by Sheryl Berk
“Pardon me, everyone. If I could please have Archie, as well as my lovely fiancée, by my side? Oh yes. And the girls from Peace, Love, and Cupcakes.”
The girls all looked at each other. “What’s going on?” Lexi whispered to Kylie. “Did you know about this?”
Kylie shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Maybe he wants to thank us for the cupcakes.”
A man dressed in a black robe and white collar came forward, and the orchestra in the pit began to play “Get Me to the Church on Time” from My Fair Lady. Everyone else onstage seemed just as surprised and confused.
“What’s going on?” Kylie whispered to Rodney.
“You’ll see.” He winked.
He took Juliette’s hands in his. “There is nothing that would make this night more wonderful than for you to become Mrs. Higgins.”
“Oh my gosh!” Lexi squealed. “They’re getting married!”
Archie pulled two gold rings out of his pocket. “I think you’ll need these,” he said, smiling.
“Dearly beloved,” the man in the collar began, “we are gathered here tonight to witness the wedding of Juliette Anne Dubois and Rodney Humphrey Higgins.”
“Humphrey?” Jenna cackled. “Oh, that’s funny!”
“Shhh!” Kylie hushed her. “It’s not funny.” She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about what was taking place. Part of her was thrilled for her advisor; the other part was shocked and worried about what this all meant for PLC.
“May I have the rings?” the minister asked Rodney. “Do you, Rodney Humphrey, take this woman, Juliette Anne, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Rodney placed the ring on Juliette’s finger and choked back tears. “I do.”
“And do you, Juliette Anne, take Rodney Humphrey to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do,” Juliette replied, placing the ring on Rodney’s finger.
“Then I hereby pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Higgins. You may kiss the bride!”
Everyone cheered as Juliette and Rodney embraced.
“Surprise!” Juliette told the girls. “You had no idea you were going to be my bridesmaids when you came to London, did you?”
“You weren’t acting, right? This was for real?” Delaney asked.
“One hundred percent.” Rodney chuckled. “It was all part of the plan.”
Jenna, Lexi, Sadie, and Delaney huddled around the happy couple and hugged them. But Kylie couldn’t budge from her spot. She was speechless.
The cast and crew all rushed forward to congratulate them. “Excuse me,” Juliette told Mr. Laughton as he patted Rodney on the back and kissed her on both cheeks.
She found her way through the crowd to Kylie. “I hope it wasn’t too big a shock,” Juliette said, taking her aside.
Kylie tried to think of something, anything to say. Finally the words came to her. “I’m really happy for you, Juliette,” she said. “Really and truly. I’m sad for us, but really happy for you.”
Juliette squeezed her hand tightly. “Don’t be sad, Kylie. I’ll stay through the end of the Blakely school year. And I know I’m leaving the club in the best of hands. I don’t think anyone could be a better president, leader, or friend than you.”
Now it was Kylie’s turn to blush. “Really? You think I can handle it?”
“I know you can.”
Kylie still felt uncertain. “But who will our new advisor be? How do we know she’ll be as good as you?”
“Well, no one could be,” Juliette teased. “But I promise whoever it is will be close. I’ll make sure you approve.”
“I’ll miss you, Juliette,” Kylie said, hugging her tight. “If it wasn’t for you, I would never have started PLC or made these amazing friends or found a place where I belong at Blakely.”
“I’ll miss you too, more than you know,” Juliette replied. “And if it wasn’t for you, Kylie, I wouldn’t have found a place where I belong either. But now I belong with my husband, here in London.”
Kylie nodded. “I know. Are you gonna teach drama here too?”
Juliette thought for a moment. “Maybe. I think I may go back to acting onstage. Mr. Laughton thinks he might have a juicy role for me in his upcoming play next fall.”
“That’s awesome,” Kylie said. “We’ll have to come bake cupcakes for your big opening-night party.”
Juliette smiled. “I’m counting on it.”
Back in school the next week, Kylie and the rest of PLC fell right back into their routine of studying and baking.
“Did you see this email order?” Lexi said, handing Kylie a printout at their weekly PLC meeting. “It’s for a dozen ‘Welcome, Herbie’ cupcakes.”
“What’s a Herbie?” Delaney asked.
“I guess it’s a guy,” Jenna said, scratching her head. “With a really nerdy name.”
“Any more deets?” Sadie asked, spinning a basketball on her fingertip.
“Let’s see,” Kylie said, reading the email. “Cookies and Cream cupcakes with R2-D2 toppers?”
“As in the robot from Star Wars?” Lexi said, shaking her head. “Weird.”
