Dear Readers...
As we bid farewell to 2007, we will also bid farewell to cup-a-cake. I will start anew with a new name & blog... Starting next year (tomorrow), I will be using a new name & blog page - http://www.love-a-cupcake.blogspot.com/
Thanks June & Viv for the name! :)
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!
Note: This will be the last post for this year!
This is my last christmas order. It's a late celebration for Jing (my junior in SGGS) & her family in KL. Since we are both Georgians, I just couldn't turn her order down... *grin*
She wanted just 12 cupcakes with xmas decor
She's travelling down to KL with it... 
And for 12 pieces of xmas cuppies... this is the packaging!
Jing, hope u & ur family had a blast celebrating!
To all who have supported me so far...
I just want to dedicate this post to you. With all your support, my "christmas calling" to reach out to the poor has been a success! In total, I've reached out to 5 homes and many have played a big role.
Some helped by baking & decorating the cupcakes, some by sending me all the necessary utensils, and the rest of you, by ordering cupcakes! Like I said, 30% of everything goes to the charity! The rest will of course be from Manila Place...
It has been quite challenging to make this possible because this month has been exceptionally busy - with the shop, various outside functions, friends & family... There were times when I felt like quiting because I am not able to cope.
Thanks to the support for all of you... I persevered and I'm glad I did. It's really worth it.. Thank you.... :)
I made chocolate with biscuits drenched in coffee and mixed fruits cupcakes. YUM! This is really my favorite. Partly cause I'm a coffee lover. We then served it with orange cream & fresh strawberries....
~ Mission accomplished ~
Louise is my very first customer for christmas cupcakes. She was really sweet over emails and she actually came by Manila Place for lunch. Even sweeter in person! (really great to meet u!)
She wanted to do them for her group of children playing in a christmas performance. So, job's done and christmas is over - she sent me pictures of her children with the cupcakes!
They all look so cute and colourful in their costumes! Looks like a play where lots of effort has been put into....
And the adorable faces of her little angles....
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!
Thanks so much for the pics!
I have always been wanting to do something for children... more kiddish designs and my chance finally came when Mrs Toon called requesting for 24 big cupcakes for her son, JJ's birthday party. She wants lots of chocolate for base and colourful topping.
So, I did chocolate base with lots of chocolate chips and added marshmellows too!
For the topping, JJ's favourite colours are yellow, blue, pink and purple! So i decided to use them all and make happy smiley faces for JJ & friends!
All together now.... It really looks like happy cup-a-cakes now!
Happy Belated Birthday JJ!
Shaun messaged me late one night and asked if I could help him bake for the gf's birthday. Shaun is a dear friend since college. He's taught me lots about lots *grin*.... and he's my personal computer designer... He knows my taste :) In short, a good good buddy...
So anyway, back to his cupcake.... We decided on plain vanilla with white choc topped with strawberries.
Shaun was not sure where he's keeping the cakes yet. He's picking it up early in the morning. So I decided to keep them frozen so that it will be just nice for dinner! :)
And here he is! My buddy, Shaun who came to personally pick up his cupcakes and also for a quick catch up. Havent seen him in a long long while.... Thanks Buddy!
Happy Belated Birthday to ur gal....
With 7 big boxes filled with cupcakes, we made our way to Lighthouse.
Before this, I had no idea whatsoever what it was at all! I have often wondered what becomes of the beggars & homeless people around Penang. Little did I know that there is a special place where they can go as when they like to get a proper bath and food. But this home don't just stop here. They go all out trying to help these people hoping to give them a new life where they will become financially independent and no longer homeless. It is not necessarily just for people who are beggars and homeless. It is also a place where people who are lonely can go to. It is a place which offers you hope and a new beginning... This is why they are known as "Penang Office for Human Development".
This is how Lighthouse looks like inside & out
Our delivery team arrived with loads of happy cupcakes to bring cheer! There were lots of other foods prepared for them as well - fried beehoon (sponsored by EQ Hotel) & finger foods as a part of the Christmas & New Year celebration.
The event started off with some games outdoor
and then indoors
The carollers were there to serenade us all into christmas mood. They are so good!
Then Santa Claus made his appearance once again! Giving out goodies to all who were there. This Santa is so much fun. You can see how excited everyone was waiting for their turn with Santa to come... It is the most rewarding gift to see their faces lit up by such simple gestures..
