Cupcake Hero : Earth Day

I am going to start backwards this month and start with the thank yous first. My fab Cupcake Hero Staff really picked up my slack this month. Tempered Woman baked like a madwoman, as did the lovely Joy. Thanks gals! As always I want to thank all you kick ass bakers who sent in entries. You guys were oh so creative. I think the Earth Day folks would be extremely proud of you all.  I think we should let TW pick the theme more often! She is nothing short of brilliant.

Last but certainly not least, great big huge thanks to Leigh of Lemon Tartlet. She was brought on as our Staff writer and did a bang up job. This post would not have been done till next week or later without her. Thanks so much Leigh, you saved my ass.

On to the cupcakes….Thats what ya came here for. 😉

Tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy baked up Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes. Look at those little curls! I already love zucchini in baked goods, and you can’t go wrong with just about anything paired up with chocolate. Don’t worry Tammy, we can tell it’s a fern frond and not an ode to a Beatles album.

Michelle of Clever Cupcakes made Ice Box Cupcakes. Does it get any easier than this? Conserving energy is a big part of saving the planet, and what better way to do that than not using any excess energy to create treats? It don’t hurt that you ain’t got to use much of your own either to create these elegant cupcakes.

Mari of Mevrouw Cupcake baked Flowerpot Farm Cupcakes. If y’all think I’m swayed by… by adorable cows and… and that little tractor… then I just don’t know what this world is coming to! Perfect in their simplicity, these cuties even come with their own reusable pots to start your garden with. Make sure and read her included story!

Hannah of Ma Baker’s Blog baked up White Chocolate Mint Mud Cupcakes. Dedicated to the CH cause, she hunted down every organic ingredient she could find to create these little mint treats. Not only do they look adorable, they have the stamp of approval from the highest court in the land, her 3 year old! Y’all, that’s good enough for me.

Mara of Lick the Spatula baked Earth Day Garden Carrot Cupcakes. Garden cupcakes! Not only do these look tasty (and I should know having scarfed plenty of that bill’s carrot cake myself), but the toothpick fence is so adorable it’s physically painful. Aint that sure I could eat these, because I’d want to admire them! Wouldn’t these be great for a garden party treat?

Lysy of Munchkin Mail defrosted Blackberry Cinnamon Muffins. If it ain’t broke… don’t bake it! Here’s a little recycling we can all get into, especially when the kitchen gets so warm in the summer. Now if she can get that power from cats thing worked out…

Luki of Sinfully Sweet Confections baked Organic Vegan Green Granny Smith Cupcakes. No butt cakes here, these are appleicious! Everything’s organic, and looking fine and that streusel topping is calling to me like the rent is due. Does it get better than moist apples and crunchy sugar? No, it don’t.

Holly of PheMOMenon baked Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes. If Earth Day and Valentine’s Day were at the same time, these would be the cupcakes to use. Locally grown strawberries meet an elegant drape of chocolate, and perch on a swirl of strawberry goodness. This woman is always at the top of her game when it comes to baking!

Wendy of The Cupcakery baked Ginger Pear Cupcakes with Lingonberry Filling and Ginger Whipped Cream. Now these are different. Poached pears and lingon berries, ginger cream… What’s not to drool over? Lots of organic ingredients and good for the earth baking products give this cupcake it’s jump into the earth day circle, as well as introduce us to the beloved “cowberry”. Moo!

Stef of Cupcake Project baked Greek Bird’s Nest Cupcakes. Ohhhh Honey Honey, do do dum dee dum do. These cupcakes look just like my hair in the morning little bird’s nests! They’re the bees knees, and if the cupcakes ain’t enough for ya she’s even got a poem about them on her website!

Gretchen of Canela & Comino baked Dirt Cupcakes. Sending in one of the dirtiest entries, Gretchen is ready to get down and dirty with these great looking cupcakes! She’s worming her way into the competition, and willing to sling a little mud to win this presti… ok yeah, I’ll stop that now. Chocolate. Yum.

Thayer of I Like Cake baked Backyard Cupcakes. When it comes to eating local, you can’t do better than your own backyard. Grapefruit right off the tree teams up with fresh picked basil to make these adorable cupcakes! Love the little pink sunflower seeds, and the sugar really sparkles.

CC of Casually Iced baked Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange and Banana filling and Chocolate Glaze. War has been declared on eggs, and vinegar is leading the army. A ‘perfect’ chocolate cake filled with fruity filling is here in all it’s vegan glory to celebrate Earth Day with it’s peers. Go vinegar!

