Cupcake Camp Miami Recap

I needed a full two days to recover from this weekend before posting the recap for my charity event, Cupcake Camp Miami. Last week was a blur with late nights, cranky children, and driving around Miami meeting with bakers. All last week I kept saying, "I just want it to be Saturday already because once it's Saturday, I have done all that I can do and it's a matter of people just showing up."

Saturday came and I was surprisingly very calm. I was at the event location, World of Beer-Midtown, at 12pm and everything was set up and ready for the bakers who started showing up at 12:30pm. My biggest concern was having enough people show up for the event. Like last time, this event was promoted through the use of social media and word-of-mouth. Unlike last time, I was invited to go on a local radio show to talk about the event and Give Kids The World. Talk about amazing!

The best part of the location was the foot traffic that the event attracted. I mean, how can you not want to spend $10 that will go to charity and eat unlimited cupcakes? The event was supposed to run from 2pm-5pm and, by 3:30pm, I was worried we would run out of cupcakes! I had asked each baker to make 100 cupcakes, which I thought would be enough for my estimated number of 125 guests. Luckily, we didn't run out of cupcakes, but some of the bakers did run out and at around 4:30pm there were only 4 or 5 bakers who still had cupcakes.

The event was a success and I was able to raise $1347 for Give Kids The World. This event was better than the last one because it was more organized, the location was better, and it was less stressful for everyone involved. I received a few compliments about the event and had people asking me when the next one was going to be held. My only regret is that I didn't get to taste any of the cupcakes! I was so busy organizing and checking people in, that I didn't get any cupcakes for myself. Next time!

If I hadn't done this event, I don't think I would be as close as I am to reaching my fundraising goal of $3,000. I still have more fundraising to go and I'm hoping I will have the last $563 raised in the next three days. To help boost donations I am dedicated a mile for every donor and yesterday I ran four miles for my four most recent donors.

I'm not good about asking for money or donations, but if you can donate, please do so! My kids will thank you! My Donation Page.

 Follow me on Facebook and Instagram! 

Giveaway Winner & Consolation Cookies

A solid two days late posting the winner. Yikes! I used to be a punctual person, but lately, I am always late. Late to school. Late for internship. Late to dinner. Late to blog. Late. Late. Late. To be fair, I have a lot going on. The 31st is my fundraising deadline and to help me reach my goal, I decided to plan another Cupcake Camp Miami event. Except, instead of giving myself three months to plan the event, I only gave myself one. So I've been busy and my priorities have been a little scrambled. I am so looking forward to stuffing my face with cupcakes this weekend!

According to good old random.org, the winner of the giveaway is Jessie Emeric!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. Winner, make sure to email me at confessionsofacityeater@gmail.com so I can get that entry code to you.

For all my non-winners out there I bring you some chocolate chip cookies. I love trying different variations of chocolate chip cookies and couldn't resist this recipe that used sea salt. The finished cookie was a hit with Alex as it was crispy and chewy. I was just happy to have "regular" chocolate chip cookies in the house!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Savory Sweet Life 
Yields 48 Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2¾ cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. baking powder
2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed.

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. There should be 2 inches of space between drops. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Remove from over and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool before serving.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram! 

Seasons 52 Tres Leches

In the fall Seasons 52 contacted me about their Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence dessert. They sent me the recipe and I gave it try, making adaptations that made the recipe easier for to me. They contacted me again this past winter, but this time they passed along a recipe that was beyond seasonal; it was a Miami staple. You really don't get more Miami flavoring than Tres Leches. I have tried a few Tres Leches recipes (here and here) and my biggest complaint with all those recipes was the level of dryness.

Tres Leches is a cake traditionally made with three milks: whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. In some cases, you'll have restaurants offering you Quatro Leches (dulce de leche is added), but your staple is the sponge cake drenched in the three milks and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. What Seasons 52 has done with their recipe is substituting heavy cream for whole milk and adding rum to the milks. They also top their cake with white cake frosting instead of whipped cream. The recipe you see below is my adaptations, but if you want the original Seasons 52 recipe head over to my Examiner page.

Before we get to the recipe, let me just tell you this is the BEST Tres Leches recipe I have made. It could have used a little more liquid, but at this point, it's just personal preference. This cake actually tasted like the Tres Leches we've had at the restaurants and I think it's in part due to the richness of the heavy cream and the addition of rum. You get a perfect symphony of milk flavors that is deepened by the rum. Note: My method of adding the milk is a little messy so if you think of a better way of doing it, let me know!

