002_IC:Earth 2.0 - APPLE

Welcome to IronCupcake:Earth 2.0!
Our challenge for November is APPLE! Sweet or Tart, Cider or Vinegar, Wine or Soda, Butter or Jelly -- Apple holds a special place in many hearts come the holiday season. Create a sweet treat that would make any teacher proud!

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE - SOME INFO HAS CHANGED - PLEASE READ ALL:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• Cupcake Pops are allowed, provided they also LOOK like cupcakes.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our Generous IronCupcake:Earth Prize Providers:

• The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
• Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
• Bella Cupcake Couture
• Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
• The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
• Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
• Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

• Please verify that all links are active.
• Even if you do not plan on baking for the month, please post the announcement to your blog. WE LOVE OUR PRIZE PROVIDERS!
  
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• There is a THREE ENTRY LIMIT. If you have more than three ideas, pick your favorites. Each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Friday, November 27th at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Thursday, December 3 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of December 3rd, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

If you have registered to join IronCupcake over the hiatus, you will receive your welcome letter in the next few days. In the mean time...happy cupcaking!

ONE LAST THING: Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

001_IC:Earth 2.0 - MUSIC

Welcome to IronCupcake:Earth 2.0! Our first challenge for the year is MUSIC! IronCupcake is trying to get to the Ellen Degeneres show. In honor of the most excellent ELLEN; her awesome talk show, her new gig on American Idol and her overall love for music - we are creating cupcakes based on music. So...pick a song - any song - and develop a cupcake around the title.

To help get IronCupcake onto The ELLEN Show, please take a moment to contact Ellen via facebook at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"; on Twitter @TheEllenShow or on the website, http://ellen.warnerbros.com/. Tell them you want to see IronCupcake hit the national airwaves! With the local challenges and our launch of IronCupcake:Earth, year 2...there is no time like the present. The more who ask, the more likely it will happen!!!!

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE - SOME INFO HAS CHANGED - PLEASE READ ALL:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• Cupcake Pops are allowed, provided they also LOOK like cupcakes.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our Generous IronCupcake:Earth Prize Providers:

• The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
• Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
• Bella Cupcake Couture
• Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
• The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne

• Please verify that all links are active.
• Even if you do not plan on baking for the month, please post the announcement to your blog. WE LOVE OUR PRIZE PROVIDERS!
  
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• There is a THREE ENTRY LIMIT. If you have more than three ideas, pick your favorites. Each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Friday, October 30th at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Thursday, November 5 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of November 5th, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

If you have registered to join IronCupcake over the hiatus, you will receive your welcome letter in the next few days. In the mean time...happy cupcaking!

ONE LAST THING: Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

What are the prizes for Year Two?

Of course there are prizes, what would IronCupcake:Earth be without prizes? For YEAR TWO, the prizes are even more exciting! Each month the winner, as chosen by the blogosphere, will receive the following prize package:

The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
The Demy™ is the first and only kitchen-safe digital recipe reader that will revolutionize the way you cook. The Demy™ holds your personal recipe collection in one compact, sleek device. Featuring a high-resolution color touchscreen, an uncluttered interface and many special tools to make any cook’s job easier. It's like an iPod - for your recipes. I have one and I have to tell you it is AMAZING.

Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Witty, one-of-a-kind imaginative cupcake designs using candies from the local convenience store. America's favorite food photography team, responsible for the covers of America's top magazines, shows how to create funny, scary, and sophisticated masterpieces, using a zipper lock bag and common candies and snack items. Watch for their new book, WHAT'S NEW, CUPCAKE?, coming April 1, 2010.

Bella Cupcake Couture
Bella Cupcake Couture offers posh and chic textile-inspired cupcake wrappers. The boutique-style designs add a touch of sophistication and elegance for any special occasion. Wrappers are printed with soy inks on recycled papers and are perfect for weddings, bridal and baby showers, birthday and housewarming gifts or just as a little treat for yourself!

Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
A fun way to serve and stack cupcakes. Make any configuration you can imagine. Also great for serving candy and other small snacks! Combine multiple sets to create tall towers or rings. Each monthly winner will receive 5 sets of 3 stackers. Fun!

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Ten years ago Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor began its extraordinary run as one of the most popular baking books of all time. Now Anne Byrn is back with the all-new Cake Mix Doctor Returns! From the beloved author who showed home bakers how adding a touch of sweet butter or a dusting of cocoa powder, a dollop of vanilla yogurt or flurry of grated lemon zest could transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here are 160 brand-new recipes—that’s right, 160 amazing cake mix recipes—for luscious layer cakes, sheet cakes, brownies, bars, cookies, and more. (US Winners Only)

Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House - New!
Vestli House produces and design high quality disposable paper products for baking and cooking. Vestli House is working with the whole process, from idea to completed product. The aim is to inspire and to bring out the artistic, fanciful and creative side of you. Enjoy it yourself or make someone else happy.

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply - New!
We love what we do and even more so we love sharing! With great interest in our products we use from our customers, we decided to sell them to you. Please visit us often as we promise to keep you up to date with cupcake liners, wrappers, baking tools and imported goodies.

To keep the game fun; no single baker will be eligible to win more than one month in a 12 month period. In the event that the same baker wins twice, the second drawn winner will be the grand prize winner. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the IronCupcake:Earth voting procedures. Any prize provider may withdraw at any time, in which case the prize package will change accordingly.

I Would Like to JOIN IRON CUPCAKE

So you would like to join? Hooray! It is very simple. Just email me the following information:

• First and Last Name
• City, State, Country
• Blog Address

I will add all new parties once a week. In the mean time, feel free to begin your first challenge.

IronCupcake - Year Two

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a terrific summer.

With the announcement of the July challenge, it is hard to believe that IronCupcake:Earth is 1 year old. In some ways it feels like we have all been doing this forever, and in other ways it seems like just yesterday that the first cupcaker signed up. We are now approaching 400 bakers from 26 different countries. WOW! That is a lot of folks to talk to, post with and get awesome ideas from.

The first IronCupcake:Earth cookbook is in its early planning stages, and I will keep you posted as things progress. After our July challenge, IC will be taking a brief hiatus while we seek new corporate sponsors. We were very lucky to have had so many corporate participants for year one. If you know of any products or corporations that would like to get involved, please have them email me. Also, if you LOVE IronCupcake as much as I do, please pop over to the blog and donate to help keep the sweets coming. This is a completely voluntary operation that has become nearly a full-time job. Any little bit helps.

Thanks for being so sweet!

IronCupcakeSandy

Iron Cupcake Blog Roll

Find your favorite Iron Cupcake baker here. When you are surfing out in the blogosphere, you will know you have found them by their proud display of the IC Badge! Would you like to be a part of IronCupcake:Earth? Visit our info sections to the right.






ARGENTINA
Cupcakes a Color - San Juan, Argentina
Jailynn's Bakery - Buenos Aires, Argentina

AUSTRALIA
5 Types of Sugar - Melbourne, Australia
Apparently Jessy - Adelaide, S.A., Australia
Baking Addict - Melbourne Victoria Australia
Cherry Blossom Cupcakes - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Couture Cupcakes - Canberra, ACT, Australia
CupCakery Cupcakes - New South Wales, Australia
(cup)caketastrophe! - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Definatalie - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
food.shoes.travel.thoughts - Adelaide, S.A., Australia
Fork Me! - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Happee Monkee - Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Lots of Sprinkles - Sydney, Australia
Miss Mellie's Baking Adventures - Sydney, N.S.W., Australia
Mumof3girls - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The Red Deer - Adelaide, S. Austrailia, Australia
Rise Up and Bake - Sydney, N.S.W., Australia
Some More Please! - Canberra, ACT, Australia
Sugarbloom Cupcakes - Perth, W. Australia

