Tips for great cupcake baking:
1) Patience is a virtue! Particularly in baking. I'll never forget witnessing an especially efficient friend of mine who couldn't wait for her freshly baked cake to cool. She slathered on the frosting anyway and stuck it under a cake dome. The dome steamed up and the frosting slid right off!
2) Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin your recipe because they will combine much more easily. Adding cold butter and buttermilk will result in a grainy, lumpy batter, which will tend to encourage overmixing. A no-no in baking!
3) Entertaining? Pick up dinner, but make dessert! There are plenty of great places to pick up gourmet food these days, but it's still hard to find a fantastic dessert. Dessert is the last impression you will make on your dinner guests, so take the extra time and bake something special.
4) Use the best ingredients you can find! There are so few ingredients in desserts that each ingredient really matters. Gone are the days when bakers chocolate did the trick. We have al l developed more sophisticated palettes and the local grocery store is stocked with a world of choice beyond the old standbys. Make sure you are working with the freshest butter and eggs, the finest chocolate and cocoa, pure vanilla and fresh zests, etc
5) Presentation is key. Even a casual dessert can be a showstopper when presented the right way. When cupcakes are tiered, they go from a kids treat to a grown up dessert that can stand in for a wedding cake.
Sprinkles Cupcakes
393 Stanford Shopping Center
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 323-9300
www.sprinklescupcakes.com
About Sprinkles Cupcakes:
Sprinkles Cupcakes are a deliciously sophisticated update on an American classic.Baked fresh in small batches throughout the day, Sprinkles Cupcakes are handcrafted from the finest ingredients, including sweet cream butter, bittersweet Belgian chocolate, pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, freshbananas and carrots, real strawberries and natural citrus zests. Sprinkles Cupcakes contain no preservatives, trans fats or artificial flavors. Sprinklesoffers more than 20 tantalizing flavors from simple vanilla to creativechai latte to satisfy every sweet tooth. Topped with Sprinkles trademark modern dots, rich chocolate sprinkles from France or seasonal sugar decorations, Sprinkles Cupcakes are both playful and elegant perfectfor occasions of any kind.
When Candace and Charles Nelson first opened Sprinkles in April 2005, everyone said they were crazy. Low carb mania was at its peak, and the idea of a cupcakes-onlybakery in the middle of thin city seemed an unlikely success story.Despite naysayers, they sold out within hours of opening, and saleshavent slowed since. Today, Sprinkles is known as much for its longlines and devoted fans as for its delicious cupcakes. Sprinkles iscredited with inspiring a national cupcake craze as reported by theNew York Times, USA Today, the Today Show and Nightline. Sprinkles cares about its community, a philosophy reflected in its purchasingdecisions and commitment to local charities.Sprinkles bakery boxes, plates, napkins, shopping bags andgiftboxes are made from recycled materials. Sprinkles donatesregularly to charities and events supporting worthy causes andgives all daily leftover cupcakes to local food banks.