I’m posting this for a few reasons, one: because Cilantro & Lime is hosting a blog event about it, two: because its Breast Cancer Awareness month, and three: because my mother is a survivor. She’s also a speaker at the Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program’s Celebration of Survivorship this year, on October 21st, along with Meredith Norton (author of ‘Lopsided‘) and Dara P. Richardson-Heron (the CEO of the New York branch of Susan G. Komen) among others. I’m very proud of her, and so for her and for my great-aunt and second cousin who lost the fight, and for all the other women (and men) who’ve been affected by it, I’m participating in the Baking For Breast Cancer Awareness blog event!
I made these cupcakes for the Adelphi social workers who work really hard and are guardian angels for so many people. Just a small way of saying thank you and giving some sugary support back to them. Simple chocolate cupcakes*, with vanilla buttercream striped with pink** and pink ribbon sprinkles and toppers (courtesy of dalvaydelights)!
I want to avoid sappiness and corniness, because I detest stuff like that… but on the same note I not only want to share my pink cupcakes. I want to share some statistics:
This information was taken directly from the NBCAM site:
- Breast cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.
- New cases of breast cancer in the United states (2007) are estimated to be 178,480 (female); 2,030 (male). Of these an estimated 40,460 (female) and 450 (male) will die from the disease. (National Cancer Institute figures).
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, aside from skin cancer.
Now onto more uplifting statistics and ideas- Out of those 178,480 women diagnosed there are many more than 40,460 that will survive. Statistics are just numbers, they aren’t everything. Every case is unique. There is life after diagnosis. There is life after chemotherapy. There is life after radiation. A breast cancer diagnosis does NOT mean a certain death. It does not mean that you’ll be sick forever. However, it does mean one more woman affected by this disease that does not discriminate. So we can’t discriminate against it. We have to fight it. Breast cancer and ALL cancers need to be eradicated. We have anough ammunition to keep it at bay, to win the battle. But we have to find a way to win the war.
I encourage you to please make a donation to any of the following websites. If you only pick ONE, I’d ask you to donate to the first one, since they’ve been really wonderful to my mother and I and our family during her battle (and even since then), and they do so much to help uninsured women and to support women during their difficult time, as well as provide excellent classes for survivors, like yoga, pottery and cooking classes, and seminars on cutting-edge treatments and how to get through treatment. So please help them continue their work. Although a donation to any of the following is awesome:
- Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support
- Susan G. Komen For the Cure
- The Breast Cancer Site
- National Breast Cancer Foundation
And you all have until October 28th to participate in Cilantro & Lime‘s blog event… so go do it!
**(recipes for both are below, simply click on the ‘CONTINUE READING’ link to view them)
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (25 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120 ml) boiling hot water
- 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) (57 grams) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cups (95 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
- In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
- Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake at 350 degrees for about 17-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting.
MAGNOLIA VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
- Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.
- On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.
- If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen for a few weeks.
Yay for being worldly. I am trying to design a cupcake set of boobs and they keep looking like sprinkles cupcakes lol. I was asked to bake them for a group of Mum’s who meet in the neighbourhood. Here is what I went with 2 spice cake cupcakes iced together forming a sort of circle, then completely frosted in a delicate pink buttercream. Then rolled in a very fine sanding sugar. Are you ready? I do not really know what struck me, but then I went and bought a bag of donut holes and popped one right in the center of eachround shimmering cupcake boobie thing. I do not dare post a pic but the gals loved them!
Lyns
You are fabulous! Good job to your Mum!
Very cute!! Thanks for baking for such a great cause!
Lyns: that sounds amazing haha… great idea! And thank you, you’re fabulous too!
April: Thanks! 😀
YOU AND YOUR MOM ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION. I AM SO VERY PROUD TO KNOW YOU BOTH.
Aww, thanks Yoyo! <333
Yay! These are cute! I love those sprinkles, too…I didn’t even know they made ones shaped like ribbons! 🙂
I’m glad your mom won her battle with the disease, but I’m sorry to hear about your other family members who didn’t. Thank you for participating, and for your desire to help. 🙂
Aren’t those sprinkles adorable? I love them.
And thank you for hosting such an event! 😀
This is such a cute idea, i love it! Thanks.
Thank you Margaritas!
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