Lola Pearl Bake Shoppe

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

2013-05-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

When asked to celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day on Winging It, Buffalo Style, we could not say no! Celebrate the purest form of happiness (a la petit chocolates?!) So we put together chocolate chip cookie cupcakes that will surely please!!

What you need:
White cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup smaller chocolate chips
Mini chocolate chip cookies
Pastry Bag
Star tip (for decorating)
Cream Cheese Frosting

How to make the cupcakes:
1. Prepare the cupcakes according to the package, including the vanilla
2. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cupcakes a little less than ¾ full
3. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips into the batter
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for about 20 minutes
5. Cut and fit the pastry bag with the piping tip
6. Fill pastry bag with cream cheese frosting
7. Once cooled, pipe cream cheese frosting onto cupcakes
8. Top with a mini chocolate chip cookie for a garnish

EASY RECIPE ALERT: Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

2013-05-14T19:51:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that we love cream cheese frosting. This is an easy recipe that you most certainly need to incorporate in your baking!

What you need:

1 (16 oz) bag of confectioner’s sugar

1 stick of butter, room temp

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese

1 Tablespoon vanilla

How to make it:

1. Mix cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add butter until well combined.

3. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.

4. Mix in vanilla (and food coloring, if desired).

Tip: cover mixer with hand towel to prevent a mess!

Coffee Buttercream [RECIPE] + Chocolate Cupcakes

2013-04-23T08:46:00.003-04:00

When you start your day with homemade coffee buttercream, do you need much else?!

Recipe after the jump!

To make coffee buttercream, set up your ingredients just like if you were making traditional buttercream. However, substitute espresso for vanilla!

Coffee Buttercream:

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 pound bag of confectioner's sugar

2-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons espresso

Using the paddle attachment, beat butter for about three to four minutes on medium speed. Add sugar by the cup, mixing on a slow speed (so it doesn't jump out of the bowl). Increase the speed to high, combine espresso and heavy whipping cream until you reach your desired texture.

Adorable Fondant Purse Cupcakes!

2013-04-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

These cupcakes are too cute! Tiny fondant handbags are a perfect addition to a bridal shower dessert table! These were made for the Macy's Handbag Happy Hour in Buffalo, NY. If only you could place the purses in water and they grow into life-sized bags! We absolutely love the tiny quilted clutches!!

It's a pie! It's a pizza! It's a pizza pie cake!

2013-04-23T08:35:00.000-04:00

No, it's not April Fool's Day! But we want to take a giant slice of this pizza cake! LOVE the fondant pepperoni!

Our Two Most Favorite Wedding Cakes of the Season

2013-04-05T19:35:00.000-04:00

Borderline obsessed with the texture on these cakes.

Which do you prefer?

Carrot Cake + Cheesecake = Delicious Must-try Easter recipes!

2013-03-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

Carrot cake and cheesecakes are the quintessential Easter desserts. This is an easy one bowl carrot cake recipe. Cream cheese frosting is wonderful on top of carrot cake. Or, make cheesecake for a quick and decadent dessert!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

1 cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups raw shredded carrots

½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven at 350.
In a mixing bowl, wisk the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale for about 5 minutes.
Slowly add in the oil.
Beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated and moist.
Fold carrots and walnuts into batter.
If you're making cupcakes, bake for 20-25 minutes until cupcakes bounce back in the center.

Using a plastic pastry bag or Ziploc baggie, top your cupcakes with pre-made Cheesecake filling. You can find it at most dairy sections. You can garnish the cupcakes with walnut pieces or pipe tiny carrot on top!

Vanilla Cheesecake

What you need:

8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 c. Sugar
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat oven at 325
Beat cream cheese until smooth and there are no lumps.
Slowly add and thoroughly combine sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Add sour cream and vanilla.
Bake for 30 minutes or until firm.

Marshmallow Peep Cupcake + Recipe!

2013-03-27T08:38:00.000-04:00

Nothing says Easter like a marshmallow Peep, so we combined the seasonal favorite with our favorite dessert - cupcakes! While you can easily make these using marshmallow extract in your favorite buttercream recipe, we've found an easy and delicious homemade marshmallow buttercream frosting!

Want to make these at home?

Try this recipe, from lilluna.com, using marshmallow fluff:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter {room temperature}
1 7 oz. jar Marshmallow Fluff
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy and well mixed.
Mix in fluff and vanilla by hand and mix well.
Add to piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.

After piping the cupcakes, dunk the frosting into a pink, yellow or blue standing sugar!

Send us your pictures! askLP at Lolapearlbakeshoppe.com :)

Easter Cupcakes: Chickadees vs Bunny Bums

2013-03-24T23:28:00.001-04:00

What came first: the chicken or the egg?

What came first: the frosting or the cake?

These are super cute cupcake ideas for Easter!

What kind of cupcakes will you be making?

[Fondant] Candy Land

2013-03-24T22:59:00.000-04:00

How amazing are these fondant candy pieces?!

Obsessed!

Confetti // Funfetti [cupcakes]

2013-03-24T22:56:00.001-04:00

Move over, pink lemonade, the funfetti cupcake has springtime all over it. Rim these bad boys with confetti jimmies, and you will quickly hear the songs of spring.

Just in time for the Easter Bunny!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! [Wedding Style]

2013-03-17T14:32:00.000-04:00

Cheers to a fun day!

