First, let me say that I love the pictures and decorating ideas in this book. I have had the book for about a month, and I have not had a chance to make any of the decorating ideas out of here, but this is my favorite cupcake book so far. My complaint is on the actual recipe I made. I made the Vanilla cupcakes last night for my daughter's birthday today, and they were horrible. I ended up throwing the entire batch out and luckily I have some cake mixes in the pantry and am making new cupcakes this morning for her birthday party this afternoon! So frustrating!

The recipes in the book are very cute and some look easy to make. I am looking forward to making them for school functions.

This book is a lot of fun and has easy to follow directions for making great cupcakes. Fun with kids.

Whether you just like to cook at home, or do baking as a job or business, this book is chock full of delicious, creative, cute and innovative cooking and decorating ideas. Great Mother's Day or Christmas gift idea.

Real Life Dramas - Volume One

Darren G. Burton

I bought this as a gift for my creative daughter. She had just seen the author on a TV show and had wanted book (unbeknownst to me). She loves it and finds it very easy to follow with detailed instructions. Wonderfully cute ideas. What a hit!

This is a terrific book that allows everyday people to make desserts that look store bought. I have made these creations with my friends and kids and we always get a great reaction from those who see them! The instructions are so easy to follow and what look like very difficult projects, are really not at all! Highly recommend!!

What a wonderful book to peruse. I have made the dogs on the cover and look forward to making more wonderful creations in the future. FANTASTIC!!

This book is chock full of creative ideas for cupcakes, things you never thought of before with easy to follow instructions. Friends will be impressed and kids will be excited. It also makes a great gift.

The cupcake ideas in this book are clever and funny. There are many great ideas presented that I have never seen before. The projects look do-able without the need of special gadgets.
My kids and I are looking forward to creating these confections. The book was well worth the price.

This is a truly impressive, creative book. Anyone would like looking at the incredible pictures, but for someone who enjoys baking, this book can't miss. I loved seeing the expression on my mom's face when she opened this for Mother's Day.

I saw this book on numerous shows (namely the Today show!) and thought the ideas they showed there were SO cute, I was hoping there were a ton more they didn't show, and I was pleasantly suprised!! I am a dessert caterer, and got so many adorable, creative ideas for cupcakes and wonderful recipes meant specifically for cupcakes, I love this book!!!

I gave this as a gift. I'm told it is very fun and full of ideas. Some creations are easier to do than others.

Somehow, the irresistible sight of meticulously assembled westies atop vanilla cupcakes on the cover draws out my inner Japanese aesthetic for artistic detail. What these infectious creations actually taste like is almost beside the point, as professional food stylist Karen Tack and writer/photographer Alan Richardson have teamed up for a one of the most wildly imaginative food decorating books I have ever seen. The timing of this publication couldn't be more ideal as the decorative cupcake has quickly become one of the more enduring female-dominated fads thanks to the likes of Manhattan's trendy Magnolia Bakery and a little publicity thanks to Sex and the City. The co-authors claim the decoration process is quite easy, and judging from the common grocery items they use, I would agree to a point. However, you also have to be somewhat crafty by nature to appreciate what it takes to create the cupcakes showcased here.

They offer tips on everything from filling cupcake cups, spreading frosting, dipping, edging, and using multiple cupcakes for designs. You do need a piping bag if you are not already a pastry hound, and a steady hand is essential for the more elaborate designs. The results are impressive and often unexpected. The "slumber party" cupcakes are inarguably adorable and like many of the recipes, require food coloring. You also need some Starbursts, Jelly Bellys, vanilla wafers, red sprinkles, mini-marshmallows and bear-shaped graham crackers. Some are visually startling like the "spaghetti and meatball" cupcakes. Others are not as intimidating for first-timers like the "corn on the cob" cupcakes that mostly require yellow and white jellybeans and the "popcorn" cupcakes that use mini-marshmallows, some dyed yellow, to replicate the popped kernels in movie theater bags. Best of all, the book really triggers the imagination as to what other unprecedented creations may be within your artisan soul. It's oddly inspiring in a sugar-coated way.

This book has the cutest cupcakes. They are all easy to make with ingredients that are easily found.

wonderful book, great ideals for daughter's school activities.....she is now cooking & baking and enjoys doing for herself...

