Yummmm.... peanut butter....

I just love Instagram!  It creates such beautifully finished photos!  These here were this weeks cupcakes for the store, Hands on Catering and Specialites.  To the left, you have a chocolate cupcake baked with a peanut butter cup inside and topped with peanut butter buttercream and chocolate sprinkles.  To the right, a classic.  Apple spice cake topped with maple buttercream.  Two classic flavours that are always loved by all!   And Happy Birthday to my darling friend Jo... no fondant cake this year, but I made sure you got a batch of your favourite apple maple cupcakes :)

It all started with a birthday and a cupcake...

Do you all remember that story from the post "A little bit about me..."  Well just the other day I found the picture that I took on my blackberry of the very first set of piped cupcakes that I ever made.  Chocolate cupcakes and the frosting was made by a dear friend who showed me how to pipe a basic swirl using a Wilton 1M tip!  Thanks Nicole.  Kim... your birthday started the cupcake addiction. 

60th Wedding Anniversary

Well everyone!  This was a very exciting event for me.  I finally purchased a beautiful clear 7 tiered cucpake stand.  I had been just dying to try it for the first time.  A wonderful co-worker and friend hired me to do a lovely cake and cupcake display for her parents 60th Wedding Anniversary surprise party.  So, out I went to purchase this stand and give it try for the very first time.

I only had to use 5 of the 7 tiers.  The bottom sat on a 12" round mirror which gave a great ambiance against the foil cupcake liners.  The cupcakes were an assortment of regular size and mini's and were carrot with a cream cheese frosting and chocolate with a vanilla buttercream.  All cupcakes had a little gum paste cherry blossom to add some flair.  The cake topper was a chocolate cake with a raspberry and vanilla buttercream filling and covered in ivory fondant rolled onto a vine and swirl impression mat.  The bow was centred with a beautiful broach that belonged to a family member.  And as the stunning focal point, a 60th photo frame with a wedding photo of the happy couple!

The cupcakes were enjoyed by all. Thank you Heslington family for allowing me to grace this special day with Blissful Bites Cupcakes!

Shelburne Heritage Classic Car Show

Well, this past weekend was the Heritage Festival and Classic Car Show in Shelburne!  Main Street was closed down and filled with all the classic cars you could imagine!  Feast your eyes on old fords, pontiac's and chevy's!

At Hands on Catering, they decided to run with the theme and created a 50's themed diner!  Staff were dressed up in poodle skirts and beehive hair do's with Elvis playin in the background.

Out on the street... pulled pork on a bun, ice cream floats and milkshakes were on the menu.  And of course... it wouldn't be complete without some 50's themed cupcakes. 

So that is where I came in.  And below... you will see my creations!

I went with an old soda shop feel and created a malt cupcake with a chocolate espresso malt buttercream topped with a malteser chocolate and a classic striped straw!  Just like the old soda shops!

And then I created a banana split cupcake!  Chocolate banana cake topped with vanilla buttercream, choclate drizzle, sprinkles, banana chips and of course... a cherry!

Yumm!!!!

Pictures to follow!

New cupcakes for the week!

There are some new flavour combinations on the menu this week at Hands on Catering!

Be sure to stop in to sink your teeth into the 2 new flavour combo's!

Vanilla Bean Cupcake with Vanilla Bean frosting and topped with coconut shavings

Chocolate Fudge Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting, ganache drizzle and a brownie piece topper

Just some stuff I've been working on...

Well everyone!  Thanks for stopping in.  Boy has it been busy lately!

Since the successful launch of Hands on Catering, the cupcakes have been coming out of the oven in record numbers!  More cupcakes but less time to blog. 

But I'm here today to post some pics of what I have been up to lately! 

I will be working on some flavours and combinations in the upcoming weeks in preparation for our busy summer ahead.  Heritage Classic Car show in Shelburne in June and the well known 4 day long Fiddle Championship will hit Shelburne again this year in August!

Hope you enjoy the pics and check back soon to see what I've been up to!



Classic Cookies 'n' Cream...



Cake pops!  Choclate cake pops with white sprinkles!

The Resse.  Chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream and a little reese treat on top!

This was an apple spice cake with maple buttercream.  The top of the cupcake was piped in a rose detail.

My newest creation and a KEEPER!  Cinnamon Toast Crunch (which replace the French Toast cupcake).  Cinnamon cake with a crunchy streusel topping and topped with maple buttercream!

Classic Vanilla bean cake with vanilla bean buttercream.  Who doesn't love vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles?

GRAND OPENING A SUCCESS!!!!!!!! Hands on Catering now open and ready for business!

Well, the Grand Opening of Hands on Catering and Specialities on Saturday May 11th was a great success!!!!  Family, friends and new faces gathered into the store to try all of the wonderful meals and treats!

Thank you to all of our friends and family who came from near and far to join us and support us! You all mean the world to us!

