Delicately Sweet confections

It's Wedding Season!

2012-01-10T18:25:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for weddings! A wedding should be all about celebrating the new couple; two lives coming together as one. Let your personality shine throughout your special day, all the way down to the delicate dessert. If you or someone you know is getting married this year, Delicately Sweet can do the baking for you!

simply elegant and irresistible

Elisha Turns One

2011-11-29T21:19:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of doing the desserts for my friend's sons first birthday. The most challenging task... ice cream cone cake pops! I was so happy with how they turned out. Such a fun and festive celebration in primary colors! Check out the pics.

Cupcake Photoshoot

2011-11-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

Check out this photoshoot taken of my cupcakes

courtesy of Amy Vandenberg Photography.

Summer At the Markets

2011-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

This Summer I have been out at the Juanita and Everett Friday Markets. I've had a great time meeting new customers and vendors and visiting with faithful returners :) Here are a few pics from the markets. If you haven't been out yet, stop on by one of these Fridays! Only three more weeks left... August 19th, 26th and September 2nd, then it will be Back to School for me :)

S'mores cupcakes

Country Village Antiques /Flea Market

A friend who visited us there :)

The 'Most Requested' cupcake: Chocolate Peanut Butter

Ashlynn's 2nd Birthday ~ Little Miss Strawberry Shortcake

2011-07-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the Fourth!

2011-07-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Red, White and Blue cupcakes and S'mores

cupcakes in honor of the Fourth of July!

Juanita Farmers Market ~ Every Friday from 3-7

2011-06-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

A few pics from the market. I hope to see you out this Summer! :)

A Hawaiian Themed Bridal Shower

2011-06-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun creating these cupcakes for a friend of mine at work for her sister's bridal shower this weekend. The theme was Hawaiian so, I thought what better flavor than Pina Colada! Each cupcake also had one hibiscus buttercream flower on top in her colors of teal and lime green. Here are a couple pics of them.

Tis the Season for Farmers Markets and Showers

2011-05-29T18:37:00.001-07:00

This Summer hasn't even started yet and is already ramping up with the Farmer's Market starting up this next weekend, Bridal showers and Baby showers throughout the next coming weeks. Can you tell... I'm getting excited!

Starting Friday, June 3rd I will be at the Juanita Farmer's Market from 3-7. We are located across the street from Juanita Beach and hopefully this July we will move over to the beach when the renovation is complete. Each week I will have 3-4 new flavors of cupcakes as well as a good stash of Chocolate Lava Cakes to take home.

I hope to see you out at the Market! And remember me for your events or parties you are putting on this Summer!

Fridays from 3-7

June, July and August

Snohomish Antique and Arts Faire ~ May 21st

2011-05-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

I can tell that Summer is almost here when outdoor shopping events and farmersmarkets begin to pop up around the area everywhere. A new event for me that I'm excited to be a part of is the Snohomish Antique and Arts Faire this Saturday, May 21st. It will be held in downtown Snohomish from 10-4. Admission to the event is free! If you love antiques, art, handmade crafts or yummy food come and enjoy the festivities. I'm praying for great weather! :) Check out their website for more information. www.historicdowntownsnohomish.org/antiqu es-arts-faire.asp

Hope to see you there!

Thank you to those of you who were able to come out yesterday and show your support! I was thrilled that there were many who came despite that the weather was a bit cold. I brought Chocolate Lava Pots in jars, mini Strawberry and Blueberry Pies and Apple Turnovers (which werea surprising hit!) Here's some pics of the event.

A Peter Rabbit Themed Birthday

2011-05-02T21:01:00.001-07:00

My niece has always loved Peter Rabbit since she was itty bitty so, for her 4th birthday last Sunday, we decided to throw her a Peter Rabbit themed party. Of course, a Peter Rabbit birthday wouldn't be quite complete without Mr. McGregor's garden... I had seen an idea months ago that I decided to recreate with cupcakes. Time consuming.. yes! Fun.. absolutely! I can't quite say I did it alone though (Papa helped with creating some of the vegetables :) Here are the pics from the day.

Miss Autrey in her birthday dress.

They were a big hit with the kids.

