Helping Aspiring Bakers Everywhere With Online Cakes

Watch all the cooking competitions, but if your own secret (or not-so-secret) are aspirations to being a great cook or baker, tuning into the following can only help. 

Image by jwalsh via Flickr

Some of us watched “The Great Australian Bake Off” in rapt attention because we are sweet demons. Some of us may have been accused of salivating in front of the screen in the way a teenage boy looks at Margot Robbie or a teenage girl looks at Liam Hemsworth. Nonetheless, all we can imagine is sampling the delights. Then again, there are those who tune into TGABO and other cooking competitions because they adore the drama, the emotional outbursts, the…epic fails.

But there’s a strong minority of viewers whose emotions and intentions are geared more towards their own spirit of the game. Meaning, sure, you’re happy Nancy Ho and her 22-year-old self and her signature white chocolate mud cake with sour cream and white chocolate ganache won the whole kit and caboodle. But there’s a side of you, one that you might not want to voice, for fear of reprisal: you know you could do well on the show. You’re not entirely sure you’d win (that’s a whole combination of elements, all falling into rightful places), but you would be a fierce competitor. If you could just get a little help to prep you… luckily, there are well-established and highly regarded services like Planet Cake offering online cakes Sydney and world-wide (all you need is the Internet) with courses that will push you towards your goal of master baker.

Get motivated by keeping up with the best and brightest Australian television has to offer chefs, cooks and bakers – and anyone who just likes a good TV show. Here are some shows you must tune into:

MasterChef Australia

We couldn’t write about TV cooking shows/cooking competitions without mentioning the juggernaut that is MasterChef. Since it first aired in 2009, the Logie Award-winning series captivated Aussies everywhere. And, in the interest of transparency, it elevated the original inspiration, Britain’s MasterChef.  When a “mere” I.T. office manager (38-year-old Julie Goodwin) won the first seasons, audiences were addicted. The drama only increased when second-season winner Adam Liaw took the prize over next-best competitor Callum by the tiny margin of seven points! Four more seasons only garnered more viewers. The second series final became the third-highest rated show of all time. The show was so profoundly successful that it sparked spin-off fever (“Celebrity MasterChef Australia,” “Junior MasterChef Australia,” “MasterChef Australia All-Stars,” and “MasterChef Australia: The Professionals.”)

Planet Cake TV

No matter how many steps your favourite on-air baker or chef goes through on one of their television shows, you’ re going to need better and more thorough directions. That’s where Planet Cake TV comes in. The online cake decorating school allows anyone who has Internet the opportunity to bake and decorate like a professional. Planet Cake has the distinction of its uniquely decorated cakes, so this is definitely a situation where they know what their doing. Subscriptions are available monthly and annually and members have access to all Planet Cake TV courses and the new tutorials, which debut monthly.

My Kitchen Rules

What can we say? We love a good cooking competition show and “My Kitchen Rules” certainly qualifies. We love the “grace-under-pressure” moments, especially “Rapid Cook-Off,” “Showdown” and “Sudden Death,” because if you’re rooting for a chef, and as the time seems to speed up, it’s effectively emotional and stressful. At my house, we refer to the series as “Amazing Race in the Kitchen.”  The “Video Diary” is dubbed “Top Model in the Kitchen.” The results (food cooked) on “My Kitchen Rules” are consistently out-of-the-box and are interesting and lively. Yes, the show has borrowed from others, but they borrowed the best and the show is very strong.

Given the success of the aforementioned series, it’s likely you’re already watching these shows. If not, it’s definitely the right time to try it out. You’ll feel honoured and supported.

