Sweet Tooth Fairy

I know you were worried that I had forgotten about my cupcake project, but nope! Before I headed to San Francisco, I decided to head to the Sweet Tooth Fairy to try a cupcake. Now, I ordered the Fairy Fetti cupcake, not the Vanilla. This is because (a) sprinkles in anything are awesome and (b) I, personally, am not a huge fan of their vanilla. The Fairy Fetti was amazing! Seriously. And I asked the lady how it was different and she informed me that it is in fact a different cake and frosting. So there. Reason why I can like the Fairy Fetti and not the Vanilla. The cake was cooked just perfectly and it almost had a slight crisp to the top layer which made it even better. The frosting just melted in your mouth and was just matched perfectly with the cake. So yummy! I’ll definitely be returning but only going for the Fairy Fetti!

Lo so che eravate procupati che mi ero scordata del mio progetto delle cupcakes, pero’ no! Appena prima di andare a San Francisco, ho deciso di andare al Sweet Tooth Fairy che e’ un postino a Salt Lake chef anno le cupcake. Allora, io, di solito, prendo sempre la cupcake alla vaniglia perche’ sono quelle che mi piacciono di piu’ Pero’, io ho gia’ avuto le loro cupcake alla vanglia e non mi piacciono molto. Allora ho preso una cupcake con le sprinkles che e in fatti, una ricetta diversa che quelle alla vaniglia. Era buonissima! La torta era cotta perfetta ed era proprio buona. Poi il frosting ti si scioglieva in bocca. Io ci tornero’ di sicura, pero’ prendero’ solo le cupcake con le sprinkles!

Cupcake Project, Salt Lake

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

My friend Amy, whom I met when studying abroad in Italy at the beginning of this blog, sent me a cupcake recipe when she saw I was starting my cupcake project. I will be forever indebted to her! The recipe she sent me is for Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla cupcakes. Magnolia Bakery is a famous bakery in New York that makes amazing cupcakes. I made their cupcakes and am in love. Honestly, I don't think I've ever made cupcakes this good-looking or as delicious. They are truly amazing. I am adding them to my cupcake project because I haven't tasted a cupcake this good anywhere else yet. After making these, I had to order their cookbook because I know it will be equally amazing. I hope you enjoy them as well!

La mia amica Amy, chi ho conosciuto quando ero in Italia, mi ha mandato questo ricetta per delle cupcakes quando ho cominciato il mio progetto. La ricetta che mi ha mandato e' per le cupcakes della Magnolia Bakery a New York che e' una pasticceria famosa che fa delle cupcakes buonissime. Io ho fatto le loro cupcakes e sono buonissime. Non penso di avere fatto delle cupcakes cosi' buone in vita mia. Sono davvero buone. Dopo che ho fatto le cupcakes, ho dovuto prendere il loro libro di ricette perche' so che tutto sara' molto buono. Spero che anche a voi piacciano!

Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Cupcakes 

with Vanilla Buttercream:

You will need this for the Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcakes):

1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour (this TRULY makes a difference)
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Butter, Softened (NOT melted)
2 cups Sugar
4 large Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

1. Oven to 350 Degrees
2. Combine flours in a small bowl
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth
4. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy
5. Add the eggs ONE AT A TIME (again, makes a difference, oh the things I learn slowly) and beat well after each addition
6. Add the dry ingredients in three parts alternating the milk and vanilla and beating until incorporated but not overmixed (I never understand this, just beat until it looks about right)
7. Spoon into the cupcake liners and fill 3/4 of the way
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (Mine baked for 21 1/2 minutes)
9. Cool completely before frosting

You will need this for the Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup Butter, softened (take this out of the fridge when you start baking the cupcakes and let soften on the counter)
6-8 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, 4 cups of the sugar, milk, and vanilla with electric mixer
2. Beat until smooth and creamy
3. Add sugar one cup at a time and beat well after each addition until frosting is thick enough to spread (I used about 7 cups)
*I then split the frosting in two and added Nutella (about 2 tablespoons) to one part and mixed it until it was all combined

Ready to bake

Never have I made such gorgeous cupcakes!

Just beautiful. 

