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A kids birthday party that is as sweet as a cupcake

A kids birthday party that is as sweet as a cupcake

by | Blog Post

Guest post was written by Robyn de Beer of Mrs D plus 3

Forget disco diva’s, pirate mateys and twirling fairies … The Classic Cupcake Company’s delightfully fun cupcake decorating birthday parties are literally as ‘sweet as cupcakes’.

Your little chefs will walk out as proud as punch with their new buttercream skills and cutie-patootie (beautifully decorated) cupcakes.

Icing Breakers

Before the girls got down to the business of actually icing cupcakes they each took a turn to tell the birthday girl one thing they loved about her.  An activity I’ve not seen done before at a birthday party but it was a wonderful ice (ing) breaker and ended in the biggest girl bonding group hug I’ve ever seen.  So sweet.

Birthday girl at the classic cupcake company kids party

Let’s get this party started

All the girls were given six deliciously naked cupcakes, a piping bag, buttercream in a choice of colours and an assortment of treasures for decorating.

With hands washed and aprons tied, they were ready to get the party started. First up the birthday girl chose her favourite song (which happened to be Justin Bieber) and they all shook and shimmered around the kitchen.

The art of buttercream

Whistle while you work

With tunes aplenty, the girls really got stuck in their creativity.  Edible glitter, sprinkles, sparkles and lustre dust aplenty, it was a joy watching them carefully decorate each cupcake using the skills they’d just learnt.

The Classic Company staff were constantly on hand, answering questions and helping each little pair hands work.

Half a dozen delights

What a joy to see each child take home everything they make! Six delicious and very professional cupcakes are the best lolly bag anyone could ask for!

Each cupcake queen left the party with a personalised certificate of cupcake excellent, six personal masterpieces safely stored in a gift box and a Cheshire cat smile to book.

Booking a birthday party or cupcake holiday workshop is really easy.  Pop over to The Classic Cupcake Co Kids Academy for more details.

Recipe tutorial – Purple Velvet Cupcakes

Recipe tutorial – Purple Velvet Cupcakes

by | Blog Post, Tutorial

Just a spoon full of sugar…

When we started The Classic Cupcake Co. I wanted to be bold, but not so bold that people were scared off! The Red Velvet cupcake was already a firm favourite with the Sydney treat-loving folk however, Purple Velvet was a new twist and bold step in an attempt to be different.

One thing was for certain, I didn’t want standard cream cheese icing but rather the soft, light and creamy deliciousness of pure Vanilla Buttercream.

For the Cupcakes

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 2 tbs 100% pure cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 100 g soft unsalted butter (room temp)
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 1 heaped tbs red paste food colouring or high grade liquid
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 175 ml buttermilk
  • 1 tsp cider vinegar

For the Buttercream Frosting

  • 500 grams pure icing sugar (sifted)
  • 250 soft unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp whole milk (at room temp)

Let’s Bake

1. Cream butter & sugar till light and creamy
2. Add eggs slowly, beat in between
3. Mix cocoa powder, colour and vanilla in small bowl
4. Add to the sugar/egg mix and beat for a few mins
5. Scrape down the bowl
6. Weigh flour and set aside
7. Weigh buttermilk and set aside
8. Alternate by adding flour and buttermilk to batter
9. Measure vinegar and set aside
10. Weigh salt, bi carb into one small bowl. Add add the vinegar all at once to this mix until all has disolved (approx. 10 secs)
11. Straight away add to batter, even if it is still bubbling. Mix for 1-2 mins
12. Fill cases 3/4 high
13. Bake for 17-18 mins at 160 degrees

Let’s Decorate

1. Cream butter & sugar till light and creamy
2. Add vanilla extract and milk and beat until light, fluffy and almost white
3. Decorate with sprinkled purple velvet cake crumbs

shop

Love ANNA xxx

Recipe tutorial – How to make rainbow kisses

Recipe tutorial – How to make rainbow kisses

by | Blog Post, Tutorial

Oh, the Rainbow Kiss!

Wouldn’t that be nice?! Well, we have created that little bit of the rainbow in our perfect meringue kisses. Here is how to achieve perfection everytime, and it really is very simple once you get it right.

To make eight rainbow kisses

YOU WILL NEED:

Egg whites (free range) 8
White sugar 2 cups
Cornstarch 2 tsp
Vinegar (white) 2 tsp
Vanilla 2 tsp

METHOD:

  1. Mix everything together on high speed to form a stiff peak
  2. Bake at 120 degrees for 55 mins with weights on corners of baking paper (use milk jugs or cups as weights)
  3. Leave in oven with door ajar overnight

HOW TO CREATE THAT PERFECT “KISS”

  1. Use a large piping bag and large open tip nozzle.
  2. Paint food colouring gel along the inside of your bag.
  3. Mix it up! Have a play with different colour combinations and have fun!
  4. Pipe a blob of meringue onto the parchment paper and lift up and off to create the “kiss” shape.

HOW TO DECORATE & FLAVOUR:

  • Once cooked and rested overnight the Rainbow Kisses should be crunchy on the outside and chewy inside.
  • Use an ingredient that is a corresponding colour to the lines that you have created on your Kisses (for example, crumbled pistachio nuts with greem lines).
  • Use freeze dried powders to add natural flavour and pack a real punch! At The Classic Cupcake Co. use FreshAs Freeze Dried Powders.

The Classic Cupcake Co. flavours include:

Strawberry
Mango
Pistachio
Blue Vanilla
Blackcurrant
Pink Vanilla
Cocoa
Coconut

Happy baking and don’t forget to “Kiss the Rainbow”

Our beautiful Rainbow Kisses are now available for purchase online.

shop

Love ANNA xxx

Kids holiday cupcake workshops

Kids holiday cupcake workshops

by | Blog Post, News

It’s that time of the year again! We blink, the school holidays creep up and we remember that we should have planned activities to keep their minds, bodies and energetic spirits content!

