Iron Cupcake Movie Challenge Results!

Candy, Popcorn and Movies – Oh My!

Apple Brulee Spice had a different spin on the interpretation of the challenge Movies.
That didn’t stop the judges from selecting this flavorful combination as a 2^nd Place Winner!

A good brainstorming session from one of my key taste testers brought this cupcake to the winning circle.

Let’s get ready for summer and head out to the park, next Iron Cupcake SF Challenge is Picnic. What do you bring to a picnic that you think would be great inspiration for a cupcake?

Iron Cupcake SF Challenge!

It’s time for the next Iron Cupcake Challenge and the theme is Movies.

FingerSweets is introducing, Apple Brulee Spice!

I couldn't place these cakes to any particular movie though my recent travels to New York for an intimate wedding allowed me to connect the flavor, destination and a movie genre into one mini cupcake.  

The inspiration of The Big Apple brings the spice of many romantic comedies.

This Apple Brulee Spice cupcake offers an apple caramel spice cake with a spiced cream cheese frosting, topped with a brulee crust. 

Stayed tuned for tonight’s competition results

Flavors on the Menu!

Most of the fun is creating new mini cupcake flavors. Combining the unusual with the usual; sticking with what is familiar and traditional in order to grow the offerings on the menu.

So, how does a mini cupcake make it onto the menu?

Research

I start by researching pairings, flavors and suggested combinations, and others previously developed recipes to come up with a conclusion of my own. I turn to experts like Spice Sherpa for suggestions and uses when working with spices. I get inspired by menus, websites, and blogs. I ask friends what flavors they enjoy and lastly, I use my own palette to come up with new ideas.

Teamwork

I tap into my roots and discuss with my mom (Susan) the flavors I am intrigued by in order to execute the ideas into a recipe form. While sticking to FingerSweets original concept we compile our thoughts into a starting place – “X” Test Batch 1.

Production

Testing is key before a new flavor makes it onto the FingerSweets menu. Diligent note taking as each test batch is produced is critival. A single recipe generally will take multiple test batches to perfect and capture the desired layering of flavors.

Quality Assurance

A new flavor goes through a few stages of in-house testing.  

Stage 1: 
The mini cupcakes must meet a certain level of quality before being frosted.
Stage 2: 
The frosting must meet a certain level of quality before being placed onto a mini cupcake.
Stage 3: 
The frosting is applied to the mini cupcakes as a completed dessert and must meet a certain level of quality as a combined flavor.

Once each of these stages are met, the test batches are distributed to the pool of FingerSweets taste testers. These people offer critical and descriptive feedback about the overall flavor combination. It’s this feedback that greatly aids FingerSweets with developing new flavors and getting them onto the menu.  

 As new flavors are developed, I am hoping you’ll be in the next pool of taste testers!

FingerSweets Current Flavors

  Almond Fruit Crumb

Apricot Honey Cardamom

Bergamot Orange Spice

Chocolate Banana Peanut

Chocolate Cream

Chocolate Mint

Chocolate Raspberry Pink Peppercorn

Cilantro Lime Mango

Coconut Rum

Marble Chocolate Mint

Mallow Chocolate Graham

Meyer Lemon Basil

Peanut Butter Jelly

Pumpkin Maple Spice

Saffron Lemon Pistachio

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Coffee Cardamom

Spicy Masala Chai

Vanilla Lemon Meringue

Iron Cupcake Citrus Challenge Results!

Citrus Sweets…YUM!

Mango Lime Cilantro was only one of many lime flavored delights. 
All tasted and voted and the results of this bold and tangy flavor gained 3rd place recognition.

Thanks to my good friend in San Anselmo who offered inspiration for the delicious combination.

Next SF Iron Cupcake Challenge is Movies.  A call to Movie goers, what do you think should be considered for next month’s challenge?

Iron Cupcake SF Challenge!

It’s that time again, I’ve tested, tasted and time has run out!

The Citrus challenge is tonight and FingerSweets is going in with a twist of a flavor.

Let me introduce, Mango Lime Cilantro!

Spring is in the air and this refreshing and tangy mini cupcake brings together a mango lime cake with a mango preserve filling and cilantro lime frosting topped with lime zest.

Stayed tuned for tonight’s competition results!

Cupcake Philosophy

I am often asked what makes my mini cupcakes different. Aside from the personal attachment I have to these cute cakes there is a defined reasoning why I believe FingerSweets (mini cupcakes) are superior to others.

Observations of a Typical Mint Cupcake:

Typically, retail cupcakes are a basic cake flavor (vanilla, chocolate, yellow) paired with a flavored frosting that denotes the cupcake as a particular kind.  For instance, take a Chocolate Mint cupcake.  Many retail establishments use their basic chocolate recipe and top it with a mint frosting (sometimes the green kind).  To the general public, it works and this is a successful Chocolate Mint cupcake.   My interpretation of the same thing is vastly different and is what I think brings my creations to a gourmet level.

The FingerSweets Chocolate Mint Cupcake:

A basic chocolate cake infused with mint extract and Andes mints.  My standard chocolate frosting enhanced with mint extract to get that cool burst of minty yumminess.   I don’t stop there; chopped Andes mints decorate and put the finishing touch on capturing as much mint flavor as you can get out of every mini bite.

Conclusion:

I rarely use a basic recipe as a stand alone without any additions (unless it is my Vanilla Lemon Meringue where I let the creamy lemon curd be the star in the tasty basic vanilla cake).  

My development process is cyclical which allows me to capture a depth of flavor throughout a mini cupcake.  My goal is to avoid any possibility of flavor separation in the mouth by making sure there are flavor connections in the cake and the frosting.  My method I believe is what makes FingerSweets a gourmet item and superior to other cupcakes.

Distillery No. 209 Spiced Gin Cupcake

It’s a Distillery No. 209 Spiced Gin Cupcake day!   

Check out this fantastic opportunity FingerSweets had with Spice Sherpa! 

FingerSweets was asked to write a guest blog for Spice Sherpa about the Exclusive Distillery No. 209 Spiced Gin Cupcakes.  The idea to develop this piece came out of a posting Spice Sherpa did on “10 Awesome Coriandor Combinations”.  Through our collaboration the Exclusive Distillery No. 209 Spiced Gin Cupcake blog post emerged. 

Click above to get the inside scoop on how these exclusive mini cupcakes came to be.