Cupcake Culture

New order

2012-01-01T22:04:00.003+08:00

A friend of Justin and Yuka has a taste of the wedding cupcakes and wanted to get some for her birthday. Since the chief baker has the support of the mister (who promised to take care of mini-baker while mummy bakes), baked she did!

Chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

Justin and Yuka's wedding

2011-11-21T22:29:00.004+08:00

Another friend's wedding cupcakes. It's been a long time since I took up orders, but this order was refreshing and skills are not lost after not baking for so long..

Chocolatey chocolate Mini-me's for Justin and Yuka's church wedding

Close up shot

Oh how my little girl has grown!

2011-07-04T23:21:00.008+08:00

She's 3 months old now!

Newborn Day 1

On her baby shower party @ 1 month old

Little Einstein

Her favourite time of the day, bath time!

Cheeky little girl during playtime

Look Ma, no hair!

The reason for being absent...

2011-05-27T23:10:00.002+08:00

The blog has been dead for a real long time because the chief baker has a mini helper now! Yes! There's a new addition to the family with effect from 28 March 2011.. and so... chief baker has no time at all for sleep, not to mention baking escapades.. anyway..here's some photos of my mini helper, Vanessa..

Chubby cheeks, just like mummy!

Yay! It's milk time!

The monotonous post

2010-02-08T21:09:00.005+08:00

Ok, this is going to be a monotonous post. Why[question mark] That's because there's something wrong with the chief baker's laptop. For some funny reason, the shift key on the laptop is not working at all...

Nonetheless, there's going to be update[exclamation] This post will talk about our trip to Bangkok[exclamation] Yes, the mister and I went to Bangkok in December for a short getaway from the hustle and bustle of life. But it was even more hustle bustle in the land of smiles[exclamation]

Here's what we did, eat and saw...

The plane ride to Bangkok. The sky was awesome[exclamation]

Finally arrived at the hotel. We stayed at Eastin Hotel. Enjoying a cuppa and cheesecake with my mister while waiting for the room to be ready.

We had dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Supper at a roadside stall. Delicious banana prata[exclamation]

We visited the Jim Thompson House. The current museum is made up of 6 different Thai-style houses that were brought from different parts of Thailand and reassembled at its current location. A truly remarkable place to visit that tells of the life of Jim Thompson, the jump start of the Thai silk industry and the history of Ayutthaya, the ancient Thai kingdom.

This is my favourite piece of antique in the house. I love the composition of this photo.

Beautiful orchids in the garden of the Jim Thompson House

Gelato in a shopping centre. The display was so beautiful[exclamation]

Another pic of it

And another pic of it

There's alot more than these that we did, but these were what made the chief baker a very happy girl. Oh[exclamation] Not to forget the shopping escapades too[exclamation]

Update pleasssseee!

2010-01-20T23:04:00.003+08:00

A conversation between the chief baker and her girlfriends:

Claude: When are you going to update your blog? In another 3 months' time?
Jo: Yeah, no update everytime I check on your blog...
Chief baker: Wow, you girls actually check my blog?
Claude & Jo: Yes!
Jo: I like to read what you write!
Claude: I like to see the pics you upload instead.. reading your long posts makes me giddy..and I get lost halfway..
Chief baker: *giggles*

So here's to my girlfriends who are very dear to me, a little bit of pics and a little bit of write-ups.. to make sure one gets to read to her heart's content, and the other doesn't get giddy!

Cupcake order from a mummy to her girls for a good start to a new year at school

I think these were for a solemnisation..

The chief baker and mister brought the girls of their close friends for an outing to Marina Barrage

Christmas fruit cakes for a few of the aunties in church

New York cheesecake baked by me! Was trying out the recipe from a book that was a gift from a close friend. Thanks Elaine!

The revived Cupcake Culture

2009-10-25T22:00:00.005+08:00

I know I know... the blog's been dead for a good 3 months! It's been a pretty tough 3 months for the chief baker. Why? Because during the past months:

1. she got promoted
2. she conducted baking classes for a group of out-of-school youths
3. she went through some ups and downs in her personal life
4. she took on some new additional roles that takes away some more of precious personal time

1. Yes, I got promoted at work. And that means more work, and more work, and more work. They say promotion is based on past performance, but more so on future potential for additional tasks. 'Nuff said.

2. Ahem! The chief baker is also now a chief teacher! *grins*...so how did I become a chief teacher? Ok. it's gonna get messy, so here goes: a church friend whose sister-in-law has an ex-colleague who works at a student care centre for out-of-school youths. She (the ex-colleague) text her (the church friend's sister-in-law) one day, asking her (the church friend's sister-in-law) if she has any contact of someone who can conduct simple baking classes for a group of out-of-school youths to inspire and interest them. So the sister-in-law asked the sister-in-law (my church friend) for a name, and the latter mentioned me!

After some hem and haw and much liason with the ex-colleague, I finally took on this challenge. I've never had contacts with out-of-school youths, so it was a jittery 1st lesson. To my surprise, this group of 9 youths were so well behaved. Though they may come from complicated family backgrounds, they were such nice people to teach. To see their face light up at a small encouragement just makes my day.

