Mission Cupcake in Cali complete

Busy, busy.. Just flew from gig in Cali.and my job went well.. Here's the photos...

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 30!

I made it, Day 30 has come and gone! What did I get done? So much has happened... 30 days ago I thought I would just have a small party, my phone would ring a little more and I would busier for awhile. That is so not the case! I'm not even sure what I am doing right now. My little commercial kitchen might not be enough soon. I have been approached about opening my own store and I'm seriously considering doing it! But who's got time to plan a store when you are trying to bake 3 giant cakes and 500 cupcakes for a big telecommunication company with only 2 days notice? That's my life right now..


Well, its been fun, most of it anyway. Going on Good Day Atlanta  Appearance: Good Day Atlanta was an awesome experience and host Karen Graham made the interview go so quickly, I don't even remember what I said. Of all the different newspaper that interview me, South Fulton Neighbor was the best. Article: Jacobs Daniel wins Cupcake Wars Nneka, the news reporter they sent was a real person and truly interested in my company. I have learned so much and met so many people along the way. Atlanta loves a tasty treat and it's nice being in demand to provide a great food.

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 27

Day 27,
Only 4 days left to make my mark on the baking world! Youtube is next on my list. Before I made it to "Cupcake Wars" I was also a "Coupon Queen" and made hundreds of videos on YouTube explaining how to cut your food bill in half. I still use coupons when I shop..I live by saving money on groceries, because food costs too much but everybody deserves to eat. I have 4,000 moms and dads interested in whats on sale this week. But starting this week, I'm going to find out how many people are interested in baking their own creations. You can start looking for me to produce videos about how to bake better recipes, how to make your cupcakes more attractive and whatever else I think is worthy. I'm also taking suggestions, so let me know..

Top 10 Tips for Beginning Bakers

Are you new to baking cakes?

1. Temperature -All ingredients should be at room temperature. That includes milk, butter and eggs.

2. Always Pre-heat! Turn the oven on for at least 15 minutes before you will be using it, so it has time to reach the proper temperature.
3. When Recipe Says “Cream” Butter & Sugar
   To cream butter with sugar, beat it at high speed on an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until it is fluffy. You cream the butter and sugar to dissolve the sugar crystals for one thing. For another you need to make it look like a "batter" so it will be all fluffy and nice before adding any of the dry ingredients
4. Wet and dry measurements aren't the same. Use dry measures for dry ingredients and wet measures for liquid ingredients. Measuring cups for dry ingredients come in individual sizes (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup). You fill the cup completely with dry ingredient and level it off with knife. For liquid, simply pour to desired amounts line.
   
5. Unless otherwise stated, eggs used in baking recipes should be the large size.
6. When measuring sticky ingredients such as molasses or honey, lightly oil the inside of the cup first.
7. You must sift flour for cakes and powdered sugar (confectioners) when you're using it in icing. For cakes, sift the flour, measure it, then sift it again with the dry ingredients.
8. Melting Chocolate. Chocolate must be melted over low heat or it will burn.
   Double boiler method – Melt in heat-proof bowl over pot of boiling water.
   Microwave method -You can also put it in a microwave-proof container and heat on 70 percent power for 1 minute. It should still be lumpy when you remove it; keep stirring until it is smooth. If it is still lumpy, return it to the microwave and heat in 10-second increments at 60% until smooth.
9. Use the size of pans indicated in the recipe. When you change sizes, you change the thickness of the cake and the amount of time needed to cook cake properly.
10. Be Patient! Cakes should cool completely in the pan before being inverted onto a plate or cardboard round. Run a small knife between the cake and the sides of the pan first to loosen it.

Hey.. Im not sending out the recipe for my Strawberry "Short" cupcakes anymore! You can click the link and get it there in all it's glory. Enjoy!!!

http://wap.myfoxatlanta.com/w/main/story/67206035/

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 23

Yesterday...All I did today was watch people who know a nifty thing when they taste it purchase our desserts and leave with big smiles. It was very gratifying. I also recieved approval to deliver my cupcakes to 2 new locations in Douglasville and East Point, GA. Move over Betty (Crocker) So Cosmo is taking over the baking scene! Do you think Tyler Perry will put me in a movie now?

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 16

This last week has been a blur. I might have said that already, but I guess thats how it is when you are a cupcake queen (I have been crowned "Queen of Cupcakes" by Karen Graham of Fox 5). After meeting with business owners, city officials, the dept. of agriculture, preparing for my 'Good Day Atlanta' appearance, and finishing an interview this morning with Nom Nom-Nneka, all I have to do now is simply deliver a thousand cupcakes, today. "Been there, done that!"

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 10

The drama continues..AJC.com wrote an article about us winning 'Cupcake Wars'. I was very disappointed by the comments in it, it made us sound whinny. Oh well, maybe the next paper will do a better job. I need pick up my pace. Baking is keeping me busy, who knew cupcakes could be so demanding? Yesterday I found out, I will be appearing in Fox 5 News. Yeah!!! The date is not yet set, but I will be appearing soon so I'll keep you posted. I also started shooting a new baking video. Hopefully, I will have highlights on Youtube as well as photos on my blog this weekend. The website is up, and taking orders again.

Somewhere in my schedule today I've got to find 2 hours to shop!!!!

The best call I received to was from Kerry at the Teen Angel Foundation for young woman. I feel so privileged that any charity thinks our company is worthy of working with and I look forward to helping any way I can. Somebody gave me a chance and it is important to me to do the same for others. I can't wait to mentor and, hopefully, inspire some young people in the baking field. This is why I am working with the Baking Business Entrepreneurship Program in South Fulton Schools.

