The Newest Correspondent for CTTC is....me!

I've always looked to Cupcakes Take the Cake as the cupcake blog. Everything you need to know about cupcakes can be found there. So when they asked me to be a contributing writer for their website, I was beyond honored.

I have met both founding editors Rachel and Nichelle, at cupcake competitions in San Francisco and Los Angeles. It's so fun to talk with people who love cupcakes as much as I do!

I will be the Southern California correspondent, since Cupcakes Take the Cake is based out of New York. Of course my Cupcake Activist blog will resume as normal, but make sure you check out my posts on Cupcakes Take the Cake too.

P.S. You can see me listed as a Correspondent on the top right corner of Cupcakes Take the Cake.

Red Robin Cupcakes

A few weeks ago I spotted this sign while dining at Red Robin. Although I was interested in what the cupcakes actually looked and tasted like, I was in no mood to try cupcakes. Since it was during the holidays, I had been stuffing myself with cookies, baked goods, and pies. I just couldn't eat any more sweets that day.

Three cupcake flavors are available at Red Robin: Signature Freckled Lemonade, ChocoLOT, and So Very Vanilla. They cost $1.99 each or 3 for $5.29. Has anyone tried them yet? Thoughts?

Your Favorite Searches of 2010

Hard to believe that 2010 is over. I must be getting old because time is going by so fast! To celebrate the beginning of a new year, here are the top 10 most popular pages viewed by you on this website.

#10 Thanksgiving Cupcakes
Thanksgiving is a popular holiday for desserts, so why not cupcakes? I love these super cute turkey cake pops from Bakerella.

#9 Whole Foods Cupcakes

Every time I visit Whole Foods they have a different kind of cupcake just waiting for me to buy. Their cupcakes are huge too!

#8 Cinnabon Cupcakes

Last year Cinnabon came out with a new line of Cinnabon cupcakes. I would quite call them cupcakes, but I would definitely call them delicious!

#7 The Sprinkles Truck is Here!

Since I wrote this post, the mobile truck industry has exploded in Southern California! I love food trucks! I just wish this Sprinkles truck came to Orange County.

#6 Costco Cupcakes

You can find almost everything at Costco, so of course it's not surprising to find cupcakes. Their cupcakes are about what you'd expect from your average grocery store, but of course at wholesale prices.

#5 Cupcakes from Starbucks

I'm not sure if Starbucks even still sells cupcakes anywhere, but it looks like a lot of you are still looking for them.

#4 Nutrition Facts for Sprinkles Cupcakes

It's no surprise that people are interested in finding out just how many calories are in a Sprinkles cupcake. Trust me, finding out won't stop you from enjoying them.

#3 Red Velvet Cookies

This was the #1 post from 2009. Who wouldn't love red velvet cupcakes in cookie form?

#2 How to Ship Cupcakes

The big question: how to ship cupcakes? So many people want to know.

...and the most popular post was #1 More Halloween Cupcakes.

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011.

Looking forward to many more cupcake adventures this next year.

Baking Classes at SusieCakes

SusieCakes is offering two baking classes in the month of January at each of their six locations. You can attend the Cupcake Decoration Class or Layer Cake Decorating Class.

Cupcake Decoration Class
Guest will learn how to color buttercream, work with decoration techniques (flowers, dots, patterns) & inscriptions.
$65 (guest takes home 1 dozen cupcakes, a $36 value)

Layer Cake Decoration Class
Guest will learn how to build, frost, and decorate a layer cake
$85 (guest takes home 9" cake, a $46 value)

Limited availability. The Newport Beach classes take place on January 8 5-6:30pm (Cake Class) and January 22 5-6:30pm (Cupcake Class).

My Top 10 Cupcakes of All Time - Recap

#10 - Kara's Cupcakes

#9 - Crumbs Bake Shop

#8 - Sweet Revenge

#7 - Divine Desserts

#6 - Vanilla Bake Shop

#5 - Sprinkles Cupcakes

#4 - Sweet and Saucy Shop

#3 - SusieCakes

#2 - Sweet Tooth Fairy

and my favorite cupcake shop of all time is Elizabethan Desserts!

I hope you enjoyed my list. There are still so many cupcake shops that I haven't tried yet, so this list will definitely be ever-changing. Do you know a cupcake shop that I should visit and review? Let me know so I can add it to my list of shops to visit in the future.

Happy New Year! I predict a year full of lots of cupcakes!