Piece Of Cake
Food trends come and go my friends. Think about it – in the last two decades we’ve seen everything from coffee shops to bagel stops to cupcake corners mushroom up around us. Now one of the latest trends is one that’s been simmering under the surface for the while – and one I think we can all get behind: mini food. I don’t know what it is, but everything tastes better in miniature form. Maybe it’s the fact we can all feel a little less guilty by popping three mini quiches in our mouths instead of one, but I’m in love with tiny food.
Apparently, so are the folks at BABYCAKES. With their line of novelty kitchen appliances, suddenly you have the power to make ridiculously easy – and delicious – mini everything. Love cake pops but don’t want to shell out for em? Afraid of slaving away over a pie for hours, only to have your crust fall apart? Want to give Timmie’s a run for their money with your own donut bites?
Or maybe you just want to make a plateful of designer-style cupcakes in the ease of your own home. Enter the line of BABYCAKES products: one touch electric ovens that whip up your favourite sweet (and savoury – more on that in a bit!) treats in mere minutes.
So at this point, I’m hoping you’re feeling a premature sugar rush of excitement over these products, but if not, let me spell out five reasons why I’m in love.
1) The price! None of the products top out over $50 (CAD), making this an awesome pick for your best friend that loves to bake – or even a gift for teens / college aged kids that are dabbling in the kitchen and want the ability to whip up something tasty for their friends.
2) You can find some of the BABYCAKES line at various Canadian retailers, but if you’re completely hooked on one of the models and you can’t find it anywhere else, you can buy from the BABYCAKES store and ship to Canada.
3) The pretty colours. Not to be a total girl about this, but they clearly know their target – it’s hard not to salivate over the pastel pinks, pretty purples, butter yellows, and baby blues used on the machines.
4) Did I mention everything in miniature tastes better? Especially when it cooks in under ten minutes?
5) The possibilities. Seriously, I had no idea…
…at least until I checked out the ‘175 Best BABYCAKES Cupcake Maker Recipes’ cookbook by Kathy Moore & Roxanne Wyss. It starts with the basics – your vanilla and chocolates – before moving onto a bevvy of frostings…and then from there, things get crazy. Enter cheesecake cupcakes, muffins, and tarts. Follow that up with savoury snacks, dinner ideas, and appetizers for parties. Seriously, this machine appears so deceptively simple until you see all the magical things Moore & Wyss have managed to whip up with it. Chockful of super helpful baking tips and mouthwatering photos of their creations, this is a must-have add-on for whoever you gift a BABYCAKES cupcake maker to.
And as an extra incentive to grab one of these godly things for yourself, here’s a recipe handpicked by moi from the book for you to try out – White Chocolate Snowmen Cupcakes.
No need to wait until it snows to make these cold-weather guys. Shaved white chocolate gives them the look of freshly fallen snow, and their charming fondant features will warm your heart! Plus, the cupcakes are so good, you’ll be tempted to make them all year long.
TIP: Did you forget to set out the butter so that it will soften? Cut it into slices, place on a microwave-safe glass
plate and microwave on Medium-Low (20%) for 10 to 15 seconds or until starting to soften. Let butter stand
for about 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.
Paper liners (optional)
Cupcakes
11⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
11⁄4 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp butter, softened
2 eggs, at room temperature
4 oz white chocolate, melted
2⁄3 cup milk
Decoration
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
1 31⁄2 or 4-oz white chocolate bar
32 gumdrops, cut in half crosswise
32 11⁄2-inch pieces red shoestring licorice
96 mini candy-coated chocolate candies
Confectioners’ (icing) sugar or cornstarch
Fondant
1. Cupcakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat sugar and butter for 1 to 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in white chocolate. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, making three additions of flour and two of milk and beating on low speed until smooth.
3. If desired, place paper liners in wells. Fill each well with about 11⁄2 tbsp (22 mL) batter. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Decoration: Frost cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Frosting Recipe
3 0z cream cheese, softened
2 oz white chocolate, melted
1⁄4 cup butter, softened
21⁄4 confectioners (icing) sugar
1⁄2 vanilla extract
1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese, white chocolate, and butter for 1 minute or until light and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla.
5. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape down the side edge of the white chocolate bar to make shavings. Sprinkle shavings over frosting, giving it a “freshly fallen snow” look.
6. Place 2 gumdrop halves, cut side down, on opposite sides of each cupcake to make earmuffs. Arrange 1 strip of red licorice to look like a mouth and use candies to make eyes and a nose.
7. To make hats, on a cutting board lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll out fondant to about 1⁄8-inch (3 mm) thickness. For the center of each hat, cut a piece of fondant about 2 by 3⁄4 inches (5 by 2 cm). Fold it in half so it becomes a rectangle of about 1 by 3⁄4 inch (2.5 by 2 cm) (the double thickness will hold the shape of the hat better and be stronger). For the hat band, cut a strip of fondant about 3 by 1⁄2 inches (7.5 by 1 cm). Place the hat band over the edge of the rectangle, folding the ends under so that the hat band is the right size for the hat. Position a hat on the top edge of each cupcake.
Tummy rumbling? I’ve got a copy of ‘175 Best BABYCAKES Cupcake Maker Recipes’ to giveaway to one lucky winner in Canada OR the USA – the perfect thing to set you on the road to culinary creations. To win:
1) Leave a comment below before December 16th and tell me which of the BABYCAKES products you’d most love in your kitchen (hint: check their online store). Be sure to use a valid email address when posting so I can contact you if you win!
2) Entries are limited to one per person per email address (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 16th to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.
3) Entries are limited to Residents of Canada and the continental US that have reached the age of majority in their province / state. Quebec is not eligible to participate in this promotion.
4) Bonus Entry Time: Check out the recipe above, and tell me any two ingredients that are used. Pretty simple.
If you’re looking for full rules & regs, you can always reach me at canadiangiftguide -at- gmail – dot- com. Raising my cup(cake) to you!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING
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Canadian Gift Guide 
i think the cupcake maker would be a perfect fit to my kitchen as I’m always making for get togethers…
…and white chocolate and flour are 2 ingredients for a bonus entry 🙂
I’m so excited to learn about this, especially when I recently jumped into the bandwagon of baking cupcakes!!! So the obvious product that I’m interested in would be the cupcake maker, the yellow one specifically because (here comes the superficial-ness) it’s so cute! I already hinted to the significant other about this ahahaha!
And for a bonus entry, white chocolate and cream cheese! 😀
I saw this item at a store but didn’t know much about it – thanks for the review and opportunity to win one! I can totally see myself using one of the cupcake makers (that would be my choice) with my six year old daughter – we make cupcakes all of the time for her and her friends at daycare. bonus entries – butter and sugar!
The waffle maker would be great!
Cream cheese and vanilla extract!
would love the cupcake maker perfect for the parties
I’d love a pie make!
The mini pie-maker is definitely my fave. These are absolutely adorable and what a clever idea!
Butter and White Chocolate….
Here are 2 ingredients:
3 0z cream cheese, softened
2 oz white chocolate, melted
the pie maker or the donut maker would be great to have. 2 ingredients used in your recipes are flour and butter
I would love to have the Babycakes Cake Pop Maker
Two ingredients are flour and white chocolate
baby cakes waffle maker
cream cheese and white chocolate are 2 ingredients you used.
Cupcake maker. I need all the help I can get 🙂
All the products are terrific but the one I would really like to have is the Babycakes Pie maker. My hubby LOVES pie and if I had one of these, I could make him different kinds of pie everyday!
I *want* & *need* the CC-22
Babycakes Cupcake Maker
I didn’t know these existed…….
Cream cheese and white chocolate are two ingredients used……….yum!!
pie pop maker is my fave
I like the CC-22 Cupcake Maker best with the PM-44 Pie Maker coming in a very close second.
I would like the cupcake maker. Looks so easy to use.
I would like to try the Babycakes cake pop maker!
Two ingredients are all-purpose flour and granulated sugar.