A review of this book was on television and so we were interested in it. My children and I enjoy making desserts and fun things to eat for others. This book is exactly what we are looking for: clear and beautiful pictures with great directions. We will enjoy this as a family for a long time to come.

I spent four hours making 60 cupcakes derived from this book with my three kids, 12 and twins who are 10. We all had a blast and the cupcakes looked AMAZING! Very fun ideas and so easy to do. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking for an easy, creative, fun way to dress up a normally boring dessert.

I purchased this book for two reasons: (1) my sister took a cupcake decorating course taught by Karen Tack and (2) my 10-year-old daughter went to a cupcake decorating birthday party for a friend, also performed by Karen Tack. Both my sister and my daughter couldn't wait to try cupcake decorating on their own. Being quite skeptical of my own abilities, I thought we would try the cookbook for fun rainy-day activity. The directions were extremely easy to follow and the results looked amazingly like the pictures; how often does that happen with cookbooks?!? ... especially for an amateur like me. The wonderful thing is the "special" edible decorating items are easily found in the grocery store. I was so pleased with my end results; never imagined I could create something so lifelike and yummy, I bought four additional copies and shared them with my friends. Do it for fun, do it for your kids having the best looking cupcakes in their class and, most importantly, do it for yourself ... it will bring a smile to your face :0)

Spending time with your children has never been so much fun!!! And, if you don't have children, become one again by trying a few cupcakes and treat your neighbors or co-workers.

I bought this book for my daughter, but it turned out that it was all her children that adored it and are constanly asking to make new cupcakes, even the teenage boys. It has been great fun for the family.

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

Hello Cupcake is a really cute book. With a lot of good ideas for decorating cupcakes. There are so many cute ideas we will use it for many parties.

The directions are easy to follow and the pictures are great.

OMG!
This is the best idea book for cupcakes I have seen in my whole life!
The pictures in the book hardly do the final product justice. I have never seen a better cookbook for ease of directions, pictures that actually match the finished cupcakes, and list of ingredients that tell you exactly what to purchase (some cookbooks say "candy covered chocolate bits" but Hello Cupcake tells it like it is, and just says M&Ms!)
My children have helped in making cupcakes from this book, and the neighbors and coworkers have all been recipients of these delightful, imaginative, delicious treats. Not only are there dozens of designs for the whole year (holidays, birthdays, just for fun) but the recipes for the cake part of the cupcakes are delicious as well.
Can't wait for the sequel! ...There will be a sequel, right?

Fantastic ideas for kids and theme parties! It's amazing what can be done with some frosting and fondant. Love the veggies like the corn on the cob and peas/carrots, it looks so realistic. This one's a keeper.

Wonderful creative ideas for making cupcakes. Everything you wanted to know and more. This makes a wonderful gift for someone how loves to bake.

Very good instruction, great ideas, I am an experienced cake decorator and this book is appropriate for beginner to advanced

I made these "pupcakes" on the book's cover from an article in "Family
Circle" magazine and just had to order the book. It's full of fun, easy cupcake and decorating ideas and you don't even need any special equipment. The writer, Karen Tack, gives practical, easy to follow techniques for baking cupcakes either from box recipes or "start from scratch". Even frostings are covered. FUNTASTIC and very yummy.

The book that I ordered Hello Cupcake is wonderful.I could hardly wait to start making these cute little cupcakes. This is much easier and more fun then decorating a whole cake. After making these easy cupcakes, I don't know if my family will be getting cakes baked for them any time soon. The book is in great condidtion and was delivered in a very short time.
I am very happy with my purchase.

This book is a wonderful creation! It takes the most adorable cupcakes and makes them possible to complete. I could not be more pleased. They put everything within reach, and they have left no stone unturned. I am so impressed. This is by far the best baking book I have ever read.

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said, however I just wanted to say I couldn't get over all the cute cupcakes in the book. I made the "Corn on the Cob" and the "Spaghetti & Meatballs" cupcakes for my son's birthday party. Both were super easy and incredibly adorable! I got so many compliments on them and will definitely be making more cute cupcakes as birthdays and other occasions arise. I'm not very good at "cake decorating", however I found these cupcakes to be extremely easy to decorate. Some are a bit more advanced, but all the techniques you need are in the book with color pictures so it's pretty foolproof. A+++++ book!

