Megan's Cupcake Push-Ups!

-->

Megan’s Cupcake Push-Ups!

Discover a whole new way to serve and eat Megan’ Cupcakes.  Featuring the same great flavor combinations, but in a Push-Up instead of a paper wrapper.  Simply pop off the top, push-up, and enjoy.  Each Cupcake Push-Up has 3 layers of butter cream and 2 mini cupcakes.  They make perfect party favors for birthdays, weddings, and holiday gift baskets.  They are also ideal for picnics or on the go treats.  When enjoying a Cupcake Push-Up you won’t even have to worry about clean hands or sticky fingers!  Cupcake Push-Ups can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months making them ideal for pop-in guests or the perfect portion controlled sweet treat.  Megan’s Cupcake Push Pops are $2.00 each.  A minimum order of one dozen and one flavor per dozen is required.  Our plastic containers are PBA free, food safe, and can be washed and re-used with your own creations.  We invite you to experience a bit of nostalgia with Megan’s Cupcake Push-Ups, a delightful treat for any occasion.

Wedding Cupcake Planning Fun

January is a great month for me to organize, re-group, and begin planning my new year! All spring, summer, and fall, here at Megan's Cupcakes we are busy baking wedding cupcakes and have custom designed cupcake displays for each individual bride and groom's special day. But when January comes, I get to be the bride again and put together my own custom display for my Bridal shows. I'll be choosing what I think will be fun and classy way to serve up wedding cupcakes and choosing my favorite flavors for taste testing at the shows! One of my fall brides actually inspired me this year and I will be going with a vintage classic theme that I am sure you will love. I hope to see you there!

Please join me this January at two Bridal Shows I will be attending! This is a great time for wedding planning. Not only will you be able to visit with the local wedding vendors, but you can taste test Megan's Cupcakes and check out all the display ideas for weddings and showers! I look forward to meeting you!


Y-102 Bridal Show
Sunday, January 15, 2012
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Ballroom, Big Rapids, MI

and

2012 Fox Hill Bridal Show
Sunday, January 29, 2012
12:00-3:00 p.m.
Fox Hill Event Center
Cadillac, MI

Off she goes!

If you have had the opportunity in the past year to visit me in the cupcake kitchen, have seen me at a wedding show, or caught a glimpse of our cupcakes being set up for an event, then you probably would have met our Assistant Baker, Rochelle Wert. If you have had the opportunity to enjoy one of our cupcakes over the last year, then chances are they were mixed, baked, and or frosted by Rochelle. We really should have kept track of the exact number of cupcakes she may have actually frosted, it must be in the thousands!

Rochelle joined me in the kitchen last fall as a Wexford Missaukee Intermediate School District Career Tech Center student "intern". As a Senior in High School she spent half of her school day in the Culinary and Marketing program. I really just thought I needed someone to work beside me washing dishes, but she quickly moved from an "intern" role to my Assistant Baker and my right hand gal. By the end of this summer she was able to take a lead in the kitchen so I could spend more time doing some of the behind the scene operations and preparations for our larger events. In the back of my mind I thought if I got another call from Cupcake Wars and actually made it on the show, I could do it now! But only if Rochelle was by my side!

When I first met Rochelle, her dream after graduation was to be accepted and attend Culinary School where she could specialize in pastry. Next week her dream is coming true! Rochelle will be heading to Rhode Island where she will be attending Culinary School at Johnson and Whales University, which boasts some famous alumni such as the likes of Emeril Laggasse.

I am going to miss having her in the kitchen, but I can't wait to be able to hear about her adventures in the world of culinary! Please join me in wishing Rochelle the best of luck, safe travels, and Congratulations on her new adventure!

Celebrating Summer in Michigan with Megan's Cupcakes

Happy Summer! We are in full swing catering many events from weddings to birthdays to back yard barbecues. In addition to baking cupcakes, we have been busy updating our website and would love for you to check out our new and improved site! If you are interested in following us on a daily basis, watching for new flavors, and seeing photos of our latest work, please check us out on facebook. We are very excited to be near the 500 fan mark!