ChapStick Cupcake Creations Review

I wrote about ChapStick® when they premiered their holiday flavors in December. ChapStick® has brand new flavors that I am so excited to tell you about. The new flavors are based on cupcakes. If you know me at all, you know cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts. It's a no-brainer that I would love cupcake ChapStick®. The new flavors are cake batter and red velvet. When I was pregnant with Noah I had a cake flavored lip balm and I loved it. The cake batter ChapStick® is better than that one. Of course I had to give one to Noah because he thinks ChapStick® is awesome. There was an incident with the Cherry one he had where I had to throw it away and he was so sad. He was happy to hear that I was working with ChapStick® again and that he would get a new flavor to try. He really loves the Red Velvet ChapStick® and isn't sad about the cherry one he lost.  Along with the ChapStick® I received a really cool party pack! Complete with party hats, noise makers and Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcake Mix. We can't wait to have our party courtesy of ChapStick®. I love that ChapStick® keeps making new products. It's my favorite brand of lip balm and that is important especially since I don't wear lipstick. I have to keep my lips hydrated.

Here is some information from ChapStick®:

Moisten lips by icing on new sweet ChapStick® Cupcake Creations. Make lips happy and enjoy the sweet flavors!

Take the party anywhere, while keeping your lips happy with the new ChapStick® limited-edition flavors – decadent Velvet Cupcake and mouth-watering Cake Batter.

Making lips deliciously sweet, soft, and scented of dessert indulgences will be a piece of cake.

Give loved ones a guilt-free way to have their cake with ChapStick® cake-inspired flavors. Featuring a convenient gift tag on the back of each package, ChapStick® takes the hassle out of gift wrapping, making it easy to attach on top of a gift or give as a thoughtful gesture for friends, teachers, co-workers or family.
ChapStick® Cupcake Creations varieties are available for a limited time beginning February 1st exclusively at Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreens nationwide.

Which flavor are you most excited to try: Cake Batter or Red Velvet?

For more information please visit the ChapStick Website. 


Be Sure to like ChapStick on Facebook to keep up to date on all the new flavors and information.

The ChapStick® product, information and gift have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

I Will Never Have My Own Cooking Show

I used to want to have my own cooking show.  Imagine me an eight or nine year old little girl in my kitchen talking to the imaginary camera, while I was cooking. It was really cute and I wish it was really videotaped because I am sure it was hilarious.  It was long before Food Network and most cooking shows. Those were mostly shown on Sunday mornings on channels like PBS.  I knew a woman who had her own cooking show on a local station in North Carolina. I wanted to have my own show someday.  When Food Network started I was in love and dreamed someday I would be on there too.  Eventually, I realized it wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t because I was not going to be discovered.  It is not I am not an awesome cook, because anyone who has tasted my cooking knows otherwise.  The real reason is because I am not an exotic chef. I don’t want to make half the food those chefs make. I would never touch lamb anything. I don’t like baby arugula or curry or anything like that. I would be a very simple chef that makes food that real people like.  There isn’t really a market for that.

I would love to be on a cupcake show or a challenge show but, really I wouldn’t use any of those weird fancy ingredients that make me gag at the thought of not only putting them in a cupcake let alone in my mouth period.  I wouldn’t win because they judge on eccentric ingredients. I can hear Kerry Vincent saying in her British accent, your cupcakes are a bit plain and unordinary, I expected a bit more of you. My philosophy is that food doesn’t have to be full of weird and expensive ingredients to taste good.   Have you ever tried to make some of those recipes? Most of the ones I would eat have really expensive ingredients.  Especially spices, who wants to spend sixteen dollars to buy a jar of organic Bolivian green sweet pepper flakes for one teaspoon? I don’t really. 

One thing I fell in love with when I was visiting my aunt and uncle was that the grocery store they shop at sells spices in bulk so, in that instance you could get just as much as you need, but not many places do that.  That is how I ended up flying home with 2 pounds of Cumin.  I made sure I labeled it a bunch because my uncle told me that it looked like gun powder.  This is the same uncle who told me they were going to think I was the Unabomber because I had his old Montana license plates in my suitcase from another trip out there.  He likes to pick on me as I am the baby of the family. Anyways, I would have things like fried potatoes, meatloaf, taco bake things that are easy to make and not something you have to spend a week in Morocco to eat. It would be all classic things that wouldn’t make you poor by  making them. When I watch cooking shows I think well you didn’t have to actually pay for your ingredients and you got them from a giant warehouse where you can have access to the finest everything.  I just once want to see one of the products not be perfect, like a bruised fruit or something a little moldy.  Not that they would have to cook with it, they could get a new one, but make it like real life.  I am sure we have all had a bruised fruit or something that went a little bad at least once.