This is a wonderful book. It really is easy, even for a beginner. I had a blast and was so proud of my results-my cupcakes acutally looked like the picture. My 4 year old son helped and he was able to be a wonderful assistant. There was no frustration for either of us.

This book was a fun and fabulous find for me. With cupcakes becoming such a hot dessert trend, it is great to have a resource at my fingertips to make treats that get rave reviews, without stewing over coming up with the ideas. Some of the cupcakes are clearly more time consuming (not to be attempted by the amateur) but most of them are pretty easy to replicate and are a marvel for kids to have a cupcake and eat one too.

I just can't express enough how amazing this book is. It is very thick, full of ideas that I would have never even dreamed about. They're all easy to replicate, too! Really, there are no words to describe how fantastic this book is, you really must buy it and see it for yourself. There are cupcakes for every occasion, from funny to formal. Buy it. BUY IT!

A fantastic cake decorating book both for the professional or home baker. The cupcake designs are truly unique and the extensive range of designs ensures cakes for any occasion or traditional celebration. As yet this book it not available in book stores in Australia. After seeing the author of 'Hell Cupcake" interviewed on television we had to have the book. Thank goodness for Amazon. com. We are gradually working our way through the book.

I will keep this easy-just like this book. Everyday ingredients, no fancy tools, incredible results. No decorating experience required. Wow your kids, your friends, your family.

This is the most fun, creative, and charming cupcake decorating book that I have come across. The designs are phenomenal, and the authors show you how to create each design, step-by-step. They have a supply list for each type of cupcake (so you don't go into the grocery store trying to figure out what you need, without much guidance), and there are a few basic techniques that they repeat, but to create different effects. So, for example, you might use a cookie for a panda head, but you will use it to make beagle ears.

This is primarily a design book, NOT a cookbook, although the authors provide a few recipes in the back for a basic cupcake and frostings. Even with the fantastic pictures (the book is loaded with them) and the wonderful instruction, making cupcakes like this takes a lot of time and love. There's no way around that, so please don't fault the book if you find that the learning curve is steep, or that it's taking you hours to decorate the 40 cupcakes that you promised to bake for your child's first grade class!

I own a lot of cookbooks. This is probably the cutest baking book I have bought. The pictures are great and the directions are straight forward. I have yet to try any of the recipies so, i can't speak for taste of things, but the book itself is wonderful.

What a wonderful book! It has plenty of fabulous, large photos, and easy to follow directions, making these cupcakes very approachable. They provide all the information you'll need -- from tips to resources -- to recreate all these cupcakes. There is a cupcake design for every skill level. Before long you'll be coming up with your own ideas. This book would make a great gift for anyone who needs a creative outlet. And, the "Hello, Cupcake!" web site is as fun as the book -- visit www.hellocupcakebook.com and see more tips, designs and reader comments.

This is a very fun book. I thought that some of the ideas would be great for a kids birthday party and can not wait to do the doggy cakes. Great pictures and I felt that the recipes didn't call for too off the wall thiings.

The creations outlined in the book are simply awesome. They are simple concepts with no major equipment or cake decorating skills required...and also designs which are extendable as wild as your imagination can go !!!

I have not read this book cover to cover yet, but already I am loving it. There are some great new ideas on these pages for dazzling up your cupcakes. I have no doubt that any parent could quickly rise to "cool mom" or "cool dad" status if you made one of these treats and sent it with junior to school for his birthday treat. What I liked best about this book is that the ideas are simple to replicate using frosting (canned) and a variety of candies and goodies that should be pretty easy to find at most stores.
And not only do I love the book already, my kids are digging it too. It's amazing the amount of time small children will happily view dessert cookbooks.

This book has amazing ideas for cupcakes for children and adults too. The designs are fun and playful but also sophisticated in their approach and presentation. Many of the decorations are achieved with "re-worked" readily available candies and the clever innovation is amazing. I love the "peas and carrots" cupcake. Perfect for the vegetarian!

This book takes the cupcake to a whole new level. If you have a parent or hobby-baker on your gift list buy this book, add some cupcake pans and paper liners and some great sprinkles and such and you will have a wonderful gift.

I've been making cupcakes for my kids for 10 years. When this book arrived, my kids and I went nuts reading it. There are so many post-its from my kids marking pages it's crazy. This is such a winner. You know how you think the cover is the only good shot? No worries, every design is amazing.

