I'm a bit too lazy to put up the cover pics, so you can google or refer to my previous cupcake post.
Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: I really liked how this book has a picture of every single cupcake. I know a lot of people are like "well are you buying the book for the pictures or the recipes?" but honestly, to a total amateur like me, the pictures really help because now I know what it is that I'm supposed to be striving for. It'd help more if it had pictures of every step too, but I guess that's asking too much. I was really upset that I didn't see the recipe for the cupcake on the cover of the book. It's probably just a devil's food cake with a chocolate frosting, but I would've liked to see it say somewhere in the book "this is the cupcake on the cover" because that's what made me want the book. I'm a sucker for packaging. That's what makes me want to buy something. On TV it's not the strange ads that makes me want to buy the burger, but the picture of the juicy burger itself turning and sizzling *drools*.
Since I'm not an avid baker, it didn't make sense for me to buy the whole book since I'll probably not like half the recipes (they'll be too sweet for me). So I checked it out of the library (I found out that my library card still works after 3 years and that I had a $1 fine from 2007, lol). Then I just took pictures of the recipes that I thought I would like. Some of these included the Triple Citrus which was just so cute looking, Ginger and molasses (I've started developing a liking for the ginger's kick- but I hope the molasses isn't too sweet), and the Roasted banana (again, the decorations >.<). And she also has this one magnificent looking strawberry cupcake. The icing is swirled on top like it would look if you had strawberry softserve ice cream. Definitely gonna try that.
And one last thing that I appreciated about the book is that the recipes for the frosting all say how much they make. It sounds like a given, but seriously, I am grateful.
I didn't realize what "Inspired Ideas" meant until I read a description of one of the cupcakes. I guess MS just took cupcakes that she learned from various bakers and put them in here too.
Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor
This book has a lot of yummy looking recipes. I also like how the author puts in little boxes with ideas. Like if you were going to have a little girl sleepover party, all these other foods would be good on the menu. She also tells you how to store everything, which is super helpful.
The two things that really bothered me was that for some reason the directions looked super long. Even if it starts off with a cake mix. Martha Stewart's were all basically just one page. A lot easier on the eyes. And the other is that there weren't pictures of that many cupcakes. So I had to use my imagination. which is defective. The pictures that she did have though made the cupcakes look absolutely wonderful.
I'm excited to try her red velvet with peppermint candy and white chocolate curls cupcake. It's the pretties thing ever. She also has a number of others that I took pictures of (since the paper's not glossy, I didn't have to worry about flash, hehehe). I wanted to make the trifles (strawberry and a blackberry one I think) for my fellowship group, but they both call for whipped cream, and I guess that wouldn't last through 2.5 hrs. Guess I'll just eat that myself.
Oh! And something that's really fun that she included is cupcake horoscope! I thought it was just gonna be a really super general one, but I was surprised that mine was pretty accurate, well up until the cupcake suggestions (I did not think those sounded appetizing). Give it a try! Click to make readable.
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