You see, many have told them that they cannot make it in life after dropping out of school, and I believe there are umpteen times these words have hurt them to the extent that they too may think likewise of themselves, causing them to be dejected towards life. But through the 2 lessons I had with them, I see potential chief bakers, wonderful caretakers and exceptional public relations executives! My parting words to them is that though they may not be good in their studies, they may have other skills that they can explore. I also made a point that I hope they can understand, and that is they are termed as out-of-school youths because they can't study while scholars are termed as such because they excel in their studies. However, if they can look at themselves from another point of view, they can be chief bakers while the scholars may be helpless-in-the-kitchens! It's just looking at things from a different perspective.

The baking classes are going to be a quarterly affair with the student care centre, and I'm looking forward to them!

3. *Private & confidential* If I tell you, I will have to kill you.. *nah, just joking*

4. as above in point 3

Now that you know what's been happening in my life, don't you think I should be forgiven for not posting? :P

Despite the schedule I have, I managed to squeeze in some orders:

Ordered by mummy for her girls

100 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

The same mummy who ordered the above.

Her girls loved the cupcakes so much they requested

mummy to order again in the same week.

Some experiments I made.

I call this sloppy chocolate tower.

*Delicious*

For a colleague's birthday

2009-07-02T21:14:00.002+08:00

This cake was made for a colleague's birthday on 24th June. She was the supervisor of a once wide-eyed girl who stepped into the real world 8 years ago. This wide-eyed girl is none other than the chief baker. I am ever grateful to this colleague who taught me with patience. I must say it must have been really daunting, and I finally have a taste of what she went through now that it's my turn to nurture new colleagues.

To YL, cheers to more birthdays to come!

Oreo cheesecake with chocolate swirls

Season of cheesecakes

2009-06-21T18:23:00.003+08:00

The chief baker has been on a quest to find the best tasting cheesecake, whether chilled or baked.

This is a blackcurrent no-bake cheesecake that was made for a small girly get-together. Not the perfect tasting cheesecake I must say, but definitely one of the best looking! Aptly suitable for a girls' gathering, don't you agree?

Cheesy Cheesecake, anyone?

2009-06-15T22:44:00.003+08:00

The youths came for an afternoon of fun and fellowship today, but work beckons me and I wasn't able to take the day off to join them. Nonetheless, a little dessert would make up for my absence! I made a chilled oreo cheesecake, and a futile attempt at some artistic squiggles of chocolate. Shots courtesy of our dear mister, who can be quite good at photography, considering that he's just an amateur.

All was gone, save for 1 slice that mister kept for the missus as dessert after dinner. In my opinion, this cheesecake is way too rich! A small slice is heaven, but too much of it would definitely be overly sinful!

My favourite shot! Taken when the cake's still in the fridge.

For mummy's birthday!

2009-06-10T22:28:00.003+08:00

Mum's birthday was on 3rd of June, and though I'm all passionate about baking, it has never struck me to bake a decent birthday cake for any family member's birthday. So this year, sis and I conspired to give mum a surprise that will shock the pants off her! *giggles*

I made a chocolate banana mousse cake, as mum never really liked cakes since her heydays but has a certain attraction/fascination for mousse cakes. So off we went from a primary school gathering to her home, and secretly smuggled the cake into the already crammed fridge of hers.

After dinner, we brought the cake out and sang her an out-of-tune-but-still-audibly-palatable birthday song! She didn't really seemed surprised, as mum always has a knack of guessing what her girls were up to.. needless to say, all pants were intact while the family polished off the whole cake..

Can't wait to blog about!

2009-04-25T00:14:00.002+08:00

It's something in the mailbox that the chief baker has been eagerly waiting for, with no clue as to what's to be expected. And the sender is a cousin-in-law (chief baker's hubby's maternal cousin) who shares the same interest in baking and is exceptionally talented in her creations! At every family gathering, be it birthday celebrations or special occasions, this cousin never fails to whip up the birthday cake/ dessert-of-the-day, and there is never a time where the dessert is repeated! I've always looked forward to savouring the cake, and aspire that one day I can make cakes as good!

So what came in the mailbox, you asked? A cupcake wristlet in the chief baker's favourite colour!

And 3 different cupcake recipes! Here comes more experiments with new cupcake flavours!

Resurrection Sunday cupcakes

2009-04-18T10:55:00.003+08:00

Mummy Landy organised an egg hunt on Resurrection Sunday for her kids and friends. And what better way to celebrate a successful egg hunt than with cupcakes!

16 regular chocolatey and 30 mini-me's (not pictured)

On the other hand, the chief baker baked cheese brownies for her church's sunday school kids party. (I have no idea how best to take a picture of this brownie except from the top, and it looks awful! The brownies taste great though..)

Homemade kaya

2009-04-01T23:47:00.003+08:00

New experiment with the breadmaker! The breadmaker comes with a jam making function, but instead of making jam, I made kaya, a custard-like spread made of coconut milk, eggs, sugar and pandan leaves. Making kaya became so easy peasy, just throw everything in and set to jam function, and voila! Homemade kaya in an hour's time! This can also be made bain-marie style, but that would take a good 4 hours! The good thing about homemade spreads for bread? I get to control what and how much goes into the stuff.

I did a taste test, and the light hint of coconut milk and aromatic fragrance of pandan leaves left me feeling like I just tasted a little of heaven! Needless to say, the bread below is homemade too.

The chief baker has a new toy!

