Rich and chocolaty, light and lemony, small and sweet and sprinkled with little hearts for Valentines Day: these gourmet creations from a Le Cordon Bleu Chef taste heavenly and look beautiful. With recipes ranging from very adult, sophisticated creations for celebratory occasions to delectable treats kids will gobble up, this cupcake cookbook features something delicious for everyone and something special for every occasion. Pink and blue cupcakes, topped with color-coordinated binkies, will charm guests at a baby shower. Coffee-Brandy Cupcakes are a special treat for grown-ups only. Breakfast becomes just a little brighter with Cranberry-Pumpkin Seed cakes. There are even some healthy recipes featuring such unique ingredients as quinoa, Brazil nuts, green tea, lavender, and pomegranates. But for decadence, nothing beats the Top Cat Cupcake with chocolate icing dripping down the sides. Stunning photos showcase every gorgeous delicacy, piled high with luscious frosting and presented in theme-appropriate paper cups. Theyll provide every baker with inspiration to whip up delicacies as visually scrumptious as they are delicious!
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
LILACH GERMAN is the founder of Lilach: Food and Design, a successful gourmet catering company. Lilach studied at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu School in Paris and has a sophisticated sense of style a trait that shines through clearly in the colorful photographs.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
76 of 87 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Ingredients I can't find or buy -- nor will I bother with the expense
October 1, 2009
By M. Benno
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book for the wonderful photos -- sometimes it's hard to create a recipe or decorate a cake/cupcake without seeing what I need to do.
But the ingredients are ridiculous.
OK. I'll spot you
quinoa, tahini, rose water (BUT it has to be FRESH that has not been sprayed with pesticides...???), gluten (I think I could find it, but I'm not sure), mascarpone (which is extremely expensive), dulce de leche (we have hispanic foods here in some grocery stores), I could probably grind some poppy seeds although I don't own and will not buy a spice or coffee grinder, semolina, anise stars...
But there is no way I know how to find or would bother to hunt down, just to use a tablespoon or two of:
black sesame seeds, dried lavender flowers, tapioca flour, dried lavender leaves, citrus extract (not orange, not lemon), DEMERARA SUGAR???, corn flour (I know what corn MEAL is but I've never heard of corn flour), whole candied chestnuts, liquid cinnamon extract (you're KIDDING, right? why can't I just use cinnamon??), date honey, gooseberries (the author finally admits we call them currants), golden syrup? sugar crystal rose petals??.....
Why do people write cookbooks with outrageous ingredients? I'm not going to bother to search high and low for stuff when I only need a teaspoon or a 1/4 cup. Finally on page 92, when the author calls for "apricot neutral glaze," she finally admits that you will have to shop at "stores specializing in pastry making." Oh. Thanks. So I have to mail order most of these ingredients. She doesn't even have a resources page to aid me.
The editing errors also really bothered me. In a Hazelnut Cupcake recipe the author talks about the addition of chopped walnuts, in the Toffee Square recipe the author wants you to make your own toffees and pour them into a "small cake pan," (that's NOT helpful at all, give me a SIZE). The Chocolate Mint Cupcakes recipe, when making the ganache topping, calls for cutting the chocolate mint into shavings, but the ingredients call only for regular chocolate and cream, not mint or any explanation of what she means. The Honey Cupcakes call for clove. Clove what? Clove honey? Ground cloves?
Admittedly, these recipe are beautiful. But no way am I going to make them.
You will want to ignore this foreign tome and go for the MUCH BETTER "Crazy About Cupcakes" by Krystina Castella (with wonderful, rich, decadent recipes and lots of photos too), or the Beautiful "Hello, Cupcake" by Karen Tack or the Fun "Hello There, Cupcake!" by Clare Crespo. Most of these choices are cheaper books, too!
But the ingredients are ridiculous.
OK. I'll spot you
quinoa, tahini, rose water (BUT it has to be FRESH that has not been sprayed with pesticides...???), gluten (I think I could find it, but I'm not sure), mascarpone (which is extremely expensive), dulce de leche (we have hispanic foods here in some grocery stores), I could probably grind some poppy seeds although I don't own and will not buy a spice or coffee grinder, semolina, anise stars...
But there is no way I know how to find or would bother to hunt down, just to use a tablespoon or two of:
black sesame seeds, dried lavender flowers, tapioca flour, dried lavender leaves, citrus extract (not orange, not lemon), DEMERARA SUGAR???, corn flour (I know what corn MEAL is but I've never heard of corn flour), whole candied chestnuts, liquid cinnamon extract (you're KIDDING, right? why can't I just use cinnamon??), date honey, gooseberries (the author finally admits we call them currants), golden syrup? sugar crystal rose petals??.....