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to ALL!
Yummy yummy food enough to serve us also!
And finally... it's makan makan time!
Helpers going around to distribute the cupcakes...
Among the many recipients of the cupcakes is also the Bishop!
And the people who helped out in making the cupcakes possible!
Thanks all!
I planned on bringing cheer to the poor/homeless/orphanages today but I think I received the biggest gift of all - the true meaning of christmas. I have never felt christmas as much as I have today....
We grabbed lunch before rushing home to finish up our final preparation for the afternoon session.. We will be going to the Lighthouse where St Joseph is located. While we were at IC Church, two of my lil' helpers were busy preparing and decorating the christmas cupcakes for our afternoon session...
Look at all the cupcakes they have done while we were away for less than 2 hours!
Adding on the final touches before packing them into boxes...
Thanks Ayu & Murni!! They are both cousins and trust me, lots of FUN! My Sunday would have been chaotic without them...
Thanks again guys!
Its been a crazy crazy week & month... Should have posted this one week ago but just couldnt find the time to do so... anyway, better late than never.... here goes!
On 16th December... we went to Immaculate Conception's church at Pulau Tikus to celebrate christmas with the oprhans from St Vincent D' Paul. It was such a great experience... really.
We arrived at 10.00am sharp and the hall was already packed with the orphans from St Vincent D' Paul as well as IC's parish who are there to celebrate the occassion. Carollers from IC church filled the hall with the feel of christmas with about half hour of beautiful songs..
Santa then appeared with a big bag of goodies for the orphans... It definitely brought cheer...
And then... it was time to give out food & the cupcakes!! We brought 3 boxes of cupcakes (108pcs) and had so much fun giving them out.... the recipients were so grateful & happy. All our efforts are really worthwhile just seeing their faces lit up!
Merry Christmas all!
Ho! Ho! Ho!
We then rushed home to prepare for PART 2
We got up real early on Sunday morning to start preparing for our busy day today...
I have an order from my previous wedding planner, Edward who wants to surprise his carollers (who will be going to the homes with us...) with christmas cupcakes!
I also included a candy cane in each box so that all boxes will have something similar (did different designs for each)
The final product of each boxes...
Only one week to go..... Hurry and finish up with christmas shoppings! (i better start too!)
**merry christmas**
Today... we've been busy preparing for tomorrow's visit to the orphanages... I've baked the cakes already... today, a couple of santa's lil helpers are coming over to bake! or should i say finish up with the toppings!
we had a total of 12 trays of 36 cupcakes (432pcs) to decorate. Started at approximately 11.00am. First, there was 3... then slowly, one by one came to make this event more meaningful!
First we fill up the cup with icing... smoothen it... then design on it! Sounds easy eh!?
Our 4 designs of the day!
A new design! Thanks to snowflakes sprinkles sent by Sherene!
Santa's lil helpers - Suzanne, Joanne, Chen Yi, Meri, Ayu & Murni! Uncle Norman was ard too! I hope they all had as much fun as I did watching them! :)
All together on one tray..... :) We'll be giving 3 trays for the morning function @ IC Church for the St Vincent D' Paul... 1 tray for suzanne to bring to a home tonight (forgot the name) and 7 trays for LightHouse & Sunshine tomorrow afternoon! Another busy busy day ahead... We'll do more decoratings tomorrow..
Don't my freezer look so christmas-y? Love it!
Tomorrow's the day when we give back to the community!
Today will be the day when all our previous preparations will be put together for Blaze's opening ceremony. We have a team of people coming over to my place to prepare for the canapes & desserts. Started at 10.00am and we never stopped working...
My lil chefs hard at work.. Amongst the things we prepared are:
1. Cupcakes - 3 flavors... vanilla with mandarins, chocolate with strawberries & tiramisu!
We prepared mini tags to be placed in the cupcakes
And we'll be setting up a 3-tier cupcake also as a part of decor...
2. baked wanton to be used as bowls...
remember the tarts we made earlier? it's for
3-6. salmon & tuna mayo tarts, cheese tarts, fruit tarts
(now you understand why we had to bake so many??)
7-9. chicken ham sandwich, nasi lemak in wanton wrap & prawns with potato salad on crackers
Then we packed everything up and left for Blaze.....
Our 3-tier cupcakes! It finished so fast I had to refill in less than 1/2 hour!
Busy for fulfilling day......
