Giveaway: Craftsy Cupcake Class with Jennifer Shea

Learn how to make these and more!UPDATE: THE WINNER!

I have chosen a winner at random! It is NMT, who describes the perfect cupcake thusly:

The perfect cupcake is one that looks ALMOST too beautiful to eat, but then once you do take a bite the flavors and textures are so spot on that you're glad you did, and maybe just a teeny bit sad that you can't look at it anymore once it's gone. But you smile to yourself and fold your napkin while you think, "worth it".

Well put, and contragulations!

If you've been reading CakeSpy for a while, you know what an immense fan I am of Jennifer Shea, proprietress of Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle. She was the first person I ever interviewed for this site, and I've seen her grow from one location to several in Seattle, had art shows at her bakeries, seen her featured on the Martha Stewart Show, and held in my hands her beautiful book.

And now, she's done a class with Craftsy, entitled The Perfect Cupcake. Everyone wants to know how to attain that, right? This class includes every facet of cupcake creation and decoration and is well worth your time. If you click on the link to the class just above, you'll get $5 off - a special offer for CakeSpy readers. You're welcome. 

Learn how to make these, too!

And guess what? ONE lucky reader can win the class! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post stating the following:

What is your idea of the perfect cupcake?

It's an open ended question--you could describe flavor, texture, decor, or all of the above. I'll choose one winner at the end of the day on Friday, the 26th. Since this is for an online class, international entrants are welcome. Good luck! 

Comments

[Kerry]

The perfect cupcake is one in my tummy!

[Linda Saegert]

Anything with the taste of lemon. Cake should be moist and regular size with a large swirl of frosting. Major yum.

[Maria]

The one that puts a smile on my kiddos faces!

[Shane R.]

For me, the perfect cupcake would be a chocolate cake with chocolate ganash filling and fluffy chocolate frosting on top. I LOVE CHOCOLATE.

[Caroskake]

A perfect cupcake must have the perfect flavor and also look yummy and amazing!! It must be moist but not too much. Must be sweet but not overbearingly sweet. It must have a filing and a cream topping that completes the whole flavor. But it also should look amazing. The cream must be placed in a neat way and even the smallest and delicate decoration can complement it... like sprinkles or flowers

[tami]

The perfect cupcake must have the right cake to frosting ratio. The cake should be moist, but not sticky, and the frosting should not have vegetable shortening as an ingredient.

[Porche]

My perfect cupcake has loads of flavor in the cake and frosting and sprinkles. Sprinkles rule!

[NMT]

The perfect cupcake is one that looks ALMOST too beautiful to eat, but then once you do take a bite the flavors and textures are so spot on that you're glad you did, and maybe just a teeny bit sad that you can't look at it anymore once it's gone. But you smile to yourself and fold your napkin while you think, "worth it".

[Ellie]

The perfect cupcake is the one that begins with the perfect pretty swirl and then ends up all over my little nephews faces' with the biggest smiles and hugs from them in return!

[Jess]

My idea of the perfect cupcake revolves around the Oreo: an Oreo in the very bottom topped with a rich and spongy chocolate cake, an Oreo "cream" frosting, and bits of oreos sprinkled on top. Yum!

[The Ninja Baker]

The perfect cupcake has a whipped cream center and topped with more whipped cream! The cake would also be light and fluffy =)

[keshakeke]

My perfect cupcake is a vanilla cupcake stuffed with chocolate mousse and topped with vanilla buttercream! Then tons of sprinkles!

[Pam]

The ratio of frosting to cupcake. The frosting needs to be bigger than the cake part of the cupcake. And bonus points for a surprise in the middle of the cupcake - like chocolate truffle center or strawberry jam.

[Cece]

A nice moist cupcake with a frosting that isn't too sweet. The frosting ratio is important also... too much isn't always a good thing.

[Amy C.]

It has to be moist and a nice balance of cake to icing. Also, it has to be cute!

[Melissa M]

I'm always on the look out for a moist cupcake. I am always bummed when I buy a cupcake from a bakery and it's DRY.

[Candice C]

I bake hundreds of cupcakes each month for a charity. I am always looking to try new flavors and decorations. So the perfect cupcake would be the one that puts a smile on the person's face and takes them away from their problems even just for the brief time it takes to eat it. My favorite way to eat one myself is from the cupcake liner with a fork so I can enjoy every morsel and not wipe half of the yummy icing off my face with a napkin.

[Traci]

The perfect cupcake has a few things going for it. Moist cake that holds together well and good flavor. Frosting that is sweet, but not sugary, and thick, not runny. Ratio of cake to frosting is one to one, for sure. I enjoy any flavor combination, but love chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream anytime. Yum!

[louise kressly]

For me the perfect cupcake is a vanilla cake wiht vanilla butterceam with a few sprinkles. When I travel and visit cupcake shops and bakeries, the way I judge their product is with ordering a vanilla cupcate wiith vanilla buttercream, the cake has to be moist but not dense and the icing smooth and not overly sweet.

[Racheal]

The perfect cupcake must be moist and light with a good frosting to cake ratio. Frosting must not be too sweet or too dense and sprinkles are always a bonus! :)

[Galia]

I enjoy a themed cupcake selection- my favourites are Dr Who themed! Any flavour, so long as there's a Dalek or a Tardis on it! I am into miniature dessert flavours too- lemon meringue, Black Forest and a new favourite of mine is toffee popcorn- a toffee flavour cake, filled with toffee sauce and topped with toffee flavoured butter cream and toffee popcorn! Yummers!

[donnamarie messer]

Any flavored cupcake that has the perfect combination of moistness and density to hold beautifully whipped toppings. :)

[Noreen Hobson]

The perfect cupcake for me has the appropriate cake to frosting ratio. Not too much frosting to overwhelm, but enough to get a bit in each bite. It should have butter, not shortening, and some cream cheese doesn't hurt. The cake should be moist, and the frosting creamy and never grainy!

[Denise]

I think moistness is very important. Also, the frosting. It can make or break a cupcake.
I would love to learn more on making cupcakes because it's my favorite to make and serve.

[Laetitia Walsh]

The perfect cupcake can be a thousand different things, however I feel that it has to have balance. For example, if you have a slightly denser cake, maybe choose a light icing. If you have an intense, chocolate cake, choose an icing that is whipped or light in flavour (fruit tends to be quite light. And, of course, have a garnish that fits with the mood of the cupcake, whether that be confetti for a birthday cupcake or mint on a mojito cupcake. Cupcakes, as a whole, are perfect.