I don't have a cool hole puncher thing so I just used the end of

a frosting tip to push down the center...

...And then filled the center with Nutella. 

And then added Nutella to the frosting. 

Be jealous. It was heaven. 

All done! 

And then I packed some up and sent them with my mom to work. 

Cooking, Cupcake Project, Recipe

San Diego Part 5 - Cupcakes!

One lovely thing about San Diego was all the cupcake places! The first one I came to was in Coronado, called the Coronado Cupcakery. First off, what a cute name! Then, the display they had of the cupcakes was super fun. Lastly, the cupcakes were delicious! I, naturally, had the vanilla/vanilla. It was like biting into a piece of heaven. So good! I hate to say it, but it was better than the cupcakes I've had so far in Salt Lake! The cake was perfect, not too heavy, not too light, and the frosting was a fabulous buttercream.

Un'altra cosa carina di San Diego e' che ci sono tanti posti che vendono le cupcakes. Il primo posto in cui sono andata era a Coronado. Prima di tutto, aveva un nome molto carino: Coronado Cupcakery. Poi, dove c'erano tutte le cupcakes era molto carino. Poi, le cupcakes erano buonissime! Devo dire che era piu' buono di quelle che ho mangiato fino ad adesso a Salt Lake. La torta era perfetta, non molto pesante, ma non molto leggera. Il frosting era buonissimo perche' non era molto dolce.

The second cupcake place that I went to was in Seaport Village, called Frosted Robin Cupcakes. These cupcakes were adorable! They were decorated so cute! These cupcakes were also quite tasty and I enjoyed every bite! The frosting, in my opinion, could have been slightly sweeter, but I think since I didn't eat the cupcake until the next day, that made a difference. 

Il secondo posto in cui sono andata era a Seaport Village, chiamato Frosted Robin Cupcakes. Queste erano decorata molto carine! Erano anche molto buone! L'unica cosa, era che il frosting, nella mia opinione, poteva essere appena piu' dolce. Pero', visto che ho mangiato la cupcake il giorno dopo, penso che ha cambiato un po' il gusto. Comunque, molto buono!

Cupcake Project, San Diego, Vacation, Walking

So Cupcake

I went to So Cupcake the other day to continue my cupcake project. I was very impressed! They had quite a few options for types/flavors, but as always, I chose the vanilla/vanilla. As soon as I bit into it, I knew it would be good! The frosting and cake were wonderful consistencies, just perfect. The cake was a lovely vanilla bean and truly divine and the frosting seemed to have a hint of almond in it (which, in all honesty, I could have done without). Overall though, one of my favorites so far!

Sono andata da So Cupcake l'altro giorno per continuare il mio progetto delle cupcake. Sono stata molto bene! Avevano una scelta di cupcake enorme, pero', come sempre, ho preso la vaniglia/vaniglia. Quando c'ho dato un morso, era buonissima! La torta era perfetta - non troppo dolce e molto leggero; il frosting era buono e penso che c'era un po' di mandorla (anche se io avrei preferito senza). Pero', devo dire, che questa cupcake sara' quella che mi piace di piu' fino ad adesso!

So many choices!!

Cupcake Project

Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop

I had a little bit of time yesterday so I thought to continue with my cupcake project. I decided to go to Mrs. Backer's on South Temple because it is super close to my house and I didn't have a ton of time. I walked in and never wanted to leave! It smelled so delicious! They had shelves of different cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and treats! It all looked super tasty! I stuck to the plan though and just got the vanilla/vanilla. As I bought it, the nice lady who rung me up said that they are famous for their frosting, so you can bet I was pretty excited to eat it! As I was holding the cupcake to eat it, it felt really light, as in it weighed nothing. Then I bit into it. It melted in my mouth! The cake was a sort of sponge cake I think because it was super light and like I said, just melted. The frosting was in fact, heavenly! It was a very light cupcake that settled very well. I think I could have eaten many more! Overall, the frosting was divine and the cake was good. I may have liked a cake with a little more consistency, but I still truly enjoyed this one! Oh! And the price was right at only $1.50 for the one cupcake!