AUSTRIA
Canberra to Vienna Food Adventures - Vienna, Austria

BELGIUM
Vegan Cowgirl - Brussels, Belgium

CANADA
The Back of the Cupboard - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
A Baked Creation - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Baking and Dogs - Lindsey, Ontario, Canada
Bloggedy Blog Blog - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Bronwyn's LJ - North Vancouver, BC, Canada AND Ottawa, ON, Canada
C & C Cupcakery - Vancouver, British Columba, Canada
Carolyn Bakes Cakes - Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada
Coco Bean - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Cool Cupcake - Whitehouse, Yukon, Canada
Confessions of a Bakeaholic - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Confessions of a Foodaholic - Richmond, BC, Canada
Crumbs of Love - Calgary, AB, Canada
The Curious Domestic - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Duh-Licious - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I Bake Cupcakes - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Itineraires Gourmands D'Une Amoureuse Des Desserts - Laval, Quebec, Canada
KoKo's Kitchen - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Let Them Eat Cake - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Lick the Spoon - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Life and Times of a Cupcake Addict - Chilliwack, BC, Canada
Madcap Cupcake - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mama Baker - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Meg Makes - Vernon, BC, Canada
My Sweet Cupcakes - Paris, Ontario, Canada
Panda and Pizza - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ramblings of a Fab Brunette - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RWarren69 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery - Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada
Sweet Me Up - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sweet Treats - Happy Valley - Goose Bay, New Foundland, Canada
The Life of a Cupcake - Carlyle, Saskatchewan, Canada
Vanilla Cocoa - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

COSTA RICA
Jelli Bean Journals - Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica
Ken's Oven - San Jose, Costa Rica
Tasty Pastry - San Jose, Costa Rica

FRANCE
A Vegan in Paris - Paris, France
Little Miss Cupcake - Paris, France
Musings from the Fishbowl - Ile de France, France
Nothing But Me - Lyon, France

FINLAND
The Dessert Nook - Helskinki, Finland

GERMANY
Supposed Domesticity - Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany
Tonkks Recipes - Kaufbeuren, Bavaria, Germany

JAPAN
Little Bowl, Big Treat - Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan

INDONESIA
Too Much Baking Will Not Kill You - Jakarta, Indonesia

IRELAND
La Petite Pâtissière - Dublin, Ireland
Winged Snail - Dublin, Ireland

ISRAEL
Purple Cookie - Tel Aviv, Israel

MALAYSIA
Baker Girl - Malaysia
Chiak3 - Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Love a Cupcake - Penang, Malaysia
Penang Cakes - Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
The Journal of a Girl Who Loves To Cook - Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

MALTA
Snooky Doodle Cakes - Cospicua, Malta

MEXICO
Green Owl, Raspberry Skulls & Teal Flowers - Tiajuana, Baja California, Mexico
Muffins, Cupcakes y Más - Mexico City, Distrito Federal Mexico

NETHERLANDS
Love2bake - Spijkenisse, Netherlands
Sweet Dumpling - Eygelshoven, Netherlands
Teufelmiri's Place - Schoorl, Netherlands

NEW ZEALAND
Delish Cupcakes - Auckland, New Zealand
Dunedin Domestic Goddess - New Zealand
Milly Miss - Wellington, New Zealand
NZ Cupcake Queen - Auckland, New Zealand

NICARAGUA
Audaciousness - San Jorge, Rivas, Nicaragua

PHILIPPINES
8 Ounces - Cebu, Philippines
Cakes By Sarah & Mel - Quezon City, Philippines
Chipper Cupcakes - Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Whimsycal Cakery - Roxas City, Philippines

SCOTLAND
./bake - Glasgow, Scotland
Gorgeous Vegan Blog - Glasgow, Scotland

SOUTHEAST ASIA
Delisioucity - Brunei Darussalam

SOUTH AFRICA
Cake Revolution - Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

SPAIN
Cherry Blossum - Cordova, Spain
Mis Pequeñas Experiencias - Cataluña, Spain

SWEDEN
Woah! - Uddevalla, Västra Götalands län, Sweden

UNITED KINGDOM
A Tired Mummy - Flitwick, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Alien on Toast - Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Baking in Galoshes - Wigan, UK
Cakes! - London, England, UK
Cupcake Corner - New Castle, N.E. UK
The Cupcake Divine - Ely, UK
To Happy Vegans - London, UK
Icing Bliss - London, UK
Little Cake Factory - Guildford, Surrey, UK
Lovely, Lovely Cupcakes - Swindon, Wiltshire, UK
The Maag-nificence of Baking - Warminster, Wiltshire, England
My Little Life of Scrap - Carshalton, Surrey, UK
peace, love, fashion - Surrey, England
Peechy Treats - London, England, UK
Rachel's Ramblings - Stroud, Glous, UK
Sugar Rush Bakery - Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Sweet & Crafty - Greenford, Middlesex, UK

USA - Alabama
Cupcakes and Corduroy - Montgomery, AL
Cupkake - Foley, AL
Half-Baked Baker - Dothan, AL

USA - Alaska
Craft Addicts - Juneau, AK
Muskeg Harpy - Sitka, AK

USA - Arizona
LaDue & Crew - Phoenix, AZ
Root of the Pepper Plant - Gilbert, AZ
Teeny's & Tiny's Cakes - Tolleson, AZ

USA - California
A Chef's Life is Never Dull - Irvine, CA
Animated Cupcakes - Fountain Valley, CA
Bakeologie - Azusa, CA
Baking Monster - San Francisco, CA
Bauer Confidential - Berkeley, CA
Bits and Pieces of This and That - Corona, CA
Blah, Blah, Blog - Mission Viejo, CA
Blue Cupcake - Los Angeles, CA
Brownies for Dinner - Sunnyvale, CA
Cait's Cakes - Los Angeles, CA
Challah Mama - Los Angeles, CA
The Chaotic Cupcake - San Diego, CA
CIA: Cooking in an Apron - San Francisco, CA
Couple in the Kitchen - Modesto, CA
Cupcakes a la Bravo - Tustin, CA
The Cupcake Adventure - San Francisco, CA
Cute & Delicious - Los Angeles, CA
Diced Tomato - Oakland, CA
Eat My Cupcake - San Jose, CA
Five Million Dollars, a Good Looking Guy & a Puppy - Gold River, CA
Flour Gone Wild - San Diego, CA
Full Fridge - San Francisco, CA
Gigi's Cupcakes - Napa, CA
Gourmet Gift Co. - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Happy Herbivore - Los Angeles, CA
Have Another Cupcake - Union City, CA
Hugger Food - Northridge, CA
iheartcuppycakes - Orange, CA
I've Got a Sweet Tooth - Los Angeles, CA
IS•LY - Menlo Park, CA
Iron Monkey Cupcakes - Sacramento, CA
Kell's Kreations - Stockton, CA
Kingdom Cake - San Francisco, CA
L'Aventure des Price-Dickersons - San Francisco, CA
La Vegan Loca - San Marcos, CA
Le Petite Sweet Cupcakes - Fresno, CA
Life La Life - San Diego, CA
Lit Goddess - Montara, CA
Lola Bakes - Los Angeles, CA
Love+Cupcakes - Los Angeles, CA
Meringue Bakeshop - Anaheim, CA
Miss Dot's Cupcake Spot - San Diego, CA
One Pretty Thing - Eureka, CA
Owl Cook - San Marcos, CA
Pumpkin Cupcake - Lompoc, CA
Rockin' News - Union City, CA
snarkhorse - Oakland, CA
Student Nurse - Berkeley, CA
Sugar Plum Vegan - Sacramento, CA
Sweet Cheaks - Tustin, CA
Sweet Me Off My Feet - Fontana, CA
TamsinCakes - Redwood City, CA
Tastes Like Yum - El Sobrante, CA
The Baking Bird - Santa Cruz, CA
The Cave - Daly City, CA
The Housewives' Understudy - Castro Valley, CA
The Quirky Kitchen - Berkeley, CA
The Vanessa Contessa - Oceanside, CA
TJLanding - Carlsbad, CA
Veg SF - San Francisco, CA
Who Doesn't Love Cupcakes? - Fremont, CA
Yummy Mummy - Santa Barbara, CA
Zepplinboy023 - Santa Rosa, CA

USA - Colorado
It's A Charmed Life - Ft. Collins, CO
Keckie's World - Englewood, CO
Outward Expression - Penrose, CO
Vegan Verve - Denver, CO

USA - Connecticut
Hermit Crabs and Cowrie Shells - Stamford, CT
Love Big, Bake Often - Milford, CT
Sweet Potatoe - New Haven, CT

