We Break From Baking

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

~ Leonardo da Vinci

Sometimes the greatest thing you can earn is time! One of the goals in having our little business is to work to live and not the other way around. We don't have a mad stash of cash that allows us to randomly close our doors. Rather, we plan so that we can afford to take time for family matters, household chores and rest!

This Labor Day we will be spending time with our daughter in Colorado. It's Parents Weekend at the Air Force Academy and that's where she attends school. Our youngest son will join us, as will Shadow the Wonder Dog (our busy 10 year old border collie)! Maybe next year our oldest son will be able to join too. He started a job shortly after graduating UT in Austin and is learning all about earning that extra time. =)

The Cupcake Cottage will be closed:

Thursday 3 September thru Wednesday 9 September

and will reopen Thursday 10 September at 10:00 a.m.

We look forward to serving you on the many days we are open!

"Charming" Cupcakes!

When customers are planning for a special event and have a specific cupcake vision in mind, we are happy to consider any and all ideas. We may not always be able to create what a customer wants, but 99.9 % of the time we are able to meet the need.

Such was the case last week. We were asked to have our cupcakes used instead of a layered cake for a sweet tradition. I was somewhat familiar with the tradition of charms being placed between layers of wedding cake, but I needed to do a little research for specifics and here's what I learned:
The "cake pull" practice dates back to the Victorian era and has remained popular in the South. Basically, a satin ribbon is tied to each sterling silver charm which is placed, never baked, in between layers of a cake. In our case, we simply placed the charms on the cupcake and carefully piped buttercream over it. The result was absolute bliss!

In case your interested, the charms were from JMcKinley: http://www.jmckinley.com/

Unexpected Gifts!

Don't you just love getting something you had no idea was coming your way?

My first teaching job was at Lakenheath Elementary School in England where I taught second grade. This was a school for children of U.S. military families serving overseas. Many students living on the base were able to walk to school which made our community look like a snapshot of what I imagine growing American neighborhoods may have looked in the 50's & 60's. It was great, and I was often the recipient of 'gifts' collected by my students on their way in.

It was a pretty predictable experience of pinecones, seeds and sprigs of mistletoe in the fall and winter months. What I didn't expect in June were bunches of gorgeous, fragrant roses that were clearly snatched from prized vines. Thorny stems didn't stand a chance against the tugs of determined 8 year olds. After a quick reminder that "growing things should be left untouched" I turned and privately smiled as I placed battered stems in cool water. Unexpected gifts are such a treat!

A few weeks ago I received a package that I did not expect and did not order. I immediately knew that it was from Johnny Cupcakes because it was sealed with an over sized sticker bearing his logo: cross bones under a cupcake. I tore into the box quickly, carefully unfolded the designer Johnny Cupcake tissue paper and found the following:

~ 1/2 Dozen stud Johnny Cupcake logo earrings

~ 3 plastic zipped pouches with 1 Johnny Cupcake business card, 1 circa 1991 Teenage Ninja Turtle trading, 1 lapel button and 1 wrapped candy mint
~ (and) 1 sweet note from Johnny

I wrote about Johnny Cupcakes and his amazing entrepreneurial ways on this blog a while back.

As you can see by his note in the photo, he clearly knows how to channel his energy and creative spirit...and promote his business! Be sure to check out his blog, it rocks!

Be sure to check out his 'baked goods' (aka: custom Johnny Cupcakes Tees and other sweet items)
The unexpected can be so much fun!

"Thanks Johnny Cupcakes, wherever you are!" =)

Cake Personality

Like fine wine, a cake that is baked from scratch will be very different from flavor to flavor. Some cake recipes will bring elements together that result in a moist, springy texture, while other recipes will merge ingredients resulting in a denser, slightly heavy cake. Surprisingly, some taste buds out there are quick to declare that a cake is only good if it is moist. That may be the call of many, but it is not the declaration of all.

I suspect that with 40 plus years of improved box mixes that include added chemicals designed to lengthen shelf life and keep food items from going rock-hard, much of our society has experienced ultra moist cakes so often that the experience of varied texture may seem foreign. A cake less than 'uber' moist may be unexpected and immediately rejected. Sound familiar?

So how does one ‘break on through to the other side’ and give all forms of cake density a chance?
The next time you are about to take a bite of an unfamiliar, but made from scratch, cake consider the ingredients that make up the cake. Remember, we're talking FROM SCRATCH here...no box or pre-packaged mixes. Box mixes will be moist because the market has the majority of our population pegged and is sticking with a formula that sells.