For July and August we will be celebrating summer in Michigan! Please join us on Saturday, July 30th from 11am-2pm in downtown Cadillac for Sidewalk Sales. Megan's Cupcakes will be setting up shop between Platinum Noir Salon and Atomic Closet. We will have Michigan Black Sweet Cherry Butter Cream Frosting Shots free to sample, and our new cupcake flavor, Cherrilicious! This is a Black Sweet Cherry Cupcake topped with Cherry Butter cream garnished with a cherry on top! We'll have cupcakes for sale by the individual or in 6 packs. While you are sampling your Cherry Buttercream, Megan's cousin, Emma, will be face painting. Have a cupcake painted on your cheek for $1.00. The proceeds from face painting will go to benefit Project Christmas!

Our August flavor of the month is another Michigan favorite, Blueberrilicious! This is our Blueberry Cupcake topped with Blueberry Butter Cream. We use Michigan blueberries that are locally grown, puree them to put inside the cupcake batter and in the butter cream. When it's all baked and frosted, we garnish the cupcake with a little blueberry on top! Not only are they a beautiful shade of blue, but they taste great too! You will love them!

On a side note, my cupcake kitchen will be closed from Monday, August 8th to Thursday, August 11th so I can enjoy some of the beauty Michigan has to offer with my family! We will be turning the ovens back on Friday, August 12th!

Happy Summer to you and yours!

Happy Birthday Megan's Cupcakes

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since we started Megan's Cupcakes with the press release that read

"Megan's Cupcakes Opens for Business in Cadillac, Michigan. Baked From Scratch Daily and Delivered Right to Your Doorstep, Megan's Cupcakes Makes Any Occasion Special, Delicious and Cost Effective.

Cadillac, Michigan -- May 5, 2008 -- Megan's Cupcakes (Megan's Cupcakes LLC) announces a delightful treat for any occasion has come to Northern Michigan! Megan's Cupcakes www.meganscupcakes.com of Cadillac, Michigan is a small family business that bakes cupcakes from scratch in small batches daily for any special event like graduation parties, weddings, birthday parties, showers, church events or any time you need a special treat."

Thank you so much to everyone for your support! On a side note, to those of you who said this was a silly idea: life is short -- indulge yourself and have a cupcake -- they are available at Thirsty's Elm Rest and PBS today with birthday sprinkles!

Good Luck Cupcakes in More Ways Than One

March always seems to be one of those dull months of the year. The cold and snow have lost their appeal and become tiresome and yet spring seems as if it will never come. I am trying to appreciate the fact that the frozen tundra in front of my house provide me with a wide open space to snow shoe until my heart is content. But don't despair, while we are anxiously awaiting spring, March actually has some great excuses to celebrate with cupcakes!

Tuesday, March 8th is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras! Megan's Cupcakes brings the New Orleans tradition of their King Cake to Cadillac with our King Cupcakes. Our King Cupcake is a Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cupcake topped with Butter Cream Frosting and garnished with purple, gold, and green sugar, and a surprise for good fortune. The start of the Mardi Gras season is actually January 6th, the twelfth day after Christmas, the day the 3 Kings visited the baby Jesus. The season continues until the day before Ash Wednesday. Since Ash Wednesday commences the Lenten season, or the 40 days prior to Easter, when fasting and restricting sweet and fatty foods usually occurs, then of course the last day of the Mardi Gras season has also been known as "fat Tuesday." Many families honor "fat Tuesday" with pancakes for dinner. Folks from Detroit eat Paczki (custard or jelly filled donuts), and our friends from New Orleans celebrate with a King Cake. The King Cake is more like a coffee cake drizzled with frosting and colored sugar. The sugar colors are purple representing justice, green representing faith, and gold representing power. A small plastic baby is placed in each King Cake to symbolize the baby Jesus. Custom holds that the person who is served the piece of cake with the baby will be rewarded with good luck that year, and also has to bring the King Cake to the next celebration. So just like the King Cake, in each dozen cupcakes we serve, one will have a "baby Jesus" tucked underneath the butter cream waiting to be discovered and grant you with good luck.