USA - Delaware
The Agros - Wilmington, DE

USA - District of Columbia
Fueling the Fire - Washington, DC

USA - Florida
A Blog by Miss Marie - Orlando, FL
Bake.Pray.Love - St. Petersburg, FL
Baking in the Making - Orlando, FL
BiteSizeBaker - Winterhaven, FL
Cake Walk - FL
Christie's Cupcakes - Orlando, FL
Created by Shannon - Tampa, FL
Miss.Cupcake.Face - Tallahassee, FL
Morning Star Corsos - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Motherly Thoughts - Sunny Isles Beach, FL
Musings from the Throne Room - Sanford, FL
Pumpkin & Spice - Melbourne, FL
Red Velvet Armadillo - St. Augustine, FL
Something New is Cooking - Margate, FL
Stacey's Scoop - Miami Beach, FL
Surviving Motherhood…barely - Kissimmee, FL
Sweet and Sassy - Tampa, FL
The Innerworkings of a Fish Girl - Jacksonville, FL
Thee Sweet Boutique - Miami, FL
You're Baking Me Crazy - Orlando, FL

USA - Georgia
A Dose of Frosting - Marrieta, GA
All Things Fun - Powder Springs, GA
Bakerella - Atlanta, GA
Bitsy…the bakery - Atlanta, GA
Cakes by Kelsie - Atlanta, GA
Cupquake - Atlanta, GA
The Daily Cocoa Bun - Decatur, GA
Dolce Cakes - Savannah, GA
Edith's Place - Martinez, GA
Eternal Foodie - Norcross, GA
katybeth - Roswell, GA
La Graillave - Marietta, GA
Pandas and Cupcakes - Atlanta, GA
That Gurl - Atlanta, GA

USA - Hawaii
Carmella Ella Creations - Kaneohe, HI
Cooking at the Pacific Outpost - Kihea, HI
Lasting! - Kailua, HI

USA - Idaho
Things That Make Us Happy, Make Us Wise - Moscow, ID

USA - Illinois
Bakes On First Date - Chicago, IL
Flour Girl - Chicago, IL
Frosted! - Chicago, IL
haute | broccoli - Chicago, IL
Just Desserts - Joliet, IL
La Petite Sweet - Darien, IL
Metal Cakes - Chicago, IL
MEtC - Champaign, IL
My Cheese Fantasy - Chicago, IL
Oh, Sugar - Maywood, IL
Pearls, Pastries and More - Chicago, IL
Take the Canolli - Hoffman Estates, IL
Tales of a Dark Haired Princess - Urbana, IL
Tastes Like Burning - St. Charles, IL
The Cupcake Forest - Chicago, IL
The Muffin Top Shop - Chicago, IL

USA - Indiana
Anastasia's Secret Garden - New Castle, IN
The Frosted Cake and Cookie - Auburn, IN
Frosted Fantasie - Montpelier, IN
girlichef - South Bend, IN
Sprinkles and Stilettos - Indianapolis, IN
The Sweetest Kitchen - Indianapolis, IN

USA - Iowa
Vintage Kitchen - Iowa City, IA

USA - Kansas
Calm in the Kitchen - Olathe, KS
Goodness & Goodies - Overland Park, KS
KC Cupcakery - Olathe, KS
Organized Confetti - Kansas City, KS
Project Denneler - Wichita, KS
The Innocent Primate - Kansas City, KS

USA - Kentucky
Chica and Jo - Lexington, KY
Glutire - Louisville, KY
Kentucky Cupcakes - Paintsville, KY
Let's Get Cookin' - Somerset, KY
Life: Unedited - Louisville, KY

USA - Maine
Fields of Cake & Other Good Stuff - Brunswick, ME
Pattern Patisserie - Belfast, ME
Very Small Anna - Phippsburg, ME

USA - Maryland
A New Kind of Weekend Warri0r - Columbia, MD
A Sweet Slice - Camp Springs, MD
B More Sweet - Baltimore, MD
Brass Knuckle Baking - Baltimore, MD
Quenelle - Baltimore, MD
Snacks of the Weird - Glen Burnie, MD

USA - Massachucetts
The Alchemist Chef - Brookline, MA
Cackleberry: Seeing the World with Vegan Eyes - Westfield, MA
Cake Mix Boxibilities - Boston, MA
The Conscious Kitchen - Somerville, MA
Earth Muffin Bakes - Somerville, MA
Everything is Better with Chocolate - Attleboro, MA
It Begins with a Shriek...and Ends with a Shot - Sommersville, MA
My Little Cupcake Blog - Osterville, MA
My Susie Homemaker - Winchester, MA
More Cupcakes! - Somerville, MA
Simply Sweeter - Framingham, MA
Vegan on the Terrace - Harvard, MA

USA - Michigan
Delightful Dessert - Detroit, MI
Dog Hill Kitchen - Macomb, MI
Hop on to Cupcakes - Grand Blanc, MI
SoGood Cupcakes - Ida, MI
This Just In - Cheboygan, MI
Turtle Cupcake - Ypsilanti, MI

USA - Minnesota
A Good Appetite - Minneapolis, MN
Angela's Kitchen - Roseville, MN
Make It 30 - St. Paul, MN
Miel y Leche - Minneapolis, MN
Oh, Just Put a Cupcake in It - Minneapolis, MN

USA - Mississippi
Maple N' Cornbread - Biloxi, MS

USA - Missouri
Creating Harmony - Rolla, MO
Feeds an Obsession - Kansas City, MO
Girl Farts - Kansas City, MO
Gwendolyn Faith is Not a Crayon - Columbia, MO
Sweet Melissa - St. Louis, MO

USA - Montana
Think It, Bake It - Hamilton, MT
Thou.Shalt.Cupcake - Bozeman, MT

USA - Nebraska
Sweet Pea's Cupcakes - Lincoln, NB

USA - New Jersey
Adventures in Cake & Crafts - South Orange, NJ
The Behind the Wheel Chef - Princeton, NJ
The Bitchin' Kitchin' - Hoboken, NJ
Chica Chocolatina - Tom's River, NJ
The CiCi Experience - Hawthorne, NJ
Cookies and Cups - Frelinghuysen, NJ
The Daily Cocoa Bun - Old Bridge, NJ
Freak Girl - Somerset, NJ
Kati's Kupcakes! - Moorestown, NJ
La Vie Nouveau - Bridgeton, NJ
Simply Decor-ate - Rockaway Boro, NJ
Trendy Sweets - Plainsboro, NJ

USA - New Mexico
Crafting and Kitchen Witchin' - Albuquerque, NM
Girly Girl Graffix & Goodies - Albuquerque, NM
Sweet Cupcake Torture - Clovis, NM

USA - New York
A Dash of Sass - New York, NY
A Sweet Peace - Syracuse, NY
B is for Brown - New York, NY
Bungalow Baking - Albany, NY
Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice - Hudson Valley, NY
Cupcake Rehab - New York, NY
The Home Front - Baldwinsville, NY
Julie Cakes - Rotterdam, NY
Julie Wilton Method Instructor - Rotterdam, NY
Life in a Peanut Shell - New York, NY
Method's Blog - Binghampton, NY
Maman and Gourmand - Bath, NY
Naughty Little Cupcake - Brooklyn, NY
Nutmeg Nanny - Poughkeepsie, NY
Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives - New York, NY
Purple Dots Cupcake - Bayside, NY
Rite of Cake - Ithaca, NY
Scrumptious Photography - New York, NY
StephChows - Rochester, NY
Sweet Remedy - Middletown, NY
TreatNYC - New York, NY
Yarn Librarian - Schenectady, NY

USA - Nevada
Carpe Cupcakes - Glenbrook, NV
Herrera Home - N. Las Vegas, NV
Retro Bakery - Las Vegas, NV

USA - North Carolina
Baker's Cakes - Durham, NC
Baketecture - Charlotte, NC
Brettany Bakes - Cary, NC
Exploration in Life - Raleigh, NC
Just Eat Something - Greenville, NC
Nik Snacks - Winston-Salem, NC
Surviving Baby - Holly Springs, NC
Tofu and Cupcakes - Charlotte, NC

