Today we are celebrating BABIES!
Amanda, the very funny and uber talented cake and cookie creator from i am baker and i am mommy, is expecting a sweet new addition to her family. And he will be arriving very, very soon, all dressed in blue. Yes, a sweet little baby boy.
And because we’re just not able to meet and do this properly in the same room (ohhhh, wouldn’t that be a blast?!), we’re throwing Amanda a virtual baby shower. To show her how much her friendship means to each of us. To give back to Amanda, in appreciation for all she does for others. And to celebrate BABIES!
I love most anything “mini”, and can’t think of anything sweeter than a mini Amanda. So I created these {i am baby} cakes in honor of this baby boy’s birth. Using Amanda’s own homemade cake mix recipe, and the silicone mini cupcake pans that I’m so very fond of when I want the simplicity of no paper cupcake liners, I baked a bunch of miniature cakes. With a swirl of cream cheese frosting tinted blue, and a sprinkling of pretties over the top by my little girl, our kitchen was happily filled with the soft almond aroma of these little blue baby cakes.
Please JOIN US in celebrating Amanda’s upcoming baby! All of these blogging friends are sharing something at this virtual baby shower. Just click on their links to see what they’ve created!
Drinks
Add a Pinch – i am baby Shower Punch
TidyMom - Ducky Bath Blue Punch
Savory Bites
Dine and Dish – Stuffed Mushrooms
GoodLife Eats – Cucumber Sandwich Recipe
My Baking Addiction – Crab Rangoons
Simple Bites – Spring Crudité, Buttermilk-Black Pepper Dip
Desserts
A Farmgirl’s Dabbles – {i am baby} cakes
Bake at 350 – Baby on Board Cookies
Bakers Royale – Baby Shower Cupcakes
Bluebonnets and Brownies – Mini Fruit Pizzas
Confessions of a Cookbook Queen – Homemade Butter Mints
Food for My Family – Baby Shower Macarons
Gourmande in the Kitchen – Chocolate Blueberry Truffles
My Kitchen Addiction – Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
She Wears Many Hats – “B” is for Boy – Itty Bitty Baby Cupcakes
Smith Bites – Strawberries with Brown Sugar Dip
What’s Cooking with Kids – Hamentashen cookies
Last But Not Least
Wenderly – Baby Cards
Amanda’s Homemade White Cake Mix
(print recipe)
2-3/4 c. flour
1-3/4 c. super fine sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 egg whites
1 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare mini cupcake pans by lining with paper liners or spraying with cooking spray. If using mini silicone cupcake pans, like I did, be sure to also spray the pans. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, super fine sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites, one at a time, until mixed. Add milk, vanilla, and almond extract. A bit at a time, add the sifted dry ingredients, until just mixed.
Fill mini cupcake cups 2/3 full. The silicone mini cupcake pans that I used have a larger cupcake area than my metal mini cupcake pans, and I made some of each. The baking time varied quite a bit, with the larger ones taking 20 minutes and the smaller ones taking 12 minutes to bake. Just be careful to not overbake, or they will lose their delicious moistness. Keep an eye on them and bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool a minute or so in the pans and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Source: i am baker‘s Homemade Cake Mix, adapted with instructions for how I made the mini cupcakes. For Amanda’s full tutorial on storing this recipe as a cake mix (how cool is that?!), and for instructions on baking this in round cake pans, please see her original post titled “Homemade Cake Mix”.
Cream Cheese Frosting
(print recipe)
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar, sifted
blue food coloring
small white nonpareils
blue sugar pearls
Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat just to combine.
Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add food coloring, a bit at a time, until you reach your desired color.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain round tip (I used Wilton No. 12), pipe frosting on each cupcake. Immediately finish by sprinkling with small white nonpareils and blue sugar pearls.
Source: a farmgirl’s dabbles
I’m linking up with:
Robyn at Add a Pinch for “Mingle Monday”
Rachel at A Southern Fairytale for “Mouthwatering Monday”
Cindy at Skip to my Lou for “Made By You Monday”
Allison at Alli ‘n Son for “Sweet Tooth Friday”
BRENDA!!! These are the cutest cupcakes EVER!!! THANK YOU!!! I am seriously just so blown away by you all… by your kindness and thoughtfulness and that you all kept it a secret!!!! I cant say THANK YOU enough… you are just the BEST!!!!
THANK YOU!
Amanda
P.S. That cream cheese frosting looks to die for!
Can I order 2 dozen of these? They’re perfect!
Amy | She Wears Many Hats recently posted..For Japan with love
Brenda these are fabulous!!! love your photo styling too!!!
Wish this was a REAL shower….I’d eat like 5 of those cupcakes! haha
TidyMom recently posted..I’m Lovin’ It Wrap Up 3-20-11
These are soooo beautiful, Brenda! Wish this was a real shower, but then I’d be eating way too many of these beauties!
