Wednesday 24 April 2013

Ms. Cupcake Cookbook Review (and Giveaway!)

London based purveyor of sweet treats, Ms. Cupcake, has written a cookbook and I'm super excited about it! For anyone who's tried, or wanted to try, Ms Cupcake's delicious creations it's great news. If you haven't heard of Ms Cupcake yet lemme tell you a little bit about her.


Long time readers of the blog will know that I've always been a huge fan and supporter of Ms. Cupcake. From the days when I'd get a boat along the thames to get to Greenwich Market for her cupcakes...


...to the opening day of the store, to working behind the stall at VegFest, I've been there!

As well as creating wonderful sweet treats Mellissa, the woman beneath the hat, is sweet, funny and inspiring and I'm excited to be able to call her a friend. I'm SO happy for her right now because this book is awesome.


It's beautiful, it's hard-backed, and it's full of artistic colour photographs of gorgeous baked goods and the store's colourful staff. More importantly it's jammed full of recipes for everything sweet, from cupcakes to deep fried cookie balls.



Of course I've taken the cookbook for a little spin around the kitchen! 

I started with the Jaffa Cake recipe. I was super excited to see this childhood favourite in the book but if you aren't British you may not have heard of this delicious cross between a biscuit and a cake. The soft cookie comes covered in chocolate and an orange jelly hides inside. This recipe is super simple as it calls for orange marmalade rather than a complicated home-made agar based jelly. I was super sceptical about this idea at first but I have faith in Ms. Cupcake so I picked up a no-peel version from Waitrose and ran with it.


Aside from the marmalade I had everything else I needed to bake these in the house already. Awesome!


They were ridiculously quick and easy to throw together, as I was making them I remember thinking "Even Nick could bake these" and he is definitely not a baker (he does make a mean tofu scramble though)! Due to my baking these at night time I didn't really get a good picture but here they are chilling in the fridge.


The picture really doesn't do these justice, they were AMAZING! Seriously, so good. I planned to just eat one or two and then send the rest to work with Nick but, nuh-uh, that didn't happen. I ate more than my half and I can't wait to make them again. The recipe says that these can make 12 or 15 and I would suggest making 15 (rather than the 12 I made) for a more accurate Jaffa Cake.

Yesterday I made my second recipe from the book, the Chocolate Chip Cookies. I always grab a cookie when I visit Ms Cupcake in her shop or on one of her many stalls and I was super excited about being able to recreate these at home.


These cookies are huge, chewy, bakery-style cookies and they're perfect. They were ready just as Nick got back from work and we both loved them, I ate two as soon as they were cool enough to handle and they were almost exactly the same as the cookies from the bakery itself. I loved finding a new-to-me technique within the recipe which helps to flatten them out and to give them the desired chewy texture and this will definitely become a go-to recipe in our house.

The book actually doesn't come out until May 9th but a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a review copy from publishers Random House. I had already pre-ordered myself a copy of the book so I'll be passing the review copy on to one lucky reader! Don't worry I've been super careful with it so it still looks shiny and new - no chocolate splatters or rouge bits of marmalade!

To enter the competition I need you to find me an adorable picture of a bunny, post it on Facebook, tweet about it with the hashtag #jojoisawesome and....hahaha, no. You just need to leave a comment on this blog post!

The competition is open to anyone, anywhere in the world and I will be announcing the winner on Friday May 3rd 2013. I have to post the book on May 8th before I leave on my epic Seattle / Portland / Vida Vegan Con trip (OMG! So excited!!) so please make sure that there's a way for me to contact you if you win and that you're paying attention to your e-mails so that I can get your address in time. 

Good luck!

We have a winner! The random number generator has picked Mihl from Seitan Is My Motor! Congratulations Mihl, Jaffa Cakes will soon be yours!

The competition is now closed!

84 comments:

  1. I'd love to win the book! It looks awesome!

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  2. I need that Jaffa Cake recipe in my life!

    Here's your bunny...

    (='.'=)
    (")_(")
    (\__/)

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  3. Been waiting with baited breath for this to come out...can't wait to bake from it!

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  4. Ooh I'd love to win this book! I'm hungry at the thought of those jaffa cakes! :)

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  5. The 3th of May is My birthday and I asked My boyfriend For this book as a gift. But I know already I' m not gonna get It, because it's not avalaible yet. But if I should win It on My birthday that would Be so Great.

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  6. I'd love to try the famous Ms. Cupcake recipes!