Consider our Red Velvet cupcake. This is, by far, one of our hottest selling and most requested flavors. There are many recipes for Red Velvet. The recipe I grew up with was my mother's and can be dated back at least 50 years. As much as I love baking a full size cake with her recipe, it is not the recipe I use for my Red Velvet cupcakes in our shop. I use a recipe that I found in Southern Living Magazine many years back. Red Velvet is traditionally a dense cake that contains cocoa and is topped with a cream cheese frosting. Unless requested in a preorder, we top our Red Velvet with our buttercream frosting. I won't go into its history here, but when made from scratch, this cake is a solid slice of yummmm!

If you have only experienced red velvet as a moist cake, then it is likely to have been a box mix cake or made from a batter that has been tweaked to satisfy a moist-cake-only palette. I would encourage you to step back about 80 years, before added chemicals were used to 'keep cake moist' and try a variety of different cakes. You can visit our shop, bake something up yourself, or talk Grams into baking a few cakes this holiday season.

Whether you prefer white cake to chocolate or cream cheese frosting to buttercream, I would encourage you to keep an open mind as you open your mouth for a bite of cake! =)

We ♥ America!

Have a safe, restful and reflective 4th of July weekend!

Papas - Blueberries and Peaches!

Earlier this week Elias's mom gave us this picture

with this sweet message:

"We love your cupcakes! Thanks for making them." ~Papa & Elias

That was our 'icing on the cake'! =)

It is always a treat when customers put The Cupcake Cottage on their list of 'places to take visitors' here in Fort Worth. Such was the case with 'Papa' when his darling grandson, Elias, brought him in for cupcakes. It seems this little guy speaks very highly of The Cupcake Cottage in his phone calls to Papa, who lives in Connecticut. I think Elias was thrilled to show the grands one of his favorite places! We are always thrilled to meet friends and family. =)


With summer comes many out-of-town visitors, and the season for Parker County Peaches and Fresh Blueberries! We introduced these flavors last summer and they are back for a couple of months. Keep an eye out for them on the Flavors page on our website. They are both refreshing and yummy!

Fabulous Evening!

Our daughter, Jana (left) with her friend Grace hosted our table

We were striving to bake 500 babycakes for the Best of 2009 Party, but I pushed it a bit and baked 630 for last Friday nights celebration. Hats off to Neda and Courtney for coming in to frost. (and) Thanks to Jana and Grace for hosting The Cupcake Cottage table of cuppies.

Fort Worth Magazine transformed Casa Manana into quite the impressive celebration, and we were certainly happy to be a part of the scene!

Fort Worth Magazine's Best of 2009 Party!

We'll be closed for two weeks, but there is still one way you may be able to get your Cupcake Cottage fix. We will be baking 500+ babycakes for Fort Worth Magazine's Best of 2009! A fabulous summer party that devotes all proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth.

Click here for details: Best of 2009 Party!

Messages and Deliveries

Scroll down to read the story behind each picture

visit: thecupcakecottage.com

Photo 1

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We may not be a cake decorating company, but now and again, if we are able and time allows, we will take your idea and make it a reality!

Photo 1: A customer took last year's Fort Worth Magazine Best of 2008 and created a wedding anniverary destination date. She and her husband visited a Best of lunch spot, Best of walking spot and Best of Cupcake spot! The cupcake message was her sweet idea.

Photo 2: The initials S and N were for a couple's engagement party.

Photo 3: An Enchanted Florist fan wanted to wish them well in their new location on Camp Bowie Blvd.

Photo 4 & 5: A young man called from LA, California wanting to send something special to his mom as she became a United States of America citizen. We delivered this festive box of a dozen babycakes to Arlington. What a thoughtful son!

Photo 6: A call from the Bay Area, California asking us to do something special for a friend's birthday. Another delivery of cuppies!!

Photo 7: Our own son wanted to make that Prom invitation a little extra special and 'sweet'. She said yes! =)

We have made deliveries of cupcakes for customers that call from as far away as Canada, NYC, Pennsylvania, Washington, and California. Delivery rates begin at $20.00 and increase according to the Fort Worth - Dallas destination.

Special frosting costs begin at: $5.00 per standard & $ 2.00 per babycake.

We ♥ Our Customers!

Some of The Cupcake Cottage Customers

Gracie's invitation to a Christmas 'Wrap' party!

Brandy and Brandon are busy with an

amazing photography business, Bellapop!

Jeff snapped this sweet pic of the lovely Jen while at the shop.
Checkout some of what keeps these two busy...you'll be impressed!
Monstrosity Foto Co., High School Caesar, Jen's Myspace

Christmas Greetings!

