Cupcake chaos

Today I attempted to make a tower of groovy little cupcakes for my eldest daughter's birthday. Quite a brave move, actually. My baking skills are pretty good. But let's just say that when it comes to decorating cakes...well, let's just say I'm still in kindergarten. Slapping buttercream on is about my level.

Anyway, ever since I went to Greenwich market to do some research for Invitation To The Boss's Ball, I'd fallen in love with pretty little cupcakes. There is a baker's in one of the side alleys that leads to the market and I couldn't resist taking a photo of their window display. Cupcake baker. What a great profession for a heroine, I thought. I haven't got around to writing that book, and I've seen plenty of other cupcake-baking romance heroine's since, but it isn't an idea I've quite let go of. Perhaps she's just waiting for the right hero to come along...

Well, cupcake-baking heroine I am not. But I was pretty pleased with my first efforts with a piping bag and vanilla/strawberry cream cheese frosting when I'd finished, so I thought I would put a pic up here and brag about it!


Let's not mention the state of my kitchen, though. I am not a tidy cook, believe me. I must have used every bowl and spoon I owned. Take a look for yourselves:


Devastation. At least I'm as good as clearing up after a post-baking hurricane as I am in creating the chaos in the first place. Now...where did I put my rubber gloves?