Cinnamon Raisin

There are few things that I love more than freshly baked goods. A few examples would be my children, my dog, my amazing family and the husband. My affection for baked goods has been a life time in the making. My favorite food would be birthday cake and no meal is complete without finishing it off with something sweet (including breakfast). Many of the cupcake flavors on The Wild Cupcake’s menu have been created  out of sheer passion and desire to add something different to the cupcake market (which seems to be saturated with the same flavors executed in different ways). Cinnamon Raisin earned its spot on the menu due to my affection for freshly baked cinnamon raisin rolls with cream cheese icing.

Here’s mine:

A freshly baked cinnamon raisin cupcake topped with a browned butter glaze and a dollop of cream cheese frosting and garnished with a dash of cinnamon.

Here’s why:

Imagine yourself waltzing into a from scratch bakery at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning to bring home a few freshly baked goods to your family clad in pajamas. You make this walk each Saturday morning passing many different shops and cafes along the way. You stop in front of your favorite bakery and you pull the door open and you are hit with the sweet aroma of yeast rising, flour sifting, freshly brewed espresso and butter creaming. You love this (I assure you). You say hello to the shop owner and you point to the baked goods that you want boxed up…among the croissants, danish and tarts…you grab one cinnamon roll to be enjoyed with the love of your life (it’s their favorite).

This cupcake is meant to remind us all (including myself) to enjoy the simple things in life. That walk we make each Saturday or that cup of coffee that we brew each morning…tradition.

Thank you all for everything

I have delayed this announcement long enough.

As many of you know I am a military spouse. My husband and I have been lucky enough to call Eastern North Carolina “home” for the past 9 years (an unheard of amount of time for any military family). With that being said, our time has finally run out. We will be relocating to Amarillo, TX. next month (March 2013).

Words cannot express the emotions that have been wreaking havoc on my mind these past few weeks. I am angry and frustrated, lost and in despair, heart broken and in denial. For those of you who know me…you know how badly I want to reach the ultimate goal…the pinnacle of success; a booming store front complete with vintage detailing, a smiling staff and convection ovens. Regrettably, I must put those dreams on hold a bit longer.

This decision was not made lightly. I considered staying in North Carolina for 3 years without my husband to pursue my goals. I feel that by taking a temporary hiatus from The Wild Cupcake, that my 2 years of hard work and dedication will have been for nothing. This business venture has been full of ups and downs…I have laughed and cried…learned many valuable lessons…made some wonderful friends and terrible foes. Regardless of how great or terrible it was…it was mine…my struggle, my success…my identity.

My family and I will be moving next month…The Wild Cupcake will be operating through the 1st of March…and then that’s it (for now). I want to say THANK YOU to Eastern North Carolina for welcoming The Wild Cupcake and supporting me and my cupcakes throughout these 2 crazy years…I could not have done it without all of you…I hope to see you all again some day…thank you again and remember…Not all cupcakes were created equal…but every cupcake deserves a good home. NOW GET IN THE KITCHEN AND BAKE UP SOME MEMORIES!!!

Cocoa Coconut

I am obsessed with coconut. I love coconut oil (and it’s many uses), coconut soda, coconut milk, coconut ice cream, and it should come as no surprise that a coconut cupcake is a must have for any decent cupcakery. The Wild Cupcake already offers a classic coconut cake. I strive for variety and it super important that clients and potential clients alike have the ability to choose from many many varieties of cupcakes. Because I love a classic coconut cake so much, I chose to add a cocoa coconut the the rotation as well.

Here’s mine:

A milk chocolate cake baked with ground coconut and topped with a milk chocolate buttercream and garnished with shredded coconut.

Here’s why:

I literally day dream about what my shop will look like…one day. And I picture very clearly this little beauty peeking out from the display case looking for a home…because every cupcake deserves a home…well…most, anyways.