One of the best parts of owning and operating this little shop of cupcakes is meeting the amazing customers that walk through our door. Whether they appear on a Forbes 500 list, or work two or three jobs in order to provide for their family, there’s one thing all our customers have in common: they crave and appreciate quality!
Our customers recognize the effort that goes into our baked-from-scratch cupcakes, no matter who they are or where they are from.

We have gotten to know so many people over our counter, and they have gotten to know us.
We get updates at Christmas time from some, invitations to gatherings, and even announcements of recent births. We learn of less joyful moments such as the loss of a loved one, or an unexpected diagnosis of a difficult illness. We have customers that keep us informed of marathons they are running, vacations they are taking and businesses they are starting.

We even have a customer that started a Facebook Group, called For the Love of The Cupcake Cottage, after discovering our little shop a few months ago. That was very flattering! If you are on Facebook be sure to look it up. I took a peek at it once while my daughter was logged on to her Facebook and was impressed that there were about 25 members!
I'm afraid time doesn't allow for networking via Facebook, Twitter or Text Message, maybe someday.
For now, we will continue to meet and greet our customers the old fashion way: over the counter!

Straight From the Case

We sell lots and lots of cupcakes every day! Sometimes customers pop in for a quick cupcake fix before, during or after lunch. Often times they will call or come by in need of more than

a few cuppies and are happy to leave with a pink box of delightful treats!

Above is a box of 2 dozen cupcakes we put together from our case for a customer calling from Weatherford. By the time she arrived her box was ready and waiting!

We encourage you to call ahead so we can let you know what's available. We are happy to hold cupcakes for ya!

Mom's Favorite Flavor!

Hey cupcake mommies, what's your favorite flavor? What about the mom in your life, does she have a favorite flavor from The Cupcake Cottage? Mother's Day, Sunday 10 May, is fast approaching and we want to hear from you. The top favorite flavors will be considered and added to the Saturday 9 May menu.

Post those favorite flavors here or email us at thecupcakecottage@sbcglobal.net

Wall Words

When we were in the 'spinning ideas' phase of our business there were many things I was certain would go from idea to reality. Quotes painted on some of our walls was a must-have! I kept a list of favorite quotes but worried that it would take forever to paint them with the precision I wanted.

About two months before we were to open I came across a mention of Wall Words in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine. I checked out the Wall Words website, played around with fonts and colors and got in touch with the local consultant, Krista Sleeper. Krista was extremely helpful with the tweaking of my quotes.

I have so many customers ask me "did you paint those yourself" that I thought this would be a great way to share some details. Wall words are transfers that you easily rub onto a variety of surfaces.

For general information, visit Wall Words: http://www.wallwords.com/

For further questions, ideas and assistance, contact: Krista Sleeper at 817-788-0849

Staycation

"Ladybug, Ladybug, STAY right at home...."

Staycation - I keep hearing this term and love it! With so much to do and see in our area, planning a staycation in the Fort Worth, Dallas area is a great option.

We are baking this spring break week, so come on by for a cupcake. If you can't visit our shop when we open at 10:00 a.m. we encourage you to call so we can let you know what flavors are available. We're happy to hold cupcakes for ya! The Cupcake Cottage: 817-732-5670

Radio Stations

I like the mornings! I have always been an early bird and, though baking for a living means waking earlier than ever before, I enjoy it.

I don't know if early morning would be quite as fun without WBAP. Growing up, I am certain that this was one of the stations my dad would have set on his car dial. It was probably a station I dreaded and thought 'old fashion'. I would have preferred he tune into Red Beard, or any station that offered what we now call 'classic rock', to information that makes me think.

These days the sound of Hal Jay, Amy Chodroff and Steve Lamb are welcomed. I just feel a little connected to the many other listeners that are making their way to work, or making their way home from work, while I gear up for lots of baking.

I especially love the visiting 'characters' that pop on the air for a less than 2 minute opinion on some current topic. There's, uhhhh the American Airline pilot, uhhhh Captain Steve Lightning, a feisty cowboy called Tug McCord, crusty-ole Andy Rooney, Mystic Chuck, Dr. Phil and a few more. I must be getting old because the silly reports these guys offer are actually funny to me!

If I make my way into bake before 5:00 a.m. I catch the Midnight Trucking Radio Network with Eric Harley and Gary McNamara. This is a nationally syndicated program and listeners from all over the U.S. call in to discuss current subjects. Great stuff!