Tres Leches
Source: adapted from Seasons 52
Makes about 15 cupcakes

The cake
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, white and yolks separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole milk

The milks
5 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 can (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp dark rum

Frosting
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp milk mixture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cavity cupcake pan with liners.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the sugar and beat to form
stiff peaks. Turn mixer to a slower speed and add yolks one at a time. Add vanilla extract, one-third
of the flour and one-third of the milk. Repeat three times until all the flour and milk are incorporated.

Fill each cavity 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before removing. Make the rest of the cupcakes. Cool cupcakes to room temperature.

Meanwhile, Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream, and rum in a bowl.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, cut out the center of the cupcakes like you would if you were filling them. DO NOT discard the cut out part as you will be putting it back in. Fill each cupcake with the milk mixture and let it soak into the cake. Use a toothpick to poke the cupcake so that the liquid is absorbed all over. Once the liquid has been absorbed, pour more liquid and repeat until all the liquid is used. Place cut out part back on.

In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Add the milk mixture and continue to beat until it holds stiff peaks. Using a knife or a spoon, top the cupcakes with whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy!

Back to Normalcy {Giveaway}

Cupcake Camp Miami was last night. It has come and gone. I am so happy it's over with too. There was so much planning, organizing, emailing, driving, and talking involved. I can't wait to do it again but I definitely need a break. Cati needs her mommy back. I need my sanity back. I also need my laid-back-play-with-Cati-all-day days back. I missed my baby and she probably didn't like the fact that she spent more time in her car seat than in my arms. I missed my kitchen. I think I actually heard my oven cough today in an effort to get my attention. I'm feeling inspired from last night and want to make some cupcakes. What flavor? Don't know. Any suggestions?

I didn't take a single picture with my camera so I'm at the mercy of others to share their pictures with me. I was too busy getting everything together. Can you believe all I ate were TWO cupcakes when there were over 1000 cupcakes at the event? I suck, big time.

Here are the winners for the judging categories:

• Best Overall: Shanna T.'s Coco-Vanil
• Best Miami Inspired: Klassy Kakes Key Lime
• Best Back to Basics: Contenti Cupcakes Red Velvet
• Best Unique: Simon Gourmet Foods S'Mores Ice Cream
• Best Themed: Sweet P's Pumpkin Butterscotch with Rum Frosting
• Best Decorated: Kristen's Creations Tropical Smoothie

And here is a complete list of all the participating businesses:

• 2 Girls and a Cupcake
• A Cake in a Cup
• AP PhotoGraphics
• Baez Party Productions, Inc.
• Bikram Hot Yoga Miami
• Breathtaking Memories
• by.Ivonne Cake.Love.Couture
• Cafeina Lounge
• Clarabelle's Cupcakes
• Contenti Cupcakes
• Cookies by Design
• Cupcakes by Hilda
• Cupcakes Noveau
• Cupcake Sisters
• Dharma Studio
• Edward Fernandez Photography
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
• Girl in a Pink Apron
• Hamington House Counsel
• Happy Cakes by Chanda
• In Focus Studios
• Joanna's Marketplace gift certificate
• Klassy Kakes
• Love Bites
• Miami Children's Museum Play Passes
• Simon Gourmet Foods
• Simply Captivating
• Sweetness Bakeshop & Cafe
• Sweet P Cupcakes
• Tiano Salon Spa
• The Cupcake Diva
• Victoria's Design
• Zoo Miami

In the spirit of the event and as a thank you for sticking with me even though posting has been sparse, I am doing a giveaway. The giveaway will be open until 10pm Sunday, November 7. Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite cupcake flavor. (US entrants only)

Tomorrow.

The past few days have been a whirlwind. As I check things off my to-do list and look at all the boxes, bags, and envelopes that will be filling up my car tomorrow I am amazed. And scared. Cupcake Camp Miami is tomorrow and I have done everything I can do. I can't believe I organized a cupcake charity event all by myself. With a very curious and very tactile baby. I can't believe I actually managed to meet my goals.

When I decided to organize this event back in August my goals were simple: 10 bakers, 20 silent auction items, 100 attendees. Tonight, I am faced with an event that will have 16 bakers, 22 silent auction items, and over 150 attendees. I was lucky enough to have a group of bakers that were incredibly patient with me as I tried to figure everything out. They all agreed to participate without knowing what their contribution would be and they all made it through my unbelievably long emails.

The past few months have been about me: me organizing the event, me getting bakers and donors to participate, me designing and creating everything. Tomorrow it will be about the cupcakes. Planning this event is like planning a wedding, except you have to try harder to get people to participate because you aren't paying them and the day isn't about you. I've had to let go of some of my personal biases in order to do what's best for the event.

