Cupcakes and Kittehs and Goggies, oh my!

First, if you think "kittehs" and "goggies" is just babytalk and silly, then please go here and here and get lost in a few hours of cuteness and giggles.  It's ok, I'll wait....

....So, now that you realize the importance of the kittehs and the goggies to my everyday life - wait, you have, haven't you? coz I lurrrrves them! have you met Spice and Lucy? - we can move on to how they relate to cupcakes.  The New Zealand SPCA annually holds their "Cupcake Day" as a fundraiser, and really what could be more of-the-moment than cupcakes? 

Keep in mind that NZ is a little behind America on the "what's hot" radar, we haven't yet been cupcaked-out, and we're slowly starting to catch on to the macaron craze that's sweeping the States. 

*I totally just typed "sweeing" instead of sweeping, and I kind of like it.  It sounds like a combination of "weeeeee!" and swinging, which to me is just about on par with the peanutbutter/chocolate combination from heaven. 

Right, back to the cupcakes.  Of course I've made cupcakes before, but they've ALL been of the box variety because I am American and until I was about 20 I didn't even know that you could make cake from scratch.  True story.  So I know alllllll about the ins and outs of the different box cake flavors and which ones make good cupcakes, but making them from scratch is a whole new box of fish for me.  So I'm thinking a little practice is in order before the Big [Cupcake] Day, when I will be making people give me money for something that's supposed to taste good.  Not to mention the looking good part too, coz you know people aren't going to eat a cupcake that just looks like a pile of poo.  I'm pretty sure that would get me featured on Cake Wrecks! 

My first port of call for the lowdown on the cake o' the cups will be here: Glorious Treats' tutorial on basic cupcake baking.  You know, just to make sure I can actually bake a friggin' cupcake!

I've gone a little cupcake-crazy today and have just plundered the Kiwi Cake website for baking cups and icing colorant, and have my design scheme alllll planned about.  While these are cute...

...I'm not doing cats and dogs, or even birds or ferrets or fish, even though those aminals need lovin too. Nope, I have a whole different plan in mind, a completely different target demographic, and an utterly non-aminal gimic to go with it. Mwahaha, eeeexcellent!

Decorations - check!  Piping bags and tips - check! (Thanks Auntie Jay!)  Cupcakes - yeaahh about that, let's figure out which ones to make.  There are sooo many choices!!  These gems have been sitting in my Google Reader, just waiting to see their day in the sunshine:

• Cookies and Cream Cupcakes from Bakerella - love this lady, have you seen her Cake Pops book?  It's like, my bible.  I always know what I'm making for special occasions!  You had a baby?  Pink and blue cake pops!  You're getting married and owls are part of your theme?  Owl cake pops!  (Ok that was me.)  Your mother's sister-in-law's doctor's pet labradoodle is having puppies?  Newborn puppy cake pops!  You get me?
• Peanutbutter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting from How Sweet It Is - but maybe the whole PB/Choc combination is more of an American thing?
• Heath Bar Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction - but that would require hunting down some Heath Bars, and I just don't know if I can be bothered to go that far...
• Chocolate + Coffee Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting from Steamy Kitchen - it WILL be a Monday morning, I bet coffee-flavoured lovelies would go down a treat!
• Vanilla Bean Cupcakes also from My Baking Addiction - maybe I'll just stick with these basic cups this year and branch out to the fancies later on...

Wow, how have I not made any of these before?!  I might have to turn in my Baker card if I don't get going on these soon!  [Ha, it's funny you see, because I've married a Baker, and I am a baker, but not yet a Baker because I haven't changed my name, and that's funny you know Baker/baker, capitalizing letters and stuff?!  Haha....hello? *crickets*]  I can take a hint, post done, off to bake the cupcakes, over and out!