Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sunday Sweets: The Cutest Christmas Cupcakes

Sunday, December 20, 2009

I'm still occasionally accused of hating on cupcakes, when we should all be in agreement by now that it is only cupcake cakes (aka CCCs) that deserve our white-hot hatred and ridicule.

But cupcakes alone? Nooo problem. In fact, I rather like them. Here, I'll prove it to you: these seasonal sweets make me positively gooey inside.

(Made by Studio Cake & submitted by Amanda A.)


Bakerella never fails to bring the cute:


And in case you missed it last year, check out her brilliant snow globe cupcakes:

She even provides instructions on how to make your own here.

I never knew sprinkles could look this elegant:

(Made by Kuidaore & submitted by Madeleine B.)

Abbietabbie has oodles of exquisite cupcake designs. Here are two of my favs:


And finally, check out these awww-fully adorable Baby's First Christmas cupcakes:

By Mossy's Masterpiece
(Lots more cuteness at the link, too - check it out.)


- Similar Sweets: Winter Wonderland

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What I learned today: Cleft lip & palate is the #1 birth defect in developing countries - over 200,00 kids are born with one every year, often leaving them unable to eat or speak. Today's charity, Operation Smile, provides free surgeries to these children. And get this: each surgery only costs $240!
So let's see how many smiles we can bring today, eh?

Click here to donate via our First Giving page.
Unknown said...

Those are cute, but I got excited hoping the snow globe one was one of the elusive actual-edible dome things I've heard rumours about, so I was a bit disappointed that it's just plastic. Yes, it's lovely, but I'm always extra-impressed when the art is confined to edible media.

Dedi said...

Those Coca Cola Cupcakes are SO SUPER COOL!!!!!

Recursively said...

Holy Crabbi-Cakes! That just looks like WAAAAYYY too much work. Cute though.

Pilgrim said...

Those are too cute to eat! I'm going to pass this link onto my sister, who is a big cupcake maker & eater... I bet she can whip up something like this for Christmas.



Really enjoying the links to the charities too, btw-- thanks for doing this.

Andrea said...

My favorite is the snowman with the kiss hat. Awww!

And I just can't help myself here -- a palette is what an artist uses to mix colors. A palate is the roof of the mouth.

WV: aingness. These cupcakes have such an air of aingness about them, I can see the glow of the bakers' halos from here!

Amanda Mac said...

That snowflake cupcake is positively exquisite! Total gorgeous yumminess!

Anonymous said...

All of these cupcakes are beautiful, but I particularly like the first snowman ones and the Coke bears!

Anonymous said...

Y'know... when reading these Sunday Sweets posts, there's usually one or two of the sweets stand out to me above and beyond all the others.

Not this time, though. They're all stunning and adorable in equal measure, and it's just impossible for me to pick a favourite this week.

Jo said...

Everything is gorgeous today. Are those snowman ornaments too? The reindeer with the golden sprinkles (sounds like a xmas reindeer bond flick!) is lovely. I think he's bathed in luster dust too!

The snowflake Christmas tree? That is genius. It actually took my breath away. Wow.

Love the Cake/Coke ad!

b said...

How adorable - they're all my favorite! I just had to know how to make a snowglobe cupcake, and when I went to Bakerella's site I fell in love with her Cake Pops. Such a cool idea that I would have never ever thought of myself.

Jen@Scrapingirl said...

You are absolutely hilarious!! I look forward to your posts everytime I turn my computer on. I just wanted you to know. Hope you have a blessed Christmas!!

Erin Huss said...

I have to admit since reading your blog I have developed a little prejudice against cupcakes but I have to say that they are quiet stunning.

Paloma said...

WOW! Everything is just too cute! I don't think I could eat them :) I love your blog... someone just recommended it to me and here I am... I'll be following it from now on!

Hopefully you can stop by my blog some day too ;)

Mercy Langille said...

Adorable. Just what I would make ... if I had the time.

lisadh said...

So very pretty, pretty!

Anonymous said...

I love cupcakes (when left independent of each other, that is)! And I love Bakerella. My favorite thing on her site lately has been the Sesame Street cake pops from early November-- so adorable!

Unknown said...

I must admit that I've been so excited about the charity thing, that I scroll down to find out what charity is being featured today. Then I go back up to look at the cakes. Geez, look at me with my priorities all out of order. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I love the snowflake cupcake! It would make a great winter wedding cake... big sheet or square on the bottom then smaller rounds instead of icing drops. Too bad I'm already married... :)

Unknown said...

These are lovely! I especially love the first one, with the snowmen; the snowflake trees; and the last one... So cute!
Thanks for bringing us these lovely little cupcakes to look at!

caseyoconnell said...

Done! My husband and I just watched "The Cove" last night, and I'd like to nominate their organization to become one of the recipients of the CakeWrecks fund drive. From their website:

The Cove exposes the slaughter of more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises in Taiji, Japan every year, and how their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan and other parts of Asia, often labeled as whale meat. The majority of the world is not aware this is happening as the Taiji cove is blocked off from the public. The focus of the Social Action Campaign for The Cove is to create worldwide awareness of this annual practice as well as the dangers of eating seafood contaminated with mercury and to pressure those in power to put an end to the slaughter.

