Happy Spring everyone! Man, I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I updated my blog…I’m sorry guys. The fall and winter seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. And now that spring is here, and it feels more like summer around here with temps in the upper 80s, it has me thinking of fresh and fun flavors. I hope to have a few new ones up here in the next couple of weeks. And if there is a flavor you would love to see me offer, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you!

Hello everyone! Today is officially the first day of fall. As I get older, I learn to appreciate and love fall more and more. The changing leaves, chilly air, bundling up, it all makes me want to turn on the oven and start baking! And of course, the yumminess…chai tea, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, apple bread. The list goes on and on. And what better way to incorporate these delicious flavors than in CUPCAKES!!
As some of you know, I have applied and auditioned to be on Cupcake Wars. For those of you who don’t know, Cupcake Wars is a competition show on the Food Network where the winner gets, not only a hefty cash prize (10K!), but also the opportunity to have their cupcakes exposed to the WHOLE WORLD! Well, ok, maybe not the WHOLE world….but a lot of it at least . As of today, a final decision has not been made, and I should hear in a week or two if I’ve made it or not. SO…fingers crossed please.
So, in honor of Cupcake Wars and fall I am dedicating this post to the wonderful little treats we all know and love. Cupcakes make people happy. And that makes me happy.
Please check out the gallery for more mouth-watering cupcake pics! Also, be sure to check my site often, as I plan on doing a lot of baking in the coming weeks and will be posting more pics. ENJOY!!

It’s been awhile since I updated my blog, so here are my two latest cakes for you all to see. Enjoy!

When I first started my business a year ago, my goal was and has always been to do wedding cakes. I knew it would take awhile for me to get the experience I needed to feel confident enough for this goal. I have so many party cakes under my belt, and I love doing them, they are so fun! But wedding cakes, to me, are the ultimate in cake design. But with the heavy importance that bride’s place on their special day, and rightly so…comes a lot of responsibility. The wedding cake is a respresentation of the bride’s style and the theme of the entire wedding. So, in my opinion, they need to perfect. Or as close to perfect as possible.

I had the opportunity to make a bridal shower cake for a friend of mine. She’s getting married next month (at the same place me and my hubby tied the knot!), and I was so honored when she asked me to do her cake. She wanted a cake that was very romantic, girly and wedding-ish. I was super excited to have the chance to work on my wedding cake skills, such as gumpaste flowers.  These said flowers are very time consuming and difficult to make so that they look real. I haven’t had too many chances to practice this art, since most party cakes don’t have sugar roses on them.  So, I went to work researching the different techniques that are out there. There are so many different ways to go about making gumpaste flowers, and in the end I ended up using a couple of different techniques. The bride wanted roses, picasso lilies and wax flowers in different shades of purple. I got to use one of my favorite tools as well…my airbrush! Here’s some pics of the flowers in progress…

For the design of the cake, other than the flowers, the bride wanted a scroll design on the sides. I added a fondant ribbon at the bottom, wrote a message of congrats, and voila! The cake turned out beautifully and it really got me excited to do future wedding shower cakes, and hopefully, someday soon…wedding cakes!!!

Well guys, it has officially been a year since I started my cake biz. Time sure flies! My first cake this time last year was for my friend Sarah’s daughter’s first  birthday party. Although I had been making cakes and sweets for years, I was fairly new to the custom cake world. I only had a few tricks under my belt, and hadn’t even touched fondant yet…I was too scared! Well, this past weekend was Coco’s 2nd birthday party and hence, my second cake for her. It’s fun to see where I was a year ago and where I am now. I still think I have a lot of growing to do, but I definitely learned some things and gained experience over the past year…take a look for yourself at Coco’s first and second party cakes…

What a difference a year makes huh? I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for their support over the last year. I appreciate each and every single order! And when someone likes my stuff enough to be a repeat customer, that means the world to me. So thanks, without you I wouldn’t be doing what I love doing! Here’s to an even better second year

Most of you know that the majority of my business comes from cupcakes and custom cake orders. Well, this week I got to do something different…cookies! A client placed an order (thank you Mrs. Murphy!!) for hand decorated sugar cookies for a baby shower. She wanted something “pink and girly”.  I had a lot of fun with these, as it’s always exciting for me to do something different. Although every year I make tons and tons of Christmas cookies and give them to loved ones, aside from a few times in college, I don’t get many orders for cookies. So, keep that in mind next time you are planning a kid’s party, wedding or baby shower, or just want something special and custom. Cookies make a wonderful edible favor for any party. And who doesn’t love cookies right?? I look forward to future cookie orders!

Since the one year anniversary is coming up for Amy’s Cakes by Design, I have been reflecting over the past year. Thanks to my wonderful customers, like YOU,  my business keeps growing and growing. Not only have I had a lot of customers inquire about wedding cakes (!!), but my baked goods seem to be reaching more people through word of mouth.  At least a few times a week I get a call from someone who is new to me, and I LOVE that!  So thanks for spreading the word, it’s working!!

I have learned so much in the past year, from how to run a small business from my home, to cake decorating skills that will last a lifetime! I am proud to say I have big plans for Amy’s Cakes this year. Some of my plans for this year include investing in software that will make the process easier and smoother for me and my customers, continuing to educate myself on the latest and greatest techniques, and re-visting my cake, cupcake and cookies flavor menu.  Make sure you visit my site often for exciting updates on new flavors!

In addition to those changes, I am also happy to announce that I am now offering JUMBO CUPCAKES!! I have had a few requests from you for bigger cupcakes, and I listened! Some people just love a big cupcake, especially the guys out there. So, if you are already planning on ordering cupcakes, and want to take 1/2 dozen jumbo ones home too, now you can. In fact, from now until April 1st, for every dozen cupcakes you order, I will send you home with 6 FREE jumbo cupcakes (a $21 value!!)!  So you can see for yourself  just how fabulous it is to have even more of the cupcakes you love and crave!

Thank you to everyone for your love and support over the last year….let’s make this year even bigger and better!!

I have the best husband. For Valentine’s Day he did so much for me, and really went above and beyond. That’s just how he is though, so thoughtful. You might remember from a previous post me saying that I was starting to collect cake stands. And that I saw one at Home Goods that I fell in love with. Well, guess what Mr. Wonderful surprised me with yesterday…that’s right…said cake stand!

So now I am up to 2! Let the collecting begin…here’s a pic of my newest addition…

Isn’t it the sweetest?! I just love it!! Oh, and don’t mind the flour on the counter. My kitchen is pretty much always covered in flour. Haha

I am offering a sweet deal for all NEW customers in honor of Valentine’s Day! All orders of my most popular cupcake, RED VELVET, are discounted from now through February 20th. Order one dozen, get 10% off, two dozen is 15% off and so on. Cupcakes are the perfect way to say I love you, I’m thinking of you, Thank you, and more! My red velvets are the favorite of many of my customers and are sure to become a favorite of yours too! They start with my rich red velvet cake with a hint of cocoa. They are topped off with a generous dollop of my signature homemade cream cheese frosting. As an extra incentive for first time customers, in addition to the discount, I will throw in an extra 6 cupcakes!! That’s right, 18 cupcakes for the price of 12….and then ANOTHER discount on top of that, starting at 10%. This deal is too good to pass up! Cupcakes are the perfect treat to bring to the office, a get together, or home to the family as a special dessert. Hurry and place your order today.

All cupcake orders require 3 days advance notice. Cupcakes are $2.oo each, minimum order of one dozen. Pick up is always encouraged, but delivery is available for a fee.