I would love the cupcake maker.
Bonus entry: Flour and white chocolate.
Cc2828pk. Gotta be the orig babycakes cupcake maker.
Flour and Creamcheese = heaven
I would have a lot of fun with the Babycakes cupcake maker. I have 2 daughters that absolutely love cupcakes so we would put it to good use.
I love baking! Check out some of the recipes on my blog at: http://ruralrouteramblings.wordpress.com/ I want to try making the cake pops so I’d love the Babycakes Cake Pop Maker!
Cupcakes in 10 minutes – fabulous.
butter and eggs are in the recipe.
Now that I’ve seen these I don’t know how I’ll live without the CP-12
Babycakes Cake Pop Maker!!!
Bonus entry: There is all-purpose flour and milk in the recipe.
I’d like the pie maker.
Cream cheese & White chocolate are used in the recipe.
Ahhh…this looks so tempting! I would love to own one of these! I went on their website and my Fave would have to be the Original Babycakes Cupcake Maker in pink! Product # CC-2828PK.
The 2 ingredients are 1/4 cup of butter softened and 3 oz of cream cheese softened. cross my fingers xx
the waffle-maker – I’d love that!
I like the pie pop maker
white chocolate bar and gum drops
I love the Babycakes Pie Maker
eggs and gumdrops
Tough to decide but I think I would get the Cake Pop or Whoopie Pie Maker because it’d probably turn out better than what I could make from scratch!
2 ingredients are white chocolate and cream cheese… mmMMmm 🙂
I like the cupcake maker and everything else.
Two ingredients used are flour and sugar.
The cupcake maker is great.
I would really like the cupcake maker. It is such a good idea!
Two ingredients are white chocolate and sugar. Yum.
I also really like the Babycakes Waffle Maker — thanks for the chance to win.
2 ingredients: flour and sugar
I would use the cupcake maker for sure. I love to bake fun things for friends and family!
I would really love the Original Babycakes Cupcake Maker in pink!
21⁄4 confectioners (icing) sugar and 1⁄2 vanilla extract are both used in the recipe!
Cake Pop maker would be my choice 🙂 Vanilla & Butter
This is a different cup cake maker! I like it.
original Babycakes Cupcake Maker
The pie pop maker is so adorable! Would love that one.
I did not even know there was such a product! So cool! I’d be most interested in the Cupcake Maker in red.
Bonus entry: Butter and Vanilla Extract.
love the ‘babycakes waffler maker’
2 ingredients: milk and salt
I would like the whoppie pie maker, but, it is so hard to choose.
The cupcake maker would be great to use with the family!
My sister loves to bake cupcakes, and I really want to get her the CC-2828PK
Original Babycakes Cupcake Maker for Christmas. I think it would be the perfect gift for her as we both can bake together in our kitchen.
MIeum… the cupcake Maker my choice for me and my kids 🙂 🙂 Would love that 🙂
Vanilla and butter 🙂
baking is a must in our house and this little gadget is perfect
The BABYCAKES product I’d most love in my kitchen is the “Original Babycakes Cupcake Maker” (pink). I love making cupcakes and it looks like a really easy way to make them.
Two ingredients in the recipe are white chocolate (2 oz, melted) and granulated sugar (3⁄4 cup). (I went for the sweet stuff).
Neeeedddd!!!!
Waffle maker is a nice little machine !!
The cupcake maker!! Sooo cute!
Bonus entry: Vanilla extract and white chocolate
Babycakes Dessert Coffee would go great with all of these (and other holiday) tasty treats!
Bonus entry: white chocolate + sugar = YUM!
I would like to try the original babycakes maker!
Cream cheese and white chocolate!
Babycakes Donut Maker for me. I’d make gluten free donuts for friends and family.
2 ingredients:
2 oz white chocolate,
1⁄4 cup butter
I would love The Original babycakes cupcake maker in Pink, for my daughters little birthday parties. So cute,
Butter and vanilla extract, for bonus entries, thank you for the great contest
Cupcake maker is so great!