I have also noticed those thirty minute meals never take thirty minutes.  Most people are not really fast choppers or have little distractions otherwise known as our children who constantly need something or throw paper airplanes in the kitchen doing something to distract us.  Normal people do not have Rachael Ray’s super power of being able to carry twelve things at once.  She must practice because she never drops anything. I think she is part octopus, really I do. If they really took thirty minutes, you spend at least twice as long cleaning up and doing the dishes.  I don’t really get the idea of a garbage bowl, its just one more thing that has to be washed. Pull up the trashcan next to you. Everyone owns a trash can right? It’s cheaper and it eliminates the two extra steps.  So, don’t expect to see my bright and shiny face on a cooking show anytime soon.  I don’t have a broad enough palate for it.

Why WE TV Why?

Why oh why We TV, why did you take The Cupcake Girls off the air? It makes me so sad, after I wrote a post about the show. I think I should stop talking about tv on my blog because it disappears shortly after. WE please bring back the show. It was my favorite part of Saturday night. Now I am very upset because it is gone. Your replacement, the Golden Girls, really, do you really need to put that show on at more time slots. I swear The Golden Girls are on so many networks, so many times a day. It’s a good show but not as good as The Cupcake Girls. Cupcakes are better than four old ladies from the 80’s. Betty White is probably bathing in money as often as the show is shown.

Seriously WE I am really upset, The Cupcake Girls is actually a great reality show, it’s not full of trash like all the other ones are. It is the best cake or cupcake show because it is real. It’s not competition; it brings joy to this cupcake lover. Please I am asking you to bring it back. I will make you cupcakes myself if you bring it back. It is so much better than those wedding shows that no one but a bride watches. OK they get married and stop watching. I can’t believe you took a great show and totally stopped showing it. It is the best show on WE TV and it makes me so upset I could spit, and possibly enough to stop watching WE all together.

I thought I would share with my many readers about how great the show is and how much I love it. It is also very unique and not like the same CRAP redone that is on every other stinkin’ channel, like the cake shows, cupcake shows, competitions, and wedding shows. It was different, and unique and genuine. I felt like I was catching up with my old friends Lori and Heather when I watched The Cupcake Girls. I cried when they cried. I bawled when Lori found out she was pregnant and during her ultrasound and now I am left without The Cupcake Girls.

I probably won’t be watching WE anymore because this is not right. It’s not like the season ended. Sure I would get that but they stopped showing it before the season ended. WE isn’t producing the show so what the heck is the problem? I am not a happy mama or a happy blogger.

The Cupcake Girls

I am not huge on watching what I call fad cooking shows. You know what I am talking about cake shows except for Food Network Challenge. I noticed a while back the trend is now cupcake shows. One network started doing one and then every channel that has cake shows now has a cupcake show. I understand that cupcakes are huge right now. I decided not to watch any of the cupcake shows because seriously….how many different ways can you decorate and make cupcakes? Competition shows also get on my nerves. It is never anything different. Same show, different network. I would like to see some originality in the programming on TV. It seems like the same concept is used over and over again. That is a whole other blog post though.

One Saturday night recently I was watching TV. I decided to start watching a show on WE called The Cupcake Girls. There was nothing else on and the description on my cable box sounded appealing. So I checked it out. I fell in love with the show. It is not a show about cupcakes, how to make them or someone who is judging others making them. It is a show about two best friends in Canada that happen to own a cupcake business. I really enjoy watching Lori and Heather’s adventures. I love the dynamics of the show. It is so interesting because they don’t know how to bake, they are best friends and they don’t just talk about cupcakes. I love cupcakes more than probably anyone in the world, but like I said just watching people make cupcakes, decorate cupcakes to me is boring and makes me really hungry.