On Saturday mornings I usually catch BBC world Services, People's Pharmacy and Weekend Edition on KERA . (and) Yes, I do like music. We tend to flip on JACK-FM when we want a break from talk radio.

Whatever station I'm tuned into the hum of the radio (and a rather loud refrigerator) are welcome guests while baking!

Lots-a-Dots

Here at The Cupcake Cottage we are happy to consider your needs for a special event. Though we do not consider ourselves a catering company, we are often able to decorate our cuppies in a way that compliments your decorating plans.
We have seen some really lovely napkins, invitations and announcements with all sorts of colors and themes that we were able to match. The green and white dots above are a perfect example of such an order.

Now and again we have someone request colors, or ideas that we simply cannot accommodate for one reason: we are not a cake decorating business. Our top priority is in the quality of taste found in our freshly baked-from-scratch cupcakes. We want you to be completely happy with what you offer your guests! So, when greater demand for specific decorating is in order we simply encourage you to seek a company that can create your decorating request. My first suggestion: Creme de la Creme Cake Company in East Fort Worth!

Valentine's Day

Apparently this year is going to scurry right past us. Valentine's Day orders are already being placed and I'm still tucking Christmas decorations back in boxes! AND Can you believe that it's been nearly 10 years since that Y2K hoopla? Weren't we all suppose to spontaneously combust or something as we approached the new millennium? Just goes to show that hype is often overrated and sometimes lacking in complete truth. One thing's certain: time keeps movin' along.

So here we are inching into February and just a bit more than two weeks away from Valentine's Day. This year this festive celebration falls on a Saturday.

Now, for those of you regular Cupcake Cottage customers you know that Saturday mornings can be a bit busy here at the Cottage. Some Saturday mornings we may not see a customer for 30 or 40 minutes. While many Saturdays we are greeted with a line of patient customers waiting for our doors to unlock at 10:00 a.m.

If your sweetie has declared our cupcakes to be his or her favorite, then we would encourage you to place an order early. We'll be pushing our baking numbers up for Valentine's Day as we strive to accommodate as many of you as possible. Since we refuse to compromise our process of baking from scratch we will still have our limits. Quality over Quantity applies here!

Valentine's Day '08 we baked just under 1,000 cupcakes. About 450 of those cuppies were for preorders while the other 500-plus were for walk in customers. We sold out within 2 hours that day! This year, be "the early bird that gets the worm"(or cupcake) and order early before the date books up.

(and) Yes, we will have lots of Valentine decorated cupcakes in our cases for walk-ins! We open at 10:00 a.m. Click here to sneek-a-peek of our flavors of that day!

Displaying Your Cupcakes

One of many choices from Taylor's Rental

When it comes to the business side of baking I tend to 'tip-toe' into unchartered waters. Such is the case regarding the display and presentation of a large number of cupcakes. Since we are not a catering company we do not keep cake tiers, trays, plates or food stands on hand for customers to rent for their event.

So what do we tell those needing to display 900 babycakes? We make suggestions!
If you are placing an order for a large amount of cupcakes and are in need of display options here's what we suggest:

~ If your event is taking place at a special venue be sure to ask the facility if they have display items you can consider and use. Some places do!

~ Consider an event planner for your special gathering. The right one can make sure your sweet treats are presented perfectly!

~ Check the internet. Often times, customers want to purchase unique display items that they can keep for future use. Start with a general web search of cake stands, cake tiers, etc...

~ Consider renting display items. Many of our customers have found what they need at Taylors Rental here in Fort Worth. They are located just north of the Camp Bowie & University Drive intersection. Their website has some wonderful ideas and suggestions!

Happy New Year!

the above photo taken from the this site

Here's to wishing you the very best in 2009!

We will be back to baking on Tuesday, 13 January. Until then, if you have specific questions regarding orders for next week feel free to email me.

thecupcakecottage@sbcglobal.net

Wonderful Way to Begin 2009!

Whatever your holiday celebration, you may want to consider attending a performance of the Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival. It's rich in color, sound and spirit and can be enjoyed by all! I recommend getting there early for a free seat. Below you'll find details as posted on the UCC website:

"Seasonal treats at UCC don’t end when the New Year begins!
Saturday, January 3, and Sunday, January 4, the well-loved Epiphany delight, the Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival will be re-enacted in our Sanctuary. Performances will be held at 3 and 5 p.m. each day.

This will be the 33rd year for the pageant to be presented by UCC as a gift to the community. Be sure to invite family and friends to this celebrated festival – it lasts only one hour and appeals to all ages since music and movements constantly occur!