Be safe & Be wise!

Easy DIY St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

2013-03-16T09:57:00.001-04:00

In a crunch for time and looking to make some festive cupcakes for your St. Patrick's Day feast? Pick up some shamrock sprinkles!

After you frost your cupcakes, place sprinkles in a bowl and cup them in your hand. Roll the sides of the frosted cupcake into the sprinkles and rim!

Can't find shamrocks? Use green jimmies or sugar!

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Cookies

2013-03-16T09:53:00.001-04:00

Cookies + Luck of the Irish!

Rustically Elegant Cupcakes in a Mason Jar!

2013-03-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

We are still swooning over these beautiful cupcakes!

Rustic Elegance Wedding Cake + Cupcakes - Sneak Peak

2013-03-03T21:18:00.000-05:00

Here's one of our favorite pictures from last Friday's wedding on "Winging It, Buffalo Style". Stay tuned, we'll be posting more pictures from the event!

Buttercream Cake Decorating on CW23's "Winging It"

2013-02-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

As always, we had a great time on "Winging It, Buffalo Style" this morning. We brought our friend, Shannon Pilarski of Creative Creations Cakery, and shared her delicious Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe. How adorable are the cakes we did?!

For the video of the segment, click here!

Trend Alert: DIY Petal Buttercream Cakes

2013-02-27T23:18:00.001-05:00

We love decorating cakes with buttercream for different reasons. While fondant gives you options, buttercream is rewarding and beautiful. Case in point: the Buttercream Petal Cake.

Thanks to our friend, Shannon, at Creative Creations Cakery, we have these awesome pictures of how to create this look at home:

Italian Meringue Buttercream Recipe

2013-02-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

Frosting a cake is a breeze with Italian meringue buttercream. It’s light texture is a great frosting for wedding cakes. You can add preserves to give it a different flavor and color for your special event. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you begin!

This is a great recipe from local cakery, Creative Creations Cakery!

Italian Meringue Buttercream
Recipe after the jump!

What you need:
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ cup water
6 large egg whites
1 ½ cups unsalted softened butter, cut in cubes, (3 sticks)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

How to make:
1. Place egg whites in a freestanding mixer with whip attachment
2. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan on high heat bring sugar and water to a full boil.
3. Continue to boil undisturbed for three minutes.
4. Allow sugar and water to boil and turn mixer on high beat egg whites for two min until stiff.
5. While continuing to beat egg whites on high , slowly and carefully pour sugar syrup in to egg whites.
6. Continue to beat on high until cool.
7. Once cool, slowly add pieces of butter until completely incorporated.
8. Reduce speed on mixer to low add salt and vanilla mix until blended together.

Store icing in refrigerator covered for up to three weeks and in freezer for three months.

Before using at a later date: Reheat icing in microwave in 30 sec intervals until room temperature stir until texture is restored.

Wedding Planning - Buffalo Style!

2013-02-23T11:58:00.002-05:00

Leave it to the KC You There and Winging It Buffalo Style teams to have the crazy idea to plan a wedding in less than 2 weeks! When they asked if we wanted to be a part of it, we did not hesitate to agree to be on board with providing the dessert for such an event.

When it comes to planning a wedding, one of the most fun elements (especially from our point of view) is planning the cake! We're teaming up with our favorite, Creative Creations Cakery, to design a one-of-a-kind wedding dessert experience.

Lately, brides have been opting for a dessert table feel for their wedding. However, you don't have to go crazy with different desserts. Depending on the size of your reception, you can pair a smaller tiered cake with levels of cupcakes to give it dimension and your guests choices.

We will be sharing the planning process as we prepare for the wedding Friday, LIVE on CW23 at 8am - On Twitter, follow Team LP @lolapearlbakes and KC @kcyouthere!

[ Buttercream Still Life ]

2013-02-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

We see art everyday in everything we do. We also love to see your pictures! If you have a creative picture of something you've made, or something that inspires you, send it to us! Email askLP at lolapearlbakeshoppe.com! Be creative!!

DIY Chocolate-Dipped Valentine Cookies

2013-02-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

Valentine cookies are easier than you think when you have store-bought sugar cookie dough, heart cookie cutter and melting chocolate. Follow our easy instructions after the jump and we will help you with a great last minute Valentine's Day treat!

To make chocolate-dipped Valentine cookies:

1. On a floured surface, roll and cut out sugar cookie dough about 1/4 inch thick

2. Follow baking instructions according to recipe
3. Let cool on a wire rack
4. Microwave melting chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring in between
5. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet
6. Dip half of the heart cookies into melted chocolate and place on prepared baking sheet
7. (Optional) While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle Valentine-themed nonpareils or your favorite sprinkles

Behind the Apron: Valentine Scroll VIDEO

2013-02-13T21:44:00.000-05:00

We're all about the art of the swirl and the scroll at LP. This video shows the fluidity of scrolls at their Valentine best. We hope you enjoy and get inspired!

Adorable Valentine's Day Cupcake ALERT

2013-02-13T21:43:00.002-05:00

Move over box-o-chocolate cookies, there are cupcakes on the block that are stealing your adorable shine. These cupcakes are just in time for Valentine's Day, and need to be in our possession ASAP.

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln (cake + VIDEO)

2013-02-12T07:53:00.001-05:00

Happy 204th Birthday, Abe!

Watch this awesome video of the amazing Vanessa Sullivan in action!