Why do people write cookbooks with outrageous ingredients? I'm not going to bother to search high and low for stuff when I only need a teaspoon or a 1/4 cup. Finally on page 92, when the author calls for "apricot neutral glaze," she finally admits that you will have to shop at "stores specializing in pastry making." Oh. Thanks. So I have to mail order most of these ingredients. She doesn't even have a resources page to aid me.
The editing errors also really bothered me. In a Hazelnut Cupcake recipe the author talks about the addition of chopped walnuts, in the Toffee Square recipe the author wants you to make your own toffees and pour them into a "small cake pan," (that's NOT helpful at all, give me a SIZE). The Chocolate Mint Cupcakes recipe, when making the ganache topping, calls for cutting the chocolate mint into shavings, but the ingredients call only for regular chocolate and cream, not mint or any explanation of what she means. The Honey Cupcakes call for clove. Clove what? Clove honey? Ground cloves?
Admittedly, these recipe are beautiful. But no way am I going to make them.
You will want to ignore this foreign tome and go for the MUCH BETTER "Crazy About Cupcakes" by Krystina Castella (with wonderful, rich, decadent recipes and lots of photos too), or the Beautiful "Hello, Cupcake" by Karen Tack or the Fun "Hello There, Cupcake!" by Clare Crespo. Most of these choices are cheaper books, too!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love this book.
"Out of the box" recipes!
It is hard to find a professional cooking book that doesn't compromise on ingredients, excellent recipes and creative presentation.
Yes, yes, the ingredients in few recopies might be less common, but once you taste it, you understand it is gourmet cupcakes book.
My daughter and I tried the pistachio cupcakes and they were delicious.
The honey and almonds are fabulous and easy to do.
I bought it also to couple of friends as holiday gift, and they loved it.
The pictures are magnificent and the cover is so colorful and happy, like the cupcakes.......
The only thing I would add is the relative difficulties between the recipes.
Thank you Lilach.
"Out of the box" recipes!
It is hard to find a professional cooking book that doesn't compromise on ingredients, excellent recipes and creative presentation.
Yes, yes, the ingredients in few recopies might be less common, but once you taste it, you understand it is gourmet cupcakes book.
My daughter and I tried the pistachio cupcakes and they were delicious.
The honey and almonds are fabulous and easy to do.
I bought it also to couple of friends as holiday gift, and they loved it.
The pictures are magnificent and the cover is so colorful and happy, like the cupcakes.......
The only thing I would add is the relative difficulties between the recipes.
Thank you Lilach.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By gatorgal
Format:Paperback
I bought this book because there are so many fun, unusual flavors in the recipes. However, all 6 of the recipes that my daughter and I have tried are terrible! They're all dry, and if we don't add our own milk, they end up as bricks. And the mint chocolate ones? There's so much mint in it, it's like eating toothpaste. And not nearly enough chocolate! And 2 tablespoons of baking powder? WAY too much! All the recipes we've tried have been this way - bizarre amounts of ingredients, with key ingredients not even included.
So sorry I wasted my money. Extremely disappointed.
So sorry I wasted my money. Extremely disappointed.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Crapcakes, Crapcakes, and More Crapcakes!
So unimpressed. I doubt this woman actually tested these recipes before she published this, because although they are aesthetically gorgeous, they taste HORRIBLE. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Frostmycakes
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad, not great
My roommate got this book for me for Christmas last year. I've tried 3 recipes so far: the chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting (frosting was good, but next time... Read more
Published 18 months ago by miss cpa
2.0 out of 5 stars
Yuck.
I would only give it one star, but it's actually a visually appealing book. As for the recipes...I wouldn't consider myself a culinary expert, but also not inexperienced. Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. McCormick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review from FIRR-Kids!
The title says it all - this is an astonishing array of goodies in a perfect form. I think cupcakes are an incredibly versatile treat - perfect to take to school, parties, or on a... Read more
Published on February 26, 2011 by FIRR-Kids!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for kids
What a beautiful book! The photographs are gorgeous, which is what attracted me to the book. However, I was most plesantly surprised by the unique recipes. Read more
Published on December 8, 2009 by Mary
5.0 out of 5 stars
such a sweet book
I LOVE this book. I'm interested in the culinary field and this book quenches my baking needs. It has classic recipes and other creations that can be a little challenging, but are... Read more
Published on October 10, 2009 by Devon Black
5.0 out of 5 stars
From colorful treats for kids to elegant deserts for their elders
The sign of a truly great cookbook is that merely browsing through its pages will evoke a compulsive and irresistible desire to repair immediately to the kitchen and get to work! Read more
Published on August 15, 2009 by Midwest Book Review
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