2009-03-29T23:30:00.003+08:00

Yes! It's a breadmaker! Been thinking of getting one since our man-of-the-house loves eating bread. And this is my 1st loaf of bread made. The crust is way too hard for a normal loaf of bread, but I can just imagine this texture with some nuts and fruit! Not too bad for a 1st timer, and crust aside, the insides are really soft... Here comes more experiments with different recipes!

Our 4th wedding anniversary

2009-03-29T22:55:00.005+08:00

It feels like time has been passing real fast this 1 year. It seems like not too long ago, I was blogging about how we spent our 3rd wedding anniversary, now we're into our 4th year of marriage! What did we do this year?

Because the chief baker was busy studying for her exam, There was no big hoohaa on the actual day. We just had a simple celebration with strawberries and wine. Oh! and a little choc cake too (not in time to take pictures cos the chief baker wolved it down...)

The actual celebration came after her exam. And chief baker was kept in suspense all throughout her revision, as the mister said, "Take 2 days leave. We're going somewhere to celebrate."

So the missus asked. "Where to?" And all the man of the house said was, "Secret. Just pack some clothes and bring your passport on that day."

Boy was the chief baker kept in suspense! Despite umpteen efforts to bribe/trick/coerce the mister for a small clue, he sure was tight-lipped about it...

It turned out that we were not going overseas at all! Instead, mister booked a 1 night stay in Ritz Carlton Hotel, a renowned hotel with world class service.

View of the bathroom

The room proper

View from the room

After a quick orientation of the room, we had some afternoon tea

And then the doorbell rang. We were pleasantly surprised that the staff sent up a complimentary cake. We only briefly mentioned to the reception staff that we were here to celebrate our anniversary and they took note of such minute details. It's no wonder they're known for their world class service!

Night came after a shopping spree at the nearby shopping centre, and we had some light snacks before heading for bed.

Before we know it, it's morning! And what better way to start the day with a morning devotion and a cuppa...

And that was how we celebrated our 4th year of marriage. Thank you to my dear mister, who planned such a wonderful short but well spent 'getaway'!

Exam's stressing the chief baker out...

2009-03-21T23:39:00.002+08:00

Why no posts from the chief baker, you say? Well, she's been pretty up to her neck recently with an exam coming up. Don't ask me why, but the place I work at requires us to take exams every so often. Boy it sure is stressful, considering the fact that I've stopped studying for such a long period of time. You know what they say about breaking the momentum and all..

These were stuff I baked a while ago, but didn't have time to post..

For the end of an internship at Deloitte

For a friend's wedding, I think..

(so much head knowledge that the chief baker has forgotten)

Brownies!

A school project

2009-03-09T15:09:00.003+08:00

A friend who's studying in Temasek Polytechnic approached the chief baker, asking for a small favour. She has a project on hand, and her group is required to look for a business owner, interview him/her, and come up with a marketing strategy for the business.

Look at what the group came up with for Cupcake Culture!

Packaging and logo on box

Namecard design

über cool!

2009-02-04T22:38:00.005+08:00

Meaning of über (Taken from the urban dictionary):
1. pronounced as 'ubber' (correction: pronounced as 'oober', as corrected by a german student. Oops!)
2. german word for "above" or "over" (correct spelling "über")
3. used as a substitute for "really" or "very" etc.

An early valentine's day order! From a regular customer who ordered these for her guy. I was horrified when she requested for guitars and roses. If you don't already know, I'm utterly hopeless with freehand sugar paste modelling! In the end, she was so sweet to suggest that her love is also a bike fanatic. So there goes the chief baker frantically looking for bikes for her cupcakes... With jittery hands and her heart in her mouth, the chief baker decorated the batch of cupcakes, constantly visualising how roses and bikes would go together... The results?? über cool!

20 regular chocolatey chocolate

Clowns!

2009-02-04T22:34:00.001+08:00

Ordered by friends for their buddy's hatch day...

Blog Flood!

2009-01-29T23:42:00.004+08:00

It's a day of food, food and more food! The youths in our church came over for a pot blessing last Saturday. What's served on the dining table you asked? Loads!! We've got green curry, pizza, chicken wings, pasta and the chief baker's signature stewed beef and Jamie Oliver style roast chicken. No pics of the food, but hey! Cupcakes were in the making as the girls baked a batch of them and decorated to their heart's content.. Just look at how creative Sus and Cass can be:

These were objects of photography on that day!

My favourite pic of them all...

Proud to be part of it...

2009-01-17T00:40:00.003+08:00

A couple that is so close to my heart decided to spend the rest of their lives together and tied the knot on 10th Jan 2009. No words can express the joy that fills my heart as I see the bride walk down the aisle while the groom sings of his love for her. They say wedding is but for a day, but a marriage is a lifetime. And I can attest to it.

Dear NelGin, as you walk this path together, may you find joy in each other, a confidante in your wife, and a head of the household in your husband...

400 mini-me's for the big day.

Photos courtesy from our photographer friend, Heng Kah! Just look at the outstanding quality of the shots!

The story of 3 girly beans & a day of fun...

2009-01-05T23:07:00.024+08:00

It was the Saturday before Children's Day! And 3 girly beans decided to make cupcakes for a children's home! So the 3 met at the chief baker's home for a morning of fun and adventure!

First, they had to make the cupcakes. So the trio huffed and puffed as they whipped and mixed:

The cocoa

The eggs

And not to forget the milk!

