Pre photo shoot

I have a photo shoot tomorrow with a friend and her twin 1-year-old babies.  We are doing a cake smash for their first birthday.

Carus and I made and decorated cupcakes today, as well as making dinner.  She was very helpful.  We made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, recipe below.  Photo of the cupcakes is here, on Instagram.

And we put up the backdrop and decorated it.  Those streamers were not that cooperative and wanted to over twist or under twist and generally be a pain in the rear.  The stuffed puppy dog was the stand in for this test shot today, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  I cannot wait to get those two cuties in front of it and give them a cupcake.

I also got bubble soap thinking we can try some shots with bubbles too. Wanna take bets on whether working with babies will give me baby fever, or be a cure to baby fever?



CARROT CUPCAKES (Adapted from The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts, and Decor) 
Makes 20-22 cupcakes 

3 large eggs
1c dark brown sugar 
3/4c canola oil 
2c all purpose flour 
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Approx 1/2 tsp ground dry ginger 
3-1/2c grated carrots, packed

Preheat oven to 375F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Beats eggs & sugar until thick and foamy, about 2 mins. Beat in oil gradually, beating after all oil is added for another minute. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until mixture is uniform. Fold in carrots. Spoon into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full. 

For domed top cupcakes:   Bake in the center of your oven at 375F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325F and bake until cake springs back when touched in the center, or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

SPICED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (Adapted From The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts, and Decor)
Frosts 24-30 cupcakes

8 oz cream cheese, set out from fridge for about 15 minutes (Not quite room temp, but not cold either.)
1 stick butter, room temperature
4-6 cups powdered sugar 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine cream cheese and butter in a mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, alternating with vanilla extract. Add spices. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Beat frosting again and then frost cupcakes as desired.


The recipe says 4-5 cups of powdered sugar, but we ended up using about 6-1/2 cups.  Probably because we're in Oregon and the humidity in the air.  I also wanted to be sure to have a frosting stiff enough to pipe onto the cupcakes.  I'd start with the 4 cups and increase by 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup until reaching desired consistency.

Also, I like pecans in my carrot cake and recommend adding them (about 3/4 cup of preferred chopped nut; pecan, walnut, almond).  However, I live with a bunch of buttheads that do not like nuts in their cake so I have to go without.