Charity Cupcakes

So I was asked by a local vegan group to create something for their Holiday Pot Luck! The person that had contacted me was interested in ordering some dessert. So working in a bakery before and seeing these god awful things decided to make it for them. I mean just because I don't like cupcake cakes like this doesn't mean other people don't enjoy them. This time I opted for simple chocolate and vanilla cupcakes...they had contacted me way before the blog post about the holiday cupcakes. So he told me that there would be approximately 50-60 people at this function. So I planned accordingly and decided to make 75 cupcakes,just in case some people wanted to eat more...who knows. Anyhoo, I made them a Christmas tree,Santa Claus,and Wreath. They loved it and said they were cute and tasted amazing..Another satisfied customer in the world of vegan cupcakes!!!!
Xoxoxo
Chris

Holiday Cupcakes 2: Peppermint Marble Cupcake

Nothing screams Christmas more to me than Candy Canes. Whether you use them to decorate those Christmas trees, plastic or real…Give them to your children as treats, or get them from Santa Claus himself.. you definitely have to try these. Now I will admit these are pepperminty to the max girls and boys! Not to the extreme that’ll burn your mouth or even clear your sinuses, just be warned there is goodness in everything. I make a basic vanilla cupcake, but heighten its flavor by adding peppermint extract the batter. I also take some of the batter set it aside and add red food coloring to it. Much in the tradition of marble cupcakes you will be making a marbling effect with these. Both batters should contain peppermint extract. I will admit red is my favorite color, lots of things are red like hair, cars, tattoos, Santa’s outfit and my personal favorite blood. Just kidding folks blood is a reddish brown!



I make of course a peppermint butter cream, much like the batter I set aside a certain amount and color it red. You want to pipe on the butter cream creating a swirly effect like the cupcake…I know it seems like a lot of work, but it’s the holidays no time to cut corners or even be lazy folks. The skies the limit when creating fun exciting garnishes. You could of course another time consuming option is to make peppermint bark, or even make your own candy canes. But with all the holiday shopping and gift receiving I will have under my belt; I opt for a simple vegan ribbon sugar.I hope you continue to enjoy my stories and pictures and ideas on my blog…please stay tuned as the new years will bring us all good fortune and of course great cupcakes!
Xoxoxo
Chris

Holiday Cupcakes 1: Silk Nog Cupcake...Yummy!

*So, my editor is uber busy with work,so I decided to post this despite it not being reviewed for mistakes and bad sentence structure...call it more authentic! Don't hold it against me! *




Ok, well I'm taking a break from doing any homage cupcakes I decided to focus on holiday favorites this month. The first is Egg Nog! Even though I find it repugnant, a lot of people enjoy this beverage...some with spirits and some without! A favorite holiday liquor to add to this beverage is rum. These vegan delights are sans alcohol, but do have a hint of imitation rum flavor courtesy of store bought extracts. Every Christmas Silk honors us with the release of Silk Nog! There is also pumpkin nog, but find it to be more of a thanksgiving beverage than Christmas. I used the silk nog as the base for the cupcake, shake a little bit of nutmeg and rum extract into these beauties and it’s like having a nice glass of nog.



I decided to dive into the unknown and do a egg nog custard. I used agar flakes, silk nog and some secret spices to make a vegan custard. Custards are usually egg based and really thick, this custard is sort of messy so you need to be careful. I then thought well what kind of frosting will I make? Having leftover silk nog what else than to use it for the egg nog butter cream. Even though this seems like egg nog overload is farther from that! Silk nog is very light and not as thick and sweet as traditional egg nog, so whether you like egg nog overload or just a hint, these will satisfy those taste buds of yours. I put a generous piping of frosting and garnish with some freshly ground nutmeg and a beautiful fake Christmas tree! Whether you’re adventurous or not you should definitely try making these cupcakes and bring them to your office or better yet a less corporate approach to your holiday parties and gatherings this year. Just make sure you keep them chilled or else the custard will be very very runny!
Xoxox
Chris

The Alexander Nicholas Harvilla

The Alexander Nicholas Harvilla Cupcake a.k.a. the Baklava Cupcake


Alexander Nicholas Harvilla: You might be asking yourself who the Fuck is Alexander Nicholas Harvilla? Well that can be answered in this section of my blog. Alexander Nicholas Harvilla is a 23-year-old aspiring account planner. A recent graduate of The Miami Ad School Boot camp for Account Planning, Alexander has taken the initiative to find a job in this challenging economy with The Job Safari. I know Alexander well and not only has he heavily influenced me through personal experiences, but also through his blog. Alex is one of the main reasons that I'm starting this blog; without the kick in the ass he gave me I wouldn't be ready to start this chapter in my life. He is innovative, creative, and down right attractive! His new and fresh ideas will not only get him far in life, but also in his career in advertising. He is of Greek descent and I found it only fitting that I use the Mediterranean to draw inspiration for this cupcake ...what better way than with Baklava.?



