Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

My absolute favorite cereal is Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.  I eat it nearly every day for breakfast (and sometimes as a snack at night!).  But for as much as I love that, nothing beats the combination of actual apples and cinnamon for a sweet treat.  Hence, these cupcakes.  Small delectable cubes of Granny Smith apples added to the batter of a vanilla-cinnamon cake topped with a vanilla-cinnamon buttercream.  I debated in my mind whether to garnish with raw or slightly cooked apples and decided to go for the more crunchy texture of raw apples.  I was satisfied and it was a lovely treat to enjoy with lovely company and conversation on a Saturday afternoon!  Food and friendship...both are such wonderful things!

Floral Inspirations

This birthday cake was made for a wonderful woman who is a phenomenal artist.  Her artistic talents also shine through in her love of flowers and gardening.  I sought to meld those loves into this cake.  Inside is a double layer vanilla chocolate chip cake and the outside 'ombre' design consists of piped buttercream roses.  I was glad to hear that she greatly enjoyed the colors, design, and the taste!

In keeping with the flower theme, last week I was excited to use some floral cupcake wrappers I purchased several months ago.  When I first saw them, I instantly thought they would be great to use for a British-themed tea party!  Although I have yet to either attend or host said party, I decided I'd use a few anyway and make some lemon blueberry cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese icing:

The weather has continued to be unseasonably cool, so it has been a great summer for baking!  Both myself and my buttercream have enjoyed not melting in the kitchen.  Summer is also a great time to incorporate more fruit ingredients as they are in season and taste great!  Look for another fruit addition to the blog in the next few days....