It was a beautiful day for a garden party outside. Happy Birthday, Autrey :)

A Royal Affair

2011-05-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about girls and fairy tales. Is it the pretty dresses, the 'happily ever after', the romance or is it the hope of having your very own Prince Charming? I admit I was not all that into the Royal Wedding hype until a couple weeks ago when I received an invite to a Royal Wedding party in the middle of the night. I was intrigued, although a bit leary of a few hours loss of sleep, to watch a real life fairy tale... who doesn't like a fairy tale ending?! For the occasion we were all to where tiaras, of course. I made flower topped chocolate cupcakes with sapphire crystals (for her sapphire engagement ring) that we enjoyed with other sweet treats.

Cupcake Camp Seattle 4/17/2011

2011-04-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today at Cupcake Camp Seattle was a blast! I made 400 mini cupcakes and they were completely gone by the end of the show. The day couldn't have been better with the beautiful sunshine and waterfront view of the Locks. I debuted a new cupcake called Orange Gingersnap (which both my brother and sister have informed me to rename it to Orange Ginger Spice... I'll think about it :)

If you didn't make it out this year definitely put it on your calendar for next year. It's a great way to taste some beautiful sweets (and take home a good sized box of them) or just get ideas for your own creations at home. For those of you I met today, I will be at both the Juanita and Meadowbrook (Seattle) Farmers Markets starting in June. Or if you can't wait that long you can always order some before then :). Here are a few pics from the day. Enjoy!

My sister and I figuring how to display 400 cupcakes!

My BIGGEST cupcake fan!

My newest flavor ~ Orange Ginger Spice

A glance at the cupcake contest.

Little miss Autrey and Mom helping Auntie Johanna.

Mom, my biggest behind the scenes helper. Thank you!

Time for a break

2011-04-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

Spring is a perfect time to take a break before the craziness and busyness of Summer. Whether it's at home to do much needed cleaning and organizing or to get away from our usual day to day routines and travel and see new places.

This week I feel privileged to be able to do some traveling with some very dear friends. Our trip takes us back east to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. There are going to be many exciting things to see I'm sure, but I think I'm secretly excited to visit some sweet shops when we get NYC... it is the birthplace for the cupcake craze you see :) I've got a few on my list to try out: one is Magnolia Bakery www.magnoliabakery.com and the other is Buttercup Bake Shop buttercupbakeshop.com both were started by the same gal and are well known all over New York.

I will post pictures when I return... till then I hope you can squeeze some moments from your routines for a much needed break. :)

Cupcake Camp Seattle: Year two!

2011-03-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to be apart of Cupcake Camp Seattle for the second year in a row. This is a fun event for local bakeries and bakers in the Seattle area to come together and show off their finest creations while supporting a great cause - the Hope Heart Institute. It will be held on Sunday, April 17th from 12-4 at The Canal in Seattle. You all are welcome to come as well. Tickets cost $8 or $10 at the door. Last year, the line was out the door for several hours. So, if you are planning to come... get your tickets early! For more information and to purchase tickets check out http://cupcakecampseattle.com/.

Rattles, Bottles and Babies

2011-03-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

I think this sunny weather we are having this weekend inspired me to think Summer a bit early with this fresh Strawberry Buttercream. This delicate touch of strawberry, pared with a moist chocolate cake and then topped with a strawberry slice and rattle was the perfect choice for a sweet baby girl shower.

Tis the season for birthdays!

2011-03-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Birthdays are always a great time to celebrate those very special people in our lives. Our family keeps growing as my sister and family are going to welcome a new little one this July. That will bring us up to 9! But the first family birthday of the new year will be my mom's 60th this Thursday.

We are putting on a surprise (hoping she still doesn't know) birthday with family and friends. I am doing a slight Retro theme for the occasion. Bringing in some of her old time favorite candies when she was a kid as well as pictures of her growing up.

This will be a BIG week of baking. Thank goodness I am on break from school! New recipes I hope to try this week will be Italian Cream Cupcakes (infused with coconut and hazelnut flavors) and for the savory side, Mac and Cheese French Gnocchi. I will let you know how these go with pics to follow. Now all this said, I hope she doesn't read my blog this week... Shhhh :)

The party was a success! Here are some of the pics from the day.

With the retro theme, we had pictures of my mom growing up as well as some of the different candies that you would find from the 1960's that guests could take home in candy bags.

