Sara Writes: It Started With Cupcakes

It is never wise to forget your beginnings, and I certainly haven't forgotten mine. Today I'm going to tell you the story of how I became an obsessed baker, i.e. how the obsession began! The first time when I had baked in my life remains an experience and feeling that is very close to my heart! It's a super special memory which is still fresh in my mind as if it were just yesterday. But guess what, it's been seven years! Seven fabulously delicious years. So let me rewind and lets go back to seven years ago ...

One fine day, I tuned in to TLC and fell in love with the show Cake Boss! It was so awesome. Buddy Valastro was in all true meaning the boss of cakes. His cakes mesmerized me. I couldn't understand HOW he did it but he could literally do any and all kinds of cakes and it was unbelievable! Episode upon episode of the show I devoured and somewhere in my heart Buddy kindled the love of baking. I wanted to try it. I wanted to see if I could bake up a cake too! Oh and when my interest developed in baking I automatically started paying more attention to the detail in cakes I saw in stores; the icing, the frosting, the perfect piping, the various kinds and looks of sprinkles ... They were all pretty but nothing close to what the boss could do! He was outstanding!

Finally, a day came when I decided that I would bake for the first time in my life. I had full support and encouragement from my family and so they took me shopping and I got the basic things I needed to make a first attempt. I got a basic 12 cup muffin/cupcake pan, a bottle full of yellow frosting, and a hand-held electric beater/mixer, and ofcourse the basic sugar, baking powder, and sprinkles and what not. The first recipe of my life came from a high school friend's mom. She baked at home and she was kind enough to send me her recipe.

All set with everything ready on hand Saraallie began baking! It was, summed up in one word, AMAZING. There was a satisfaction of finally trying baking, an excitement of what would happen in the oven next, and my crazy mind kept imagining myself as Buddy the baker - only his female version! *laughs* Hey, one can dream, can't they?

A little mixing, beating, sifting, and being-nervous later my FIRST EVER cupcakes were in the oven. The temperature and timings were set and I was sitting with my nose literally a millimeter away from the oven's door. I HAD TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM! And slowly, they rose .. and rose .. and then formed into their cake selves ... and then golden browned. And my oven's alarm went off! Peep peep peep! Running here, there, and all around, I got my oven mitts, wore them, and dived to rescue my darlings before they over-baked. The sweet aroma of baked goodies had filled the entire house, my brother was besides me in the kitchen (the only person not scared of the oven at that time). He was drooling, but kept saying, "What if they don't go right?" I swear I was so nervous, I still remember that feeling from years ago ...

I took a tooth pick and tested them. They looked okay, felt okay too, and were cakey and soft. I let them cool for a while and then took them out of their pan. One of the cupcakes was then divided into half and my siblings tasted it. Meanwhile, I took the rest to my mom for her to see. Her face was worth it! The expression of seeing cupcakes ACTUALLY made in her own house, her own kitchen, by her very own daughter. Precious! *laughs* She tasted one and gave me the thumbs up! My mother LOVED my cupcakes! Next, I went back to the kitchen to receive further compliments from my siblings. I had done it! I HAD BAKED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!

Next, I decided to try my hand at cake decorating. So I set out with the stuff I had bought, my lovely looking cooled cupcakes, and lots of encouragement from my Abbie who somehow knew I'd be fine. My store bought frosting came in a bottle like thingy with this piping attachment in front of it. I did some frosting designs here and there and then added sprinkles. I just kept going on and on, literally doing whatever came to my mind that evening. I piped and sprinkled until there were no more naked cupcakes left in front of me. Then I stepped back and admired my work.

Tadaaaaaaa! The first baking of my life! Seven years ago! I think they looked awesome!

If you're laughing a little bit by now, that's perfectly okay. Because I am too! *laughs* My first cupcake decoration project was honestly adorable and pretty but hilarious. There definitely had to be more frosting on each cupcake. The sprinkles were definitely messily done. Also, seriously bad picture taking skills. I mean, who serves cupcakes on a plain casual tray and then takes pictures of them on it too? *laughs* But hey, this is the same person who poured the cupcake batter into the pan using a cooking spoon. Hahahaha! I have improved SO much over the past seven years. Even after all these years of improvement though, I can still look back at this picture and smile at how amazing the FIRST TIME looked! It wasn't bad at all for a first time!

Words cannot express how I felt when baking for the first time in my life. Seven years from then I've perfected my cupcake recipe by changing it over completely so they're super delicious, more soft, and more awesome texture wise. I can now decorate the most stunning cupcake collections with much more advanced skills and techniques too. It's all changed and gotten better and yet when I look at these pictures today I still love them so much. The emotional deal involved and the attachment with my first cupcakes is BEYOND my connection with any of the other stuff I have baked over the years! This is how it all began. It started with cupcakes and then it never stopped. I just kept going on and on and on and today I've completed a fabulous one hundred and thirty missions and Sara's Baked Creations has become sort of like my personal brand. Here's to many more years of baking and decorating, learning and improving, and making the world a happier place one awesome baked dessert at a time!

All the mouth-watering pictures in this post are original Sara's Baked Creations' content. Please have some shame and refrain from copying, recreating, and cheating without giving proper credit and mention!

Sara’s Baked Creations is on Mission Sweetness! Sara and Abbie are hobby bakers who bake for friends and family only. We are not a commercial bakery business; it gives us joy to spread smiles while enjoying sisterhood and living our passion for baking.

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