USA - Ohio
Brown-Eyed Baker - Akron, OH
The Busty Baker - Columbus, OH
The Candy Bar - Cincinnati, OH
Fornarina Bakes on the World - Cleveland, OH
LoLo's Crafty Kitch - Cincinnati, OH
Midwest Chef - Marysville, OH
Sabrina's Cupcakes & Design - Canton, OH
Tickled Pink Cupcakery - Dayton, OH

USA - Oklahoma
From My Little Kitchen - Stillwater, OK

USA - Oregon
Clay & Chocolate - Ashland, OR
Cupcakin' - Salem, OR
Evil Bunny Eyes - Portland, OR
Sister Mary Cupcake - Portland, OR
Sugar Smitten - Bedford, OR
The Ungourmet - Milwaukie, OR
X Country Baking - Portland, OR

USA - Pennsylvania
Baking Fool - State College, PA
Don't Get All Hippity Pippity - Philadelphia, PA
Gourmet Mom on the Go - Hershey, PA
Scrumptious - New Cumberland, PA
The Miss Cupcake - Mifflinburg, PA

USA - Rhode Island
Abigail's Bake Shop - Cumberland, RI

USA - South Carolina
Recipes Room - Murrells Inlet, SC

USA - Tennessee
A Girl in Her Kitchen - Chattanooga, TN
Artistics - Nashville, TN
Cakes By Shara - Nashville, TN
Vegan Crunk - Memphis, TN
WildFlours - Knoxville, TN

USA - Texas
13 Bakery - Spring, TX
Axe the Gluten - Plano, TX
Baketastic! - Houston, TX
Baking Up Chaos - Houston, TX
Beauty and Bread - Abilene, TX
Candy Mandy! - Dallas, TX
Cupcake Toujours - Fort Worth, TX
Eat'n Veg'n - Austin, TX
Glassmouse13 - Houston, TX
Holly Go Furiously - Ft. Worth, TX
I'm Just Here for the Food - San Antonio, TX
Living in Dallas & Loving It - Dallas, TX
M Patisserie - Plano, TX
Milk and Cuddles - Arlington, TX
My Baking Heart - Denison, TX
One Tuff Cream Puff - Lubbock, TX
Pincushion Crumbs - Austin, TX
Southern Fried Sweets - Taylor, TX
The Food Knows - Austin, TX
The Spiteful Chef - San Antonio, TX
Things I Love About Austin - Austin, TX
Two Vegan Boys - Austin, TX
Walking the Vegan Line - Houston, TX
Whisk Me Away - San Antonio, TX
You May Be - Lewisville, TX
Yum, Yum, Eat It Up - Austin, TX

USA - Utah
Baking Becca - Provo, UT
Beans & Greens - Park City, UT
Delightful Delicacies - Provo, UT
Get Your Cupcake and Run - Salt Lake City, UT
Kitchen Dough Dough - Eagle Mountain, UT
Satisfying My Sweet Tooth - Lehi, UT
The Sweet Tooth Fairy - Provo, UT
Tranquilitea Party - Salt Lake City, UT
Tres Sucre - South Jordan, UT

USA - Virginia
6 Bittersweets - Arlington, VA
Cupcake Love - Fairfax, VA
DoughMessTic - Pearisburg, VA
Flour on her Nose - Springfield, VA
Honeybee Bakeshop Blog - Arlington, VA
How to Eat a Cupcake - Portsmouth, VA
Jade *and Ginger - Lorton, VA
Letters from Emily - Chesapeake, VA
Lily Lane Cakes - Springfield, VA
My Life in the Real World - Virginia Beach, VA
Oh So Sweet Treats - Manassas, VA
Red KitchenAid - Roanoke, VA

USA - Washington
17 and Baking - Seattle, WA
Cakespy - Seattle, WA
Chocolate & Chipotle - Anacortes, WA
Cupcake Delights - Tacoma, WA
Honey, I'm Homely - Spokane, WA
Java Cupcake - Tacoma, WA
Mama VeeGee's Vegan Kitschen - Olympia, WA
My Sweet Nettie-Cakes - La Center, WA
Running Away? I'll Help You Pack! - Tacoma, WA
Tuffet - Moses Lake, WA
Twin Tables - Kirkland, WA
Yummy, Yummy in my Tummy - Olympia, WA

USA - West Virginia
Live. Laugh. Grow. - Huntington, WV
Starting All Over Again - Charleston, WV

USA - Wisconsin
A Baker's Remix - Green Bay, WI
A Fabulous Food Stylist - Mequon, WI
Bakes a Latte - Kenosha, WI
Complete & Utter Randomness - Evansville, WI
Cupcake Engineer - Milwaukee, WI
The Cooking of Joy - Mequon, WI
Girl Goes Vegan - Milwaukee, WI
Homemakers Guide to the Galaxy - Delafield, WI
Jacki's Kitchen - Madison, WI
Knit With Chopstix - Racine, WI
Miss Hollywood's World - Milwaukee, WI
No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner - Milwaukee, WI
Okara Mountain - Cedarburg, WI
Sie Macht - Madison, WI
Susie's Homemade - Brookfield, WI
Trashy Talk - Milwaukee, WI

WEST AFRICA
Please Bake Me A Cake - Gambia, West Africa

ICE_011 - HERB Cupcakes

The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for July is HERBS! Fresh from the garden or picked up from your favorite culinary shop. Nothing ads a unique touch and flavor to any treat than the twist of herbs. Use any combination or focus on just one. It is your choice for our JULY 2009 challenge - HERB.

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: FRIDAY, JULY 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• Cupcake Pops are allowed, provided they also LOOK like cupcakes.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our June ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
• A delicious treat from CIRCLEMONKEY http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5335273
  
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Tuesday, July 28 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Wednesday, August 5 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of August 5th, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so there you go.
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

ICE_010_SAVORY - We Have a Winner!!!

SAVORY proved to be a daunting task for our IronCupcake bakers. But, a group from all over the world stepped up to the challenge to submit their non-sweet, mind bending creations. Our winner, The Vanessa Contessa, struck gold with the random.org draw.
All cupcake votes were listed and fed to the random.org list randomizer and her Calzone Cuppie, a chewy pizza dough wrapped around tomato sauce, italian cheeses, basil and pepperoni. Topped off with a ricotta cream cheese garllc "frosting" and garnished with black olives, tomatoes and basil.

Soon enough all of our May prizes will be arriving to her door in Oceanside, California throughout the summer. Sweet!

• A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
• something sweet and dangly from CHERRYCREEKCHARMS at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6686445.
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Random.org results and a complete list of entries can be found at the 010_SAVORY archive. To view a complete explanation of the voting procedure, visit http://www.ironcupcakeearth.com/2008/12/new-voting-procedure-for-iron.html

Posted by Milwaukee Cupcake Queen at 6/06/2009 3 comments Links to this post

IronCupcake:EARTH - 011_SUMMER BERRIES

The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for June is SUMMER BERRIES! If there is one thing I love about summer, aside from the sun, the fresh air and the outdoor parties, it is the delicious BLACKBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES. Use any combination or focus on just one. It is your choice for our JUNE 2009 challenge - SUMMER BERRY CUPCAKES

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• Cupcake Pops are allowed, provided they also LOOK like cupcakes.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our June ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
• A groovy linocut piece from BLOCKHEAD PRESS http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6108705
  
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Sunday, June 28 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Monday, July 6 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of July 7, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so there you go.
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

009_Soda Pop - We Have a Winner

As the old ad said...it's the real thing.

In a challenge that requires soda pop, it is only fitting that a classic creation using Cherry Coca Cola would win the random.org draw. There were some many fantastic entries this month for IronCupcake:Earth and frankly, I am glad that I did not have to decide! All cupcake votes were listed and fed to the random.org list randomizer and our winning cake, the CHERRY COKE FLOAT Cupcake by the team of Christina and Ian of CocoBean from Montreal, Canada! I have to say that every one of our IronCupcake:Earth bakers out did themselves this round with an array of entries that would refresh any summer day.

CocoBean will be seeing all the goodies from the April PRIZE-PACK coming to their mailbox soon:

• A creation by FRUITFLYPIE, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=16748
• a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .
Random.org results and a complete list of entries can be found at the 010_SODA POP archive.