Alexander is a bit of a health nut, so with that in mind, I totally made this cupcake low fat. Usually baklava is made with honey, which is a no no in the vegan circle. So I threw the honey out of the kitchen window and searched my pantry for Raw Agave Nectar. Raw Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that comes from the cactus plant. It has many health benefits, as it does not cause the spike to your blood sugar level which is often associated with sugar. It is really sweet, so a little goes a long way! I used the raw agave as it closely resembles a dark honey. I also used toasted walnuts in the homemade baklava and in the actual cupcake. I used a shiny foil cupcake liner because when I first called Alex, his phone took me straight to his voicemail...which is impossible to forget: "I'm unable to come to the phone right now because I got distracted by something shiny” – ha ha ha ha makes me laugh still to this day. Though the cupcake is low fat, it has hints of cinnamon, cloves ,and all spice to keep that decadent sweet flavor of baklava. The frosting is made of a lemon butter cream – often times in the real tradition of making baklava there is a honey / lemon syrup that is poured over it. I garnish it with a nice chunk of homemade baklava and it's ready to eat!


Don't forget to check out The Job Safari at http://thejobsafari.blogspot.com/.And if you're a prospective job provider,check out Alex’s LinkedIn Profile. Good Luck Alex and Good Luck readers!

The Theo

The Theo Kogan Cupcake a.k.a. Vegan Funfetti Cupcake


Theo Kogan, current lead singer of Theo and the Skyscrapers, has been an influence on me since first hearing her music in 1993, when she was front woman for the Lunachicks. Her campy and almost drag queen facade has always been intriguing to me. Theo is also an accomplished model, actress, artist and, recently, entrepreneur. Her make up line Armour Beauty has taken the world by storm. She also takes the time to work with friends in the NYC art world such as Rob Roth and Caden Manson of Big Art Group. I decided to pay homage not only to her but to many other artists who have influenced me, as future posts will reveal. I just figured I should start with the strongest and the best. Theo is an activist for animal rights, gay rights, and women’s rights. She is no stranger to speaking her mind lyrically and personally. She has been a role model to so many, especially me.



Theo is known not only for her beauty, brains and music, but for her sleeve tattoos as well. Her arms are colorfully decorated with an anchor, her dead cats, underwater oddities, and so much more that it was only fitting that I make a colorful cupcake to honor her. I decided to make a vanilla cupcake, even though Theo is anything but vanilla! I threw in some vegan sprinkles to create a funfetti effect and to symbolize her tattoos and her fun, flirty side. She is also known for her bleach blonde hair; so I created an almost white butter cream frosting with a dash of sprinkles to represent it. The cupcake liner I used is green plaid, which hints at her fashion/modeling side. I can only hope that this inspires you not only to google Theo Kogan,but also to go out there and try to hone your own funfetti recipe.
xoxox
Chris
www.armourbeauty.com Armour Beauty
www.myspace.com/theo Theo and the Skyscrapers

Why Cupcake Anarchy?

Many are probably wondering why start a blog called "Cupcake Anarchy"...well,after many trials and tribulations in my life I decided to take a leap of faith and start a blog about my cupcakes. I take my personal life, and my love of music and fashion, and mix it all together to bring you "Cupcake Anarchy." Knowing that no big goal can be accomplished without taking a great risk, I dive head first into this with no hang ups, worries or even fears. This blog will primarily focus on what it is I do to create fun, creative and all around great tasting confections to make those around me and myself happy. I'm focused on bringing the best of the best of my vegan cupcakes to the table in hopes that some of you will be inspired, influenced or even daring enough to try them yourself. I've taken lots of time, and a somewhat nice chunk of change, to develop these recipes. With that being said, no recipes will be posted. I'm merely here to make your mouth water over these beautiful and somewhat exotic cupcakes. Coming from a visual arts background, I hope not only to tease your palate, but also stimulate your eyes. Enjoy!


xoxox,

Chris