Robyn | Add a Pinch recently posted..i am baby Shower Punch
Oh my goodness, how precious are these little cupcakes! I love the mini pearl sprinkles.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen recently posted..french breakfast radish and sunflower sprout tartines and something new
Such a gorgeous colour you did for these special cupcakes for Amanda and they are decorated so sweetly. She is so deserving of this virtual shower and what a wonderful way for her blogging friends to reach out and surprise her this way.
Precious, precious, precious!!!
A “mini Amanda”…how cute is that!?
And these mini cupcakes are cute as a button!
How adorable are these!! Just perfect for I am Baby.
Brenda, these are just beautiful…your photos on this post amaze me!!
I’m so glad you were able to participate in the shower. I know it meant the world to Amanda!!
Cookbook Queen recently posted..Baby Shower Mints
What a lovely little cake, Brenda! The sprinkles on top are just perfect.
Amy P. recently posted..Corner Tables Community Supported Kitchen
You can’t beat cupcakes for a baby shower… They are so perfect. I love the color of these… Just stunning!
Can I tell you just how much I love these? They are BETTER than baby socks. So. squeaking. CUTE!
Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies recently posted..Mini Fruit Pizza for Amanda’s Baby Shower
Brenda,this is such a sweet gesture! Loved those cupcakes
Bake one for me pretty please, when we meet next time
Ria recently posted..KERALA STYLE BEEF BIRIYANI my way!
What gorgeous cupcakes and your photos are incredible…wow!
Pretty!!!!
:)
What a lovely cup cakes.Lovely to eat.
What a lovely cup cakes.Nice to eat.
These are so sweet, Brenda! The frosting looks perfectly tinted and textured.
Brenda – these are GORGEOUS!! i am in love with that beautiful blue color . . . and those pretty sprinkles make them perfect!
SMITH BITES recently posted..52 sundays march 20- 2011
SO cute… Love this party we did for Amanda
Michelle (What’s Cooking with Kids) recently posted..Virtual Baby Shower & Hamentashen Recipe
Hi Amanda,
Your Baby Cakes look so delicious. They look so light and moist. I would like to invite you to bring a dish to my Full Plate Thursday. Thank you for sharing and have a nice day!
Miz Helen recently posted..Full Plate Thursday 3-17-11
These cupcakes are beautiful! Love the sprinkle combo and your pictures are gorgeous! Amanda is so lucky to have such wonderful blog friends!
These are so adorable! I would be popping these in my mouth left and right. (Got any leftovers? I might come over.)
xo
Shaina recently posted..National Nutrition Month- Very Hungry Caterpillar Giveaway!
These might be the prettiest cupcakes I have ever seen!!!
Weekend Cowgirl recently posted..A Little Nature
Those are SOOO cute!
I adore Amanda and am loving seeing what y’all have for her!
Ah these cakes are SO CUTE! I love the baby blue colour (and it would look great in baby pink as well) and the little edible ball bearings too – cute!
Harriet recently posted..25 More Debt Written Off By Banks
These are unbelievably gorgeous. They are too pretty to eat.
Kristin @ The Pastry Affair recently posted..Devils Food Cake
Yum! Love the frosting color!
lynne recently posted..Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Tartlets
Yum! Love the frosting color!
Ooops, sorry the above link isn’t to my blog. I forgot I was looking at other recipes. Whoops.
lynne recently posted..An uber healthy- yet delicious- salad made with a fancy shmancy grain
I’m late, but I had to comment because these are absolutely adorable! So simple and so elegant. Love the decorations
megan @ whatmegansmaking recently posted..Confessions
These are adorable. So perfect for a baby shower. I love a good cream cheese frosting too.
I hope you’ll stop by today and link up.
Allison @ Alli ‘n Son recently posted..Sweet Tooth Friday- Chocolate Donuts
They were soooooo GREAT! yummmmmmm
Thank you, dear Owen! xoxo
Everything that you made was soooooo good and pretty. yummmmmmm
Lovely to hear from you Ms. Ellie!! xoxo
Hello, I was reading with great interest about your shower. Your food is beautiful. Did you send the mom all of the treats so that she could enjoy them live, or did she enjoy them “remotely” ?
Beautiful site!
Hello Veronica – unfortunately, Amanda didn’t get to eat all the wonderful shower food. The shower was completely a virtual one. My family devoured all of these baby cakes!!
Very sweet looking cupcakes! Love the nonpareils on them.
Oh my God. That’s cutest cupcake and you know that so I don’t know why I’m saying that
:l. No but yeah it’s awesome. The ‘glazed’ beads definitely look like pearls. Anyway very interesting, take care 
_
Jett recently posted..Fruit Names
Oops sry about that made ‘some’ mistakes in my comment. Anyway bye, bye again.
Can anyone tell me just how many mini/regular cupcakes this recipie will make? I usually don’t make the full amount. thanks!
Hello Kayla – my apologies for not writing the amount into the recipe. I cannot remember for certain, but know that this recipe made more than 2 dozen mini cupcakes, because I had to get out another tin that made smaller cupcakes than my silicone molds. The silicone molds that I used have a larger capacity than most mini pans.