ICE_010 - SAVORY Cupcakes

010_SAVORY!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for May is SAVORY! Have you ever looked at your favorite food and thought, I wonder how that would work as a cupcake? Now is your chance to really test your wild side with the MAY 2009 challenge - SAVORY CUPCAKES.

SAVORY: pleasing to the sense of taste especially by reason of effective seasoning b: pungently flavorful without sweetness.

Whatever you make...IT MUST LOOK LIKE A CUPCAKE. This is a cupcake competition, so it should be cake-based, however...creative interpretations will be accepted.

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: SUNDAY, May 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• Cupcake Pops are allowed, provided they also LOOK like cupcakes.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our May ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
• something sweet and dangly from CHERRYCREEKCHARMS at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6686445.
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Friday, June 5 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of May 6, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so there you go.
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

009_Soda Pop

008_SODA POP!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for April is SODA POP! Some call it soda, some call it pop and other call it fizzies or fizzy drinks. Whatever it is, whether it is in a can, a bottle or homemade, people are drinking it all around the world. We took a vote and a resounding YES bubbled up for this sweet concoction. What can you do to make it into a cupcake? That is your challenge. SODA POP is the challenge for April 2009.

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: FRIDAY, April 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• Cupcake Pops are allowed, provided they also LOOK like cupcakes.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our April ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A creation by FRUITFLYPIE, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=16748
• a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Wednesday, April 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Monday, May 4 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of May 4, before 11:59 a.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so there you go. ☺
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

ICE_007_COFFEE - We Have a Winner!!!

We have a winner for round 6 of IronCupcake:Earth, the COFFEE challenge. I am pleased to announce that Bliss in a Paper Cup, most perfectly named I might add, brings home the ultra-caffeinated prize. In our winners' words, her cupcake was "Banana cake, filled with caramel coffee custard and a piece of homemade smoked sea salt toffee, topped with coffee liqueur milk chocolate sauce, coffee liqueur latte buttercream and another shard of homemade toffee. I am barely able to describe to you the joy that this cupcake brought my mouth!"

All cupcake votes were listed and fed to the random.org list randomizer and our winner is Carrie from New Brunswick, ME who is the author of FIELDS OF CAKE, be sure to check it out.

Carrie will soon be experiencing the fun of a string of goodies landing in her mail box. Included will be:

Our February ETSY PRIZE-PACK from artists:

• DIANAEVANS - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599270
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for February, SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in a variety of cupcaking supplies, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

As well as the awesome prizes from our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

007_COFFEE - IronCupcakeEarth voting now open!

The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for February was COFFEE! Go to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner to cast your vote.

• Voting will begin no later than Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. and will be open through Friday, March 6 at 12 noon central time.
  
• Winner will be posted the night of March 6, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please visit the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth.com to become a part of the excitement.

008_Nuts & Seeds

008_NUTS & SEEDS!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for March is NUTS & SEEDS! Some are oily, some are sweet. Some of us can't eat nuts, but seeds are usually ok. Whether its in the form of butter, paste, crushed or whole, incorporated these little nibblers into your next cupcake. NUTS & SEEDS are the challenge for March 2009.

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: TUESDAY, March 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our March ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A Bunnycake Easter Plushie by DOGBONEART, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21636297.
• A whimsical piece by CAKEASAURUS, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5729584.
  
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• a collection of all new printed cupcake liners, 200 in all from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com . And as a special thank you, we would like to once again thank DIANAEVANS - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599270 for her participation in the February challenge. An incorrect link was posted and we want to be sure that she gets the recognition she deserves. Thanks again Diana!

• Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Sunday, March 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Friday, April 3 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of April 4, before 11:59 a.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://www.ironcupcakeearth,com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so here you go. ☺
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: During the past couple of challenges, I have done my best to contact people when an element of their entry is missing. There are SO many folks involved now! I can no longer be responsible for contacting those who have not completed their entry. Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

New Name, Same Awesome Competition

You may have noticed a redirect message when surfing your way over tonight. That is because the next step has been taken and our new address is:

http://www.ironcupcakeearth.com

The only thing that changed is the address.

007_COFFEE

007_Coffee!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for February is COFFEE! No matter where you travel, it seems that there is a coffee shop on any corner. They have become the meeting place of every community. Did you know that in 1763, there were over 200 coffee shops in Venice? So many start their days with a strong cup, pairing it with a cupcake seems only natural. COFFEE is the challenge for February 2009.

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our February ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• DIANAEVANS - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599270
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for February, SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in a variety of cupcaking supplies, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Friday, March 6 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of March 6, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so here you go. ☺
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: During the past couple of challenges, I have done my best to contact people when an element of their entry is missing. There are SO many folks involved now! I can no longer be responsible for contacting those who have not completed their entry. Any entry that is missing either its flickr post OR a complete email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

A Toast to the End...

The deadline for the WINE challenge is drawing to a close. All submissions are due this SATURDAY, JAN 24 by 12 noon central time. As always, the winner will receive our awesome collection of corporate prizes...and independent prizes provided by...


a t-shirt from ETSY shop Dog Bone Art


A Polka Dot Apron from Sweet Cuppin Cakes and Cupcakery Supplies


a timely treat from UpWithCupcakes.com

REMEMBER: Photo and blog link must be posted to the Iron Cupcake flickr group and recipe with blog link must be sent to IronCupcakeEarth[at]wi.rr.com!

Good Luck!

IronCupcake - New Members

I have many new emails in my inbox. I have been buried alive since returning from the holiday. I will process all new members this weekend. In the mean time, feel free to start on the January challenge or you can wait for February if you prefer.

005_Chocolate with a Twist! THE WINNER

A most delicious creation is the winner round 5 of IronCupcake:Earth, the CHOCOLATE with a TWIST challenge. The winner is the Matcha Cocoa Cupcake; in our winners words, "a dense, heavy cupcake, marbled with chocolate and matcha. Coated with chocolate ganache and frosted with matcha SMBC, which is heavenly, I might add!"
All cupcake votes were listed and fed to the random.org list randomizer and our winner is Jamie Anne from Indianapolis, IN who is the author of THE CUPCAKE REVIEW, be sure to check it out.

Jamie will be receiving the ETSY PRIZE-PACK from artists:

• BETTY TURBO - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for December we have adorable cupcake pincushions complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

006_Wine, to Toast the New Year!

006_Wine! Toast the New Year!!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for January is Wine! Red or White, Sweet or Dry, Bubbly or Still. What can you do with a bottle of wine and a sweet little cupcake? WINE is the challenge for January 2009.

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 at 12 noon. All times are CENTRAL time.

TAKE NOTE:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• New creations only, please. No previously submitted cupcakes.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our January ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• DOGBONE ART - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=22042
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for January, our friend at SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in another treat as well, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. NEW, BEGINNING IN JANUARY; our new friends at UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/ will be providing our winner with one of their cute cupcake attitue t's! Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well. NEW CREATIONS ONLY, no previously submitted cupcakes please.
  
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Thursday, January 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Wednesday, February 4 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of February 4, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so here you go. ☺
Also, please be aware of the revised voting procedures, posted on the Iron Cupcake site.

ONE LAST THING: During the past couple of challenges, I have done my best to contact people when an element of their entry is missing. There are SO many folks involved now! I can no longer be responsible for contacting those who have not completed their entry. Any entry that is missing either its flickr post or email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

Think Globally, Cupcake Locally!

Just a little heads up that the package price for IronCupcake:Local, available on ETSY, will be going up to $99.99 at the first of the year. There are a lot of cities with multiple cupcakers just in the Iron Cupcake:Earth universe alone! Melbourne; Toronto; San Diego; Atlanta; Somerville, MA; New York; and Chicago, just to name a few. Now would be a great time to order your package and save $20 bucks in the process. PLUS - all Iron Cupcake:Local chapters - including those who have already launched - will get new, updated art by the end of January. You have no idea HOW FUN this can be until you try it with a bunch of new friends!

On a side note: reserved issues of the Taste of Home cupcake issue featuring custom creations by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson of Hello, Cupcake!; that are currently available on ETSY will go off sale on 1/13. If you are wishing you had gotten one, now is the time. Orders are now open to all, worldwide.

IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN.