“Where and when do they want them?” Sadie asked. “Please don’t tell me it’s a rush. I have a huge English essay due Wednesday and basketball practice!”
“It says Friday afternoon at four,” Kylie continued. “Pickup here in the teachers’ lounge. All PLC members should be present to receive payment.”
“Okay, doubly weird,” Lexi added. “Some teacher named Herbie wants robot cupcakes? And he wants to meet us all in person?”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Juliette assured them. “I’ll be here to make sure.”
Kylie shrugged. “I guess. Whatever. Business is business. We’ll bake at Delaney’s Thursday night, and her mom can drive her over with the delivery Friday after school.”
• • •
When the girls brought the cupcakes to the lounge Friday, they thought they’d find a Blakely teacher ready and waiting. Instead, the room was empty.
“Uh-oh,” Jenna said, looking around. “Do you think we’ve been stood up?”
“It’s just four o’clock,” Lexi pointed out. “Juliette isn’t even here yet. Let’s just take a seat and wait.”
The door of the lounge creaked open and Juliette walked in, accompanied by a tall teenage-looking boy with shaggy brown hair and glasses.
“Ladies, I’d like you to meet Herbie,” she said, smiling.
Delaney looked puzzled. “Um, aren’t you a little young to be a teacher?”
Herbie hopped up on a stool at the kitchen counter. “I’m actually twenty-three,” he said. “I know I look younger than my age.”
“You look twelve!” Jenna exclaimed.
“Herbie just graduated from Ontario College,” Juliette told them, “With a master’s degree in electromechanical engineering.”
Now it was Kylie’s turn to be confused. “How do you know so much about our client?” she asked her advisor.
Juliette ruffled Herbie’s hair. “Because he’s my baby brother!”
Kylie’s mouth fell wide open. “Your brother? Why didn’t you say so? Why the big secret?”
“I’ll let Herbie tell you himself,” Juliette said, elbowing him in the ribs. “Go on! Tell them!”
“I’m gonna be your new cupcake club advisor,” Herbie announced proudly.
“You’re what?” Kylie gasped. “I thought you said he has a degree in electro-whatchamacallit engineering? What do you know about baking cupcakes?”
“Not much,” Herbie admitted. “But I’m a fast learner. And FYI, it’s electromechanical engineering. I build robots.”
“He’s going to be Blakely’s new robotics teacher,” Juliette added. “He’s a whiz, really. He’ll be able to help you build some amazing cupcake displays.”
“Awesome!” Del
aney said. “Can you build us a robot that cracks eggs? That’s my least favorite part.”
“Hey! That’s my job!” Sadie protested. “And it’s my favorite part.”
Herbie laughed. “Whatever you want. I’m gonna hang out with you guys for the rest of the semester and get the hang of things. That way, when Juliette moves to London next fall or visits Rodney for a long weekend, we’ll be all good.”
“All good?” Kylie gulped. “How is a guy advising PLC all good?”
Juliette smiled. “I thought you might say that, Kylie. But I did promise you that I would make sure you approved of my replacement.”
Herbie unzipped his jacket to show Kylie his T-shirt. It read, “Dr. Frankenstein.”
“It’s what my friends called me in university,” he explained. “I was able to build robots out of bits of this, scraps of that. And I’m a bit of a monster-movie maniac.”
Kylie’s eyes lit up. “Define ‘maniac.’ I’ve seen The Curse of Frankenstein twelve times.”
“Yeah, well I’ve seen Ghost of Frankenstein twenty-two times,” Herbie replied. “I can recite it from memory: ‘The lightning! It is good for you!’”
Juliette put one arm around Kylie and the other around her brother. “I do believe you two will get along fabulously,” she said. “You always reminded me of my little brother, Kylie.”
“Well, at least we can get along when it comes to movies,” Kylie said. “I guess we can give you a try with cupcakes too. Speaking of which…”
She handed Herbie a box. “As requested: Cookies and Cream with R2-D2 toppers. Dig in.”
Herbie opened the box and grinned. “Wow, you guys are really amazing. That thingamabob on top looks exactly like R2!”
Lexi sniffed. “FYI, it’s called fondant. Not a thingamabob.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a lot to learn, dude,” Jenna said. “But I like your taste in cupcakes. Oreos are my fave.”
Juliette raised a cupcake in the air. “Here’s to Peace, Love, and Cupcakes forever!” she said.
And Kylie couldn’t argue with that!
Lavender Honey Cupcake
Makes 12 cupcakes
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons dried lavender
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2⁄3 cup milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with cupcake wrappers.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, lavender, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on high for about a minute. Add sugar, honey, and vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, beating until they are combined. Add in the flour mixture and milk, alternating. Beat about three to four minutes until the batter is smooth (but don’t overbeat!).
