Lauren has had a sweet tooth as long as she can remember and became fascinated with cupcakes at an early age during weekend trips to a local bakery. She was always drawn to the traditional yellow cupcake with buttercream frosting and of course the one with the most rainbow sprinkles! She often eats cupcakes for breakfast! A collector of cake decorating books and pretty cake pedestals, her husband jokes she is slowly taking over the kitchen with her baking tools one shelf at a time.
She started the blog Crave. Indulge. Satisfy. in 2009 after taking several cake decorating classes which really sparked her passion for baking. Over the past 5+ years of recipe testing, decorating, styling and photographing sweets for her blog she decided to take a leap of faith and turn her hobby and love of sugar and parties into a career with her new business ellenJAY – stylish events and sweets. The dream for this business came after she styled, decorated and baked all the sweets for her son’s “Bow Tie & Mustache” 1st birthday bash. After receiving an overwhelming response from people seeing his party pictures online, she decided this was the path she was meant to take. She loves creating custom sweets and decorations for all of life’s special occasions.
Lauren is a mom to her wild and crazy 2 year old little boy Sam and a wife to her #1 taste tester Randolph. She lives in Mobile, AL.
MORE FROM LAUREN:
Brownie Cupcake SundaesOur contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events, is back with a delicious new cupcake recipe....
Raise your hand if you've always got a box of brownie mix stashed in your pantry just in case you need to whip up something sweet in a pinch! Brownies are typically one sweet that I normally never make from scratch, because well, the box mix is just so easy and the results are always ooey gooey amazing! And if you slather some homemade chocolate frosting on top no one will ever know the difference, right? However, with today's recipe we are going to steer clear from the box mix and whip some up from scratch, cupcake style! You are going to be amazed at how easy this is and you won't even need to break out your mixer. I hope you have some Oreos on hand because you are going to need them for these Brownie Cupcake Sundaes!Read More
Peaches N’ Cream CupcakesOur contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events, is back with a delicious new cupcake recipe....
It's finally peach season, and I couldn't be more excited! I love spending Saturday mornings taking a trip to our local farmers market and checking out all the fruits and veggies that are currently in season. Of course the moment I stumble across that first basket of orange and red juicy peaches, I immediately want to sink my teeth right into one. We always buy the biggest basket possible so we can enjoy both peaches to eat and also use some for baking. Last year, I whipped up a huge homemade peach pie, but this year I decided to use my peaches for a batch of Peaches N' Cream Cupcakes.Read More
Cinnamon Roll CupcakesDo you often find your self drooling over sweets that others have pinned on Pinterest hoping that some day you will get the energy or time to make them. Then that day finally comes, and well, the outcome does not appear nearly as perfect as it did in the photos you were drooling over? This has happened to me a time or two specifically when it comes to cinnamon rolls! They are my weakness and one of my all time favorite sweet indulgences. However, I have yet to figure out how to make that perfect dough and roll them just tight enough to ensure the absolute perfect cut when sliced to bake. Mine never end up looking as good as the recipe I have followed. So I figured, why not take those same flavors that I love so much in a traditional cinnamon roll and come up with a cupcake version instead. So if you are cinnamon roll challenged like me, then I encourage you to try this Cinnamon Roll Cupcake recipe.Read More
Green Velvet CupcakesOur contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events, is back with a delicious new recipe....
As we prepare to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring, I have just the cupcake to get you all excited! It's bright and cheerful and full of color! It has a little something to do with RAINBOWS! And since St. Patrick's day is coming up too, I thought I would throw in a little something green for good measure. So here we go with quite possibly one of the tallest and most colorful cupcakes you have ever seen...Rainbow & Green Velvet Hi Hat Cupcakes!Read More
Chocolate Covered Strawberry CupcakesChocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes – moist chocolate cupcakes topped with fluffy strawberry cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. A delicious Valentine’s Day recipe by our contributor Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events. Valentine’s Day will be here very soon so it’s only appropriate to share a recipe that just screams chocolate and strawberries, […]Read More
Recipe: Blackberry Jam CupcakesDecember is one of my favorite months of the year...full of family traditions, creating lots of memories and enjoying special recipes that have been passed down for many generations. This month I'm excited to share with you a a family recipe that my "granga" (my grandmother on my dad's side) has been making every Christmas since I can remember - Blackberry Jam Cake.
The name sounds pretty straight forward right? But really there are lots of exciting ingredients and flavors packed inside that you may not suspect just from the name. It's a super moist cake sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice, lots of jam, crushed pineapple and nuts and topped off with a sinfully sweet caramel frosting that just takes this cake over the top! This is one rich cake, so you have been warned!
Read More
Caramel Corn CupcakesHappy Fall Y'all! I'm thrilled to be back in full swing with baking and cupcakes after a few months away. Fall is one of my absolute favorite times to bake so I couldn't let another month go by without sharing a new recipe with you all! I hope you like CARAMEL because this cupcake is loaded with 3 layers of sugary, buttery, caramel goodness...Caramel Cake + Caramel Frosting + Caramel Corn. Fair warning, this is one sweet creation, but hey isn't the entire month of October dedicated to indulging in all things sugar and candy anyways! I've been envisioning this Caramel Corn Cupcake in my head for a few months now and I'm so happy to finally be able to share it with you all.Read More
Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down CupcakesSweet pineapple, brown sugar, butter and a cherry center are the star ingredients of one of my favorite traditional summer cakes, Pineapple Upside-Down. Today I'm re-inventing this cake as a mini version. Typically when I think of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake I think of pineapple rings with a cherry in the middle, which is beautiful when baking a large cake. For this recipe, I decided crushed pineapple would be the way to go for these individual treats.Read More
Creamsicle CupcakesIt might only be May but the ice cream man has been driving down my street for well over a month now. Every time I hear his musical truck all I can think about are drumsticks, ice cream sandwiches and popsicles. It reminds me that the warm weather is here to stay and it's time to start stocking my freezer full of cool summer treats! So thank you Mr. Ice Cream Man for inspiring me to create these Creamsicle Cupcakes based off of one of my all time favorite popsicle treats.Read More
Champagne & Raspberry CupcakesOur cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here with a new Valentine's recipe….