Carmella of The Food Duo baked Druck Cakes. Speaking of recycling, it’s time for another lesson in how to use what you have. Not only are these made from already in the fridge ingredients, even the cups they’re in are reusable. Grab a spoon and get ready! These deconstructed – reconstructed treats are ready to get nibbled.

Chocolatechic‘s Son baked Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Feeling a little lost? These cupcakes will get you finding your way in no time, because of their handy map feature! Who knew cupcakes came with GPS? Do a little globe trotting with your tongue with these tasty chocolate goodies.

Sara of Cupcake Muffin baked Triple Lemon Cupcakes. Local lemons lavish love… and are yummy! Another foray into the world of backyard produce brings us these citrus wonders, and cleans the air! When double lemon ain’t enough, go triple baby.

Stephanie of Steph Chows baked Polar Bear Cupcakes. First reaction was to yell, “They’re so cute!” This is a class A cute alert warning y’all, no question about it. Polar bears are finding a new habitat in the fridge, and she’s really a-head of the game! These cupcakes move her to the head of the class. The cool air will head of trouble for these… ok yes, again I’ll stop that now. *skips off singing Iiiiiii ain’t got no boooooooody*

CB of I Heart Cuppycakes baked Veggie Garden Cupcakes.  Y’all are trying to do me in with the adorable! Who cares about back breaking gardening in the blazing sun, when you can have a nice veggie patch right here? The pea pods win me over, but then when I try to decide which is my fav they all want to win. You are getting way beyond in your decorating talents woman.

Karen of Do Better baked Organic Hostess Cupcakes. Doing better sure looks good to me, as these hostess with the mostess cupcakes prove. It’s everything you love about the unhealthy snack cake, in a (kinda) guiltless package! Great for the earth, and not bad for the thighs either.

Michelle of Big Black Dogs baked Dotted Swiss Cupcakes. Getting elemental is very appropriate for Earth Day, and these dotted and swirled cupcakes are really getting into the spirit of things. From the marbled solid base to the airy topping, these are a celebration of nature and chocolate!

Elizabeth of Red Kitchen Aid baked Chocolate Mint Flowerpot Cupcakes. Ain’t no getting around it, these are brilliant. Not only can you enjoy them, but you can start a garden with them! That would be very useful, since y’all know you’ll be making these again. I love how in the spirit of things these are, and how good they would be for an Earth Day party.

Prissycook baked Prickly Pear Lemon Cupcakes. These cheerful pink creations had a heck of a ride! Not only do they look tasty, they can withstand some adventure before getting to your plate. Rough and tumble on the outside, citrus zing on the inside. What more could you want?

Bloghungry baked Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting AND 4 Minute Banana Cupcakes with Banana Cream Cheese Frosting. Why do you need to read about these treats? They ain’t content with just being tasty cupcakes, they have videos! Ok, video scripts. Which is very cool. Go read them now. Right now!

Tommi of Brown Interior baked Five Inches Under Cupcakes. If you’re wanting to celebrate the planet while snacking, these cupcakes can’t be beet! They’re decked out to represent the earth, and if you get a chance you need to read about them. These are some very dedicated cupcake y’all, right down to the proper oxygen : silicone ratio for the earth’s crust! Oh yeah, and they’re chocolate.

Mary of Shazam in the Kitchen baked Vermicompost Cupcakes. This is one of the best ideas ever. It’s true that I might be biased, but I love those little wriggling red guys! Vermicompost is such an interesting thing, and when you can combine good for the environment with good for your taste buds you know the day is good. Wriggle on worms!

Steph of A Whisk and A Spoon baked Rhubarb-Filled Yogurt Cupcakes with Lemon Butter Icing and Pistachios. TW baked these beauties up, she summed it up best I think..

“The perfect embodiment of Earth Day- they were a combination of very
simple elements that came together to make a ridiculoulsy good
cupcake. All of the flavors melded so well, earthy rhubarb with sweet
lemon and nutty pistachios. Simple but complex if that makes sense,
heh. Of course it was a solid recipe and don’t you just love how she
breaks it down to only 6??”

Congrats to you Steph… You are THE Cupcake Hero!

This is Steph’s 2nd time as the CH Winner… The first one to ever win twice. This is no small feat. She deserves extra praise, compliments and all around good cheer. Way to go Steph!

The them for May is Cocoa, so I hope you are all gettin your chocolate on! Can’t wait to see what you come up with. Let the chocolate entries come flooding in!