4. Fill each cupcake wrapper two-thirds full and place in oven. Bake for approximately eighteen to twenty-two minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for fifteen minutes before frosting.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces (one package and a half) cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until frosting is creamy and smooth. Pipe onto cupcakes or apply with a frosting knife or spatula. If you want to get fancy, add food coloring to the frosting and pipe it to look like flower petals!
Chocolate Cupcake
Makes 12 cupcakes
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake wrappers. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In the large bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between them. Beat three to four minutes until the batter is smooth.
4. Fill each cupcake wrapper two-thirds full with batter, and bake in oven for eighteen to twenty-two minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately fifteen minutes before frosting.
Salted Caramel Frosting
1 stick (half cup) salted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. Ask an adult to help you melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low flame, stirring constantly. Once the butter is entirely melted, add brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add salt. Allow mixture to bubble for exactly two minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Beat in confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Rainbow Tie-Dye Cupcake
Makes 18 cupcakes
This recipe calls for a basic vanilla cupcake batter.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk
Box of assorted food coloring
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line muffin pan with cupcake wrappers. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the large bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
3. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Beat until combined.
4. Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between them. Beat for about three to four minutes, but be careful not to overbeat!
5. Now that you’ve prepared the batter, it’s time to color it! Pour the batter from the large bowl into five smaller bowls. Use two to three drops of food coloring in each bowl to create a bright color. Stir batter in each bowl until it is one color. I like to do red, yellow, orange, blue, and green, but feel free to mix your own shades.
6. Using a tablespoon to scoop out your batter, layer the different colors into each cupcake wrapper until it is two-thirds full. You can use a toothpick to lightly swirl the colors around.
7. Bake for eighteen to twenty-two minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for approximately fifteen minutes before frosting.
8. Feel free to frost your masterpieces with any flavor icing you like!
When I was in London I had to try Hummingbird Bakery! I had heard amazing things about their “American style” cupcakes, and I love their cookbooks! So I went to their shop in Soho and I wasn’t disappointed. There were a lot of fun flavors to choose from, everything from Carrot, Red Velvet, and Chocolate Malt (with malt-ball crumbles on top), to my personal fave, Black Bottom. The cake is rich and chocolatey, and in the center is a delicious surprise: cheesecake! The frosting is cream cheese
too, and it’s topped with chocolate cake crumbs. In a word: yum!
Since Royal Icing was inspired by my London trip, I asked Hummingbird Bakery’s founder Tarek Malouf to answer some questions. He’s sold millions of cupcakes in his stores, so I figured he was the perfect London cupcake expert to ask!
Carrie: When and why did you decide to open Hummingbird Bakery in the United Kingdom?
Tarek: I opened the first bakery on Portobello Road in Notting Hill in 2004, but the decision to open an American-style bakery was a while in the making. The idea of setting up a bakery came to me in early 2002. I was visiting my aunt in North Carolina, and she took me to several traditional American bakeries that served pies and homemade cakes. The smell of fresh baking in these places was amazing. During that time, my sister was living in New York, and we used to go and eat lots of cupcakes and traditional American goodies every time I’d visit her. Taste buds awakened, it was then that I realized I wanted to open my own bakery in London.
Carrie: How did you come up with the name?
Tarek: The hummingbird is native to the Americas, and it feasts on the sweet nectar of flowers. This image of a beautiful bird with a love of sweet things just seemed to fit the bakery I wanted to create.
Carrie: How many bakeries do you have now? I heard you’re in Dubai!
Tarek: We have six bakeries in London located in Notting Hill, South Kensington, Soho, Spitalfields, Islington, and Richmond. In addition to this, we have an international franchise with two (very soon to be three) stores open in Dubai.
Carrie: What is the difference between a cupcake in the United States and a cupcake in the UK?
Tarek: Well, the cupcakes we bake at the Hummingbird Bakery should be very familiar to anyone from the United States! Moist cake with a generous amount of frosting. Other cupcakes in the UK tend to be a bit smaller, with a thicker, pastier icing instead of buttercream or cream cheese frosting. That’s why ours at Hummingbird have been received so well!
Carrie: I think my favorite flavor at Hummingbird was the Black Bottom or the Salted Caramel. What’s yours?
Tarek: I have to say, although we’re probably best known for our Red Velvet, I also love the Black Bottom cupcake the most! For anyone who hasn’t tried it, this is a rich chocolate sponge with a spoonful of chocolate-chip cheesecake baked into it, topped with cream cheese frosting.