And finally the cupcake batter was done! So into the liners went the batter, each a scoop, not too much and not too full:
The chief baker's favourite batter scoop

And then into the oven they all went:

And while the cupcakes doubled in size, the girly beans made the buttercream nice:

"A little of blue", said Suzy Poo. So a little went into the buttercream pool:

"Too little!" said the other, so more went into the butter:

"Nice!" said the third, so that made the colour:

And so it was with the other 2 colours:

With the buttercream ready, the bags were filled:

And so were the sprinklers all ready for use:

"The chocolate curls!" yelled the chief baker. And so they were also put to use:

The cupcakes are ready, and the girls' hands are steady:

So a piping bag each and voila! Wonders were created as each hand rotated:

And out came boxes of cupcakes with love!

And so was the story of 3 girly beans, 1 a chief baker and 2 wannabes!

Aside to Suzy Poo and Claude: Thank you girls for the wonderful time!

Beautiful individual packaging

2008-12-29T00:01:00.003+08:00

This individual packaging is perfect for the regular sized cupcake! Though not tall enough to accomodate the usual swirl, these are beautiful for rosette swirls.

The whole heaven rejoices!

2008-12-28T23:46:00.004+08:00

The whole heaven rejoices when 1 comes to know the Lord, so says the Bible. And on Christmas day this year, the heavens rejoice as a dear sister took the step of faith to be baptised! Not only the heavens, but also the whole church! And how can this celebration be without cupcakes!

Regular chocolatey chocolate for the new baby in the family of Christ

We are just amazed at how God's hand is at work as we witness how this dear friend, from a pre-believer slowly take baby steps to believe in Him...

Now that you've taken this path, we pray your walk will be exciting as you discover more of Him!

*P.S. Cupcake Culture now has boxes with see through window! Please check with the chief baker for more details. Additional charges apply.

For a wedding at CHIJMES

2008-12-28T23:11:00.004+08:00

CHIJMES (pronounced "chimes")

In October 1852, four French nuns arrived in Penang after having travelled overland from their native country in caravans. Reverand Mother Mathilde Raclot, leader of this group, was to become a key personality in the early history of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus on Victoria Street.

From Penang, the nuns sailed to Singapore on a mission to build a Convent, which is now known as CHIJ Secondary Toa Payoh. On 5 February 1854, they reached the island's shores and took up residence at the first convent quarters, the now Caldwell House. The house had been purchased for the convent by Father Jean-Marie Beurel, a French missionary, who also established Saint Joseph's Institution, the former site of which is now the Singapore Art Museum, and the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, where he was the parish priest.

The nuns began taking in pupils only ten days after moving in. Reverend Mother Mathilde staffed her school with sisters from the parent Society, the Institute of the Charitable Schools of the Holy Infant Jesus of Saint Maur. She dedicated 20 years of her life turning the convent into a school, an orphanage and refuge for women. Two classes were conducted, one for fee-paying students and another for orphans and the poor.

The convent was closed after it held its last religious service on 3 November 1983. Careful restoration work has preserved much of the original structure of the convent and the chapel. After almost five and a half years of conservation and construction work, what was once the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus and the seat of education for generations of Singapore girls, has been converted into a plaza of theme retail and food and beverage outlets interspersed with ample outdoor spaces and courtyards, cloistered walls and long, covered walkways. This haven in the city hub of Singapore, is now known as CHIJMES.

Modern day CHIJMES, a common place for holding weddings

170 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's for a wedding at CHIJMES

For Amber and Tara's birthday

2008-12-28T23:06:00.002+08:00

Amber's mummy ordered cupcakes for her darling's 2nd birthday a year ago. Now, Amber is 3! How time flies...

For Amber's 3rd birthday celebration in school

These were for Amber and elder sister, Tara's birthday celebration at home. Mummy organised a circus themed birthday party for her girls!

Almost the same but not quite..

2008-12-13T22:05:00.002+08:00

Can you spot the difference?

120 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's for a church sunday school christmas celebration

30 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's for a friend's birthday

The irresponsibility of some people

2008-11-27T23:04:00.004+08:00

I received an order from a boyfriend who wanted to surprise his beloved with some cupcakes for her birthday. After much liaising and confirmation, we finally agreed on the design and collection time. However, on the day of collection, he did not turn up at all! There was also no way of getting him on the number he provided, as it was a number that was not in use. It just gets to me that some people are so irresponsible that even a simple email to cancel an order is too much to ask of them. Perhaps it was also my fault, that I was too gullible not to collect a token deposit?

Anyway, painstaking efforts aside, these cupcakes were not wasted, as I have an army of cupcake lover friends who would willingly polish up every crumb of it. Thank you for your love for my humble creations buddies!

20 regular chocolatey chocolate

On the other hand, these were for a birthday party:

45 regular chocolatey chocolate

And these were for celebrating a brother's birthday:

40 mini-me chocolatey chocolate before sprinklers

After embellishments

Show off episode

2008-11-11T22:11:00.003+08:00

Aren't these beautiful? These are coconut pandan chiffon cakes, steamed in cute little jelly molds.. my 1st attempt and it was successful!

Sophisticated and classic

2008-11-09T22:00:00.003+08:00

Something very simple but yet so sophisticated for a birthday.

20 regular chocolatey chocoalte

Hey Mr Postman, look and see, if there's a letter, a letter for me!!

