We've all been witnesses to the cupcake craze and until now, people can't help but get their hands on these petite delights covered in frosting. Who can blame them? Cupcakes come in all sorts of flavors and they're pretty easy (and fun) to eat! I've tried a lot of cupcakes, some out of curiosity and some to satisfy my craving. But I haven't really found one that quite hit the spot - until my aunt started baking what heaven would taste like in the shape of a cupcake. Now you might be thinking that the reason behind my drive to make this post is my relation to the baker and owner. Yes and no. The main purpose of my blog after all is to write about the products I truly believe in and feel are worthy of letting food enthusiasts such as myself know what's out there for them to try. I won't mince words - these ARE the best cupcakes in Manila. There's no bias here, they just taste REALLY REALLY GOOD. I'm pretty sure you'd be saying the same thing once you try them out for yourself. :) 

All the cupcakes are baked fresh since they're made to order. And I don't know about you, but there's something different about how homemade baked goods taste - they're richer in flavor, fresher and safer to eat. Before I even bit into my first Adabelle Cupcake, I couldn't help but stare at its frosting. I've never seen anything piped so pretty and dainty. These cupcakes appear to be fit for a queen and a princess. So, yes. They're aesthetically pleasing, but what about the taste?

One important factor most people consider when tasting food is the balance of flavors. The red velvet cake base is moist and fluffy, so don't expect it to crumble. The frosting is like the crown on this royal dessert - extremely creamy, velvety and sweet, which makes the perfect partner for the cake. All cupcakes are frosted with Adabelle's very own homemade cream cheese frosting.

Adabelle's Bakery also customizes cakes. The photo above is that of a Pineapple Carrot Walnut Clown Cake made especially for a birthday party. No fancy fondant here, just pure playful edible art. Looking at the menu, you'll notice that Adabelle's Bakery focuses on only a few flavors, that's because all of these have been perfected down to a t. 

Adabelle's Carrot Walnut Cupcakes are a healthier alternative to other cupcakes out there. It's packed with walnuts, a healthy serving of carrots and a pretty finish.

I've tasted many chocolate cakes in the past few years - some homemade and some commercialized. I'm pretty selective when it comes to this dessert since I've always pictured my ideal chocolate cake as moist, fudgy, soft, pleasant to the palate and of course, it had to ooze with chocolate. I was fortunate to to find all of these in Adabelle's Ultramoist Chocolate Cake, which is the latest addition to the menu. Imagine 10 inches worth of super moist chocolate cake drowning in a pool of homemade chocolate fudge sauce. Absolutely delectable and a must try. 

Each creation by Adabelle's Bakery will be the best you've ever tasted, be it in the form of a cupcake or a chocolate cake. Pick-up points are in Alabang and B.F. Homes, Paranaque, please allow one day lead time for orders since all cakes and cupcakes are made to order. :)

Tiny reminder: Adabelle's Bakery will only be operating until June 24 so you only have a limited amount of time to try the best cupcakes! :)

Adabelle's Bakery

0906-346-8913

Facebook: http://facebook.com/adabellesbakery

instagram: adabellesbakery

Although I have been on hiatus for a while now, this giveaway was already in the works months before this post. I'm thrilled that Kats Cua of Kats Happy Food was on board with me on this one and made this collaboration happen. I've been putting it off because school took up majority of my time and now that my schedule's not as hectic, I figured it would be the perfect time to hold this giveaway! 

A culinary student, food blogger and baker all rolled into one, it was only fitting for Wooden Spoons & Muffin Tops to join forces with Kats Happy Food and give people another reason to make those Facebook page "likes" and "shares" count. This will be my SECOND FOOD BLOG GIVEAWAY and is just as exciting as my first one! 

 There will be 4 winners who will be selected at random and will each receive a box of 6 scrumptious Red Velvet or Tiramisu Cupcakes, which are part of the pastry line-up of Kats Happy Food! 

How to win? It's as easy as pie! Just follow these simple steps to qualify and win these scrumptious macarons!  

1. "Like" Wooden Spoons & Muffin Tops and Kats Happy Food on Facebook. (2 pts.)