It's an amazing film, and incredibly good work. I've always felt like dolphins and whales must be as smart and self-aware as humans are, and it just seems like a horrific crime to let them be slaughtered like this. Please take a look! Thanks.

Kate said...

Those brown and gold reindeer cupcakes PROVE that you CAN use chocolate icing without it resembling feces. :D

Dimestore Lipstick said...

There are sprinkles, and then there are gold dragees. I usuanlly don't see myself biting into any of the masterpieces on Sunday Sweets, but those gold-decorated chocolate beauties have my mouth watering.

Adele said...

those are incredibly lovely.

Eludius said...

I totally need to be more creative with my cupcakes. So a slap or 2 of canned icing isn't considered artistic? Dang!

Unknown said...

The cupcakes are so lovely!

Unknown said...

SO CUTE! The reindeer/sprinkle cupcake is so simple and beautiful.

And thank you for Operation Smile. My niece was born with a cleft lip and palate, and it is a devastating birth defect. The children and their families have such a long road ahead of them (sometimes 6 surgeries before their 18th birthday). Thank you for brining awareness, Jen! You're doing God's work.

P.S. My niece is healthy, happy little firecracker! I feel like we're the lucky ones for having her in our lives.

Eileen said...

These are beautiful!

If you're still looking for a good charity, Feed My Starving Children (fmsc.org) is a sweet organization that sends food all over the world (Haiti, Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Uganda are some of the big ones) - but the cool thing is it's all packed by volunteers.

Rattlesnake said...

Those cupcakes are adorable! I love the snowmen.

Unknown said...

OMIGOSH im going to walmart right now to look for those coke bottles!!! thanks jen for another WONDERFUL sunday sweets post!

Alisa said...

those are all way too cute to eat.

Cheressa said...

I love the snowflake cupcake!! Super
Cute...Also the Santa claus one is too Adorable!!

Happy_Clefty said...

I especially love the snowflake cupcake. (I love cupcakes, they're cute. They make me happy as long as they are separate.)

@Rose: same with me.

RE the charity: yes, there are a ton and I'm glad you guys are choosing to donate to Operation Smile. I was born with a cleft lip & palate (albeit in the US, and I was/am - lots of orthodontic work still - being treated). I consider myself lucky as heck and I think my life is amazing.

I'm still too young to have a credit card (I wish....) and I can't donate myself, so all I can do is give a little sales pitch. These kids, unlike me, are often raised believing that they are cursed because of their defect. They're shunned and they don't get the opportunities the rest of their family gets - which are already small enough.
A smile is something we all should be able to give.

Caz said...

Oh my.. the snowflake trees are just exquisite!

(word verification: weedinst .. what these decorators were obviously not into, wish we could say the same for the ones of the last week! LOL)

Terry Lee said...

all the cupcakes today are extra special and very sweet!

the charity, however, is the sweetest. thanks for another terrific choice, j & j!

Fanboy Wife said...

I really like the Coca-Cola cupcakes.

skatej said...

Operation smile is a great organization. To any of you out there who are Child Life Specialists, they always take at least one CCLS on their trips to help prepare the children for their surgery. They are the only medical missions group that specifically has a slot for CCLSs, to my knowledge.

Meg said...

Those are awesome. I love the polar bear ones!!

Cassie said...

My grandfather had a cleft lip when he was born, and the organization "Smile Train" sewed him up for free. His father, my great-grandfather, didn't have that sort of luck. His cleft palate was sewn up via his mother's sewing prowess. Mad props to you for acknowledging and supporting one of these amazing charity organizations! And a merry Christmas to you and yours!

Anonymous said...

I'm really glad to see Operation Smile as the charity of the day. One of my two nephews has a cleft lip, and while that probably seems like a cosmetic problem to most people, I've learned from experience what a huge problem it can be for feeding a baby. It can also cause a lot of nasal and inner ear problems.

As always, the cakes are adorable. :D

Katie said...

I love the Coca Cola ones, those are the cutest! :)

Anonymous said...

Adorable! Such a relief after seeing all the Christmas wrecks.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I kind of think the snowman's hat (5th picture down) looks like poop! You've ruined me.

Full Passport said...

I just volunteered with Operation Smile in Egypt last month - such a great cause! The families were so touched by the great work the charity did - what an impact!

You guys so rock!

(plus: cupcakes = adorable!)

Anonymous said...

I can't believe only one other person commented that the snowman hats look like poop!!! It was immadiatey my first thought! (Oh no - someone/thing pooped on those poor snowmen's heads!)

Anonymous said...

I saw on the Operation Smile website there's a matching donation program on right now, and I was worried if I went through First Giving it wouldn't happen. But I wanted you to know this post inspired me to donate $200 directly to Operation Smile. Thanks for doing this. -lisa

Bookworm said...

I loved the Coke one. So cute and clever!

Happy holidays! (:

Unknown said...

These are just adorable. And also wanted to say thank you for requesting donations for Operation Smile. I was born with a cleft lip and palate, and it's tough enough going through all the surgeries and treatments in a developed country like here in Australia, let alone in a developing country. Bless you both and hope you had a wonderful christmas :) Chloe xx

Kathryn said...

Re the cleft lip surgeries: I was shocked to see a baby with a cleft lip (and possibly palate) recently, in the USA. I was surprised it wasn't fixed before the baby went home. Yet another thing to show that rural counties are behind the city in healthcare, I guess.