2008-11-04T22:19:00.004+08:00

Ever since joining foodbuzz, I've been surfing other foodbuzz members' blog with a vengeance. There are so many interesting food related blogs out there, and the good people at foodbuzz have done such a great job at uniting foodies all around the world!

Not only have they created a platform for exchange of precious food related information, from time to time, they also surprise their foodies with swags! Been reading other blogs about how they have received the latest swag, which included an eco friendly recyclable bag, and I wondered when I will receive mine...

Days of waiting stretched into months, and still the parcel did not arrive. So I gave up the thought of it ever reaching me, since foodbuzz is in San Francisco and here is the asian chick wishfully thinking they would send it all the way to Singapore. But lo and behold! The chief baker received an email from foodbuzz editorial, asking for confirmation of my postal address because the swag they sent was returned to them indicating an invalid postal address! Excitedly and trying so hard not to show the I-can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-it emotions, I politely replied with my address. So after a week or two, the swag finally arrived! Thank you foodbuzz, and oh! Mr Postman too!

The bag that has travelled the world

How sweet of Foodbuzz to even print my blogname on the badge!

To find out more about Foodbuzz, click the banner on the right to get to their awesome site!

Here kitty kitty...

2008-11-03T23:58:00.003+08:00

We had an uninvited guest on Sunday night! We were watching tv and we heard a soft purring at our doorstep. We opened the door and saw a little kitten at the flight of stairs! It looked scared and hungry. With a soft spot for animals, we carried the poor kitten into our home and gave it some milk. It lapped hungrily at the plate of milk. After satisfying its hunger, it tried to walk around our home curiously and playfully. I had half a heart to keep this kitten, but we already have pets at home, so reluctantly, we lugged the kitten to our void deck and released it after placing a bowl of milk in case it get hungry. Just as we were leaving and waiting for the lift, kitty came back to us! As the lift opened, it walked into the lift and waited for us to step in.. but we really can't keep it, and had to carry it further so that it won't follow us.

As I thread along the void deck this morning, I eagerly looked around, hoping to see the kitten again. No such luck though. Hope this little kitten will be fine..

Kitty lapping up her milk

On another note, I made a raspberry jam swiss roll! Took me a long time before I decided to give swiss rolls a try. I'm never good with it, as it always cracks after it's rolled up. I wonder what's wrong..

see the cracks?

Took the chance to also make cupcakes with the same batter! But it looks awful, too much air bubbles.

Orange and purple hues

2008-11-02T00:13:00.001+08:00

A repeated customer ordered these for her last minute halloween party.

Rows and rows of cupcakes!

2008-11-02T00:09:00.003+08:00

Mini-me's in orange and red...

What's a few cupcakes between friends...

2008-10-05T22:34:00.002+08:00

I made these for a friend's birthday. She's been feeling down recently and thought these might help cheer her up.. Nope, there were no tears of happiness or fierce hugging for making these cupcakes for her, but the simple thank you and smile on her face is reward enough to tell me I've achieved what I set out to achieve..

16 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

Wedding bells

2008-10-05T22:21:00.002+08:00

I've always loved orders for church weddings. Though these big orders really tire me out, the end result after setting up the cupcakes in their place gives me such a sense of achievement...

350 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

Jurassic Park!

2008-10-05T22:15:00.003+08:00

A group of friends ordered these for their friend's birthday. Needless to say, the birthday girl loves dinosaurs!

20 chocolatey chocolate regulars

For a passing out parade

2008-09-09T21:54:00.002+08:00

I don't know about your country, but the men in Singapore all go through National Service, the rite to maturity. Some love their 2 years to bits, braving all sorts of weather (not to mention the killer mosquitoes) in the wilderness. Others just can't wait to get out of eating combat rations!

Ordered by a girlfriend for her boy's Passing Out Parade...

20 chocolatey chocolate regulars

Happy Birthday to LALA!!

2008-09-06T01:10:00.001+08:00

For a colleague's hatch day!

Bah bah black sheep have you any wool?

2008-09-04T22:42:00.002+08:00

Essentially, these are indeed black sheeps as they are chocolatey chocolate in flavour! They are, however, definitely not wolves in sheep's clothing. *giggles*

These were ordered for a colleague's farewell.

24 chocolatey chocolate regulars

Snoopy cupcakes for a 50th birthday!

2008-09-02T23:25:00.002+08:00

These were customised for a 50th birthday celebration. Needless to say, the birthday girl's favourite cartoon is Peanuts!

24 regular chocolatey chocolate

My favourite character!

Compilation for the past weeks

2008-08-30T00:59:00.003+08:00

Been a while since I posted. These were cupcakes made for the past weeks.

From mummy to her darling

2008-08-11T22:25:00.003+08:00

A mummy's love is the greatest. And these were ordered by one such mum for her darling's 2nd birthday.

20 chocolatey chocolate regulars

Some people are just so nice...

2008-08-08T22:44:00.002+08:00

These photos were taken by a mummy who ordered cupcakes for her daughter's birthday. She emailed me weeks ago to thank me for the cupcakes and when I told her I forgot to take pics of them, she sent them to me!

Some people are just so nice, while others, can be quite outrageous to deal with...

Super late post

2008-07-28T12:58:00.003+08:00

This post is 2 months late! These super big cupcakes were for my friend's baby's 1st month celebration. They were given out to guests who came for the party. Baby K is already 3 months old! Gosh..you know what they say about time flies and people ageing...

