I am a light stalker. When all you have to work with is a p & s camera, you need the patience of an owl and the prowess of a cheetah. It's frustrating and exhilarating. As I meander from room to room; chasing light with an armful of foam boards, cutting boards, napkins and cutlery, my napping cat regards me with one open eye...'Just another day in the life of a crazy food blogger.'
My kitchen is dark + cosy (I feel like a hobbit). Its gorgeous wood table is also dark, and moody. Oh, how I long to take pictures on that table. Most photos are taken in rooms that are as far away from the kitchen as possible. (Which is why I don't make soufflés.)
I confess, there are times when I want to do is just bake, eat, and share (sometimes, share) and not even bother with the photos. But I do enjoy food photography & I'm experimenting a bit with my very-limited camera functions. If they appear schizophrenic for the next few posts, I apologize. It's not you, it's me. I want to give my camera the confidence and swag of an SLR.
If that doesn't work, I'm Lo-Fi filtering everything. All the time.
Most of these photos were taken in manual mode. Scarey stuff, but after three years, I think it's about time.
Am I boring you? Apologies.
What can I say about these cupcakes? They're deep, soft-spoken, rich & uber-chocolatey. The frosting is a sweet, simple unassuming strawberry buttercream. (Feel free to switch things up with raspberries, or cherries!). I capped mine off with Lindt chocolate truffles because I love the brown + pink + brown color scheme.
Lindt or no Lindt, these cupcakes are really, really good. You should make a batch. Really.
Cupcake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
I'm fairly certain I'd take a spoon to the strawberry buttercream and it may never see the top of a cupcake! These look absolutely scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteDivine! Those are so pretty and really tempting. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Valerie, you're always apologizing for the state of your photos, and I always think they look terrific! (Of course, I rely on my writing to compensate for my mediocre photos.)
ReplyDeleteRegardless of how you photograph them, these cupcakes couldn't be anything but wonderful.
Thanks, Beth. :-)
ReplyDeleteThese are so cute! And Lindt balls make anything amazing :) Do you use the foam board as a reflector?
ReplyDeleteHi Courtney,
ReplyDeleteYes, the foam board is used as a light reflector...as well as a backdrop. (White seems to be more gentle, my camera is sensitive.) :D
Your photos are lovely!! Food photography, for me, is one of the things I love the most and also loathe the most about blogging :-) Definitely a love/hate relationship for me, although it grows more into love every day.
ReplyDeleteAnd your cupcakes? GORGEOUS!!
What a fabulous pairing of flavors and colors. Brown and pink evoke the emergence of sping in these splendid cupcakes!
ReplyDeleteI would like to eat a big bowl of that strawberry buttercream! YUM! Looks delicious! I love dark chocolate paired with strawberries. Might have to make these for my birthday next week! :)
ReplyDeleteI just got some local strawberries today, so these are calling my name. I run around trying to find a place to photograph food too, not because my kitchen is dark, but because it is so tiny. I don't even have to enter it to reach everything, which means counter space is non-existent. I really need to get a foam board! I think your photos are consistently excellent.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I can so relate! Every other post, I make reference to the craziness of having to take photos in natural light when often there is none to be had and that leaves the styling to the gods because you do have to be patient but fast!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are great (ref: take a look at mine by comparison!).
Love these cupcakes!!
@ Chocolate Chilli Mango, I think your photos are stunning! (Serious camera envy going on.) :D
ReplyDeleteyour photos are always so beautiful! i just want to eat that strawberry buttercream with a spoon - it looks soooooooo good!
ReplyDeleteSpectacular cupcakes! Mmmm, strawberry buttercream and dark chocolate must have been a heavenly combo. You truly make some of the most beautiful food!
ReplyDeleteThe most prettiest cupcakes I saw today....very very beautiful:)
ReplyDeleteI made these last night for my roommate (who was NEEDING some chocolate) and they were fantastic! I did unsweetened chocolate instead of semi-sweet to make them extra-dark. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Mollie! Thanks for letting me know. :D (I'll definitely have to try the unsweetened version!)
ReplyDeleteMi kitchen is dark as well unfortunately. I'd love a big sunny one one day. I think you're doing a great job with catching the light :) And I like how you managed to decorate the cupcakes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marta! :-)
ReplyDeleteHow would you reccomend piping this frosting, with an open tip? If I were to use a star tip would it get clogged because of the puréed strawberry? I can't wait to make this :)
ReplyDeleteHi Siobhan!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's better to use a wide, open tip. (I used an Ateco 806.) You might be able to get away with a star tip, as long as it's wide enough to allow for the chunks of strawberry. :)
They look so pretty! I' m goingo to try the buttercream using my cherry jam instead of strawberries! Hope to make it right!
ReplyDeleteReally cool blog!
Gaia
My icing turned out really creamy and when i went to pipe it was just in big globs and it got really gross and slimy.
ReplyDelete@Anon, Yikes! I'm so sorry to hear about the frosting. Sometimes, especially if the weather is humid, it helps to refrigerate buttercream frosting for a few minutes (maybe 20) before using.
ReplyDeleteI followed the recipe, but the frosting was a little too sweet (and I like sweet!!!)! I definitely won't use as much sugar next time.
ReplyDelete@Anon, Thanks for letting me know. I never can tell how people are going to like frosting...I usually don't make mine sweet enough. :D
ReplyDelete