2. "Follow" my blog Wooden Spoons & Muffin Tops via Google Friend Connect by clicking "Join this site" on the right side panel of my blog. (4 pts.)

3. Share this photo on Facebook and tag 5 friends. Your status must be set to PUBLIC.  :)  (5 pts)

4. Leave a comment after this blog post with your name, contact details and the steps you followed. (1 pt.)

***You will have to follow ALL OF THESE STEPS in order to QUALIFY. 

Reminders:

* Winners will be selected via Rafflecopter

*All winners will have to send a message to either the Wooden Spoons & Muffin Topss or Kats Happy Food Facebook page with their contact details once the names are announced.

* Giveaway will run from April 17 to May 1, 2013. Winners will be announced on Facebook on May 2, 2013. 

* Open to residents of the Philippines.

G'luck!! :) 

I wanna thank my cousin, Paulina Solano (who happens to be made of awesome), for making the beautiful giveaway poster! :D

        I know, I know. This is my nth post about cupcakes, but what can I say? Cupcakes have been pretty consistent in maintaining its status as "the" dessert to beat at the moment. I noticed how most of the home bakers who make cupcakes are based in Makati or Quezon City, which makes deliveries and pick-ups more complex as I live about an hour or two away from those places, respectively. So, when I found out the Patricia Jose of hey cupcake! was from Alabang, just within my area, I let out a big *PHEW*. While browsing through hey cupcake's Facebook page, I couldn't help but giggle as I read some of the typography photos posted on her timeline about cupcakes such as "Friends are good. Friends are better with cupcakes" and "You can't buy happiness, but you CAN buy cupcakes and that's sort of the same thing". As I looked through the photos of the cupcakes, my eyes widened when I saw variants based on chocolate bars such as Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Hershey's Cookies 'n' Cream, Reese's, Toblerone White, Nutella, Snickers and of course Red Velvet Cupcakes and Chewy Cookies.

            I was able to try the Red Velvet variant, a half-dozen dozen box to be exact. I adore the little red hearts at the tip of the icing on the cupcakes. If Snow White were a cupcake, this would be her. I did say this was a half-dozen box but there are only four in this photograph, yes? Well, there's a story behind that - I usually dorm in-campus during the weekdays and Patricia's cousin was nice enough to give me the cupcakes since we both go to the same school. Late night studying and 8 exams in one week is enough to stimulate my cravings for sweets (I think you know where I'm going with this). I wanted to save all six cupcakes until the end of the week just in time for their "photo op", but alas, not all of them made it home. Anyway, enough of the food drama!

         Cupcake frosting is beginning to make a name for itself - it's a smoother version of whipped sugar and although some may contest that this one was made too sweet, I enjoyed every bit of it! Its "partner", the cake base, complemented the richness of the frosting. Mmm. I tried hard to resist eating all of them in one sitting, but the only thought that kept me from doing just that was me publishing a food feature with no photos - one of my absolute worst nightmares. 

        Patricia started hey cupcake! as soon as she noticed how quickly it was making its way to dessert lovers' "must have" list, "After graduating from college, I observed that cupcakes had become a dessert favorite. So, I tried to come up with flavors that are unique and attractive and offered them initially on a limited scope." She wanted an appealing and catchy name to go with her cupcake line, which captures what one would say as soon they lay their eyes on their favorite cupcake coupled with a loud gasp, of course. 

        Patricia is no stranger to local bazaars. After being a part of COCINA (an event by UP Diliman), Soderno and The Village Bazaar, hey cupcake has garnered a following both from opposite ends of the Metro. This can be attributed to Patricia's burning desire to put up her own business as well as her training, "I've been into baking since my secondary school days. I really wanted to have my own pastry business and so I pursued it after graduating from college. I took up BS Hotel & Restaurant Management and attended baking classes."

Prices for all the cupcake flavors are as follows: P50/piece, P300/box of 6, P600/box of 12. Orders can be made through Facebook, email or by phone. Pick-up points are in Alabang and Las Pinas.

Facebook page

0927-2030504 / 0947-4086735

heycupcake@hotmail.com