Thursday, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day!! Speaking of good luck, may the luck of the Irish be blessed upon you this St. Patrick's Day. Celebrate the day with our famous Chocolate Guinness Beer Cupcakes topped with Bailey's Irish Butter Cream, or our Chocolate Cupcake with Mint Butter Cream. Each will be garnished with a green fondant clover signifying more good luck!

If this note finds you craving a cupcake right now, then please by all means stop reading and drive to PBS Marathon on S. Mitchell and Granite or Thirsty's Elmrest of M-55 and S. Lake Mitchell Dr. where cupcakes are sold individually. Otherwise, I would love to deliver cupcakes to your home, school, or office.

Cupcake Craze. Is the fad about of fizzel?

Cupcake Craze. Is the fad about to fizzle?

By, Bridget Coffey

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of partaking in the 3rd Annual Elite Bridal Expo at the Grand Traverse Resort just outside of Traverse City, Michigan. Not only did I have a booth with my wedding cupcakes on display, but I also was able to be a guest speaker in my area of expertise, cupcakes!

My name is Bridget Coffey and I am the Chief Cupcake of Megan’s Cupcakes, a cupcake only catering company based in Cadillac, MI. People always ask if I am Megan. My response is, “no I am Megan’s Mom.” Megan is my six-year old daughter and I named the business after her.

My talk starts out with the history of the cupcake, how the craze got started, and then leads us to our topic of whether the fad is going to fizzle and how Megan’s Cupcakes fits into the picture.

Cupcakes were first documented in the 19th century when two revolutionary advancements in baking were made. The first was the switch from weighing ingredients to measuring ingredients. Since cake baking in a hearth oven was difficult, women went to their cupboards and used their pottery teacups to bake individual size cakes. Hence, the term “cupcake” was formed.

Over 90 years ago, a man by the name of Mr. Rice brought the Hostess Cupcake to our grocers shelf. When sales were down he re-designed the cupcake in the 1940’s with the cream filling and the squiggle design on top, the way we know and love it today. Mr. Rice also gave us the Twinky, the Ho Ho, the Ding Dong, and the Snowball.

Americans have been baking with Betty Crocker cake mixes since 1949 and girls have been baking miniature cakes with the heat of a light bulb in their Easy Bake Ovens since 1963. My daughter has the new, Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker that bakes a cupcake in 30 seconds in the microwave!

Cupcakes became a pop culture obsession right around the time when characters Carrie and Miranda from HBO’s series Sex and the City were featured in front of Magnolia Bakery in New York City eating a cupcake. Soon after Magnolia’s became a tourist attraction. I recently visited their Rockefeller Center location and I must say I too waited in line to pay over $3 for one of their Red Velvet cupcakes!

Next came the first cupcake only bakery in California, Sprinkles, opened by pastry Chef Candice Nelson. She now has a chain of bakeries and sells her mixes out of William Sonoma. You may know her as she is one of the celebrity judges on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. If you are a fan of the show and think I should be on it, well, I already missed out on my 15 minutes of fame. Last summer I received a call from the producers asking me to audition for season 2. I did not make the final cut. It was flattering to at least get the call and I had fun filming my audition video that can be viewed on Youtube.

This takes us to the question of the day. Is the fad ready to fizzle out? No chance, according to a February 3, 2011 article in The Wall Street Journal. Cupcakes are now just moving from sweet to savory. Trader Joe’s in New York sells a frozen turkey meat loaf cupcake topped with spinach and mashed potatoes. Heirloom, an LA catering company sold 10,000 lasagna cupcakes in the month of December! One celebrity bride in LA even served them at her wedding!

So why do people love to eat cupcakes? Here are 5 reasons why. Cupcakes are portable. Cupcakes don’t require a knife and a fork. It is fun to peel the paper off of a cupcake. Cupcakes provide us with nostalgia. And cupcakes are guilt reduced because of their size.

