The Cupcake Diaries Collection: Katie and the Cupcake Cure; Mia in the Mix; Emma on Thin Icing; Alexis and the Perfect Recipe

by Simon, Coco

Alexis pointed to the layout. “I think right here’s the perfect spot for it. I’m sure the banquet hall can set up one more table for you.”

  Mom hugged Alexis. “You are a genius! Mia said you’d be willing to help out during the show. Would you work the check-in table for me?”

  Alexis looked thrilled. “I would love to! That would be fun.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Mom said. She quickly picked up the papers. “I need to go call the banquet hall right now.”

  “I wish I was going,” Emma said after Mom left.

  “I’ll text you photos, I promise,” I told her.

  “Stupid game,” Emma muttered. That reminded me about Dan. But just then Katie leaned over the counter.

  “I was meaning to ask you,” Katie said. “Can I stay and watch the show after we set up the cupcakes?”

  “Um, I just need to find out if Mom is going to give me tickets,” I lied.

  Katie shrugged. “Cool. It sounds like fun, but as long as the cupcakes are perfect, I’ll be happy.”

  My mind was racing. Alexis didn’t need a ticket. I really needed to give Katie one. That left two. Katie, Callie, Sydney? Way awkward.

  Katie measured the flour and dumped it into the bowl.

  “Okay, now we need a teaspoon of powdered ginger and two tablespoons of cocoa powder,” she said. “And then we need to mix them up.”

  Emma added the spices, and Katie started stirring the ingredients with a whisk. She did a groovy dance. “Oh yeah. Mix it up, mix it up,” she sang.

  Then it hit me. Mix it up. When you mix the wrong ingredients together, the result can be a disaster. But when you mix the right ingredients together, everything comes out delicious.

  Suddenly everything was clear.

  I knew exactly who to give the three tickets to.

  CHAPTER 18

  A Little Sweetness in the End

  Ninety-five, ninety-six,” Alexis counted, placing the last cupcake on top of the display.

  Katie, Alexis, and I took a step back and admired our work. It had taken all of us (plus Emma) all day and part of the night on Saturday to make all ninety-six cupcakes. They looked beautiful. And the displays Emma and her dad made were really cool, just like I imagined them. The two red towers were simple, but they were the perfect accent for the colorful tablecloths Mom had chosen for the refreshment tables.

  “Let me get a picture for Emma,” I said, taking a quick shot with my phone and sending it to her.

  The displays are perfect! U r the best!

  Thanks! Emma texted back. Miss u guys! I’ll text you the pictures on this end too!

  Katie started gathering up the empty cupcake carriers.

  “I’ll help you,” Alexis offered.

  “Cool.” Katie nodded to me. “See you later!”

  It was just two hours before the fashion show, and things were getting pretty crazy in the banquet hall. The DJ was setting up his equipment in the back corner, and Mom was on the runway talking to a guy about the lights. She climbed down when she noticed that we had finished the display.

  “Wow, Mia, that’s fabulous,” Mom said. “These look delicious.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Listen, the models are starting to arrive. Can you start helping them get dressed? I’ll be back there in a minute.” She handed me a clipboard with Alexis’s charts on it.

  “Sure, Mom,” I said. I’ve been backstage with Mom at fashion shows since I can remember, but this was the first time she was actually letting me help. I didn’t want to let her down.

  I headed to the curtain behind the runway. It separated the banquet hall into two spaces—the show area and the backstage area. The models would be getting changed in the room behind the curtain.

  Thankfully, the charts made things pretty easy. As soon as I walked backstage, a model with long, glossy black hair walked up to me.

  “Is Sara Vélaz here?” she asked.

  “I’m her daughter, Mia,” I said in my most professional voice. “Can you please give me your name?”

  “It’s Lori,” the model told me.

  I found her name on the chart and started walking to the racks of clothes. Each model had a picture of the outfit she’d be wearing under her name on a wall. And each model had a rack with all the outfits hung on them. I found “Lori” on the card taped over one rack. “Here are the clothes you’ll be wearing,” I told her. “The red dress is your first outfit. Please head to the makeup room first.”

