Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor [Paperback]

Anne Byrn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2005

The cupcake is America’s darling. It’s celebrated in upscale bakeries, on Sex in the City, on the cover of Gourmet, and in thou-sands of classrooms—where every day, it seems, a parent has sent in a batch for the kids to share. The very word conjures up whimsy, coziness, pleasure, nostalgia. Not to mention the fact that their diminutive size means you can eat a lot of them.

Once upon a time, a family had only two recipes for cupcakes—chocolate and vanilla. Not anymore. Now Anne Byrn brings them to the next level. And who better? Recognized as the master of cake-mix baking, Anne is the author of The Cake Mix Doctor and Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, which have a total of over 1.8 million copies in print. In Cupcakes she offers 135 tempting recipes for children and grown-ups, for special days and everyday, lunch bags, holiday festivities, and an unexpected dinner party dessert.

You’ll never believe these artful little cakes started with a mix. Coconut Snowballs, Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes, Kiss Me Cakes, Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers, Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting. There are surprising additions (tuck a chocolate kiss orpiece of cookie dough into the batter). Creative toppings and easy from-scratch frostings (whipped cream spiked with Kahlua; miniature M&Ms; a creamy malted frosting with crushed malted milk balls).Terrific decorating ideas, from glittering golden dragees or elegant chocolate curls to yellow peeps for an Easter cupcake or—for Groundhog’s Day—a groundhog’s face made out of chocolate frosting and jimmies. Includes a 16-page full-color opening essay.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From chocolate ganache to toppings with panache, this latest addition to the Cake Mix Doctor canon offers creative ideas and 135 recipes for tiny, delicious cakes. The detailed table of contents and alluring cupcake likenesses in the opening assemblage of photos will have readers salivating. The Cupcakes with Class chapter offers tasty elegance, from Cappuccino Chip to Harvey Wallbanger (which contains vodka and liqueur). Kids' cupcakes range from Cotton Candy to Caterpillar, and priorities delightfully in place, Byrn provides party-planning suggestions for favors and activities that complement the cupcakes. Helpful hints abound via "The Cupcake Doctor Says" tidbits, which appear throughout the book, and mini-essays that ponder questions such as "What's a Muffin? What's a Cupcake?" The Muffins: Breakfast Cupcakes chapter suggests ways to move beyond the classic blueberry (though Byrn offers a new take on that standby, too); Cupcake Cousins and Cupcake Creations will give do-it-yourselfers the confidence to try making fancy desserts in muffin tins. Fans of the regular QVC guest will already know that homemade frostings are a must, "the strand of pearls setting off the classic little black dress." Recipes for creams, glazes, frostings and sauces will help cupcake chefs "experiment and enjoy." (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Cupcake magic...Cupcakes are celebratory, cupcakes are comforting, cupcakes are peel-back-the-paper and tickle-your-inner-child treats that elicit smiles wherever they appear.

But leave it to bestselling cookbook author Anne Byrn to take cupcakes to the next level. Proving that cupcakes can do everything a big cake can do, only better, here are 135 dazzling recipes —and you'll never believe they started with a mix.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (April 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761135480
• ISBN-13: 978-0761135487
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Cakes

More About the Author

Anne Byrn is known to millions of fans through her Cake Mix Doctor and Dinner Doctor cookbooks, which she's promoted in more than 200 television appearances on Good Morning America, Roker on the Road, QVC, and local stations. She is also a favorite subject for lifestyle editors in newspapers across the country. Anne lives in Nashville with her husband and three children. You can visit her online at www.cakemixdoctor.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cupcakes to Die For! April 23, 2006

By L Smith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I don't often give cookbooks a 5 star, just because many of them have only a few new recipes that I would try, or because the format is poor. Oftentimes, I check out cookbooks from my local library, pick out the recipes that I want to try, and jot them down. When I started to do that with this book, however, I noticed that I was marking several pages in a row, and pretty soon had most of the pages bookmarked! I stopped marking, returned the book to the library, and purchased my own copy.

What makes this seemingly simple concept so special? Well, as the author points out, most people love cupcakes. They are versatile, portable, and easy to create. You can make cupcakes as simple or as creative as you would like. And this great book of over 135 recipes can help in any situation. Need 2 dozen cupcakes for the class bake sale and want the cupcakes to look incredible? Want to impress your dinner guests but not spend hours in the kitchen? Want to wow your kids with a special treat after school? You can make up a batch of cupcakes that will accomplish all of these tasks.