Peppered Bacon

I am constantly thinking of cupcakes. Throughout every waking moment I think of new flavor combinations and how to implement them in a new cupcake to add to The Wild Cupcake’s menu. I have 2 clients that love bacon (truthfully I have quite a few that love bacon) but they do not love the combination of maple and bacon (technically, one is allergic and the other just doesn’t enjoy it). I thought and thought about all of the possibilities of bacon (hard job, huh?). Upon many hours of contemplation I decided to create a “man’s” cupcake. I feel that the Maple Bacon cupcake is feminine in nature and presentation. I wanted to create it’s alter ego…and I did.

Here’s mine:

A chocolate stout cake dipped in ganache, smothered with peppered bacon and garnished with a cayenne infused caramel.

Here’s why:

For the chocolate stout cake The Wild Cupcake uses Guinness Extra Stout. By using a super stout brew…we are able to give this chocolate cake that “punch” it needs…we use peppered bacon and a spicy caramel to give it that little extra. It is sweet and spicy…this is one of the only cupcakes that does not have a beautiful frosting swirl atop…all it lacks…is a bow tie.

Vanilla Birthday

This cupcake is seemingly less exciting than some of the others that The Wild Cupcake has to offer…but looks can be deceiving. Some of our flavors excite the taste buds and some excite our sense of nostalgia. This cupcake evokes memories of our youth and days gone by. I love birthdays. I love tacky birthday cakes that dye our entire mouths hot pink and our fingers blue from all of the food coloring. Even though The Wild Cupcake makes every attempt to veer away from color additives…this lovely little cupcake is all about nostalgia. And sometimes our pasts can be a bit colorful.

Here’s mine:

A classic vanilla cake topped with The Wild Cupcake’s signature classic buttercream and topped with multi colored sprinkles.

Here’s why:

Most of my cakes growing up were either vanilla or chocolate and they were topped with vanilla or chocolate buttercream…and there were ALWAYS sprinkles. This birthday cupcake comes in a chocolate on chocolate variety as well…so raise your cupcakes and let’s toast to our pasts…and let’s work on making our futures a tad bit sweeter.

Blueberries and Cream

Blueberries are one of my favorite berries to work with. They are juicy, plump, versatile and add plenty of moisture to any baked good. I happen to live 5 miles from a blueberry farm which is open from May to July. Each year my family and I pick tons and tons of blueberries. We head home with our bounty and eat as many as we can while we talk about all of the baked goods that we will make with them…pancakes, muffins, scones, cookies…cupcakes. What does not get eaten immediately…we freeze.

Here’s mine:

A vanilla caked baked with fresh blueberries and filled with a blueberry preserve and topped with a vanilla swiss meringue buttercream and garnished with plump blueberries…ripe for the dipping.

Here’s why:

This is a cupcake that has evolved over time. Originally, I started with a white cake and added blueberries to the batter…but I found it to be a bit too delicate. Then I switched to my signature vanilla cake and filled it with a blueberry preserve (which I make of course). The final evolution…and the one I’m sticking with…is made with ripe blueberries baked right into the batter and filled with blueberry preserve…it’s topped with a swiss meringue to mimic freshly whipped cream…and I can attest that it doesn’t get much better…seriously.

Scantily Clad Orange

I have a “history” with certain flavors that I have given birth to. Scantily Clad Orange is one that I’m very attached to. Like many of the other flavors it has evolved over time and I’m almost certain that it isn’t quite “perfect” yet (pretty darn close, though). Over the course of my business I have named and renamed many of my cupcakes. I prefer for each cupcake to resemble its flavor (for example; coconut tastes like coconut, strawberry tastes like strawberry) to omit any confusion in regards to fun and witty  names (and I do enjoy a fun name…but I have issues with commitment). Way back in March of 2011 (when The Wild Cupcake was still in its test phase) I had visions of grander in regards to the perfect orange cupcake (I assure you…perfection does exist…but it is subjective). The first batch that I ever made I used the Reynolds brand cupcake liners (you know…the foil liners with the paper inside). After they were finished baking I pulled them from the oven to cool and the foil liners separated from the paper liners…and thus…Scantily Clad Orange was born. My how things have changed since then…

Here’s mine:

An orange zested cake topped with an orange zested buttercream (The Wild Cupcake’s very own version of a classic buttercream) and garnished with orange sugar crystals.