On December 4th I was forced to send a letter (shown at left - click to see at full size) to all Iron Cupcakers regarding the FUN and COMMUNITY that is supposed to be this challenge. I know that many of you received this letter because I heard from a HUGE amount of people after it was sent - supporting my decision to alter the voting procedures to enable a more fair playing field; regardless or potential cheaters. Every month someone accuses someone else of cheating. EVERY MONTH. To me, that is very sad. Number 1, what is the benefit of cheating? This is a cupcake challenge - the prizes are minimal. Number 2, WHY would anyone want to win by cheating in the first place? Also, it is terribly unfair to the winners, who I believe have won legitimately.

Once again. I am getting emails regarding cheating. . .and this time I have even been provided a link that shows one of our own Iron Cupcakers telling others HOW to cheat the system. I will be contacting that person seperately.

I will say this one more time. There is NO TEAM and NO ORGANIZATION that manages these challenges. It is just me and my very minimal free time. I charge no fee to participate, I have no financial backing, this is just me and my love for cupcakes. I do not cross check votes or locations from which they come from and I have no intention of purchasing software - with my own money - to change the way the vote is conducted. In the letter that was mailed on 12/4, I stated that, going forward, the vote would be handled differently. On 12/8, new voting procedures were posted to the Iron Cupcake Blog. It is not my responsibility to make sure that everyone reads the emails that I send. It is, however; it is YOUR responsiblity to make yourself aware of any rules or changes that are sent via email or posted to the blog. Every correspondence that I email is also posted to the Iron Cupcake blog. One way or another, the information is available to everyone.

I would like to see Iron Cupcake make it to the one year point, but I have to be honest when I tell you that I am beginning to feel that it might be better to end it. And...because this is my creation, my project and I owe no one anything financially, it is my perrogative to end it at any time. Please, EVERYONE, lets keep this fun going instead of cheating or worrying about others who might be. I have the January challenge all ready to launch...lets have fun, for crying out loud!

TO BE CLEAR: asking your friends, coworkers, facebook friends, bulletin board mates and readers to vote is NOT cheating. Cheating only occurs when someone willingly manipulates the software, computers or the system to enable more than the legitimate vote.

VOTING NOW OPEN!

VOTING IS NOW OPEN for Iron Cupcake:Earth, Chocolate with a Twist! Visit No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner before 1/2 at 12 noon central to cast your votes for your 3 favorite creations.

Richer than Chocolate

That would be the best way to describe our awesome prize donors for December's Iron Cupcake:Earth Challenge - Chocolate with a Twist!

• an original work of art fromBETTY TURBO - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for December we have a limited edition cupcake pincushions by Moda Home, complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

New Voting Procedure for Iron Cupcake:Earth

Who decided the winner of Iron Cupcake:Earth?
You will. You and the entire blogosphere.

During the 5-days following the baking period, a summary of all cupcakes, their photo, and links to their blog post will be live on No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner. In the right hand column of the page there will be a button to vote for the 3 favorite cupcake, based on appearance and summary of each recipe.

Beginning with our December challenge, the means in which votes are collected will change.

• Each voter will be allowed to vote for up to 3 cupcakes.
  
• For every vote received, your cupcake will be entered in a drawing for the prize package. (Get 2 votes, you get 2 entries in the drawing. If you get 200, you get 200 entries.)
• If you submit more than one cupcake, all of your votes now count toward the drawing - this can work in your favor.
• As always, once you win a challenge, you are no longer eligible for the corporate prize package.
  
• If a winner is drawn that has already won the corporate package, they will win the ETSY item(s) and a second name will be drawn for the corporate prizes.
• Everyone is eligible for the ETSY prize(s), every month.

Sweet Deal!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR IRON CUPCAKERS ONLY!!!

Our friend over at Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcake Supply is extending a special offer to IRON CUPCAKE bakers only. With every purchase of $20 or more, placed by an iron cupcake member, will also receive 50 Double Cupped Designer Christmas cupcake liners for free, as an added bonus. The code in the message section must read SANDYROCKS.

The offer is only good through Dec 14th or while quantities last - an excellent opportunity for Christmas gifts or to stock up for your winter and spring baking!

004_Cranberry - We Have a Winner

Tart and Sweet celebration for our November winner, Baking Fool of State College, PA. Her entry, an Upside Down Cranberry Cupcake obviously made the gang in PA and around the blogosphere flip!

In no time at all, she will be receiving her huge selection of prizes, including original works of art from the LOLLIPOP WORKSHOP - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5174676 and COOKIE SUNSHINE - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5474239; as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281 AND, IronCupcake:Earth is excited to welcome back CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet! As an added bonus for November she will get a delicious apron complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/cupcake-pocket-birthday-apron.html.

As always, Iron Cupcake would be nothing without our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

To view all of the entries, visit the Cranberry archive.

005_Chocolate with a Twist!

CHOCOLATE with a TWIST!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for December is CHOCOLATE, with a twist! Everyone loves chocolate. But what can you add to yours to make it unique? crazy? amazing?! White, Milk, Dark, whatever wets your whistle, put on your thinking cap and figure out a flavor partner that will knock everyone's socks off. Flavor Pairings are the Key!

FINAL POSTING DAY is the 24th of every month: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24 at 12 noon. (Take note, this is Christmas eve, so please plan accordingly)
All times are CENTRAL time.

AS ALWAYS:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our December ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• BETTY TURBO - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for December we have adorable cupcake pincushions complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well.
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog link to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Monday, December 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Friday, January 2 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of January 2, before 11:59 p.m.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so here you go. ☺

ONE LAST THING: During the past couple of challenges, I have done my best to contact people when an element of their entry is missing. There are SO many folks involved now! I can no longer be responsible for contacting those who have not completed their entry. Any entry that is missing either its flickr post or email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The 00X_received tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

ICE_004 CRANBERRY - VOTING NOW OPEN!!!!

The fourth round of IronCupcake:Earth, CRANBERRY
This month's challenge was CRANBERRY and the entries are fantastic! With 58 entries and 7 entries from one blog, the options are delicious. Go to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner to read through the submissions and then post your vote in the poll to the right on that blog. Voting closes at 12 noon, central, on Friday, December 5th.

Cupcakers Who Care!

We are 1 week in to IronCupcakeEarth:Cranberry challenge and rapidly approaching the Thanksgiving Holiday here in the US. I wanted to take a moment to share a new initiative that is blossoming at Taste of Home - my day job - and something I believe a lot of you will be interested in. :-) Taste of Home is announcing the First Annual National Cooks Who Care Week!

With tough times ahead Taste of Home is officially starting the season of giving on November 10th and asks all cooks (and Iron Cupcakers) to participate in this week of caring and sharing to help those in need. Whether it’s donating to canned good drives, organizing bake sales for charities, or serving hot meals to families in need, share your love of cooking and make a difference! (Who knows, maybe you can tie your Cranberry challenge into a Cooks Who Cares event!) Share your story with the Taste of Home, by submitting to: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Community/Cooks-Who-Care/Story-Submission. For the week of November 10th Tasteofhome.com will share the stories of cooks who make that special effort to give back. Taste of Home also publishes a variety of Cooks Who Care stories on the print pages of the magazine and is always looking for unique ways that foodie folks care for their neighbors - - - who knows, maybe it will be you!

As an added bonus...if you participate and send me a copy of your submission by the end of November, I will put your name in a pool for a pair of awesome binder books...the NEW Taste of Home Cookbook, AND the Taste of Home Baking Book. Two big binders full of cooking fun! The Iron Cupcake crew is now nearly 225 bakers strong in 18 countries, lets show the world that cupcake people aren't just the coolest...they are the kindest of them all!

Thanks for your efforts and keep on bakin'!

IronCupcakeSandy

ICE_003_CHEESE - We Have a Winner!!!

We have a winner!

Congratulations, or should I say ¡felicidades! to none other than Muffins, Cupcakes y Mas of Mexico City, Distrito Federal Mexico. With 588 of the 2200 votes cast, she rallied the troupes down Mexico way. Her entry, in her words, "a Cream Cheese, Brie, Mascarpone, Figs And Honey Cupcakes was a delicious cupcake with a creamy frosting, with a subtle flavor to orange, where the flavor of the cheese becomes well-known mascarpone." Sounds divine to me!