I made Italian Cream and Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes (the latter pictured here) for the occasion. I believe there was only one left at the end of the day!

Here Comes the Bride...

2011-01-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all the brides who came out this weekend! My mom and I had such great response and for it being my first wedding show, I enjoyed every moment of it! Thank you to Pauline, Laura and my sister, Jessica for coming out and helping us! Here are a few pics from the show...

Beginning of a New Year

2011-01-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

The New Year is a good time to look back on the previous year to remember all the moments and events that were woven into its tapestry. I can't believe that my first full year as an enterpreneur is already behind me. This past year, Delicately Sweet was a part of many birthday parties, bridal showers, weddings, farmers markets and Seattle's first cupcake camp and contest. I am looking forward to what new adventures await in 2011!

For the first event of the year, I will be participating in my first ever wedding show at the Everett Wedding Expo on January 15th and 16th. I will be sharing a booth with my mom who is representing Bridal Elegance & Alterations, her business of 14 years. If you are engaged or know someone who is please come and check us out at the show. We look forward to seeing you there!

*For more information about the show and Bridal Elegance check out their websites below.

http://www.nwbridalshowcase.com/

http://bridaleleganceandalterations.com/Site/Welcome.html

Natalie and Curtis' Wedding November 28th, 2010

2010-12-29T12:23:00.001-08:00

It was a joy to be a part of Natalie and Curtis' special day. It all began at the Hotel Andra in Seattle where the bridal party got ready for the day. Pictures were taken as we strolled through downtown Seattle. It was a perfectly, gorgeous clear day! Unusual for us Seattlites. The wedding site was at the Lake Union Cafe, a beautiful venue with art deco embellishments throughout. They served red velvet and pumpkin cupcakes with a hummingbird bride and groom cake. Catered by Delicately Sweet.

Pictures courtesy of Lucid Captures Photography

French Macarons

2010-10-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

French Macrons are quickly becoming the next greatest thing to have at weddings and parties. They are sweet and elegant for such the affair. My friend Tiffany told me about a class at Sur la Table all on making these elegant sweets so, of course I had to sign up. We learned the 'dos and don'ts' of making these dainty cookies and surprisingly found them not so complicated to make. These are pictures from our class. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Coconut Rum Macarons

Step 1 - Beginning to whisk the eggs to their

stiff peaks consistency.

Step 2 - Gently fold in sugar and almond meal

being careful to keep the batter light and fluffy.

Step 3 - Folding until it becomes like the

consistency of 'magma'.

Step 4 - Pipe batter from a pastry bag onto

parchment lined baking sheets. We used a

template underneath to practice just the perfect

sizing.

Step 5 - Let the macarons stand for 15 minutes

before baking.

Step 6 - Beginning the Rum Cream filling

- heat and whisk egg whites and sugar to 141 degrees.

I'm using the infrared thermometer to check

periodically.

Step 7 - Take egg whites off heat and whisk on

high till stiff peaks. Then gradually add the butter.

Step 8 - Mix in flavoring (we used rum for ours,

but you can try almost anything).

Step 9 - Bake macarons for about 8 minutes

in a double pan until the top has 'popped'.

Step 10 - Now they are ready to be filled!

In this pic my friend Tiffany trying her

hand at the piping.

Here are a few pics of our classes finished products.

We made Coconut Rum, Green Tea, Chocolate Cream

and Raspberry.

Happy with our sweet and dainty

macarons :)

They can make cute favors for a wedding or party.

Package them in clear plastic bags and tie with

a fun ribbon.

Whoopie Pies

2010-09-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

My newest love... Whoopie Pies! I've been hearing about this craze for awhile now and decided it was time to try it out. If you haven't heard of a whoopie pie before they are a cake like cookie with a marshmellow cream sandwiched in between. The one pictured here is Chocolate with Blackberry Cream. One word... delish :)

Weddings

2010-09-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

I did my first wedding this Summer. The bride and groom had an outdoor wedding on the water near Port Angeles. It turned out to be a beautiful day for the happy couple. They decided on apple pies and mini mixed berry tarts.

Summer Happenings

2010-09-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

It was such a busy Summer with vacations, weddings, Farmers Markets which left only a few lazy days. This summer I wanted to bring my sweets out into the public so, I tried out bringing cupcakes to a couple local Farmer's Markets. I have to say that it was a lot of work, but so fun! I think the best part of the whole experience was seeing the smiles on all the patrons faces, old and young, as they enjoyed their cupcakes. :) Here are a few pics from the days at the market...

My mom... faithful helper.

My nieces and sister came to help out at one of the

last markets.

Bon Vivant Baking Class all about Cakes

2010-07-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a Bon Vivant baking class all about cakes taught be chef Suzanne Hunter. If you know anything about me I LOVE anything having to do with cakes so, this was right up my alley! I learned many new techniques including the French way of making Vanilla Buttercream. I had such a great time and look forward to taking another class through Bon Vivant. If you love cooking or baking I would highly suggest taking a class from them. Check them out at bon-vivant.com.

All the ingredients lined up to make the Pineapple

Coconut cake.

Vanilla Raspberry cupcakes

The sugar syrup that will be the base

of the Pineapple Buttercream. It was

very sensitive. We had to make two

batches... the first one got too brown.

Now, the cupcakes are ready to be frosted with

the Pineapple Buttercream and dipped in coconut.

Red Velvet cupcakes

We made Marzipan carrots to go atop the mini

carrot cakes. So fun!

Our finished masterpieces! We made eight different

cakes with nine different frostings.

Carrot with Cream Cheese frosting

Vanilla Raspberry with Almond Buttercream

Pineapple Coconut with Pineapple Buttercream

Red Velvet with Vanilla Buttercream

Chocolate with Salted Carmel filling and Chocolate Buttercream

Chocolate Hazelnut with Chocolate Ganache

Lemon with Lemon Meringue

Banana Rum with Currants and Chocolate Banana Buttercream/ Chocolate Banana Whip cream

Independence Day

2010-07-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

Mixed Berry Tarts decked out in

their Red, White and Blue to

celebrate this special day.

A Picnic Themed Bridal Shower

2010-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

I recently put on a couples bridal shower at Green Lake park in Seattle for my best friend and her fiance. The theme was an Outdoor Picnic. We had lawn games of croquet, bocce ball and frizbee. Other than the surprisingly cold weather for June, we had a fabulous time celebrating.

These funfetti cake pops were a hit.

Tres Leches (three milks) cake

A surprise event for my sister's 30th

2010-04-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes and Lemon Blue Bell Cake

for my sister's surprise 30th birthday party.

Pictures from Cupcake Camp this weekend

2010-04-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

I brought two flavors for sampling:

Emerald City Espresso Mint

Chocolate Mint with Espresso Buttercream

and Lemon Blue Bell Lemon with Blueberry Buttercream.

All the cupcakes lined up for judging.

I entered for the 'Seattle Theme' and 'Most Unique Ingredient'.

Complete craziness for about 5 minutes

as my cupcakes were being sampled.

I'm one of the sponsors up on the big screen! :)

I think the turn out was much more than was

expected. Over 800 people showed up.

There was a line for over two hours out the door

and down the street.

Some great friends and family came out for the festivities.

Thanks guys for all your encouragement and support!

CupcakeCamp Seattle: April 10, 2010

2010-04-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Cupcake Camp Seattle

An event for cupcake lovers

I'm excited to participate in my first official event... CupcakeCamp Seattle this month. On Saturday, April 10th from 11-2pm, come and enjoy cupcakes from all over the great city of Seattle. It's a free event that supports the Hope Heart Institute. For more information check out their website at http://cupcakecampseattle.com/. Come and visit me and bring your big sweet tooth!

My Newest Flavor for the Coffee Lover: Emerald City Espresso Mint

2010-03-25T22:26:00.001-07:00

For all you coffee lovers out there, my newest flavor will give you a jolt... Emerald City Espresso Mint! Chocolate mint cake with Espresso Buttercream. For being a coffee lover myself, I can't believe it's taken me so long to create this :)

Creative Cupcake Adventures

2010-03-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

I recently taught my first class on decorating cupcakes! I had so much fun teaching these women simple techniques that they could use at home. Here are some pics from that day.

2009-07-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes, Parties, and More...

2009-07-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes and speciality desserts for any occasion.