Here’s why:

I hate (despise, loathe, can’t stand…you get the point) extracts (with the exception of mint, maple and vanilla). It should come as no surprise that The Wild Cupcake uses fresh squeezed orange juice and freshly grated orange zest in this cupcake for that delicate orange flavor that is considered refreshing and floral all at the same time.

I love a classic white buttercream (you know…the kind we all grew up with)…but I do find it a bit too sweet. As much as I love a Swiss meringue buttercream…it’s not the answer to everything. I have been working relentlessly to find that perfect mix of taste, texture, class and tradition to come up with a buttercream that is AMAZING…and as far as I’m concerned…I found it…but…I can’t give away all of my secrets .

Pretty in Peach

Pretty in Peach is just one of the many cupcakes that The Wild Cupcake has to offer. It is delicate in flavor and moist in texture. For the vast majority of each fruit containing cupcake the process begins with a fruit puree. This particular cupcakes starts with a juicy yellow peach. I have also found that cupcakes can be masculine or feminine in nature…this one is most definitely lady like.

Here’s mine:

A fresh peach cake topped with a peach infused swiss meringue buttercream garnished with pink pearls.

Here’s why:

Using fresh fruits can be challenging. The only extracts that I use are vanilla, mint and maple. Everything else is naturally derived from its’ fruit of origin. With that being said, peach can be pretty tricky to work with. I use a peach puree in the batter and I make a peach preserve to be mixed into the swiss meringue to bring out that signature peach flavor. Topping it with pink pearls was a no brainer. You may not have the experience of peach juice dribbling off of your chin while you enjoy this cupcake…per say. But I’d make a pretty safe bet that some of it will end up on your face…or shirt…definitely fingers.

Chocolate Stout

I do not work with a lot of liquors. Don’t get me wrong…I love the idea of having a delicious margarita cupcake or a fuzzy navel cupcake, however; once you begin the process of incorporating liquors into your baking…the possibilities are endless. At this point in my business venture I am choosing to focus on more “traditional” flavors…with the exception of this little gem.

Here’s mine:

A dark chocolate stout cake topped with an Irish liquor incorporated swiss meringue buttercream and garnished with chopped chocolate covered pretzels.

Here’s why:

The darker the stout…the richer the flavor…the same can be said for baked goods. I use a very dark (almost black) stout in this cupcake just to ensure its’ presence in this cupcake. By incorporating Irish liquor directly into the buttercream it does not cook out (the way that it should once heat is added), therefore, this cupcake is considered an “adults only” cupcake. I find this to be the quintessential pairing for a night out on the town…or an evening spent at an upscale bar.

Raspberry Lemonade

I’ll let you in on a secret…I hate baking with raspberries. With that being said, I absolutely adore eating them…so it’s a necessary evil. This cupcake is just as refreshing as the name implies. It has evolved over these past few summers. First, it was a lemon cake filled with raspberry preserve and topped with a lemon buttercream and garnished with a fresh raspberry. I found that rendition to be a bit too sweet…so I switched it up.

Here’s mine:

A fresh lemon zested cake topped with a raspberry infused swiss meringue buttercream and garnished with a ripe red raspberry.

Here’s why:

Lemon is such a refreshing citrus and it pairs beautifully with many edible treats…salmon, basil, tea, honey, lime, chicken…you get the point. When I use the term “raspberry lemonade” I do not want an ice cold glass of some weird powdered lemonade concoction that would survive a zombie apocalypse. I want a freshly squeezed lemonade sweetened with a simple syrup with fresh raspberry preserve mixed right in…it should be garnished with a slice of lemon and a few whole raspberries…you’re welcome.

P.S. would you like my “how to” on raspberry lemonade?