The Mayor of Shelburne stopped for a cake cutting ceremony to formally open the store.  And guess who's cake that is they are cutting???  Yup, Blissful Bites was given that task!  The mayor even took some with him for later!

Cupcakes flew off the shelves and we had to keep restocking over the course of the afternoon!  It was a great day!

Be sure to stop in and check out all the delicous lunch specials and meals to go.  And not to mention the delicous cupcakes!  New fresh flavours every week!

News Alert!!!! Hands on Catering Coming Soon!!!!

A dear friend of mine has decided to live her dream!

Hands on Catering will be opening its doors to the people of Shelburne very shortly!

Hands on Catering will open, with fingers crossed, sometime this week!

Billie-Jo, the owner/operator and head cook will be offering homemade meals to go!  Lasagna, Veggie Lasagna, Meat pies, Cabbage rolls, Chili, Baked beans, Roasted Red pepper soup, etc etc etc.
In store daily specials such as grilled panini sandwiches, soups and salads!

And my dear friend will be featuring Blissful Bites creations!  Cupcakes and cakes will be available in store daily to fill all of your sweet tooth cravings.  My portfolio will be available for your perusal for any custom orders that you need!

So a big shout out to Billie-Jo of Hands on Catering - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And a big THANK YOU to Billie-Jo for giving this small town cupcake lover a chance to taste a bit of the dream too!!!!!

Looking forward to grabbing a bite at Hands on Catering and Specialties very soon!

FOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This cake was fun!  It is always fun when you can create a cake with different textures!  The cake itself was a vanilla raspberry swirl with vanilla buttercream!

Happy 6th Birthday Miss Talon!

Well, this year marked my 3rd year making Miss Talon's birthday cakes!  Oh what a pleasure it has been.  The best part is, at the end of one birthday, she starts planning her next year's cake.  And I absolutely love that she has every bit of faith that I will make the perfect cake for her perfect birthday party.

This years theme... Monster High.  Don't ask me what Monster High is... I have no clue.  And funny enough, at last years Princess Jasmine themed birthday, Talon's gift from Auntie Miller was a Monster High doll.  Go figure... the theme is set a year in advance... what did I tell ya!

So Monster High is some cartoon where the high school girls are vampires... I think?  Talon's favourite is Draulaura... supposedly she's a vegan vampire... kind of like the Cullens I guess...

So I thought and thought and thought about how to make the perfect cake.  At first I planned a 3 tiered display with a cake, cake pops and cupcakes.  That faded and I wanted something better.  I scoured the internet looking for some inspiration from Monster High. 

And then I found it....

Turns out Draculaura celebrated a Sweet 1600th birthday party.  And voila... this is the beautiful cake that she had on the show!

So that is what I decided to make Talon.  A real life replica of that cake!

This cake came in 3 different flavours.  The bottom layer was chocolate and pink velvet layers... so when it was cut open... it was black and pink stripes... just like her hair!

The cake was a huge hit and Talon loved it!

Can't wait to make next years cake Talon!  Happy 6th Birthday.  Love Auntie Miller!

24 karat GOLD!

Well, I guess it's been a while since there has been any new additions to the site.  I guess it's because I haven't been doing too much backing lately.  Or, is it because I always remember to take a picture AFTER the cake has been eaten!

I haven't done any elaborate cakes lately.  I am working on one for next Saturday.  Miss Talon is turning 6 and wants a Monster High cake.  So I have pulled out all the stops and am working on a spectacular cake for her birthday party.  Pics to surely follow.  Let's just say for now... the flavours include a raspberry jelly roll type cake (the raspberry filling decided to gravitate to the middle which resulted in a jelly roll filling type layer), chocolate and pink coloured cake!  I am hoping Talon loves it!

But on another note... there are certainly some new adventures unfolding in the world of Blissful Bites Bakery.  New horizons.  I won't get into the details right now, but the details will follow when they're ready. 

The new adventures have certainly peaked my interest and I am ready to dive in and start trying some new flavours and combinations of cakes and cupcakes. I would love to launch a whole drunken cupcake line... oh boy that will be fun!

The first of the new flavours started with the question to my husband... "I want to bake something new this weekend, what would you like?"  Without hesitation, "carrot cake!"

Believe it or not, with the flavours on my menu, carrot cake is nowhere to be found... until now.  I aimed to have a flavourful and moist cake.  If anyone knows me, I'm all about cake textures and moisture.  I hate nothing more than a dry cake!

So i made him a carrot cake... with my famous vanilla cream cheese frosting.  And with that, Travis was served a heaping slice of carrot cake.  His response... did not include words.  He more or less grunts in delight as he continues to chew...

So this one was a swing and a home run.  And of course, it was shared with my dear Jo at work... and she said that she didn't even like carrot cake!  And of course a slice went to my friend of Hands on Catering, who also enjoyed the GOLD!

I have included a pic... and it's not the greatest.  It was another incident of... "oh I should take a picture before there is none left!"  So the below picture is the last slice, that will surely be eaten within the next 30 minutes I'm sure!