At The Classic Cupcake Co. we have a kid’s baking Academy and each school holiday we host baking classes that see children aged from nine upwards creating culinary masterpieces under the guidance of our highly proficient bake team.  Last year I hosted Delta Goodrem and “The Voice KIDS” finalists in the Academy for a private masterclass; needless to say the camera crew all ended up covered in chocolate but no one seemed to mind. Since our Academy appeared on this show we have been booked up for kid’s birthday parties every weekend.

It does seem that parents are more eager than ever to find their kid’s activities that don’t just entertain but also educate. As a parent myself I am all too aware that paid holiday activities can sometimes be a waste of money. You go along to collect your child and ask how it was, only to get the response “it was good”. We should be getting a better result than that!

I wanted to create kid’s baking workshops to inspired them to bake more, develop their creativity and to give them two hours of fun-filled education. I think we have achieved this. It is so great to see each and every child’s personality defined in this environment. It is often the quiet child that really ends up shining and creating something very bold and beautiful and the confident child creates something more controlled and delicate.

Each class surprises me, gives me something back and inspires me to continue creating beautiful and quality products for kids and their families to enjoy for all occasions.

Book your kids party!

Book

Love ANNA xxx

Being a mother and finding time to run a business

Being a mother and finding time to run a business

by | Blog Post, Personal

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I have started to take stock of my current situation and look around me before everything changes! With a second baby due just before Mother’s Day and a very busy business, it could not be a better time to fly my own Mum out from the UK to be with me. This will be the first time I have had the privilege of having my Mum here by my side on Mother’s Day in Sydney. I am one of five children so we have to “share the love” and this is my turn to have her all to myself!

Anna with her nannie

My first Mother’s Day with two children, what a blessing! This time around I shall be taking off a whole month from work; something that I have never done to date. When you run your own business, you do not clock in and clock out. You are always on shift! Being a Mummy has been the hardest challenge of all, work is a doddle in comparison (I am sure that most Mums will agree with that!).

So, how to juggle family and work…this is not something that you can script or completely pre-determine. Each day throws up varying challenges and, quite often it is a case of how good one can be at “juggling” and ultimately keeping things in perspective. My Mum has always taken everything in her stride, and her mother before her (raising six kids on rations during the war probably taught that), with her advice being to manage each day and each hurdle as it presents itself.

When the new baby cupcake arrives I am sure that I won’t know the difference between morning and night time so I am forever grateful for my 14-strong loyal and hard-working team who are the best brand ambassadors and who allow me the privilege of taking even a short time “off” to be with my growing family.

Anna and Olivia

Love ANNA xxx

The Classic Cupcake Co. story

The Classic Cupcake Co. story

by | Blog Post, News, Personal

It’s been a busy start to 2015 and it’s also a very exciting time as I have the chance to share the Classic Cupcake Co. story with the world.

Below is the article about our story that appeared in the ANZ Business Hub.

How to build a recipe for start up success

“Persistence and product integrity proved to be the secret ingredients for a Sydney based cupcake retailer.

Company founder Anna Eden’s story started 12 years ago when she was in England operating a catering and experiential events company. She then moved to Sydney in 2010 where she decided to start her own business.  The Classic Cupcake Co. was born—or if you like, baked!

Anna was motivated to start her own business for several reasons. “I was inspired by my passion for fine culinary arts and the history of working with food and people”, she recalls.

But you need more than just passion to be successful in business. Starting a business requires two main ingredients: confident decision making based on market research, and enough capital to make it happen. A good gut instinct helps, too.

Anna thought she had both. “Once I’d made up my mind to start, I had suppliers in place, a shop location, and a team of employees all within three months and ready to go.”

But at the eleventh hour her investor thought the markets were about to change and decided to stop investing in retail ventures.

Anna was facing a tough choice: continue with the business and seek funding elsewhere, or decide to turn off the ovens. She was confident in her ability to build a successful business and knew that her product integrity gave her a competitive edge—her cupcakes are made with pure vanilla, Belgian chocolate, natural colours, free-range eggs and world-class Willie’s Cacao.

So she turned to ANZ and their lending pledge.

“I found an ANZ Small Business Specialist who truly believed in me and my business,” she says. “Without the loan I would not have been able to set up the first store. It has been the platform for our growth and we are now, two years later, ready for the next stage.”

Anna’s business plan includes opening additional locations across Australia and growing The Classic Cupcake Co. into a recognised household name.

To see how Anna and her team are faring, drop by the shop at 167 Avenue Road in Mosman, New South Wales, or visit them online.“

If you are looking to start a business, get an indication of how much you could borrow with ANZ’s business loan calculator, or contact an ANZ Small Business Specialist today.

Want a recipe for success? Anna shares these business tips.

  • Get endorsements for your products—testimonials from experts can really build your reputation. Have this person talk about your business so you can quote them on your website or promotional material.
  • Create a business plan and prepare your action steps. Review your plan at least quarterly.
  • Build contingency plans so you have a back-up strategy if your original one doesn’t work out. Don’t be afraid to change your plan.
  • Pay attention to the little details, like what you are spending money on.

Give your business the best possible chance to succeed by being able to adapt and adjust to unexpected conditions.”

Can you imagine life without the purple velvet cupcake? No, neither can I and I definitely never thought my passion for cupcakes would result in seeing my face on an ANZ campaign!

It’s been a wonderful journey so far and the support from ANZ’s Small Business team is fantastic.

Love ANNA xxx

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