  I pointed toward the large ladies’ room, where Mom had the makeup artists set up.

  “Thanks, Mia,” Lori said. “You know, you’re a lot like your mom.”

  The next two hours went by really fast. The models started coming in, and Mom and I helped each one get ready. There were all kinds of problems: One shirt was too big, one skirt was too short, one model had on the wrong earrings—stuff like that.

  In the middle of it all Ray, the DJ, came backstage.

  “Sara, one of the outlets just lost power,” he said.

  Mom looked at her watch. “Oh, great. The show starts in twenty minutes.” She turned to me. “Mia, can you go to the main office and ask for Ernie? He should be able to help with this.”

  “Sure, Mom,” I told her. I ducked out a nearby door that led into a hallway that bypassed the main room because I knew it would be faster and less crowded. I could see the check-in table up ahead. Alexis had her back to me and was talking with three guests.

  Then I heard Sydney’s loud voice. “But I’m sure Mia put us on the list.”

  My heart pounding, I ducked behind a big pillar and listened to what was going on.

  “Sydney, I’m sorry, but your name isn’t on this list,” Alexis said. “Or Maggie or Bella, either.”

  “That’s impossible. Mia told us all about the show,” Sydney said. She sounded really mad. “And where is Callie, anyway?”

  “There’s nothing I can do for you. The show is sold out,” Alexis explained patiently.

  “Of course you can do something. You can go find Mia for me,” Sydney insisted.

  “Give me a second,” Alexis replied.

  My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I quickly shut it off. Like it or not, I would have to face the music. I stepped out from behind the pillar and walked up to the check-in table.

  Sydney was done up to the max, wearing a black dress with a bubble skirt and black heels. She had her hair swept up on her head and had tons of perfume on.

  “There she is!” Sydney said, pointing at me.

  “Mia? I just tried to reach your phone,” Alexis said, looking confused. “Anyway, Sydney and Maggie and Bella keep saying you put them on the list.” Alexis looked at me.

  “I know,” I said. I felt awful. “Listen, I’m really sorry about this, but I just didn’t have enough tickets for everyone who wanted to come,” I said weakly.

  Sydney just stared at me.

  “But you promised we could come!” Maggie wailed.

  “I didn’t promise anything,” I replied. “But I should have told you about the tickets earlier. I’m so sorry. I really am.”

  Then I had an idea. “Hey, why don’t you come backstage and help out? I can ask my mom if it’s all right. It’s a really cool way to see the show.”

  Sydney looked horrified. “We came to watch the show, not work it,” she said, with a disgusted look in Alexis’s direction. “Mia, I don’t know how you could do this to a friend. We were seriously considering you for a membership in the PGC, but we’re going to have to reevaluate your membership status now.”

  “Well, my friends don’t evaluate one another,” I shot back.

  Sydney stormed off without another word, with Maggie and Bella following behind.

  I turned to Alexis, embarrassed. “Don’t worry about it, everyone makes mistakes . . . even me!” Alexis said. She was trying really hard not to laugh. “Hey, shouldn’t you be backstage helping your mom?”

  I slapped my hand on my forehead. “Oh, no! I�
�ve got to find Ernie!”

  Luckily, Ernie was in his office, and he quickly followed me backstage. I helped Mom with the rest of the models, and a few minutes later Ernie came back.

  “You’re all set, Ms. Vélaz,” he told Mom.

  Mom turned to me. “Deep breath,” she said, and we both took a deep breath at once. “Okay. I’m on.”

  Mom stepped out onto the stage and the noisy crowd quieted down. I walked to the end of the curtain and quietly slipped through so I could watch.

  “Thank you so much for coming, everyone!” she said. “I’m Sara Vélaz, and today you’re going to see some of the latest fashions from top designers. We’ve carefully crafted the looks today to show you how you can add some key pieces to spice up your wardrobe.”

