Cupcake Wars - Christy's Wedding!

Cupcakes, who can say no to them. So pretty, so tasty and so so cute. Inspired by Food Channel's TV show, Cupcake Wars (Ok, we have taken the name literally), we as a food-loving group of people at work, decided to accept a cupcake-making challenge for our beloved co-worker Christy's wedding, who is by the way, getting married this weekend!!!!

The theme is wedding, and it's going to be beautiful and followed by a romantic honeymoon in Hawaii. So jealous but so happy for her at the same time. While we were excited for her big day, we were also busy preparing our best sweet goodness. 
So, here are the results:

Professional Award is granted to John Sydow, our awesome chef at work:

A glamorous, golden cupcake with a white cream cheese icing, sitting on a tasty, spiced up carrot cake. perfect cupcake with a grown-up taste.
 
1st Place Winner!! Faye Smith!!

Pumpkin Ginger cupcake made with finely chopped crystallized ginger which gives a nice spicy bite and butterscotch pudding mix for added moistness and flavor. Cupcakes are topped with browned butter, cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Browning the butter adds just a hint of caramel flavor.

2nd Place Winner!! Frances Wun!!

Fajita Nacho Cupcake made with a cinnamon, cream cheese butter cream (nacho cheese) and rich coffee chocolate cake. It is complimented very well I must say with the tangy strawberry (salsa). The tortilla chips were cut to tiny triangles with a pizza cutter, toasted with cinnamon sugar and sprayed cooking oil! One word, CUTE!! I got the recipe here: http://sweetsimplestuff.com/2012/02/03/nacho-cupcakes/ with slight alterations which I will describe in a separate post at a later date to provide more details.

3rd Place Winner!! Stacie Eftink!!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Cheesecake Frosting and Candy Seashells!! A colorful, welcoming display of fun, delicious cupcakes for Christy's honeymoon at the beach in Hawaii.
  
Colorful contestant!! Renee Biss!

A Pink Champagne Cupcake filled with Fresh Strawberry and Champagne Filling topped with a duo of Champagne and Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

Creative contestant!! Ant Schwallbert and Liz Destajo!

I guess great minds think alike. Amy and Liz picked the same yummy goodness for our awesome competition! Oreo cheesecake cupcakes.  The recipe was found here: http://housewifeglamour.com/baking/oreo-cheesecake-cupcakes/.

The only thing Amy altered was baking time which was about an extra 10 minutes since she had two cupcake trays. She used reduced fat neufchate cheese instead of cream cheese.  She recommended breaking up the cookies by hand, as a blender makes the pieces really small and turns the batter a darker color. She thought it looked more presentable with bigger cookie chunks.

 Congratulations everyone. What a fun event! Wishing you all the happiness there is!