While the cupcake craze is mainstream on the east and west coast, Megan’s Cupcakes is the only cupcake only catering company in Northern Michigan. People love to have Megan’s Cupcakes at their special events and weddings. Megan’s Cupcakes has cupcake trees that have from 2 to 7 tiers and can hold from 24 to 300 plus cupcakes. We collaborate with our brides and their florist to customize a dramatic display for their “cake” table, but it’s cupcakes.

Megan’s Cupcakes are baked from scratch in small batches the morning of the event. You only order the number of cupcakes needed so there is no waste and you can customize the flavor selections so each of your guests will have the flavor they love. Better yet, no one has to cut the cake. After the ceremonial cupcake exchange between the bride and groom, guests are free to gather around the cupcake tree, peruse their flavor selections (we type them up in a pretty frame), and then indulge in a cupcake.

As long as there are kids who are born with a sweet tooth and Moms who bake cupcakes for school snacks there will be new generations of cupcake lovers. Cupcakes may not be as traditional as cake, but they are nostalgic. Cupcakes make people of all ages smile. Cupcakes are here to stay!

September Cupcakes

Hello Cupcake lover! As you are reading my blog, I hope you doing great and enjoying the cool fall weather and break from the summer heat. September in our house means back to school, so naturally I am thinking "back to school cupcakes!" Below is our new flavor and some ideas to help you out as you get into your new fall routine.

September flavor of the month: PB&J. This is a white cupcake filled with strawberry or grape jelly and topped with peanut butter cream frosting. If you grew up eating those yummy sandwiches on white bread, then this cupcake will not only be nostalgic for you, but provide you with your "comfort food" fix in the cool weather.

Need a classroom treat? We deliver cupcakes to all the Cadillac Area Public Schools for no additional charge. Cupcakes are $1.25, so you only order the amount you need (don't forget a few extra for the Principal and other support staff : )

Planning a party for home, but wanting the "cake" to still be the center display for your celebration? Megan's Cupcakes has the perfect solution. A mini three tiered stand finished with ribbon color of your choice, two flavor choices for a 6 inch celebration cake, and 24 cupcakes, all delivered to your location. This creation will serve up to 30 people with maybe a few extra slices of cake for left overs. The cost is $50 and my only request is that you call me after the party, so I can re-cycle the cupcake stand.

Cupcake Wars Summer

Let's just say that the heat has been really hot in my cupcake kitchen this summer! I actually did install an air conditioner that keeps my butter cream at the ultimate temperature, but business couldn't be hotter and more busier than it has been this summer. Between cupcakes, a new puppy, and the kids home from school, I have been very thankful for a husband with a flexible schedule, grand parents, and a few summer camps to help out. It is also nice that with the early sunrise, I can have a days work done in the kitchen by noon, and then can be off to enjoy the Michigan summer with family and friends. At the beginning of the summer, like all the other foodies and bakers out there, I started watching the new show "Cupcake Wars" on The Food Network. Just because I like to keep life fun and be a bit daring, I told my husband I wanted to apply to be on the show. We tried to get some insider information on applying, but were unsuccessful. I put the project on the back burner waiting for the perfect time to apply. Well, what do you know, 2 1/2 weeks ago I got a call from a casting producer from The Food Network. They found me on-line, had checked out my website and my facebook page and wanted me to apply for the show! For many of you this is old news, but here is where I stand in the process. Step 1- phone interview (they called me and said you sound great on the phone, we want you to apply). Step 2- Complete 29 question application and submit via email. Did that. Step 3- Upload audition video to youtube under Megan's Cupcakes audition video for Cupcake Wars. Had so much fun completing this. Step 4- my producer contact sends video and application to the actual producers of the show who are the decision makers. They are casting right now for their 2nd season of the show. If I don't get a call by the end of next week, then they passed me up. To be realistic, if I REALLY had to fly to L.A. to shoot an episode for 4 days sometime in September with the kids starting school and weddings on the weekends, I might just loose my mind. So assuming I won't get a phone call next week won't be so bad. It's exciting just to have been found and I'm so glad I made the video! Sometimes you can't keep life fun and exciting or experience success unless you are willing to take risks. So call or don't call. I won't be disappointed either way!