Other business in the works today is two new contracts in negotiation with additional stores in the South Atlanta area. I'm in the kitchen ramping up for the weekend but sadly, no appearances :(

Shouts outs to my promotional angels Renee of ArielleWren of NYC and Karen Lewis-Farrelly of Going Public in LA in California for all of their wonderful help with my promotions and keeping me relevant because I don't have a clue!

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 8

It's no secret, I'm not professionally trained. When it  comes to cooking, I went to Grandma U  “ You just do what grandma say.” and it'll come out right. Pinch of this, pinch of dat... I learned from an early age why “butter's just better”so to this day, I don't use margarine in my cakes (unless its vegan..). With that said, today its all about thank yous.

 I thank my grandma for making me stand at store fronts to sell her cakes and for letting me choose 1 sweet to eat at the end of the work day. I thank the aunties and mother-in laws ones who showed their secret touches to their recipes that have folks diving for the last. I thank the producers of Cupcake Wars for calling my job and asking me to come on their show. I thank my husband Kevin who gave me his last to get the wheels rolling on this whole show. I thank Miss Patty for producing her shows where I won my first cake competition. Last, but not least I thank all the foodies, cupcake fans and my friends who support, buy and try everything I make. It is a privilege to bake for you.

And now back to baking.. the site is back to taking orders, and we need to send some care packages out today. I am also looking for a women's and children's shelter to make some cupcake donations to. If you know of a deserving one in Fulton County, preferably near College Park area, I'm all ears, let me know.    http://www.facebook.com/SoCosmoBaking?ref=tn_tnmn

Life After Cupcake Wars: Day 5 & 6

In the words of Ice Cube (and my husband Kevin) Today was a Good Day! But Whew!!! It was busy. Phone calls, interviews and constant requests. Im typing now, 10 at night, but Im sure I still have a few hours of  work to go...
Rewind to yesterday...First there was my morning walk. I only got as far as putting my sneaks on, when the phone rang, its Atlanta Journal Constitution wanting an interview. So much for the exercise! BUT, since I do taste everything I bake, I need to walk, so put that back on the list. What happened after the interview was a blur but I definitely remember hearing something about my website shutting down, no orders coming through and please check and/or empty the voicemail on the company phone. This was not on the "To Do" list today. My list was simple:

Enjoying some cake with Bill & Will of Strawn Brewery
and cupcake loving customers at Oz



Walk 3 miles

Bake & deliver 500 cupcakes

Make guest appearance @ 1pm

Call longtime, loyal friend Patrice in TN

With phone orders and voicemails backing up I'm seriously considering looking for some help. Any suggestions on where to look? A cooking school downtown maybe? Since my day was about 40 hours long, let me just cover the highlights:

Signed my first autograph (rockstar status!)

Appearing on Good Morning Atlanta July 12th (My publicist Liz is good..)

Saw 100 cupcakes fly out the door while I was delivering them. Awesome!

Didn't walk or call Patrice - but I am going to call my friend right now while I'm walking..bye!

More cupcake experts!

Fans of the show

Winning Cupcake Wars: The 1st 30 Days

Hey Cupcake Lovers!

Well it’s official I’m the winner of Cupcake Wars! Its was hard keeping a secret for more than 2 months that I was the first woman from Atlanta, Georgia to take home the grand prize. You have no idea how many people asked: What happened with your audition tape on Youtube, did you get it? Are you going to Cupcake Wars? Why were you in Los Angeles for 2 days? Questions, questions and more questions.... And now I can say it loud and proud and for the next 30 days I get to tell you all about it.

Do you watch “Cupcake Wars”? Well, if you don't, let me help you.

1. Cupcake Wars is in its 6^th season.
2. Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" is a national, weekly show that features four of the country's top cupcake bakers for a face off in three elimination challenges until only one decorator remains.
3. Winners are given a cash price of $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase their cupcakes at the winning gig, which have included events such as a star-studded magazine party and an A-list sporting tournaments.
4. Cupcake Wars attracts thousands of bloggers, viewers and fans!
5. Cupcakes Takes the Cakes has over 27,000 Followers!
6. Cupcake Wars has an active FaceBook Page with 70,000 fans and growing!
7. Cupcake Wars has it's own app!
8. What did I miss? What do you know and love about Cupcake Wars? Share your favorite things about this show, so we can make sure we check it out!

I guess this has been a great day again! I was contacted by Oz Pizza to make an appearance this Saturday and sell 1,000 cupcakes,  so stay tuned in!!!

You can now try all 4 cupcake flavors at Oz Pizza Fairburn location. We so excited, please come down and see us Saturday June 23 after the show.

Hope to see you there

Meet a west coast girl with deep south roots

Bon jour!
Im Lorre, but you can call me L. A third generation baker; baking was even my first job in highschool at Furr's cafeteria. Sweets have always been my passion. I am the product of a big city mother and a low country-french quarter father. Two different worlds, many different tastes. Southern Cosmopolitan is a product of my heritage.

By accident I landed in the world of entertainment - event coordinating for years in glamorous Bevelry Hills, CA. But instead of planning celebrity affairs and concerts, I dreamt of baking deep dish cobblers and cupcakes. A move across America, 13 years of marriage and 10 kids later, baking is still my passion. So finally I jumped in, and now, a passion is a reality. Southern Cosmopolitan Baking Company is delivering tasty southern treats from scratch all over Georgia and we would love to deliver to you for your next special event.