Make Ice Cream Cupcakes with Cupcakery!

So I’ve got a little treat for all you baking gurus out there today because not only did my friend Toni just released her new Cupcakery book, but she’s also hosting a majorly fun giveaway with me to celebrate. (And hint: A Kitchenaid mixer is involved.) She’s amazing, her photography is amazing, her site is literally the cutest ever and I would be anything but amazing if I didn’t share her majestic cupcake glory with all of you.

Toni and I crossed paths (on our sprinkle paved roads) about a year or two ago and when I heard she was coming out with a book all about cupcakes, I was beyond excited. Not only is she a inspiring photographer, but she’s also a inspiring sprinkle collector who has THEE best sprinkle stash you ever did see. You probably never thought you’d see someone with more sprinkles than me, but alas it has happened.

Her new book Cupcakery is not only jam-packed with colorful photography and easy cupcake decoration ideas, but it also has some handy measurement equivalent charts to make baking a breeze. I mean, just look at these ice cream cupcakes that I was able to make from her book. Unlike a lot of cookbooks that just show you a photo and expect you to execute it, Toni has thorough instructions that explain how to fill the piping bags, what tips are best, and even what angle to hold the piping bag at to get the smoothest frosting.

She even gives some helpful tips on how to achieve that picture perfect, smooth as butter look with frosting without having to use fancy equipment or cake decorating supplies. Probably the most helpful tip I walked away with utilized a paper towel as the secret tool and it literally blew my mind as to why I had never thought to do it. But what can I say, that girl is a cupcake magician.

And even though I had only planned to make the ice cream cupcakes last week, I couldn’t get myself to stop at just one. I’ve always been curious as to how Toni gets that perfect swirl on the top of her cupcakes but at last I have learned. And I figured there was no better way to celebrate a cupcake revelation than pouring 3.2 million on top of that freshly piped frosting. I actually made my sister do like 50 takes of this sprinkle pour, which might actually be considered child labor now that I think about it –  but I think the judge would let me go when they realize we were just working with the cutest cupcakes West of the Mississippi.