Wedding Cupcake flavors

January is a busy time for wedding plans. As I continue to talk to brides this month regarding their upcoming summer weddings, after talking flowers and decor, the foremost topic is cupcake flavors. When choosing cupcake flavors there are several things to keep in mind that will help narrow down your selection.

1. What is YOUR favorite cake flavor?
2. What season is your wedding?
3. What kinds of food /theme are you serving at the reception?
4. Is your wedding reception outdoor/indoor and is it air conditioned?

17 years ago (wow, I can't believe I just typed that) I was planning my wedding. My husband had little input on the wedding planning, but he did have an opinion on cake flavors. Unfortunately, no one had thought of serving wedding cupcakes, but we wanted something different. He chose a cheese cake wedding cake and that is what we served. So, if you have a flavor that is your absolute favorite, then by all means serve it. After all, it is your special day.

It is also important to consider season and the theme of your wedding. For example, one of my brides chose Tiramisu Cupcakes to go along with her Italian themed dinner, and another bride chose Caramel Apple Cupcakes to go along with her lime green apple decor themed September wedding. My recent Christmas bride (her wedding was on December 26th) chose holiday themed cupcakes; Red Velvet, Rum Cupcake with Pineapple Butter Cream, and a Coconut Cupcake. I also am working with an August bride who would like to encorporate peaches into her flavor. I suggested a Yellow Cinnamon Swirl Cupcake with Peach Butter Cream Frosting. Kind of like a peach cobbler. Summer brides love the Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Butter Cream and Strawberry Cupcake with Strawberry Butter Cream. I've even made a Triple Berry Cupcake and a Blueberrilicious Cupcake. The options are endless. The only other thing to consider is to be careful choosing a flavor if your wedding reception is out doors. Heat and humidity can tend to melt butter cream that is flavored with fruit purees. Fortunately, in northern Michigan, at least not last summer, we really did not have this problem.

After considering all these options and you are still not sure what to serve, but would like to choose several flavors, let me suggest this. Choose one neutral flavor (like the White Cupcake with Butter Cream Frosting, one chocolate flavor (like the Chocolate Chocolate Chip with Fudge Frosting), one fruit flavor (like the Strawberry Cupcake with Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting), and one spice flavor (like Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting).

Serving cupcakes may not be traditional, but they are nostalgic. There is no way to go wrong as cupcakes make people smile. I know your guests will love Megan's Cupcakes.

Happy Planning!

Bridget Coffey
Chief Cupcake
248-765-6957 (cell)
meganscupcakes@gmail.com
www.meganscupcakes.com

Valentines Day Cupcakes

Valentines Day is right around the corner and Megan's Cupcakes February flavor feature is our Chocolate Cupcake with Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting. Order cupcakes the week of Valentines Day and receive free delivery in Cadillac, MI. Minimum order is 1 dozen. Cupcakes are $15 per dozen. Warm someones heart this month with some baked from scratch cupcakes from Megan's Cupcakes. Cupcakes make people smile!

Bridget Coffey
Chief Cupcake
cell: 248-765-6957

300 Cupcakes on the way to Taste of Cadillac

After spending most of the day in the kitchen, we have baked and frosted all 300 of our cupcakes for the Taste of Cadillac this afternoon and evening. We hope the rain will hold off so lots of people can come down and experience Megan's Cupcakes in Cadillac, Michigan. We look forward to seeing you!

Best wishes,
Bridget, Chief Cupcake
Megan's Cupcakes
Cadillac, MI 49601
www.meganscupcakes.com

Megan's Cupcakes at the Taste of Cadillac in Cadillac, MI

Megan's Cupcakes will be at the Cadillac Annual Festival of the Arts Taste of Cadillac Dessert Tent on Friday, July 18th from 4:00 - 9:00 P.M. and Saturday, July 19th from 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Individual cupcakes will be available for purchase. Megan's Cupcakes will feature our lemon with lemon butter cream cupcakes and chocolate chocolate chip cupcakes with fudge frosting. This is a great opportunity sample some of our best selling cupcakes. We bake our cupcakes in small batches so the supply is limited each day.