XX (that's right, I forgot how many boxes I've made already.. go on..chide me..)boxes of goliath chocolatey chocolate cupcakes

Show off episode

2008-07-24T22:01:00.004+08:00

This is baked for my ministry buddy in church as a blessing for her and her family. She has been such a blessing to me, frequently keeping me in her prayers.

Butter vanilla loaf for my buddy

Butter vanilla cupcake for me!

The Loch Ness Monster is here!!

2008-07-20T23:06:00.005+08:00

This is what the chief baker does when she has:

1. extra cupcakes
2. extra icing
3. leftover gummies
4. too much time on her hand

Loch Ness monster in a lake of buttercream... *grinz*

Something simple

2008-07-20T23:02:00.003+08:00

No idea what these cupcakes were for... but customer wanted something simple.

20 chocolatey chocolate regulars

Internship @ F&N

2008-07-17T20:49:00.003+08:00

It's goodbye internship at F&N Internal Audit Department and hello to school daze again!

30 chocolatey chocolate regulars

Liverpool rockz!

2008-07-08T22:51:00.003+08:00

An order from a girlfriend for her boy's birthday. This gave me a chance to try out the printed image icing thingy (or whatever it's called).

For 1 liverpool fan

For many many liverpool fans!

24 chocolatey chocolate regulars

Failing memory and age

2008-07-02T21:58:00.004+08:00

I seriously can't remember who I was making these cupcakes for, although it was just a week ago. Anyway, here goes...

xx (no, I can't remember how many I've baked) chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

An edited photo that looks like it has walked down memory lane..

a more accurate version of modern times cupcakes

From her to him

2008-07-02T21:48:00.004+08:00

From a girlfriend to her beau..

32 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

New experiments!

2008-06-26T23:43:00.003+08:00

A new order from a colleague for her family. I took the chance to experiment with meringue cream and it was a success! A little soft though.. but hey! Not bad for a 1st attempt eh?

40 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's with meringue frosting.. look how smooth it looks!

Angel cupcake! Crowned with halo frosting *giggles*

Farewell party

2008-06-26T23:25:00.002+08:00

Ordered for a farewell party and photo was taken using my new sony ericsson w890i! a little blur due to shaky hands..

130 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

Another wedding

2008-06-18T21:33:00.003+08:00

Yet another wedding. This post is 3 weeks late..

130 regular chocolatey chocolate and vanilla

The perfect rosette!

First impressions and hard work

2008-06-16T21:37:00.008+08:00

Have you ever had first impressions of someone just from the few encounters you've had with them?

These mini-me's were ordered by the bride for her wedding at The Legends @ Fort Canning. When I saw her enquiry and subsequently conversed with her through email, a first impression of her was formed, even before meeting her. She came across as such a sweet lady, always thanking me for giving her ideas.. you see, we wanted to pack each cupcake in boxes for her guests as wedding favours, but no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't find the boxes..

410 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's waiting to be packed

But alas! Our efforts paid off! Finally, we found the boxes! And off they go, each cupcake into a box..

410 boxes of cupcakes in the midst of packing

On the day of delivery, I finally got to meet the bride and the chance to affirm my first impressions of her. And indeed, she was all of what my first impressions were and more. Lucky is the guy who married her!

Though this order was fulfilling and gave the chief baker a glimpse of something which she'd never thought she could handle, she was dead beat by the time the cupcakes were delivered! Next came the blissful 7hrs of sleep for the overworked and grouchy chief baker.. *grinz*

Show off episode

2008-05-31T12:13:00.004+08:00

For yet another gathering of siblings in Christ! We're going to Andrew and Rebecca's home for some wholesome fellowship!

Cream puffs: The unedited version by the amateur - me

The edited version by the pro - dad

For my look-alike sister!

2008-05-31T12:07:00.004+08:00

Everyone who knows us say we look like sisters. Those who don't know us believe those who said we're sisters. Guess who is she?

Cupcakes were ordered for her new colleagues, particularly for the one who is waving farewell to the rest. When she brought these cupcakes to office and her boss' daughter saw them, she asked her how often can she bring them..such a cute lil' girl!

30 chocolatey chocolcate mini-me's

Sisterly Love

2008-05-31T11:59:00.002+08:00

Bought for her elder sister's birthday..

20 regular vanilla

Birthday for a friend

2008-05-24T23:36:00.002+08:00

A watered down version of pink and blue:

20 regular choc n mint

Chocolate overload!

2008-05-24T23:29:00.003+08:00

A client ordered these for her friend, who's a chocolate lover. I did a taste test myself, since it's the first time I did a chocolate buttercream... and these were heaven-on-earth delicious! Cupcake Culture is proud to say that chocolate buttercream is here to stay on the menu!

Warning: Unless you're a chocolate lover, do not attempt to order these.

30 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's with chocolate buttercream

From a girl to her man

2008-05-24T23:25:00.002+08:00

A demure lady ordered these for her man on their anniversary.

25 chocolatey chocolate

For someone who has a special place in his heart

2008-05-11T23:04:00.002+08:00

These were ordered by a boyfriend for his girlfriend's 21st birthday. Aww... sweet!

80 mini-me chocolatey chocolate

Birthdays are meant to be celebrated

2008-05-11T22:54:00.002+08:00

How would you feel if a friend went all the way to make your birthday special?