The really cool thing about the show is also that they show you how hard it really is to run a business. It seems like every show they have some kind of obstacle to overcome in their business. They are able to go through all these challenges and are able to be best friends at the end of the day. I love all of the Cupcakes staff too. They all seem like they are really nice people. It makes me want to go to Vancouver and go to Cupcakes and buy some delicious treats. I am really hoping that they achieve their dream of having their cupcake bakeries in every neighborhood in North America. I would gladly open a Cupcakes bakery if I had the revenue. Baking cupcakes for a living would be a great job. I would have to be rolled home in a wheel barrow every day because I would eat cupcakes all day. They also came up with a cupcake mix that you can take home and make it with your kids. I bet it is delicious. I would love to sample some of their cupcakes someday.

I have to share with you guys about Cadence. She is one of the girls that work the counter at Cupcakes. She is so funny and sees like she could make anyone smile. I hadn’t seen her on a couple of the episodes and I was very worried that Cadence wasn’t working there anymore. Thankfully I saw her, because that would have made me sad because she is a great support person on the show. Cadence definitely has her moments. She has had to scrub the toilets with a toothbrush and clean the bathrooms on the show a few times I suspect because she is too nice to say anything to the customer. I really think that Cadence has a great heart.

Another thing I really like about The Cupcake Girls is how it's like Lori and Heather are your friends and you share in their heartbreaks and victories. I know when Lori found out she was pregnant I started crying. I cried when they showed her ultrasound on the show because she had been trying for so long. I found on their Facebook page that Lori had a boy. I am so happy for her. I really love The Cupcake Girls. Do you watch the show? What do you think?

It is on WE on Saturday Nights. The new episodes are at 9:00 pm and 9:30 pm ET. It is also on at other times too. Check your local listings. It is definitely worth watching.

Sadly, I did not receive any cupcakes for this post, but Lori and Heather if you want to send me some, please don’t hesitate to do so.

Mardy's Munchies Review and Giveaway!

As you all know, I love cupcakes. They are my favorite dessert. Not all cupcakes are created equal. I have had some not so good cupcakes in my life. Recently I had one from the store when I was visiting my sister. It was from the grocery store bakery. I decided to put a banana nut muffin in the container that Noah wanted to finish later. Big Mistake, my chocolate cupcake became banana flavored. I am not a huge banana fan. So, it was a huge disappointment. The worst part was I wanted cupcakes for weeks before that. I was so excited when I got one and I was crushed when it tasted awful.

Thankfully my cupcake guardian angels emailed me. My cupcake guardian angels were none other than Steve and Jana of Mardy’s Munchies. They wanted to send me cupcakes and other goodies. I was so excited and waited for my special delivery of goodies to arrive all the way from their bakery in Los Angeles. Mardy’s Munchies is a mom and pop bakery, they make everything themselves and they use no preservatives. Mardy’s Munchies is named after Steven’s late mother Mardy, who instilled a love of baking and inspired him to create delicious treats for over 20 years. They are a fixture at local farmers markets and often attend local festivals. Steven and Jana are both really nice and they even subscribe to my blog! I follow them on Twitter at @Mardysmunchies and I am so jealous of those of you that can constantly get goodies from Mardy’s Munchies. They are someone you must follow if you live in the LA area.

When I received my treats, I couldn’t wait to dig right in. They were packed perfectly; they weren’t crumbled or smashed at all. I was a little concerned about receiving baked goods like that. I was confident that Mardy’s Munchies would make it work. The first thing I tried was the Double Trouble Cupcake. It was hands down the best cupcake that I can ever remember eating. It was chocolate with chocolate cream cheese frosting. It would only be fitting that my cupcake guardian angels would send me such a heavenly cupcake. I savored every single bite. They were perfectly moist and the frosting was amazing. I love cream cheese frosting but I had never had chocolate cream cheese frosting. Oh man, I am drooling thinking about it.

I also received a Punk Mama’s Red Velvet cupcake that I shared with my mom. She thought it was amazing and so moist and delicious. It had normal cream cheese frosting on it. My mom loved it. She is not a cupcake fan but she really enjoyed eating the Punk Mama’s Red Velvet cupcake. I had a lot of goodies to try and the only right thing to do was to share with my family. I mean it would be rude of me to stuff my face with delicious treats and not offer them to others right?