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, do you know what you are getting your sweetie this year? While the standard box of chocolates and a dozen roses are a nice gesture, I'm encouraging you to step outside the norm and create a fabulous treat that will make this year's Valentine's Day just a little sweeter! It all starts with a bottle of champagne and some fresh raspberries! So grab a bottle of bubbly, no make that two, one to bake with and one to drink and get ready to wow that special someone with a batch of Champagne & Raspberry Cupcakes.Read More
Apple Pie CupcakesOur cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here with a delicious new recipe....
One of my absolute favorite things about fall is eating pies! Apple, pumpkin, pecan, you name it and I will gobble it right up! So when Carrie mentioned she wanted me to create an apple themed cupcake recipe for November, I immediately thought of apple pie! I am an apple pie lover, especially in the fall. So immediately my mind started going in a million directions about how I would create the perfect apple pie cupcake to share with all of you. I came up with something that I hope you all are going to love and that truly tastes like a bite of apple pie! So here are the details on my new Apple Pie Cupcake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream!Read More
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough CupcakesCalling all chocolate chip cookie lovers! Or should I say cookie dough lovers? I'd like to introduce you to the ultimate cupcake to satisfy both a chocolate and cookie craving all in one bite! These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes have just become the new favorite cupcake at our house and I hope you will enjoy them just as much! It's chocolate cake, filled with cookie dough, covered in cookie dough frosting, topped with chocolate chips and a mini cookie dough cookie on top! Do you think there is enough cookie dough involved? Oh my goodness these are so yummy, I ate three in one day!Read More
Root Beer Float CupcakesOur cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy, is here with a fabulous new recipe perfect for Summer. Root Beer Float Cupcakes!! With the temperatures getting hotter and summer quickly approaching I thought it would be fun to reminisce back to my childhood with this month's cupcake recipe. I have never been much of a soda drinker but on those rare occasions when I do indulge, my beverage of choice is Root Beer, probably because of the intense sugary vanilla flavor. As a kid, my favorite cold treat was a Root Beer Float. Drinking an ice cold root beer poured over vanilla ice cream was the perfect way to end a hard day of playing outside. I have recreated this nostalgic treat as a Root Beer Float Cupcake for you to enjoy this summer! Read More
Mint Cookies N Cream CupcakesOur cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here today with a new recipe sure to make you drool... Chocolate Mint Oreo Cupcakes! Just in time for the 100th birthday of the Oreo cookie!Read More
Ombre Ruffle CupcakesOur cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is sharing a Valentine's recipe to make you swoon... Ombre Ruffle Cupcakes! If you've been checking out all the latest cake decorating trends and are a frequent follower of Half Baked then you know that the ombre technique is pretty popular right now! After ooing and awwwing over ombre cakes for the past few months, I have been dying to use this technique! I couldn't think of a time more perfect than the month of love to pull out the pink and red food coloring and give it my best try at decorating with gradients.Read More
Pumpkin CupcakesOur contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events, is sharing a recipe for easy pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. During the fall my pantry is always stocked full of pumpkin as my go to ingredient. I have about 12 cans on hand right now! Pumpkin is such a great ingredient that can be used in a variety of recipes. So this year, why not branch out from the standard pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread and mix up a batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. I guarantee all of your friends will gobble these right up!Read More
S’mores CupcakesOur contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events, is sharing an easy s'mores cupcake recipe! Chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow frosting, graham cracker crumbs and hunks of milk chocolate. The base of the cupcake is a simple one-bowl chocolate cake. Who doesn't love a chocolate cupcake? The S'mores factor comes into play with the marshmallow frosting and graham cracker garnish. Instead of using actual marshmallows in this recipe I decided on a jar of marshmallow cream, which creates a light and fluffy texture. This icing is not overly sweet and pairs nicely with the chocolate and graham crackers. Top off the cupcake with a chocolate square from a chocolate bar and you have the ultimate s'mores in cake form!Read More
Strawberry Lemonade CupcakesStrawberry Lemonade Cupcakes – moist lemon cupcakes paired with fresh strawberry buttercream for the perfect combination of sour and sweet. A new cupcake recipe by our contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events. When I think of summer, bright yellow lemons and sipping on a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade come to mind. I am a huge fan of lemons, […]Read More
Honey Cupcakes with Honey Cream CheeseHello friends. It's Lauren from EllenJay Events. I want to start off first by thanking Carrie for asking me to be a part of her amazingly gorgeous and always inspiring cake blog! I am honored to be a new contributor on The Cake Blog and look forward to sharing many great cupcake recipes and photos with you monthly! Today I am sharing my first cupcake creation to kick off summer, Honey Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting!Read More