These cupcakes were last minute orders from a girl to her friend. Even though she knew it was too late to place an order, she still tried.. and when I got her email order titled "Just trying my luck", my heart just went out to her, that she will still make an attempt to place an order just to make her friend's birthday so much more special. How many of such friends do we have?

Regular chocolatey chocolate

A tribute to mums..

2008-05-11T22:39:00.003+08:00

To the woman who:
- watched us as we took our 1st baby steps
- wiped our tears when we fall down
- nurtured us from childhood to adulthood
- advised with love when we are lost and need direction
- gave us all the love she could and more

To mum, with love...

20 regular chocolatey chocolate

20 regular vanilla

20 regular chocolatey chocolate

We're on Project Smitten!

2008-05-08T20:10:00.002+08:00

Cupcake Culture is featured in Project Smitten's May issue! And ever since then, the chief baker's been pretty busy with taking orders, whisking and mixing!

Front cover of Smitten:

Tadaa!

Make music, not war!

2008-05-08T20:03:00.003+08:00

These were ordered by a jovial girl who never fails to brighten anyone's day! She got these for her colleague's birthday. He's a guitarist.. but hey! Where are the chords? These are piano musical notes!! *faints* What on earth was the chief baker thinking...

Regular chocolatey chocolate

Show off episode

2008-05-08T19:55:00.005+08:00

Psalms 133:1

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Pandan chiffon cake baked for a popiah party among church friends.

Cool happenings

2008-05-01T23:02:00.004+08:00

A trip to the letterbox after a late dinner got the chief baker real excited. The reason? There was an unidentified parcel lurking at the back of the letterbox. the return address was all the way from the US. And knowing the chief baker, she's easily excited by mails out of the ordinary. Eagerly, the parcel was unwrapped, and it yielded a stack of these ultra cool namecards! These were sent by Foodbuzz to their featured publishers! Take a look:

The different designs of the namecards:

They even got the blog address printed on the back!

If you would like to know more about Foodbuzz, click on the advert banner on the right side to get to their webby.

To the good people at Foodbuzz: Thanks a million!

For a boy and a girl

2008-05-01T22:50:00.002+08:00

These are 2 different orders from the same lady. One is for her nephew, the other's for her very good friend:

For the boy: Regular chocolatey chocolate

For the girl: Mini-me chocolatey chocolate

GOAL!! Ole.. Ole Ole Ole.....

2008-04-21T20:35:00.002+08:00

Soccer cupcakes from a loving lady to her fiance. He simply loves soccer and futsal! Now, where's the ball??

48 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's

Busy busy..

2008-04-21T20:23:00.004+08:00

What has the missus been up to recently? Well, pretty much everything! Been busy with the little renovation project coming up.. yup! We're getting a new oven! The new Electrolux 52l baby's just sitting in the corner waiting for the carpenter to do up the cabinet..Other than that, missus has been busy like a bee preparing for a lil surprise party for the sir. Yes! He's 31! Well, it didn't turn out to be such a surprise to the man of the house eventually, but everyone had a good time of fellowshipping..

Tiramisu in shot glasses

All that preparation and jitters made missus forgot all bout the durian birthday cake..Darn!

Show off episode

2008-03-20T17:47:00.003+08:00

No pics of cupcakes but..... It's the chief baker's 3rd wedding anniversary cum xxth birthday! And what did we do on this special day? The man of the house brought me to an upmarket restaurant for dinner, a place where the ambience is just wonderful, not to mention the stunning view from the 70th Storey of Swissotel The Stamford's Equinox Restaurant!

Simple starter of assorted warm bread and olive oil

The fantastic view of the Singapore skyline

On another note, these were some sugar cookies made using a newly acquired toy! Chip n Dale cookie cutter. (I realised I only used 1 of the cutter when I happily cut the cookies till all the dough was used up!)

The cupcakes are going places!

2008-03-01T16:18:00.005+08:00

They say the rich are snobs. Not true!

These cupcakes were delivered to a lady who ordered them for her daughter's 13th birthday. It was a red, silver and grey themed birthday party. They live in a cosy home off Orchard Rd, the town and shopping district of sunny Singapore. And to be able to live in that area probably means they must be pretty well off!

I was greeted with a warm smile by the doting mummy, who even offered to get me a drink! No airs of the wealthy, as she curiously looked on while I opened the box of regular cuppies. It made my day when she commented how pretty the cupcakes looked!

45 regular vanilla and chocolatey cupcakes

An artistic shot in black and white

A cupcake conversation

2008-03-01T15:50:00.004+08:00

Cioccolato: Did you hear that? They said they can't bear to eat us cos we're too pretty!

Schokolade: Is that right?

Cioccolato: Yeah, we're saved from the hard fact of being gobbled and devoured by cupcake hungry scavengers!

Schokolade: What's the point when we're made for consumption anyway? Now don't be a dumb blonde and just sit there and look pretty..

Cioccolato: Now who are you calling a dumb blonde, you red head?!?!

Schokolade: . . . . . . . . . . . . .

** The above conversation took place in an office setting when they were given away as farewell gifts... Cioccolato is the cupcake with creamy yellow buttercream while Schokolade is the other red head. Ah... no wonder the name calling!

Gothic Birthday Hues

2008-02-20T22:52:00.002+08:00

These were ordered for a friend's 21st hatch day. Frankly, the amount of black colour paste added to get the right tone appalled me! I felt the colours were gothic - pink and black. What say you?