"What a fabulous book loaded with clever, creative ideas. I have purchased four of them already for gifts. Pictures, recipes and decorations are clearly presented with wonderfully clear photographs.The cupcakes inspire delight from all who see them. I have successfully made the monkey cupcakes and they turned out very well. Using easy to find candy and cookies, there are many designs simply replicated by the home baker which give a professional look. It is the best cupcake book in my large collection of cupcake books.Congratulation to the authors and photographer of this superb book."

SUGAR ALERT: I will be fawning and tripping all over in talking about this book!

If you have are a closet cake-decorator but you don't feel up in the ranks of Duff or Colette or Martha, then grab this book and hold on to your socks, because Karen Tack and Alan Richardson will take you on a fabulous decorating ride!!

Wow, wow, and WOW! This veritable encyclopedia of "mini-cake" decorating is so fun and easy that there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to lament "they can't". With the use of food items found anywhere, you will be making the cutest, and most impressive cupcake creations you can possibly think of, and Karen and Alan will make you legendary to boot!

This team of talent has come up with extremely amazing and irresistable cupcakes like giraffes, Van Gogh paintings, clowns, aquariums, etc that will all fit on top of a little poof of cake batter.

The book size itself is large with big print which lends itself to the purpose of the photographic detail that is so big, sharp, and clear, there is no doubt or question on sequence or step. Karen Tack is the recipe creator and food stylist and Alan Richardson is the text writer and photography; both are brilliant and incredibly talented individuals, so as a team, they are a match made in cupcake heaven.

The Acknowledgement page was itself fun and relaxed, not something plodded through; you can tell it was done with real gratitude and thought, which is part of the overall charm of how this book was put together.

There are 8 chapters between the "Introduction" and the "Sources"; got those socks gripped?........

INTRODUCTION: Your text page begins the journey, and right after, you are given an impressive section of pages that visually, and with text, show you how you will make the many creations through the use of candies, cookies, and types of sugars.

CUPCAKING TECHNIQUES: This was invaluable for those who are novice cupcake bakers or wannabe's. Hints and instructions on methods for pouring batter, spreading frosting, making frosting, and melting chocolate for designs, are shown in close detail. They show you how to make "fur" for the lion cupcakes and "leaves" for flowers. This is followed by methods used to draw "bugs", people faces, and hairstyles by using melted chocolate and candies. The next section shows you will literally build up these creations, like the bowling pin cupcakes, so instruction is shown in simple and fascinating detail. Part of the more complex designs require a grouping of cupcakes, like "corn on the cob", "rabbits in a hole", or the "alligator", and you are given an idea of the schematics involved in getting them just right!

APRIL FOOL'S THEME:
Corn on the Cob
Bagels and Lox
Buttered Popcorn
TV Dinner ("peas & carrots", "drumsticks", & "mashed potato" cupcakes!)
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Box of Chocolates
Van Gogh's "Starry Night" in frosting (he'd love it!)

PARTY ANIMALS:
March of the Penguins
Fat Cats (cats with their paws on fishbones!)
Fishbowl (you use those Pepperidge Farm fishies for this one!)
Panda-monium
Westies
Crazy Horses (this uses candy circus peanuts and wafers)
Pup Cakes (a whole bunch of poochies to choose from!)
Monarchs (what a great Spring party or bridal shower presentation!)
Shark Attack (you'll want to go into these waters!)
Old Swampy the 'Gator

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CUPCAKE!:
When I Grow Up
Party Princess (any little girl will just LOVE these!)
Slumber Party
Big Birthday Party
Bowl Me Over (this is soooo darn cute; pins and a bowling ball!!!)
The Big Top (definitely a more time-required, but great, project)

HOSTEST with the MOSTEST:
Sunflowers (a veritable burst of green and yellow and Oreo cookies!)
Black and White Party
Play Pool (no one will mind the 8 ball!)
Baby Shower
Petit Fours (very elegant and delicate)
Garden Party ( a "garden" of carrots, peas, radishes, and cabbage)
Easter Eggs
Rabbit Holes (so unbelievably clever; Karen Tack is a genious!)
Candy Stars and Stripes Forever
Family Tree
Wedding Cake and Monograms