In no time at all, she will be receiving her huge selection of prizes, including: the cardboard cupcake from ETSY artist ART ON THE MENU; a pair of cupcake earrings from Lots of Sprinkles; a sassy and sweet T from Bakelove Bakewear. PLUS all of the awesome goodies from our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS; HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, an apron from JESSIE STEELE APRONS; the CUPCAKE COURIER and a new publication from TASTE OF HOME books. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.

To view all of the entries, visit the CHEESE archive.

Sweet Treats for November

In addition to our always awesome monthly prizes, many sweet treats await the winner of the Cranberry Challenge.

A one-of-a-kind pin doll from the LOLLIPOP WORKSHOP


An illustrated book by COOKIE SUNSHINE

A deliciously sweet apron complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY.

PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth is excited to welcome back CAKESPY, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Iron Cupcake:Earth Challenge-Cheese

VOTING IS NOW OPEN!!!!
Go to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner to view the entries and cast your vote. Polls close on Thursday, October 30th at 12 noon central.

004_CRANBERRY

Cranberry!
As a pre-curser to the crazy holiday season, IronCupcake:Earth is announcing its November challenge one week early. The challenge for November is Cranberry! We now have 19 countries competing in IC, so the variety should be delicious. In addition to being a U.S. holiday favorite, Cranberry offers fantastic antioxidants and healing properties. It also pairs well with lots of flavors including chocolate, cheese, citrus, nuts and liquors.

FINAL POSTING DAY IS: Monday, November 24th at 12 noon.
All times are CENTRAL time.

AS ALWAYS:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

Our November ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• LOLLIPOP WORKSHOP - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5174676
• COOKIE SUNSHINE - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5474239;
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth is excited to welcome back CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for November only we have a delicious apron complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/cupcake-pocket-birthday-apron.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well.
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog name to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin no later than Sunday, November 30 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Friday, December 5 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of December 5, before 11:59 p.m.
• The December ingredient will be posted and e-mailed on November 26th, to allow a few extra days for those celebrating the holidays.
  
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month (or earlier). The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so here you go. ☺

ONE LAST THING: During the past couple of challenges, I have done my best to contact people when an element of their entry is missing. There are SO many folks involved now! I can no longer be responsible for contacting those who have not completed their entry. Any entry that is missing either its flickr post or email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote. TIP: The ICE_00X tag will be added to your flickr photo(s) when your submission is processed.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the artists/manufacturers.

Cupcake Fashion Find!

Between now and Oct. 15 you can save 15% on your purchase from JessieSteele.com. Hostess and chef aprons for you and your kids, and now the salon series as well! Enter discount JESOCT8 when checking out.

002_Basil - We Have a Winner

We have a winner!

Congratulations to none other than Mama Baker of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. With 555 of the 2192 votes cast, her "plethora of flavours (including mango, basil, lime and almond) blends together to make a fresh tasting dessert--perfect for a relaxing day. The basil white chocolate icing is the perfect finish for this cupcake. The cupcake is truly a zen like experience and great with tea." Great Job!

In no time at all, Mama Baker will be receiving her huge selection of prizes, including: A gorgeous Cupcake Signet Ring by ETSY artist Metal Sugar; a pair of earrings by ETSY artist Lots of Sprinkles; a complete set of Head Chefs by Fiesta Products; an autographed copy of Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson; a luxury apron from Jessie Steele Aprons; the Cupcake Courier and a new publication from the library of Taste of Home Books! Please shop from our prize providers...they are the reason that we can have so much fun! Also, a big thanks goes out to 1-800-Flowers for their support of the Iron Cupcake Challenge.

To view all of the entries, visit the BASIL archive.

003_CHEESE

Say Cheese!
Yep, the challenge for October is CHEESE. We now have 18 countries competing in IC, so the variety should be delicious. Sweet cheese, savory cheese, soy cheese, melting cheese, grated cheese. Let your mind go wild. Pair it up with your favorite ingredients or blow our minds with the unexpected. (Due to dietary restrictions, if you are not a cheese-eater, please feel free to get creative with presentation in a “representation” of cheese.)

FINAL POSTING DAY IS: Friday, October 24th at 12 noon.
All times are CENTRAL time.
IMPORTANT: I would like to announce that the Iron Cupcake:Earth challenge is now sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers. You will notice them in your list of links and we ask that you include them in your boilerplate when posting about the challenge.

AS ALWAYS:
• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and an active link to our prize providers and sponsors:

ETSY artist ART ON THE MENU with her awesome little cardboard cupcake, her link is: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5738002 and a pair of cupcake earrings from Lots of Sprinkles at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281. As an added bonus for October only we have a sassy and sweet T from Bakelove Bakewear, http://www.bakelove.com/cupcake_t-shirt.html. Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

• • Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• • Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email separately as well.
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog name to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName. Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin on Sunday, October 26 at 12 noon at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Thursday, October 30 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of October 30, before 11:59 p.m.
• The next ingredient will be posted on Saturday, November 1.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com to become a part of the excitement.

GOING FORWARD: New ingredients will always be announced on the 1st of the month. The submission time closes at 12 noon central on the 24th of the month, regardless of the day of the week. It had been suggested that I standardize these dates, so here you go. ☺

ONE LAST THING: During the past couple of challenges, I have done my best to contact people when an element of their entry is missing. There are SO many folks involved now! I can no long be responsible for contacting those who have not completed their entry. Any entry that is missing either its flickr post or email submission will not be included. So…please be sure to submit to both flickr and via email to be eligible for the vote.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake:Earth cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the manufacturer.

IRON CUPCAKE in YOUR TOWN!

Introducing IRON CUPCAKE:LOCAL.

Many of you are familiar with the local Iron Cupcake:Milwaukee, which started the whole IC phenomenon. If not, it is a local version of IC where local bakers get together once or twice a month and have live taste-offs of cupcakes made with the secret ingredient of choice. Mid-Coast Maine is doing it, so is the San Francisco East Bay!

The Iron Cupcake competition is a trademarked opportunity that is now available for chapters to form all over the world. By launching your own “franchise” you get the rights to use the IC name. You are supplied with custom art featuring your own city-region-state; receive templates for voting ballots, winners certificate, participant labels; 50 Iron Cupcake buttons to sell or give-away at your own discretion.

Also, a customized Iron Cupcake shop full of your cities product will be made available on Cafépress. The package, which is now available at ETSY retails for over $100, but it is available for a limited time for only $74.99. (You can easily sell the included buttons for $1/each and make up most of your purchase price – awesome!) For more information, visit http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14771004 .

IC:Earth-Chili Pepper. And the winner is...

We have a winner!
Congratulations to none other than Bakerella of Atlanta, Georgia. With 307 of the 2278 votes cast, her Fire & Ice Cupcake swept the competition. The combination of a Chocolate Chipotle Cupcake with Chili Chocolate Ganache and Cinnamon Dulce de Leche Ice Cream heated us up and then cooled us off in one bite!

In no time at all, Bakerella will be receiving her massive prize pack: One-of-a-kind art by Cakespy, Jessie Oleson; a complete set of Head Chefs by Fiesta Products; an autographed copy of Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson; a luxury apron from Jessie Steele Aprons; the Cupcake Courier and a new publication from the library of Taste of Home Books! Please shop from our prize providers...they are the reason that we can have so much fun!

To view all of the entries, visit the archive for this challenge.

Gimme Some Sugar!

Wow, I am SOOOO excited to share with you this month's ETSY prize provider! METAL SUGAR!!!! One of my all time favorite ETSY artists with some of the most fantastic cupcake goods online. Better yet...the winner this month wins the CUPCAKE SIGNET RING. Yep...I have half a mind to dump all of your entries and run away with this one myself. OK, I AM KIDDING...one of YOU, the lucky Iron Cupcakers will be running around with this beauty a month from now. All you have to do is get your basil on!



OF COURSE, we have all of our amazing corporate prizes as well (shown above); The Cupcake Courier; Jessie Steele Aprons; Taste of Home Books; Fiesta Products Head Chefs; Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. DAMN, that over $225 retail value!

