP 5: Fill your cupcake tins evenly with the batter using either the two spoon method or with an ice-cream scoop.

STEP 6: Place the cupcakes in the preheated oven, and bake for approximately 20-23 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the tin and place on a cooling rack.

STEP 7: Once cool, apply Maple/Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting

Maple/Brandy Cream Cheese Frosting

In the mixing bowl of the Breville Stand Mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and beat on medium/high until smooth and creamy.

Add the confectioners’ sugar a bit at a time until incorporated, and fluffy (about 3 minutes on high speed).

Add the maple syrup, brandy, and cinnamon, and mix until incorporated, on medium speed.

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So, folks, best of luck, I hope you, yes, you, are a winner!

valentine's day WIN a FREE TICKET to our Seattle Birthday Bash!

valentine's day

Since today is “Pay it Forward Day”, Cupcakes Take the Cake and JavaCupcake.com would like to pay it forward to one of our loyal fans with ONE FREE ADMISSION to the Cupcakes Take the Cake 6th Birthday Bash in Seattle!

To be eligible to win, you must be available to attend the Cupcakes Take the Cake Seattle party on December 7th and you must leave a comment on the party's webpage (click the link because all entries left on this blog will not be counted!!!!!) as to why you love reading Cupcakes Take the Cake!

Super simple! A winner will be chosen by random and announced tomorrow! You have until midnight tonight (PST) to enter!

Good luck!