Already old in tradition when presented at Queens College, Oxford, in 1340, The Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival is perhaps the oldest continuing festival of the Christmas season. It was a holiday tradition in many manor houses in England and it came to this country in Colonial days.

All performances of the BHYL Festival are open to the public, most seats are free of charge. Those holding seats for family and friends, must release them 30 minutes prior to the start of a performance. Because of this, persons are urged to come early to get seats. Limited reserved seating is available for $12 per seat by calling the church at 817.926.6631, ext. 157"

December Cupcakes

December always seems to be the perfect month to reflect, prepare and consider. I won't go into detail about what all that means to me. Let's just say I have philosophical tendencies and this month always stirs 'em a little more than any other time of the year.

No matter your circumstance this December, we wish you Hope in all you do! Our constant hugging to Hope is the very thing that keeps us moving along with our little shop of cupcakes. We are deeply grateful for each and everyone of you that have been supportive and have found a cake stand, or covered container in your home for our tiny cakes.

We were pleasantly surprised to learn of our mention as "Best Cupcakes" (along with 2 other places) in this months Fort Worth, Texas Magazine. Thanks to each of you that voted for us! Such mentions keep us motivated and encouraged. We will be baking right up through December 24th!

Merry Christmas & Make it a wonderful December!

Space Shuttle Stops By

This morning, while baking, I kept hearing all about the space shuttle and how it was settled in for a pit stop here in Fort Worth last night. Most folks from Fort Worth, that are over the age of 40, most likely still refer to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserves as Carswell. I guess I've crossed over to that 'I'm getting old' side of life because of my increasing practice of starting my sentence with "remember when"?

Well: Remember when you would be outside playing or swimming and a giant shadow came creeping all around you and you look up to see a ginormous B-52 dragging it's heaviness gracefully across the sky? Or, remember when the windows would shake on your house as F-16s whizzed past in the western sky of Cowtown? Carswell, and (what once was) General Dynamics brought those experiences to North Texas, and I for one loved it!

As I continued to listen to the details about the Space Shuttle Endeavours stop here, I had quickly remembered another Space Shuttle pit stop story. Back in the early 90's we were stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene where my sidekick, Juaquin, was a navigator on C-130s. This assignment took dad/hubby away from us for weeks at a time.
Many of us wives-of-flyers were often single-moms during that assignment. While our airmen were away, we often gathered at the squadron for a little fellowship.

Well, one particular afternoon while driving past hanger after hanger (those are those big-giant buildings that serve as garages for aircrafts, for those that may be getting an image of a closet accessory =), our oldest son, Josh, pipes-up and says "Mom, it's the space shuttle"! Now Josh was about 5 at the time, and he was well aware of what the space shuttle would look like, but knowing we were in the middle of nowhere I immediately concluded that there was no way the Space Shuttle would be in Abilene. I did what all good moms instinctively do and reassured my dear 1st-born that he was just imaging things. I replied with, "It was probably a B-1, or a KC-135" (hey, toss a few numbers behind a letter or two and you might just get something right).
There was just one thing wrong with my response. Josh was an incredibly patient and bright boy and I could see in my rear view mirror that he was not happy with my lack of trust. So, I did what I didn't want to do...I stopped the van and turned it around so he could have a second look (and so I could prove that there was no Space Shuttle on the runway just hundreds of feet from us). "Okay....start looking, Josh....it's getting dark, so look really hard", I reluctantly stated. As we past our third or fourth hanger, I'll be darn...there, sitting just to the right of me, was this monster of an aircraft. It was, indeed the Space Shuttle, piggybacking on what looked like a dwarfed aircraft. I looked at Josh and began to apologize from the bottom-of-my-heart. I vowed to Josh, right then and there "I will always believe whatever you tell me!" Of course, that was before those High School years!

The Shuttle is suppose to take off from NAS, Fort Worth this morning around 11:00a.m. If time allows, take a peek to the western skies of our wonderful city to see for yourself!

Sweet Gifts

I'm guessing that many of you reading this little blog are keen for cupcakes! We love all our customers, but we are tickled-pink when a particular customer walks in our door. We can spot true cupcake lovers immediately by the twinkle in their eye as a smile slowly appears on their face. Of course, this effect happens to most when they enter our door shortly after we've opened since that's when the case is full of cupcakes!

If you are looking for a 'non-consumable' cupcake gift, you should check out our cupcake ornaments & 6' garlands, cupcake stands and adorable cupcake themed charms!

The cupcake in your life may enjoy a calorie-free treat!

Feel free to call or email us for prices and details:

817-732-5670 / thecupcakecottage@sbcglobal.net