I loved the fact that most of the recipes start with a box of cake mix, and ingredients that I keep in my pantry and refrigerator. Some of my family's favorites include: Red Velvet Cupcakes, Coconut Snowballs, Caramel Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Fresh Raspberry Cream Cakes, and the Marshmallow Frosting.

The author has 2 other books that are also worth a try, "The Cake Mix Doctor" and "The Dinner Doctor". Enjoy!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice ideas September 21, 2005

By Richard

Format:Paperback

Anne has some really nice ideas for cupcakes, and most people I have served them to do not think they came from a mix. The Italian cream cupcakes are absolutely wonderful, and the orange marmalade cupcakes are excellent, too. The red velvet cupcakes came out looking very strange, but I served them anyway, and everyone devoured them and wanted the recipe.

I am not sure why everyone is so upset about the lack of color photos. It is pretty easy to visualize what the cupcakes will look like (well, maybe not the over-the-top children's ones), and almost none of the cookbooks I use regularly (Joy of Cooking, Fannie Farmer, Mark Bittman, James Beard) have extensive or color photos.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Easy, Fun and Useful! November 28, 2005

By Mom of Sons VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Ann Byrn, the author of the wonderful "The Cake Mix Doctor," does it again! The book is easy to use and fun to read, and there will be recipe after recipe you want to try! These recipes are for busy moms and other real people too--you won't spend a fortune or all day on these recipes. The ideas are fast and easy but have tons of "wow" potential, such as presenting the cupcakes in gold foil wrappers (instead of ordinary paper ones) on cake plates, in tiers. Great holiday ideas! Great kid ideas! Great party ideas! Who doesn't love cupcakes? This is a winner. A+

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Tasty--Especially for Busy Parents April 30, 2006

By E. Carson

Format:Paperback

As a mother of a 5 and 7 year old, the opportunities to provide themed cupcakes for birthday parties, snack leader day, etc. are ample. This book makes quick and easy work of providing really great muffins and cupcakes. It also gives brief menus for theme parties which in many cases would work well for adults and children. I made the "Best birthday cupcakes with chocolate syrup frosting" for my son's 7th birthday party and they were a huge hit (of course that crowd's easy). I then proceeded to make the "Tie-dyed cupcakes with psychedelic buttercream frosting" for my dad's 60th birthday party. I made 48 of these cupcakes--and they were completely gone--by adults eating 2 or 3 of them! It was amazing. The lack of illustrations is really not a problem. She gives you a nice color overview of the decorated ones in the beginning of the book. Great book!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Creative Cupcakes July 29, 2005

By Sally DeLellis

Format:Paperback

I am accustomed to doing all of my cake baking with the Cake Mix Doctor and Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, so my expectations for this book were very high.

One major gripe: Byrn's 2 Cake Doctor books have a photo of every single recipe. Cupcake Doctor contains relatively few...this was a huge disappointment to me as I like to have a mental picture of what my results should look like. I don't think I will use this book quite as much as the other two for that very reason.

On the other hand, the recipes are creative and tasty, as usual. The capuccino chip cupcakes are outstanding. I look forward to trying more of the recipes for my daughter's birthday parties, school bake sales, etc.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I bought it for the muffin recipes! May 19, 2005

By jeffsdate

Format:Hardcover

I am probably biased as I am a big Anne Byrn fan. (Her "Dinner Doctor" is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks.) I wasn't planning to buy the cupcake book as I was sure it would be mostly recycled stuff from the cake books -- but she has a lot of great ideas for doctoring up muffin mixes, and I am an avid muffin baker. Also I just like the design, layout and tone of her books, the very clear instructions, her chatty intro to each recipe, and all the helpful tips that appear in the sidebars. I've tried three recipes so far -- the Apple-Ginger Bran Muffins, Sweet potato casserole muffins and cherry-corn muffins. They were all good -- and gave me ideas for future "doctoring"!

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cupcake Doctor is Okay February 23, 2006

By N. Mattson

Format:Paperback

I would recommend buying hard cover only, because the paper back is challenging to keep open, while you are trying to cook. I learned a lot about baking cupcakes. Several references to vendors and tips are given throughout text, which is nice if you live in an area where selections are not the local forte. The tips are handy too. I checked this book out first at my local public library and brought it mostly for the baking tips and less for the recipes.

I am new at baking, so my first recipe wasn't a smashing success... but I will keep trying. I wish the book had more pictures. The author gives complete party ideas... menus and what not... and that is nice if you ever want to host theme parties for any occasion. I think some recipes are easy and others are geared toward the more experienced baker. I think it would make a nice gift idea for the dessert lover or cake decorator in your life.