Avevo un po' di tempo ieri allora ho deciso di continuare il mio cupcake project. Sono andata da Mrs. Backer's che e' sulla South Temple perche' e' vicino a casa mia e non avevo tantissimo tempo. Quando sono entrata, c'era queso profumo cosi dolce! Non volevo mai uscire! Avevano tanti tipi diversi di cupcake, torte, biscotti, e altri dolci! Io ho preso la mia solita cupcake alla vaniglia con il frosting alla vaniglia. Quando stavo pagando la commessa mi ha detto che loro sono famosi per il loro frosting - che bello! Prima, ho notato che la cupcake non pesava niente. Di solito, non e' che sono pesante, pero' un po' di peso c'e'. Questa niente. Poi l'ho morsicata. Mm, che bonta! Mi si sciogliava in bocca! Tutto era buonissimo! La torta era una specie di torta di spugna (molto leggera) e il frosting era buonissimo! Mi e' piacuta molto questa cupcake! E poi, il prezzo era giusto a soli $1.50!

Cupcake Project

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

It was a good day that then turned into me being super sad so I made cupcakes to try and lift my mood! Side story...Someone had given me a calendar that was a cupcake a day and I used to have it on my desk at work. Terrence, who worked next to me, had an island a day calendar. Needless to say, we dedicated 5 minutes (or more) every morning to the cupcake and island of the day and our thoughts. Some islands/cupcakes were better than others. We NEVER looked ahead, NEVER. When I left, we decided to just go through the cupcake calendar (it was good, but some recipes were just bad and boring) so that I could take the ones that I wanted. I left with a nice little stack. With the used island pictures, I framed them and have them by my desk at home. It relaxes me. Terrence also sent me the 2011 Islands calendar for my birthday and I had to hide it in my closet so that I wouldn't be tempted to open it.

Stavo avendo una giornata buona e' dopo sono diventata molto triste allora ho deciso di fare delle cupcake! La storia laterale...Qualcuno mi aveva dato un calendario che era una cupcake al giorno e l'avevo sulla mia scrivania al lavoro. Terrence, che ha lavorava vicino a me, aveva un calendario che era un'isola al giorno. Inutile a dirsi, abbiamo passato 5 minuti (o più) ogni mattina alla cupcake e l'isola del giorno. Alcune isole/cupcake erano migliori degli altri. Non abbiamo mai guardato avanti, MAI. Quando sono andata via, ho deciso di guardare tutte le cupcake e poi tenere le ricette che sembravano buone. Con le foto delle isole, le ho messe in cornicia e adesso stanno sopra la mia scrivania a casa. Mi rilassano. Poi, Terrence, per il mio compleanno, mi ha regalato il calendario delle isole. Io l'ho dovuto nascondere nel mio armadio perche' avevo paura di aprire e guardare prima!

Hidden in my closet! 

      SO peaceful!!


Back to today, I looked through my pile of cupcakes from that calendar and found this recipe. I love Oreo's so it seemed natural to me to make these. I definitely modified the recipe (I mean, frosting with no vanilla, um no thanks!), and I think they are maybe a tad sweeter than expected, but definitely delicious!

Di nuovo a oggi, ho scorso il mio mucchio di ricette da quel calendario e ho trovato questa ricetta. Amo Oreo allora sembrava naturale a me fare questi. Ho fatto un po' di modifiche e penso che sono forse più dolce, pero' va be! Sono sicuramente buonissime!

Recipe (from the book 500 Cupcakes)

The Cake

1 cup butter, softened (burro)
1 cup white sugar (zucchero)
2 cups flour (farina)
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs (uova)
1 tsp. vanilla (vaniglia)
10 crushed Oreo's

Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C. Line muffin pan. Combine all cake ingredients (except cookies) with beater until smooth. Stir in cookies. (Mettere tutto nel frullatore, tranne i Oreo's, facendo andare fino che non e' tutto liscio. Aggiungere i biscotti e mescolare).
Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on counter for 5 minutes, then completely cool on wire rack. (Fare cuocere per 20 minuti. Lasciare refreddare sul counter per 5 minuti, e poi completamente).

The Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (zucchero a velo)
1 cup butter at room temperature (burro) {don't pull a typical Giulia and melt the butter, makes a WORLD of difference having softened butter and melted butter, so much creamier just softened!}
Pinch of salt (sale)
10 crushed Oreo's
Vanilla (vaniglia) {This was not in the recipe, I added it because it makes me happy}

Who DOESN'T want this in their desserts?

Beat the sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla (optional) until creamy. Spread onto cooled cupcakes and top with chopped cookies. I tried to beat the system and stirred in some cookies into the frosting. BIG MISTAKE, haha. Thought I was cool, but no. Oh well, lesson learned: cookies will stop the pipe thing you use. (Fare andare il burro, zucchero a velo, e sale fino che non e' tutto liscio. Mettere sulle cupcake e mettere i biscotti sopra. Io ho cercato di fare la furba e mescolare dentro al frosting dei biscotti. Diciamo che non e' andato molto bene! Sono comunque venuti buoni!)

Sifting the powdered sugar. I couldn't find an actual sifter, but a fine colander works just perfectly!

Never again will I add cookie chunks to frosting to then pipette. 

I even tried to be all Martha Stewart-y using her technique for getting frosting into a bag. 

But they look so good regardless!

Cooking, Cupcake Project, Recipe, Work

Mini's Cupcakes

While out and about the other day, I realized that I could start my cupcake project! I headed to Mini's Cupcakes in Sugarhouse. I ordered the Pretty in Pink cupcake which is a vanilla bean cake with cream cheese frosting. I sat outside and ate my cupcake. When I first bit into it, I instantly tasted a hint of lemon. Then you really taste the vanilla and cream cheese. I'm a huge cream cheese fan, so it was ok for me, but if you don't like cream cheese, it could be overwhelming. The ratio of frosting to cake was a little heavy on the frosting, but still quite tasty! Overall, the cake had a nice, velvety texture and was quite tasty. The frosting had pink sugar crystals on top which gave the frosting a little crunch which was, I thought, an excellent addition. This was a great start to my project!

In tanto che ero fuori oggi, ho deciso che potevo cominciare il mio progetto delle cupcakes! Sono andata da Mini's Cupcakes. Ho ordinato una cupcake che si chiamava, Pretty in Pink, che e' una torta alla vaniglia con il frosting di cream cheese. Mi sono seduta fuori per mangiarla. Quando ho dato il mio primo morso, ho sentito del limone. Poi, si sente la vaniglia ed il cream cheese. A me piace molto il cream cheese, pero' se a te non piace, puo anche essere troppo. La torta era molto buona e poi c'erano questi tipo cristalli sul frosting che c'hanno dato un crocchantino perfetto! Era un bel modo per cominciare il mio progetto!

Cupcake Project

Cupcake Project!

Giulia's Cupcake Project 2011

I love cupcakes. I love making them and I love eating them. Luckily for me, there are quite a few cupcake places now. The first cupcake place I think I ever went to was Crumbs Bakery in Los Angeles. Those, for me, are still my most favorite cupcakes ever because they are just so delicious.

A me piacciono molto le cupcakes. Mi piace farle e mangiarele. Fortunatamete, ci sono molti posti che le fanno. Il primo posto di cupcake che sono mai andata era Crumbs Bakery a Los Angeles. Quelle, per me, sono ancora le mie preferite perche' sono buonissime!

Since I have a little more time on my hands now, I thought it'd be fun to go to some of the more popular cupcake places in Salt Lake and compare cupcakes. Note that no one is paying me to do this, I am doing this on my own free will!

Visto che ho un po' piu' di tempo, ho pensato che sarebbe divertente andare ai posti di cupcake a Salt Lake per vedere quello che mi piace di piu'! Nessuno mi paga per fare questo, lo faccio perche' lo voglio fare!

I will be comparing a basic (but a favorite of mine) cupcake: vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. 

Guardero' una cupcake semplice, pero' una delle mia preferite: torta alla vaniglia con il frosting alla vaniglia.

Check back often to see where I've gone! Leave me a comment if you have any suggestions for cupcakeries!

Guardate in dietro per vedere dove sono andata! Lasciatemi un commento se avete dei suggerimenti!


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Cupcake Project