  Everyone clapped.

  “And after the show, please stay for a little sweetness, courtesy of the Cupcake Club,” Mom said, pointing to the refreshments table.

  I realized then that my mom could have hired anyone to cater her first big event, but she chose us. I guess it was her way of including my latest hobby and new friends. Mom was really trying to help everything fit in together.

  I looked out to the side and saw Eddie standing in the back. He looked really proud. He was taking pictures and videos of everything. Which reminded me . . . I turned on my phone. Sure enough, there was a picture from Emma of her brother Jake holding the sign I made: GO, DAN GO! And there was a text from Dan:

  Thx sis. Save me a cupcake.

  I couldn’t help but smile at being called “sis.”

  I looked out at the front row and gave a little wave to my three friends sitting there: Katie, Callie, and Ava. My best friend from the Cupcake Club, my best friend from the PGC, and my best friend from New York. The perfect mix.

  I still haven’t totally figured out how to mix everything from my old life and my new life together, but that’s okay. This is good enough for now, and so far, the results are pretty sweet.

  If you’re not an expert baker like Mia, that’s okay—here is a quick and easy-to-follow recipe that’s just as sweet! (Ask an adult for assistance before you start baking since you might need help with the oven or mixer.)

  Vanilla Cupcakes with

  Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • Makes 12 •

  BATTER:

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

  2/3 cup granulated sugar

  3 large eggs, at room temperature

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1/4 cup whole milk

  FROSTING:

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

  4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

  1/3 cup of whole milk

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract food coloring (optional)

  Center baking rack in oven and preheat to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

  CUPCAKES: In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time. Blend in the vanilla extract.

  In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and alternate with the milk. Mix until there are no lumps in the batter.

  Evenly fill the cupcake tins with the batter and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

  FROSTING: In a medium bowl mix the butter with an electric mixer until it looks fluffy. Add in some of the sugar, alternating with the milk and vanilla until it is all blended. Add food coloring per package’s directions and mix well to color the frosting. Then frost the cupcakes.

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Everything Is Better with Bacon

  Chapter 2: Dogs and Brothers Don’t Mix

  Chapter 3: Home, Not-So-Sweet Home

  Chapter 4: Burned

  Chapter 5: The Dress That Takes the Cake

  Chapter 6: The Dream Dress

  Chapter 7: Between a Rock and a Dress

  Chapter 8: Dog Days

  Chapter 9: Mix, Stir . . . Mixed-up

  Chapter 10: On Thin Icing

  Chapter 11: Add One Sweet Brother

  Chapter 12: Brothers and Bridesmaids

  Chapter 13: Sweet Endings

  Chapter 14: The Special Day

  CHAPTER 1

  Everything Is Better with Bacon

  My name is Emma Taylor, and my life can be pretty hectic sometimes. I have three brothers, four goldfish, a guinea pig, and two jobs. Yup, two businesses. The first is a dog-walking job I have after school. My other job isn’t really a job. It’s a club with my best friends—Alexis, Katie, and Mia. Together we’re the Cupcake Club. We bake and sell cupcakes for different people and events. It’s totally fun, but we don’t earn that much money . . . yet.

  Between my brothers, chores, and the club, things can get pretty crazy. Most of the time, though, being in the middle of all this craziness can mean getting some pretty great inspirations. Like the one I had about bacon. Bacon cupcakes. Trust me, they’re great. They’re salty with the bacon and sweet with the sugar and the combination is really the best. It just sounds gross. I had been waiting to bring it up until just the right time, so finally, at our club meeting, I decided to see how it would fly. We were talking about new ideas because we’re always trying out new things, depending on the event. I was a little nervous, but I decided to float the idea.

  “Okay, ready? How about . . . bacon cupcakes?” I asked.

  I spread my arms wide in an arc—like “ta-da”—as I announced my idea. I wasn’t sure how the others would react to it, but I thought it was pretty neat. And original. That was for sure. I just hoped they didn’t think I was nuts.

