cupcakes + mark = perfection!

Remember the new i-mark metallics I showed you last post? There's a shade called sugar sugar, and that inspired my decision to change my blog name, to reflect my new direction for the blog - a combination of my love for mark. and my love for cupcakes - baking them & eating them haha! I hope you'll like the change and variation in posts!

My mark. mentor, Erica, has monthly meet ups in Eagan MN for reps & anyone interested in becoming a rep! Our team is called Erica's Rockstars, and it's such an incredible group of successful, helpful women! I look forward to the meetings every month, and last month was extra amazing because my bff (and fellow mark. rep!) Lindsey & I stopped at a bakery I've been dying to check out before heading to Caribou for the meet up!

I'm addicted to all things cupcake - baking them, searching new recipes, Cupcake Wars, DC Cupcakes, etc! I was so excited to see a Minnesota team on Cupcake Wars, and just happened to be watching that episode with Lindsey a few days before the monthly meet up! We decided on the spot that we needed to make a stop for cupcakes before the meeting, since neither of us get out without kids often, so a trip to the Cities (2 1/2 hours one way!!) needs to be packed with fun!

The shop we stopped at is simply called Cupcake, but their cute logo has a coffee cup for the U, since they also serve soups, sandwiches, coffee, etc! You can check out the website (and their yummy variety of cupcake flavors) here: 

https://www.cup-cake.com/index.php

Of course I brought my camera with to document our trip! We had quite the adventure getting there, and leaving especially, due to construction in downtown Minneapolis, but it was totally worth it! Here are a few pictures of the building, entrance, etc!

 Part of the indoor seating area, where you can see in to the kitchen!

 Check out the adorable whisk door handles!

The patio, where we enjoyed our cupcakes! It was such a nice day, warm with a gentle breeze! Perfect weather for eating outside!

Now on to the best part - THE CUPCAKES!

 The cupcake display case! SO many choices, I couldn't pick just one! I saw a cupcake called "Buddha Belly" which I didn't recognize from the website, and when I asked about it, the girl described it as a spiced chocolate cake, topped with chocolate mousse, dipped in spiced chocolate ganache. I exclaimed "OOH, is that from Cupcake Wars?!" She reacted with much less enthusiasm - a bored nod and sarcastic "Yes." Huh. Guess she gets that question a lot. Oh well!

 I settled on these 4 cupcakes (clockwise from top left): Razz-ma-tazz, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Red Velvet!

 Also had to get a Mini Red Velvet to eat there! The cake was good, but I must not be a fan of cream cheese, because I hated the frosting! All in all, I think my own Red Velvet Cupcakes, with the recipe given to me by my grandma, are much better!

 I decided to eat one of my other cupcakes there too, and chose the Razz-ma-tazz! Ohmygosh, I LOVED it! Chocolate cake with a raspberry filling, raspberry buttercream frosting, and chocolate shavings! I tried to replicate this at home with less-than-stellar results. I'll have to keep trying!

 I took the other cupcakes out of the box for better pictures of them! Here's the Mint Chocolate Chip, which I had half of before bed that night! Chocolate cake with mint buttercream frosting, topped with chocolate chips! I liked this one a lot, but it was a little too heavy on the frosting for me!

 Chocolate Peanut Butter, which I enjoyed for breakfast the next day! Chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting, topped with a chocolate peanut butter candy! Very good, but again, a little too much frosting for me. (I know, I'm weird. Most people like the frosting best!) I've baked a similar cupcake for the hubby since, and it was pretty yummy! My only disappointment was that I was out of icing bags, and using ziploc bags was not working! I guess it's time to invest in a professional decorating kit!

The full-sized Red Velvet, with cream cheese spikes! Funny side-story for this one - my sister's 2nd baby boy was born the morning of this trip, and I brought this cupcake to the hospital for her. The cream cheese had started to wilt, and one spike had fallen down over the side. Cassie asked if it was supposed to be a dragon, but I found out later that her husband thought it was breastfeeding cupcake, I'll let you guess what he thought the spikes resembled. Oh my! Haha!

I didn't get pictures of Lindsey's cupcakes, but she got the Paris Hilton to eat there (vanilla cupcake with sweet frosting, covered in hot pink sprinkles!) and it turned her fingertips hot pink! She also got a 2nd cupcake to take home, the Caramel Chai Lotus, which was another cupcake featured on Cupcake Wars. She didn't care for the frosting, but said the cake was good!

I think we'll have to make Cupcake a traditional stop on the way to the mark meet-ups! If anyone would like to join us, feel free to comment or send me a message! Lindsey was just coming along for fun the first meet up she attended, and by the next one she had decided to sign up as a rep! :)

I'm hosting a cupcake-tasting/mark. party on August 5th & 6th! Guests can offer insights on my cupcake recipes, check out the latest beauty & fashion from mark. and get more info on the mark. opportunity! For more info or to RSVP, find me or my mark. fan page on facebook! (click the tabs at the top of my blog page for links!)

Thanks for reading!