I want this event to be a success so bad. I want it to be a success for purely selfish reasons; this event is my baby and I want everyone to like it. I want it to be a success for the bakers; this event is about them sharing their cupcakes with others. I want it to be a success for the attendees; they are all coming because of the cupcakes and I want them to stuff their faces silly with them. More than anything, I want this event to be a success for Make-A-Wish®. I am doing this event for them and for the wish of some child out there. How cool is it to think that just because a few people got together to eat cupcakes a child who, in their short years, has probably undergone more than some of us will undergo in our entire lives will get their wish granted?

So tomorrow is the big day. Today I am exhausted and am having trouble formulating my thoughts and articulating my words. I know not all will be satisfied and there will be things to criticize but I have done my best and I can do no more. The event is already a success in my eyes. Tomorrow is just the icing on the most exquisite cupcake ever.

Please Pardon the Interruption

I'm so sorry posting has sucked around here. Cupcake Camp Miami is next week and that has consumed all my time. I'll say it now like I've said it before, but doing things with a baby takes 3 times longer than if you were doing it without a baby. Cati is at that stage where everything is interesting and up for grabs. I turned my back on her for a minute and when I looked at her she had the flyers of one of the bakers in her mouth. OOPS! I'm trying to do as much as I can now so that I don't feel rushed next week. It's all coming together better than I could have ever imagined and I really, really hope the event is a huge success.

I have been cooking every night but I haven't baked a thing other than chocolate chip cookies. I can't even say that I've done things and just haven't blogged about them because that would be a big fat lie. I need to set a good example for Cati just in case she comes across this blog when she's old enough to know what a lie is.

So in the meantime, I apologize for the lack of recipes and the lack of posts. I feel like I'm back at those first few weeks of life with Cati where there was little sleep and a lot to keep me busy.

For now I leave you with a picture of one of my projects:

Cupcake Camp Update

A lot has been going on with Cupcake Camp Miami. Or at least I've been doing a lot to help the event become a success. Donations started off slow but things really kicked into gear this week. The donations are amazing and with each new one I get I feel elated and excited. The event is going to be a success in part because of the donations for the silent auction I have received from these businesses:

*A Cake in a Cup
*Bikram Hot Yoga Miami
*Breathtaking Memories
*by.Ivonne Cake.Love.Couture
*Contenti Cupcakes
*Cookies by Design
*Dharma Studio
*In Focus Studios
*Joanna's Marketplace
*Miami Children's Museum
*Simply Captivating
*Victoria's Design

There are a few more but I don't want to post about them until I've posted them on the Cupcake Camp Miami site first.

I am so happy with the response I have gotten from all the bakers. Everyone participating is incredibly nice and big proponents of spreading cupcake love. I can't get over the generosity of everyone involved. All the bakers have been incredibly patient with me as I put everything together. As much as I want the event to be a success for my own personal reasons, I want the event to be a success for everyone participating. All these professional bakers are participating in one way or another:

*2 Girls and a Cupcake
*A Cake in a Cup
*by.Ivonne Cake.Love.Couture
*Clarabelle's Cupcakes
*Contenti Cupcakes
*Cupcakes by Hilda
*Klassy Kakes
*Love Bites
*Sweetness Bakeshop & Cafe
*Sweet P Cupcakes
*The Cupcake Diva

I've learned so much from planning this event. I've learned a lot about myself, my city, and the baking community. To say that I am a surprised when it comes to certain aspects of the planning process is an understatement. I'm still trying to decide whether I even want to go into the specifics of things. If I do, who will I upset? Will I burn bridges or make new ones? Will people even care what I have to say?

There's a lot riding on the success of this year's event. Not only will its success mean good things for the charity, but it will also mean good things for the future of Cupcake Camp Miami.

Cupcake Camp Miami is in 12 days. Everything is coming together but there is still so much to do.

Confessions of a Donation Seeker

I hoped being a mother would make me fearless knowing how readily I would give up my life for Cati. I hoped growing up in Miami would make me feel comfortable talking to its people. I hoped my excitement over Cupcake Camp Miami would infect those around me. I was wrong.

Sort of.

My excitement is palpable and trust me when I say I have talked the heads off of some of the bakers I've spoken to either on the phone or in person. So I'd like to think my excitement is easily felt by those who are willing to hear me out.

Where I falter is in my attempts to get donations. I remember when I first joined my sorority I had to try to get donations or advertisements for our annual fashion show  (if I remember correctly all new members had to do this). I approached a few businesses (meaning: one), got discouraged by the response, and didn't even attempt to reach out to anyone else. Instead, I did the easiest thing I could think of: I turned to my mom and asked her to buy ad space for her husband's business and I bought ad space myself (the only reason my face shows up in that year's fashion show program!). It's a lot easier asking family than it is asking complete strangers.  Plus, we have different last names so no one really knew the business owner was actually married to my mom. And the point was to sell two ads and I did. Who cares the source, right?