  “Ewwww!” cried Katie, with a full-body shudder.

  “Are you kidding me?” Alexis looked so horrified, you would have thought I had suggested road-kill cupcakes.

  I just shrugged. I knew better. “My brothers loved them. I made them last week. Actually, they’re delicious. Kind of salty and sweet. Think about it.”

  Unlike the other members of the Cupcake Club, Mia was quiet, and she looked like she was actually considering the idea. Finally she said “I love bacon and cupcakes, but I’ve never thought about them together. Bacon is kinda in right now. There’s bacon gum, bacon mayonnaise, bacon ice cream, bacon-shaped Band-Aids. It would be pretty cool to have bacon cupcakes.”

  Mia was pretty hip. She had long, straight, dark hair and really cool outfits, and was from Manhattan. I have no idea how she knew what was “in” or what wasn’t, but we all pretty much listened when she said something was in. So Katie and Alexis stopped their dramatic groaning and belly-clutching and listened.

  Seeing that I was making headway with my idea, I forged on. “I was thinking, maybe for the groom’s cake. You know how they do that? Have a special cake on the side for the men? It’s kind of a Southern thing. The bride has her own cake and the groom has his.”

  “Like an extra order?” asked Katie.

  I nodded and looked a little guiltily at Mia. “Not that I want to make money off your mom or anything.”

  “Emma, you may have just doubled our revenue!” said Alexis, ever the businesswoman. She raised her glass of Gatorade in a toast. I smiled and raised my glass back at her. Alexis actually did look like a businesswoman right now with her red hair up in a bun and a sensible button-down shirt, holding a calculator and a pad of paper.

  The Cupcake Club was meeting in Mia’s cozy room to brainstorm about upcoming jobs. One of our next big events was Mia’s mom’s wedding to Eddie, her supernice fiancé. We were all excited for Mia because Eddie was great and her mom was really happy. But we were also excited for ourselves because Mia’s mom had placed an order with the club for cupcakes for
the wedding! She had given us the green light to do whatever we thought was appropriate. And I thought bacon cupcakes were appropriate. Best of all, she would pay us for the order.

  Alexis was taking notes. “Okay, let me just read this back to you. One idea is a circular cupcake wedding cake built with three sizes of cupcakes to make up the tiers—our medium, large, and jumbo sizes building out the cake, with a few minis on top. The cake would be white, the frosting white buttercream. Decorations would be white flowers molded from edible fondant. Cupcake papers would be shiny and white.” She looked up at the other Cupcake Club members for confirmation. We all nodded, and she looked back at her notes.

  “Another idea is to do all minis laid out in a large sheet, mostly white cake and white frosting but with select cupcakes frosted in pink raspberry frosting and placed to form the shape of a heart in the middle of the layout.” Again, we nodded. The mini cupcakes were very popular; they were not much bigger than a quarter and they could be consumed easily in vast quantities.

  Alexis continued. “We will also submit a bid for a groom’s cake made of . . . um, bacon cupcakes. These are . . . what kind of cake?”

  “Caramel cake,” I said. My mouth was watering just thinking of it. “And the frosting is just a standard buttercream with flecks of real bacon in it. It comes out sort of beige.”

  Alexis shuddered. “Okay. Beige cupcakes. I will do an analysis on head count and budget and come up with a cupcake count so we can submit our bids to your mom by the end of the week. I’ll e-mail it to everyone for approval first. Especially the bacon cupcake part. Then we can meet and go over it again.”

  We nodded in agreement.

  “Next on the agenda is—”

  “Wait!” interrupted Mia, her eyes shining with excitement. “I have great news.” She clasped her hands together.

  I restrained myself from looking at my watch. I didn’t want to be rude, but I prided myself on being extremely punctual and organized and I had to be at the Andersons’ to walk Jenner, their retired greyhound rescue dog, at four o’clock. It had to be almost three forty-five now. I really hated to be late. I also didn’t want to lose the dog-walking job. In fact, I couldn’t afford to.