NIGHTMARE BEFORE THANKSGIVING:
Alien Invasion
Creepy Crawlers (almost good enough for goin' fishin')
What a Hoot
Pumpkin Patch ( absolutely adorable; Alan's photography is superb!)
Howling Werewolves
Autumn Leaves (how did they think of this great project?!)
Larry the Turkey

HOLIDAY ON ICING:
Edible Ornaments (incredible boxed "ornaments"!)
String of Delights
Snow Globes (this was sheer genius by placing the cakes on their side!)
Gingerbread Boys
Partridge in a Pear Tree (fantastic!)
Nutcracker Sweet (you'll be dancing!)
Frosting the Snowman (too darn cute!)
White Wreath (Christmas glory in white and red! Awesome!)

CUPCAKES AND FROSTINGS:
(Cake mix recipes): Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Chunk Surprise, Chocolate Mint, Orange Spice, Banana Chocolate, Gingerbread

(Homemade recipes): Chocolate Cupcakes, Banana Cupcakes, Carrot Cupcakes, Almond Cupcakes, Lemon-Poppy Seed Cupcakes, Vanilla Cupcakes

(Frostings): Next-to-Instant Ganache (melted chocolate), Homemade Ganache, Almost-Homemade Vanilla Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Frosting

SOURCES

OK, OK.................I have gone beyond fawning but if you're a cake decorating fool like myself, you understand the passion. My deep gratitude to Karen and Alan; you guys ROCK!

its a nice book, has some good ideas, but it looks like a lot of work!!

I probably own about 20+ decorating books and this is my favorite one. This is the best cupcake book out there by a mile. I used to work at a bakery and am always baking up cupcakes for people out of my home. The ideas presented here are simple yet stunning. The instructions are fantastic and there are loads of full color pictures. I have been a fan of Karen's work through Family Fun and other magazines and this book definitely does not disappoint. Thanks Karen for sharing your fabulous ideas!!!

When I saw this book featured on the Martha Stewart show, I thought, "Do I really need another baking book? I have so many..." I decided to get it anyway, thinking I could always pass it along to someone else if I was not fond of it. Well, I am SO GLAD I made this purchase! The book is beautiful- and I really mean that- the book itself is beautiful, large in size, softcover, with huge color photos and great instructional pages. The recipes are really not that complex (they vary from very detailed to very simple, even though they look challenging at first glance). The author teaches you how to make a variety of adorable cupcakes, and they don't all have to be used for kid parties - there are some showstoppers in there for weddings, party favors, barbeques, holidays, and more. My favorites are the garden patch, the "April Fool's" cupcakes, the alligator, and the pandas. The book is not full of cupcake recipes - it is more of a cupcake design book, as it shows you how to create these fabulous cakes. At the end of the book there is an actual baking recipe section, and I LOVE how the author has two kinds of recipes- simple, quick cupcakes you can make with boxed mixes, and then another section of "from scratch" cupcake recipes. Even if you never make a single cupcake from this book, it is STILL worth purchasing for its sheer beauty. It is fun to flip through the pages and look at the adorable creations and see how they were put together. I LOVE this book. If you are STILL saying you don't need another baking book, do what I did and throw out one old cookbook so that there is room on the shelf for this baby.

This book is so enjoyable to simply browse thru. Simply Adorable!!!

Each recipe has precise instructions with beautiful photographs to guide a home baker to produce brilliant results. It is jammed packed with delightful & original & very creative ideas that will appeal to all ages.

I plan on gifting this to many family members & friends. I know they'll love it too.

I just received this book (in 2 days I might add!) and I love it...however, I have not tried any recipes. The pictures are adorable and all of the instructions are VERY easy. The only teeny complaint that I have is that I wish she provided tip sizes for those of us who do have cake decorating equipment (i just dont think i could use a ziploc after years of pastry bags..there IS a difference :) thanks for a great book!!!

This is the best cupcake book out there, EVER! The pictures are fabulous. The instructions are clear and simple. Everyone must have this book, whether you think you're a baker or not. There is such a variety of creations. It turned my 5 year old son into a food stylist.

My two kids made the corn on the cob cupcakes - they were very easy and lots of fun. The book has lots of great creative ideas with step by step instructions. The color pictures are beautiful. I especially like all the ideas for birthday parties.