I decided Noah would like the Coomer cookie they sent us. Noah is a cookie monster. The Coomer cookie is a Vegan cookie that is a Delicious Oatmeal mixed with bananas and vegan-approved chocolate chips. It also comes with pecans. Noah is not a vegan but he sure did love his Coomer Cookie. He kept asking for more cookies. I thought this is a healthier version of some of the cookies that I could get for him because it also contains no preservatives.

Another goodie I received was the Georgia White Brownie. They are rich, chocolate brownies with white chocolate chips dancing throughout. Covered with our chocolate frosting and then we drizzle white chocolate all over these and then for fun throw on some chunky chopped pecans- from the website. It was a nice big brownie and it was so moist and fudgy. I prefer fudgy brownies to cake like brownies. My favorite part was the chunks of pecans and the white chocolate on the top. I thoroughly enjoyed the brownie and Noah did too. So am I making you hungry yet? I know I am definitely craving some Mardy’s Munchies.

The next item I tried was the Triple Shazam Baby Bundt Cake. mini chocolate bundt cake is smothered with a dark chocolate glaze and then showered with white and dark chocolate chips. It was so cute. It was also very delicious. There is just something festive about a bundt cake. I think it is because my grandma used to make them all the time. Most bundt cakes are kind of tough on the outside, not the baby bundt cake I received. It was so moist and there is even a surprise when you eat it. I won’t ruin it for you though. You will just have to wait and see!

The last but not least goodie was the Raspberry Crumble Tart. Delicious Organic Raspberry fruit surrounded by buttery shortbread crust and streusel topping all nestled inside a gorgeous tart. I decided I should also share this one with my mom. She really enjoyed it too. She doesn’t really like tart shells but she said that the shell was perfect and the raspberry filling was not too sweet and not to tart just right. She said the best part was the crumb topping. I really enjoyed all the treats I received from Mardy’s Munchies. The only thing I didn’t like about the goodies I received was that when they were all gone, I didn’t have any more. I will have to visit them the next time I am in LA and bring home treats with me.

If you live in Los Angeles or traveling there, you can visit Steve and Jana every Tuesday at the Old L.A. Farmer’s Market located in historic Highland Park. Or if you want to end the week on a sweet note, then come on over to the El Sereno Farmer’s Market, an exciting, supportive community gathering with music, food and art that happens every Friday afternoon. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, then stop on by the famous Antigua Coffee Shop on Figueroa in Cypress Park or Casa Princessa on York Blvd for a varietal look at Mardy’s Munchies goodies. I know there are a lot of bakeries in LA but they are a dime a dozen compared to Mardy’s Munchies. Please keep them in mind if you want delicious homemade desserts that contain no preservatives.

For more information please check out Mardy’s Munchies

Thanks to Steve and Jana at Mardy’s Munchies for sending me some yummy desserts to try out and review and providing the giveaway prize.

I have a giveaway for you. One lucky winner will win a dozen gourmet cupcakes your choice of flavor!

Mandatory Entry: Go to the Mardy’s Munchies website and tell me what looks good. Please tell me the exact name of the item and what it is. They have such cute names for everything.

You must do the main entry for the bonus entries to count.

Bonus Entries:

Subscribe to my blog via email

Follow my blog

Follow @Sheilacakes7 and @Mardysmunchies and tweet about this giveaway including the link. This can be done once a day

Like Mardy’s Munchies on Facebook

This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY

This giveaway will end on June 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.

15 Random Facts about Me!

I thought I would share some fun facts about myself with you all. These are things I want you guys to know but I couldn’t make full posts about.

1. My blog name comes from a nickname my mom gave me when I was a baby. She still calls me Sheilacakes daily.

2. I love cupcakes. They have always been my favorite dessert although I do love fruit pizza. I love cupcakes so much that I told my mom that I wanted to be a cupcake when I grew up because my sister was a brownie and I thought cupcakes were better.

3. I know all of the words to Bohemian Rhapsody by heart and I love Wayne’s World, so much that my childhood best friend and I dressed up like Wayne and Garth and acted out the whole movie.