Now I'm in that same position again except now it means more to me. Which means it hurts more when I get rejected. As a result, I'm a nervous wreck and I don't even know how to approach people. Do I go in and risk getting looked at like "what are you thinking wasting MY time?" Do I call and risk getting put on hold for eternity while they search for someone who will not feel bad turning me down? Do I email and risk the mental anguish of not knowing if someone read and received my email? What's the preferred method of communication when it comes to this? I've tried all three approaches and have gotten mixed results.

Then there's the issue of who to approach. How do you know who would be most likely to donate something? I read somewhere that the key is to approach everyone because oftentimes it's the person you think of as being the least willing to donate that ends up being the most eager.

So I'm clueless and the complete opposite of fearless. I get butterflies every time I try to make contact with someone.  What if they kick me out? Report me? Scoff at me? You'd think after a few attempts the fear of approach would diminish but it doesn't. To the contrary, it increases because I take mental notes of how the interaction went and try to adjust my approach before speaking with the next person. As a result, every interaction is new. And let's not forget that each person I interact with is also different.

Where does this leave me then? In pretty much the same place except now I know that if I'm ever in the position where people would want a donation from my business I will make sure I'm reachable and approachable.

Cupcake Camp Update

Ok I suck. Alex's vacation last week put me on vacation mode and I wasn't as on top of things as I should have been. Especially since Cupcake Camp Miami is a MONTH away. Here's what's happened recently:

*Post on Cupcakes Take the Cake.
*More participating/interested bakers: Contenti Cupcakes (Baker Spotlight), Clarabelle's Cupcakes (Baker Spotlight), by.Ivonne Cake.Love.Couture (Baker Spotlight), Klassy Kakes, 2 Girls and a Cupcake
and Cupcake Sisters.

I'm continuing to reach out to professional bakers but now my goals are to get a lot of home bakers involved and find items for the silent auction.

Wish me luck!

Cupcake Camp Update

Cupcake Camp Miami is moving along. Here's a recap of the progress made this week:

Name and Logo changes: I had to change the logo because I didn't know there already was a Cupcakes for a Cause campaign. Big oops! I think the new name and logo are cuter anyway. So now the event will be called Cupcakes for a Wish * Cupcake Camp Miami.

Two participating bakeries: I tried visiting one bakery last week and was a little discouraged by the reception I got so I decided instead to send out "feeler" emails with the information on the event and a request for a good time to either call or visit the bakery to speak to someone in person.
*A Cake in a Cup (Baker Spotlight)
*Sweetness Bakeshop and Cafe (Baker Spotlight)

That's all there is so far! Don't forget to check up on the blog and Facebook page for more updates!

Mark Your Calendars!

It's official! Cupcake Camp is coming to Miami! This particular Cupcake Camp will be extra special because it's also going to be a fundraising event benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida. If you thought eating cupcakes was a good thing, imagine how great it will be to eat cupcakes for a cause.

Now I know you are dying for details so I won't hold back on the basic information. The event will take place on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Cafeina Wynwood Lounge, 297 NW 23rd Street in Miami. 100% of the donations will go to the charity. There will be a silent auction. There will be a cupcake judging competition. I have a lot of plans for this event but I don't want to share too much until I know for sure if I'll be able to do everything I want. Just know that this event will be beyond awesome and utterly amazing. I'll be sharing updates here but I also created a site dedicated to Cupcake Camp Miami (go here! Facebook too!). I am so excited about this event and so excited about finally not feeling guilty if I eat one cupcake too many (cupcakes eaten for charity have zero calories, didn't you know?).

Now the fun begins: approaching bakeries and potential donors. If you are interested in helping with the event, donating cupcakes or something for the silent auction, or if you know of any potential donors email me at cupcakecampmiami@gmail.com. Would telling you that Nov. 3rd is 54 days away get you excited? Well, if it does then Cupcake Camp Miami is 54 days away!

Cupcake Camp Miami 2010!

Have you heard of Cupcake Camp? No? Well let me tell you what it is in less than 10 words: one day event, lots of cupcakes, unlimited eating, free! I heard about the one held in Boston in April and was so jealous that the camp wasn't held a year earlier so I could attend. Well, I could sit around and sulk or get up and actually do something about it. I'm choosing to do something. I'm planning on having Cupcake Camp come to Miami in November. The dates I'm looking into are November 4, 5, or 6. That's up in the air until I can get a location. Now I need YOUR help. I need you to help me spread the word and if you know of any locations that would be willing to host the event for free please let me know so I can get to calling. This is a great event and I look forward to spreading some cupcake love in my favorite city!

If you are interested in helping out or baking for the event, email me at steppystar@aol.com. I'll be working on a more formal site and email for Cupcake Camp Miami 2010.