The dessert tent is located by the Cadillac city dock and Rotary Pavilion on the shores of Lake Cadillac in Cadillac, Michigan. So, stop by and indulge yourself and have a cupcake!

See you this weekend,

Bridget, Chief Cupcake
Megan's Cupcakes
Cadillac, Michigan

A Cupcake Party in Cadillac, Michigan

Today was a true test that both the young and the old love a cupcake! This afternoon, I did a Cupcake Party for a local chapter of the Red Hat Society in Cadillac, Michigan. I presented a cupcake baking demonstration of the all time classic Red Velvet Cupcake. While the cupcakes were in the oven, I whipped up a fresh batch of buttercream frosting, but added some very vibrant purple food coloring for the cupcakes. The red hatters, 4 at a time, took a try with a pastry bag and a 1M tip frosting their cupcakes and topping them with some red sprinkles. We all had a great time and the cupcakes were beautiful and yummy too!

Michigan Sweet Cherry Cupcakes in Cadillac, MI

Megan's Cupcakes is recovering from our weekend of house guests and making almost 20 dozen cupcakes for various 4th of July events around Cadillac, MI! I never even got around to baking the new chocolate cherry cola cupcake flavor of the month for July, because everyone keeps raving about the Strawberry cupcakes! One bite of the strawberry cupcake and the next thing I know my phone is ringing for more! My son, is using our new cherry pitter to pit some fresh Michigan Sweet Cherries so I can make a test batch this week of some cherry cupcakes! Remember to indulge yourself. Have a cupcake! Bridget

Ready to bake cupcakes again this weekend

We are putting together our shopping list for our weekend cupcake baking demonstration at Blackberry Rose www.blackberryrose.com at 109 N. Mitchell St. in downtown Cadillac, MI. It was nice to have a few days off after our big wedding cupcake order this past weekend. As the month of June comes to an end, we are planning to switch from June's strawberry butter cream cupcake to July's cupcake of the month -- our Chocolate Cherry Cola with Butter Cream Frosting.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday at Blackberry Rose.

Best wishes,

Bridget Coffey
Chief Cupcake
www.meganscupcakes.com

Baking Cupcakes in Cadillac, MI all weekend

After a short break this afternoon from the cupcake business, we are gearing up for a weekend filled with cupcakes for Cadillac, MI. Our cupcake flavors for Megan's Cupcakes this weekend are white cake cupcakes and strawberry butter cream cupcakes. We are making plans to work on our wedding cupcakes next weekend.

Cadillac, MI schools are out for the summer and we have been having at least some fun with the kids. As always, please feel free to visit our website at www.meganscupcakes.com or e-mail me at meganscupcakes@gmail.com

Megan's Cupcakes

Well, here we are up early and working on Saturday. We are baking three of our flavors today: Strawberry with Strawberry Butter Cream, Red Velvet with Butter Cream, and our Angel Food with Key Lime Coconut. The Red Velvet is in the oven and I am taking a break from working on the Strawberry to type this post for Megan's Cupcakes.

We have our first order for wedding cupcakes. We are very excited about this new opportunity for Megan's Cupcakes.

As always, please feel free to call me at 248-765-6957 or e-mail to meganscupcakes@gmail.com. Please visit our website at www.meganscupcakes.com for more information.

Best wishes,

Bridget
Chief Cupcake
Megan's Cupcakes
Cadillac, MI 49601

Welcome to Megan's Cupcakes

Welcome to my blog about Megan's Cupcakes. We have opened a cupcake only catering business in Cadillac, MI. We are excited to announce our cupcake flavor for the month of June is Strawberry with Strawberry Butter Cream frosting! For more information, please visit out site at www.meganscupcakes.com.