4. I have the hugest crush on Mark Harmon. OK. You probably already knew that.

5. My favorite soda is Dr. Pepper and my favorite chocolate is Cadbury Flakes

6. I love garlic. It is my favorite herb or spice or whatever. It has to be fresh, not in a jar or a powder. Garlic is meant to be fresh, that is why it comes that way.

7. My favorite Disney movie is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. My friend Victoria told me that means I have an unique personality.

8. I enjoy eating Twizzlers with icing. It is only for those hardcore sugar lovers though because it packs a sugary punch.

9. I love to parasail. I went when I was in Key West and it was an amazing experience.

10. I had a huge crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas when I was in Jr. High during the Home Improvement years.

11. When it comes to TV I prefer guns and handcuffs to needles and defibrillators.

12. I used to play Amelia Bedelia with my Grandma Rose where I would have her make me a list of fun chores and I would mess them up. My favorite chore was making goodie bags.

13. I used to collect porcelain dolls, lighters, shot glasses and candles.

14. When I was in elementary school I had trouble saying the s sound. I pronounced it as sh. I went to speech and when the speech lady asked me what I did last night I told her I watched The Shimpshons. I still love watching the Simpsons. My favorite character is Sideshow Bob. Noah calls it The Sims. I know all of you said The Shimpshons out loud, because everyone always does.

15. I really like John Ritter. I really think he was a wonderful actor that didn’t get the respect that he deserved.

So there you have it, there is 15 random facts about me. Stay tuned for more at a later date.

Flirty Aprons Review and Giveaway

My Grandma Rose loved to cook and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her baking cakes, cookies and preparing meals. She also made special treats that are family secrets. She would always wear an apron. She had a bunch of them. I would always wear one when I cooked with her. She even let me pick which one I wanted to wear first. My favorite was one that looked kind of like a towel. It was a skirt apron or a half apron. I used to twirl around in her kitchen in between helping her cook and occasionally helping with the dishes.

In my adult life, I never had an apron. When I was younger I had play aprons I am sure but nothing that I could pass off wearing now. I am pretty sure I would look ridiculous in my Daisy smock which I occasionally cooked in. So, when I had the opportunity to review an apron from Flirty Aprons, I was really excited. I no longer would look like I had a fight with a flour monster or a sugar cloud. Maybe I am exaggerating a little bit about the mess I make while cooking but, most of the time I am a little messy.

Flirty Aprons is a company that sells adorable aprons for everyone. They have woman’s aprons and even aprons for kids. Just think how cute your daughter would look with a matching apron while in the kitchen with you. They also have some men’s aprons, because men can be messy too. Those of course are not the same prints and colors as the woman’s. These aprons are fun and stylish. They have the cutest patterns. I had a really hard time choosing the one I wanted. I thought about it for a while and I decided since I love cupcakes, I would get the Original Cupcake Apron.

I couldn’t wait until I received it. When the apron came, I immediately tried it on. This apron is not my Grandma Rose’s apron. My new apron is very sassy and sweet. Flirty Aprons completely sheds the only old women wear aprons mentality. The name is very appropriate as well.No need to guess your size because Flirty Aprons are one size fits all. I am enjoying this beautiful well made apron and I look forward to using it in all my cooking adventures as well as while I teach Noah to cook.

For more information and to order an adorable apron for yourself please visit Flirty Aprons.

Thank you to Flirty Aprons for providing me with a complimentary apron for my reviewing purposes and also providing the giveaway prize.

I have a giveaway for you.

One lucky reader will win a Flirty Apron of their own. The winner can pick the apron of their choice.

You must do the mandatory entry for the extra entries to count.

Mandatory entry: Please visit Flirty Aprons and tell me the apron you would choose. Please also tell me which category it is in.

Extra entries:

Subscribe to my blog via email. You must verify it to count.

Follow my blog

Tell me who the apron will be for

Follow @sheilacakes7 on twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post. This can be done once a day!

Please remember to leave your email address in your comments or make it accessible on your blog. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or I will have to pick a new winner.

This giveaway will end February 3,2010 at 11:59 pm ET.
This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY
Good Luck Everyone!