002_BASIL

The final days of summer are upon us. To usher out my favorite time of year, I ask that we salute one of its finest crops, BASIL. While some of you are lucky enough to reap the benefits of fresh basil all year round, here in parts of America, it is more of a summertime treat. According to wikipedia, there are an estimated 50-150 different types of Basil, dry or fresh...feel free to use them all! Savory or Sweet...its your call.

FINAL POSTING DAY IS: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 12 noon.
All times are CENTRAL time.

• Photograph your baking experience and then post about it on your blog.
• Posting your recipe on your blog is optional.
• In your post, please be sure mention that you are competing to win the following prizes, be sure to include reference and a link to our prize providers:
• ETSY artist METAL SUGAR, her link is: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14597777
• as well as to our corporate sponsors HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS http://www.fiestaproducts.com , HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com , JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com ; CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com and TASTE OF HOME http://www.tasteofhome.com. Please verify that all links are active. If you so choose, you may also include photos of the prizes which will be available at the IronCupcake:Earth flickr group page.
• Post your favorite shot (two if you are showing a cross-section) of your
• cupcake to the Iron Cupcake flickr group, along with a brief summary of your post. Please include a link to your blog in the description and your blog name in the tags. No photos or summaries will be accepted via email.
• You can enter more than one cupcake, but each counts individually as
• separate entries. Each cupcake must be submitted to flickr and via email
• separately as well.
• E-Mail your recipe(s), along with your first and last name and blog name to IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com . In your subject line, please include IC:IngredientName.
• Your cupcake recipe must be emailed in order to be eligible for voting and the prize. Please note: you must do BOTH the email submission and the flickr submission.
• Voting will begin on Sunday, September 28 at 12 noon at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Thursday, October 1 at 12 noon. Send your readers to that address to vote.
• Winner will be posted the night of October 1, before 11:59 p.m.
• If the winner has already won and IC:Earth challenge, they will win the ETSY prize, but the remainder of the prize package will go to the 2nd place cupcake. All IC:Earth participants are only eligible to win the corporate prizes one time in a 12-month period.
  
• The next ingredient will be posted on Thursday, October 1.
• Please refer your readers to the IronCupcake:Earth cuphub at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com to become a part of the excitement.

By participating in IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH you agree to have your recipe considered for use in a future Iron Cupcake cookbook – credited with your name and blog address (optional) attached. Actual prizes may vary, at the discretion of the manufacturer.

ICEarth: 001_Chili Pepper - VOTING NOW OPEN!

++VOTING CLOSES TODAY AT NOON++

Can you believe it? The FIRST EVER Iron Cupcake:Earth challenge has come to an end. Now it is your turn - we need your vote to determine the winner! Read through our entries, surf through their sites and make an educated choice. Which looks good, sounds good, seems like something you would HAVE TO EAT! Voting is open between now and 12 noon central on Thursday, September 4th! Ballot is in the left-hand column of the voting blog. To vote, go to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner. See ya then!

People Really Do Win with IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH!

Yep, it's true! Our first ever winner of an Iron Cupcake:Earth prize was Kirsten of the blog Pincushion Crumbs. She was the winner of the Challenge Before the Challenge. By referring a friend to become an Iron Cupcake, Kirsten's name was put into a drawing for some pre-contest treats! Just the other day, her mailbox runneth over – both of her prizes arrived on the same day. She posted about it on her blog, with tons of great photos...be sure to stop by and check it out!

I am one lucky girl today! Two fantastic artists sent me some of their fantastic art. Thank you so much, Iron Cupcake! Thank you so much, Glass Chef! Thank you so much, Cakespy! Y’all (yep, I’m from Texas) made my day, unquestionably.

You, too, could be the proud owner of her necklace or her shirt by simply visiting the ETSY shops of these two great artist: Cakespy and the Glass Chef.


It is soooo exciting to see how jazzed our Iron Cupcakers can get over winning their awesome treats. I love that she posted photos all about it and hope that you will too, when you are a winner in the future.

Also...DON'T FORGET...the deadline for ICE:Chili Pepper is THIS FRIDAY, 12 noon central time. Photos must be posted to flickr, including link to your blog and your recipe and link must be emailed by 12 noon. Don't miss out...we have awesome prizes!

Hello, IronCupcake!

THIS JUST IN! I just got off the phone with none other than Karen Tack, one of the authors of HELLO, CUPCAKE - you know the one...it's been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 11 weeks! THAT Hello, Cupcake! Well, Karen is soooo excited about the idea of Iron Cupcake:Earth – she wants to play her part. She and Alan Richardson, her creative partner and co-author of the book will be sending a copy of the book to each winner! I bet, if I ask real nice, we might even get an autograph out of 'em! AND...you still get all those other great prizes as well! The goodies just keep on coming! Have I convinced you to join yet??? Well, It's about time!

HEAD CHEF

AWESOME NEWS!
We have ANOTHER  PRIZE to add to our monthly winner pack. Not one, but the complete line of HEAD  CHEFS from Fiesta Products. Fully “fun”ctional silicone handle kitchen tools with awesome bendable arms and legs! Spoon, Pastry Brush, Spatula, Whisk and Measuring Cup. Each individual tool retails for $9.99, which makes this a $50 prize value. Sweet! All this in addition to our great apron from Jessie Steele, the Cupcake Courier, the cookbook from Taste of Home and featured prize from ETSY artist Jessie “Cakespy”  Oleson.

Questions Forum

Use the comment area of this post to ask any questions that you can not find the answers to in this blog. I will answer them as quickly as possible, at least once a day.

• I never received my FLICKR invite, what do I do? - For some reason, some of you are either not receiving or having trouble with your flickr invite. Not to worry. Just go the flickr IronCupcake group page and click on JOIN THIS GROUP. In the message area, mention your blog name and I will accept your request. I don't know why some of you did not get invites, I resent them about a week ago to everyone who had not yet joined. Regardless, this should work.

• Thank your ETSY and CORPORATE prize donors! - As you begin to post your first challenge, please be sure to include the prize donors - with links - in your blog entry. The link information was sent with the original challenge e-mail. For Challenge:Chili the donors are Cakespy, Jessie Steele Aprons, The Cupcake Courier, Taste of Home, Fiesta Products and Hello, Cupcake. Have fun!

• Vegan and Gluten Free Bakers - Please participate, vary rarely - if ever - will a featured ingredient prevent you from baking. Of course, if there is, there is always fondant recreations and silly cupcake toppers to fill in for missing ingredients. BE CREATIVE. Besides, there would never be any sort of penalty for not participating if the ingredient is against your diet requirements. Enjoy!

50th Member!

Special shout-out to Nicole M. of San Jorge, Rivas, Nicaragua! Nicaragua people! See...Iron Cupcake really is going global! Nicole is our 50th Iron Cupcaker! Woo Hoo! Check out her blog at audaciousness.blogspot.com

Time is Running Out!

Wow! There are already more than 40 Iron Cupcakers-but we definitely want more!

Between now and August 20th, any new Iron Cupcakers who sign-up via referral get their name in the pool for the awesome prizes from Cakespy and Glass Chef. New Iron Cupcakers are always welcome, but the
deadline for the drawing is midnight central time on AUG 20.

To join, all they have to do is email me at IronCupcakeEarth@wi.rr.com with the following information:
Name
City, State, Country
Blog Address
Flickr Name
Referring Blog: Your Blog Name

001_CHILI PEPPER

Spice up your taste buds. Think outside the box, the first IRON CUPCAKE:EARTH challenge is CHILI PEPPER. Develop a cupcake using ANY of the over 100 kinds of chili pepper available, dried or fresh. Use them in your cake, your frosting, your filling or all of the above. Be creative, and, oh yeah...it SHOULD taste good as well.

FINAL DAY TO SUBMIT IS: FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 12 noon. All times are Central Standard time.

If you are not an IRON CUPCAKE, but would like to be, there is still time to enter! Email your name, blog name, blog address for more details and to let the fun begin. If you sign up before August 20th, you will be eligible to for this month's amazing prize package, valued at over $100 US dollars: a one-of-a-kind piece of original Cakespy art by ETSY artist Jessie Oleson; a luxury hostess apron from Jessie Steele; the next generation of the Cupcake Courier; and a new publication from the library of Taste of Home Books.

Any images shown are for representation only. All prizes will be determined by the artist/manufacturer. All prize donors have agreed to overseas shipping.