All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
When I was little, I insisted on watching The Little Mermaid on repeat for what I have been told were months. Clearly I had a serious love for Disney movies, and I still have a hard time changing the channel when I see one on TV.
Recently I was asked to create cupcakes for a Cinderella themed birthday party, so I decided to try these “glass slippers” on for size. I’m always happy to hear that the classic Disney movies are still a hit with today’s younger generation, so I was particularly excited for this order. The “glass slippers” have yellow cake toes, graham cracker soles dipped in candy melts, and Pirouette cookie heels.
While my taste in movies has somewhat evolved- I could watch this one over and over again (terrible quality, but it was too fitting for this post), I still can’t get enough of The Little Mermaid.
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
This weekend I completed my biggest order to date! Saturday was the 50th Anniversary Party of The Brownstone School, and I was asked to bake one hundred cupcakes for the event- 50 burgers and 50 dishes of french fries.
Baking these I couldn’t help but think of this ad, and feel a bit like the Hamburglar. These cupcakes were covering every inch of counter and table space in my house! I always think I allocate plenty of time to finish an order, but always find myself working down to wire- I was filling the “ketchup” bottles with icing minutes before I needed to walk out the door.
In the end, the delivery went smoothly (thank goodness). I could not relax until these were finally out of my hands! Luckily for me, it was a beautiful Saturday evening, and I was done just in time to meet up with friends and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
Whenever I hear that someone got engaged, my immediate reaction is not to ask to see the ring. Instead, I want to know the details of the engagement. From flash mobs, to choreographed dances, to the jumbotron at a baseball game, people love to get creative. While I appreciate their efforts, I lean (hard) in the conservative direction…unless we are talking about cupcakes. For this order, I had to think outside the box.
The wonderful bride-to-be and I discussed these cupcakes weeks prior to her engagement party to make sure they were exactly what she wanted- cupcake ring boxes with candy diamond rings. For this very special occasion she decided on red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. See the adorable couple below- she said yes (again)!
While I haven’t been to enough weddings to be able to do this quite yet, I have a feeling my time is coming. I am off to my first bachelorette party in a few weeks (which I imagine will look nothing like this, but closer to this) and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that one of my best friends is getting married. With New York International Bridal Week wrapping up today, spring flowers popping up all over Manhattan, and people preparing for a summer of wedding festivities, this cupcake order came at the perfect time to kick off wedding season.
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
Golf never struck me as the most exciting sport, but I have to admit that all of the hype for The Masters Tournament has me looking forward to watching on Sunday.
I grew up watching a lot of golf. My grandparents were avid golfers and every time we visited we were watching golf, talking about golf, or discussing the players- my grandmother loves Phil, hates Tiger, and is befuddled by Rickie’s attire. While I have played, my fondest golf related memories are golf cart racing my cousins to the halfway house for frozen Milky Ways, or convincing each other an alligator was going to jump out of the water at every hole.
Everything I learned about golf I learned from that side of the family (and Chubbs of course), so I felt inspired to bake for the big weekend. Who do you want to win the green jacket?
Check it OUT! Reality Bites Cupcakes is featured today on Crush New York
Founded and edited by Steph Vorhees, Crush is an insiders’s guide to navigating Manhattan, so I couldn’t be more excited to see Reality Bites featured today as the “new cupcake in town”!
Best.birthday.present.ever.
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
Can you believe it’s already Easter weekend? The holiday seriously crept up on me- as of Monday I had no idea what I would bake. My family is in charge of dessert, aka cupcakes, for our Easter Sunday celebration, so thanks to a few friendly suggestions I decided to give this idea a try.
These cupcake eggs are meant to look like robins eggs and regular eggs, or even Easter eggs before and after dying them. However you see it, these cupcake eggs have candy melt shells and yolks, making them a lot less messy and a lot more delicious.
Easter candy is my favorite when it comes to holiday sweets- Starburst jelly beans, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Reese’s Eggs, I could go on. I just can’t warm to Peeps, but I do have fond memories of my siblings and I putting them in the microwave when we were little. Here is the most bizarre use of Peeps I have seen to date, just in case you need a recap of this past season of GIRLS.
Wishing you and your peeps a Happy Easter!
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
It’s been a whirlwind of a 2013 so far. Lots and lots of baking. While I’ve shared most of the cupcakes I’ve created, here are some of the ones I haven’t. I’ll call them “the pretty ones”- they are the cupcakes I was asked to make that cater to a specific person’s likes. From a purple theme, to pink and pearls, to a high fashion influence, all of these cupcakes remind me of spring.
It’s finally here (somewhat) and I am so ready. From spring fashion, to the warmer weather, to all of the bright colors, the season could not have come soon enough. During the winter I often forget why I opted to live in New York City, but once the weather takes a turn for the better I quickly change my tune.
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
Along with the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it’s because it was one of my dad’s favorites, maybe it’s the reappearance of green bagels, or maybe it’s just the Irish in me- long story short, I’m excited.
I consider anyone born on St. Patrick’s Day to be pretty lucky (no pun intended). Their birthday falls on the same day as one of the biggest parties of the year- so when I was asked to bake for one of the lucky ones, I was happy to do it, and a little green with envy (pun intended).
I have been wanting to make “cup of coffee” cupcakes, so this felt like the perfect excuse to try them out. And I figured why not add a little booze- it only seemed fitting.
The recipe called for a cup of hot coffee and coffee liquor (I used Kahlua), so these cupcakes came out looking like my ideal dark roast with a little kick. The frosting even has a little something extra, as it is spiked with Irish cream. As for the bagels- I couldn’t help myself. I love the novelty of green bagels, so I figured I would put the same spin on my own “bagel” cupcakes.
I am very much looking forward to all of the festivities of the holiday, and will leave you with this advice from Grub Street New York and this song to get you in the same mindset I’m in. Sláinte!
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
What: Red Velvet Cupcakes
Where: Reality Bites HQ
When: If you follow Reality Bites on Instagram, you saw that I was making these while watching the Academy Awards
Why: For a birthday girl whose favorite foods include red velvet cake and chocolate covered strawberries
How: Red velvet heart shaped cupcakes, cream cheese frosting dyed red, mini chocolate chips, mint leaves, and of course melted chocolate
Simple but incredibly decadent at the same time, these cupcakes were rich and delicious. While red velvet cake really isn’t that complicated to make, here is an informational feature on BuzzFeed about this popular cake.
“You’re a human being, and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake.” Whatever you say, Emma Stone.
All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.
I was recently asked to bake for a going away party for someone moving to Atlanta to start a new job. The cupcakes had to be special, so I immediately did some research on foods Atlanta is famous for, and any defining characteristics of Georgia. After coming up with a few mediocre ideas, this one came to mind: peaches. I found the amazing recipe for these cupcakes here, and immediately knew they were the perfect idea for this occasion.
Covered in dyed sugar and filled with butter cream frosting, these “peaches” are some of my favorite cupcakes to date. Topped off with a cinnamon stick “stem” and mint leaves, they evoke juicy expectations when instead you bite into buttery yellow cake.
Whenever I think of peaches, I am reminded of this movie. I also recently saw this photo taken by an artist that is currently being exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ironically enough, his exhibition is called “At War with the Obvious” which fits as seamlessly with Reality Bites as the cupcake peaches did for the Atlanta send off party. Clearly I’ve had Georgia on my mind…