Regular chocolatey chocolate in nut n party cups

Sunny sunshine colours make me smile!

2008-02-13T00:26:00.001+08:00

**Post and pics have been removed as per client's request.

Happy Lunar New Year!

2008-02-05T23:52:00.000+08:00

It's the lunar new year and that means...time to pig out and gorge ourselves silly with the new year goodies! *grins*

Order of 30 regulars and 30 mini-me's in chocolatey chocolate and vanilla:

The regulars:

Mini-me's (pardon the yellowish colour, it was taken at night)

And the rejected sample by the chief baker, which really turned up quite well on photo!

Auld Lang Syne

2007-12-29T17:25:00.000+08:00

For a very dear friend's year end party:
30 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's in a simple design.

Goodbye My Love...

2007-12-29T17:02:00.000+08:00

40 chocolatey chocolate mini-me's for a farewell party:

A picture speaks a thousand words...

2007-12-17T21:13:00.000+08:00

That's right! A picture speaks a thousand words.. that's what these cupcakes were for, a new aqquaintance's hubby's wedding photography studio's opening ceremony.

Phew! What a mouthful!

Regular chocolatey chocolate and vanilla

Mini-me versions of the same flavour

One of these things is doing its own thing

2007-12-17T21:10:00.000+08:00

No prizes for guessing which is the odd one out!

Amber is 2!!

2007-12-17T21:02:00.000+08:00

Chocolatey mini-me's from a doting mummy to her 2 yr old todd...

More x'mas creations!

2007-12-06T00:19:00.000+08:00

Chocolatey chocolate cupcakes with x'mas toppers!

For unto us a Child is born...

2007-11-24T22:23:00.000+08:00

Christmas... a time of giving, a time of loving, but more importantly, it's a time where we remember how blessed we are to be given such a precious gift of salvation..

Chocolatey chocolate cupcakes with buttercream:

Little ones, but precious gems...

2007-11-16T00:10:00.000+08:00

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Mini-me cuppies from a loving teacher to her pre-nursery kids:

And regular cuppies to her co-workers who laboured in love together with her:

With these cupcakes, I wed thee...

2007-11-05T21:31:00.001+08:00

100 wedding cupcakes for a romantic church wedding...
With angels smiling as wedding bells ring...

Happiness is...

2007-10-17T19:58:00.000+08:00

A bunchful of 20 smiley faces!
Chocolatey Chocolate with buttercream.
Rushed order from someone sweet for her colleague's birthday:

Mini-me cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

2007-10-09T11:33:00.000+08:00

Mini-me cups with cream cheese frosting: 4.cm across tops. A mouthful just nice for kids!

Flower Power

2007-10-07T00:29:00.000+08:00

New cupcake order. This is a small order of 30. Customer wanted something simple. So here goes:

New Creations - Vanilla Cupcake with Buttercream Icing

2007-09-29T16:36:00.000+08:00

Latest creation:

Cupcake in nut n party cups:

Spin off episode

2007-09-10T13:26:00.000+08:00

Since the mooncake festival is round the corner, I had a go at mooncake making:

Fondant flower & poured fondant cupcake

2007-08-28T17:34:00.003+08:00

Basic vanilla cupcake with poured fondant and fondant flower art:

Lowdown of what's in the box

2007-08-11T21:31:00.002+08:00

Here's the lowdown of what's offered in a box of happiness:

Cupcake sizes:
Regular => 5.5cm across top in black cuppies. Minimum order of 20 cupcakes of 1 flavour.
Mini-me => 4cm across top in various colour cuppies. Minimum order of 30 cupcakes. Mini-Me's only come in chocolatey chocolate flavour.

Frosting and decorations:
Cupcakes come in standard buttercream frosting with simple sprinklers, or plain cupcakes with simple fondant cutout. Customised designs and individual packaging are available upon request, additional charges may apply. All orders are packed in normal cake boxes.

Special toppers are available. Additional costs may apply.

Flavours available:
Vanilla
Vanilla and orange
Chocolatey chocolate
Chocolate and mint

Delivery charges:
Delivery charges at $20 islandwide.

Pls email cupcakeculture@gmail.com for enquiries on prices or confirmation of order. Kindly place order 1 week in advance. Pls also include your name and contact number.

Just for fun cupcakes

2007-08-10T14:28:00.000+08:00

These cupcakes were made for a friend's order. Had extra cupcakes, so I made these. I call them 'just for fun cupcakes' because they look very cheery, and of course, I made them for fun since they were extras. Pity I didn't remember to photo the rest..

The inaugural start to exciting things yet to come!

2007-08-07T17:32:00.000+08:00

Today marks the day Cupcake Culture is officially launched! This blog was started as a brainchild of a few girl friends who, over dinner one night, chatted about me starting a cupcake bizness. This came after yummy reviews from guests of a couple's wedding, who tried the cuppies I baked with love for their big day..

Daunted with the task of baking their reception cuppies and a 2 tier wedding cake, I doubted my capabilities. Afterall, I'm only a girl who loves baking and does it for fun and passion. It was indeed jitters and butterflies in my stomach as I whipped and mixed, but when I saw the smile on the couple's face, all was worth it..

So here's my story, and hope there are more to come!

The cupcakes in a box:

What's in the box:

The cupcake tier all set up:

Another view:

Their whimsical wedding cake: