Cuppy Cakes 101

Motherhood somewhat boosted my confidence in accomplishing things, domestically speaking. Before I got pregnant, I was intimidated by the thought of baking. I love desserts, cupcakes, among them and I never realized how easy it is to make my own cupcakes until I dared to take baking lessons and practice at home for several months to a year. The Christmas of 2011, I had the guts to bake cupcakes to give away to my officemates. They were low-fat red velvets with cream cheese frosting. They were low-fat because instead of oil, I used mashed pumpkin. They turned out great and because I'm lucky to have a husband who's very generous in giving compliments, I immediately felt like Martha Stewart. After two-days, we were still eating leftover cupcakes which turned out to be hard as rocks. I felt guilty about giving them away and was terrified for those who did not eat the cupcakes immediately. Some of them were even burnt inside. Hay.

The Christmas of 2012 was a bit different though. I was more prepared and didn't risk on trying anything new or beyond what the classes or my own experiences have taught me. This time, even if they were still far from being perfect, my cupcakes were yummier and prettier. I must have baked around five batches of cupcakes during the Christmas season and all I can say is that all of them turned great, except for a very few burnt ones that I was able to detect beforehand. Since I am already working from home, we just gave the cupcakes to my husband's officemates. I was happy to hear compliments from them, too. Maybe this year, I will be working on my frosting swirls and designs. Who knows, I might venture into a business soon. Hehe. Just dreaming.

Carrot cake arranged in the chic-looking cupcake tower bought from Shopwise (about 300 pesos, buy one take one!)

Chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Recipe to follow...