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  7. I would love to try these cupcakes too. I wish we had places round here where we could buy vegan goodies, but in the meantime we just have to make our own xxx

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  8. Would love to try these recipes! JKK

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  9. Oh wow, those are my two favourite kinds of biscuits, so obviously need that book in my life. It looks beautiful too. :)

    And now I know where to get marmalade with no peel in (never liked it), so that's a result either way.

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  10. Hi JoJo! Hola from sunny Spain! :)

    I love your blog and I would like to throw my hat into the ring to win the cookbook! :)

    Those Jaffa cakes look amazing!

    Have a great time at Vida Vegan Con, you are so lucky to get to go!

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  11. What a great book, would love to win a copy!

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  12. Last October I found myself in a fantastic little vegan café in Finland that is run by students called Turun Kirjakahvila. They hold live music and discussion events and are very into their political rallies and, of course, vegan cooking. The best thing about this place was that they sold homemade vegan Jaffa cakes which look just like your photo, and the even better bit, is that they call them Yaffa cakes(!) which I found hilarious. They were so delicious and I am so sad that I cannot get my hands on any more, that, like everyone else here, I think I need that recipe!

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    1. That place sounds awesome! I've bookmarked their listing on Happy Cow so that I can go there one day.

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  13. Yes, those are the chocolate cookies that I want! I want to know the secret recipe!
    If only I could be lucky for once ...

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  14. They look so good! Would love to try the recipes out for myself! Yum. :-)

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  15. Winning this book would be beyond amazing!! Loved your review of it & those Jaffa cakes look delicious!

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  16. Ah,I so want this book! I adore Ms.Cupcake! I met her a few years ago at the Christmas Vegan fair in London and she was so lovely. I've since been enjoying her treats at numerous other festivals but have yet to go to the Brixton shop. I read on Two Happy Vegans about lemon curd slices in the book which look amazing, as do the jaffas and cookies.

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  17. If I don't win this book then I will definitely buy it, one of my best friends is vegan and I want more ideas of things I can bake for her! And Ms Cupcake's cakes are amazing!

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  18. Oh man, I was hoping you were serious about the bunny picture thing, since I have two who live in my house! But we only actually need to leave a comment? Well, here I am! I would love to win this book. I'm making my first ever trip to England at the end of July and CANNOT WAIT to stop in to Ms. Cupcake's store. Having the book would get me even more excited for my visit!

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  19. Awesome! I'd love to win this book.

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  20. this book seems dreamy & delicious, i'd love to explore it in much detail!

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  21. Looks great- even if I don't win, it's getting bought!

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  22. super cool! those cookies look amazing. I love marmalade so much. Someone on my citrus post suggested that I try making marmalade, and I think I will. Marmalade in cookies is even better. :)

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  23. OMG! This book looks beautiful! I love the retro cover, and those cookies and cakes look amazing!!!

    Also, can't wait to meet you at VCC! Less than one month away!!! Woo-hoo!!!

    Here's my email addy: phillipsbianca[at]gmail[dot]com.

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  24. I would love to win that book! And I'm so glad it's a worldwide giveaway, because I live in France!
    Really like your blog, by the way! You make me fancy travelling a lot!!
    here is my email : rosecitronvg [at] gmail [dot] com

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  25. Ooh! I haven't eaten a Jaffa cake for at least 15 years! I would love to win that book, make that recipe, and then EAT THEM ALL!

    Also, bunny:
    /(≡・ x ・≡)\

    My email: sarahlmckim [at] gmail [dot] com.

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  26. If I won this book I would make endless vegan goodies from it for my boyfriend!

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  27. Oho, i love baking, and I love Jaffa Cakes, would love to get this book! :)

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  28. oi forgot my email it is rainytuesdays at hotmail dot com :)

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  29. I'm no fan of the orange chocolate combination, but I would totally take that recipe and use peanut butter as the filling instead!

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  30. Long time reader, first time commenter here - I suppose it takes the offer of Ms. Cupcakes goodies to get me out of the woodwork, haha. I lived in London for a few months and I remember making the trip down to her shop, all the way from North London, just to sample the goods. My email is cathrynyeah@gmail.com :)

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  31. I was seriously about to start looking for bunny pictures. ;)
    It looks like a great book! I loved jaffa cakes back when I was pregan. They are so yummy.

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  32. So excited for this book - if I don't win it I will so be buying it!

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  33. I miss jaffa cakes a lot! So I guess that is reason enough to buy that gorgeous cookbook.

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  34. Hi Jojo

    That book looks great - have just pre-ordered it from Amazon. Are the recipes measured in cups, as the Americans do, or in metric?
    Worth buying the book just for the jaffa cake recipe!

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    1. Hi! The book has measurements in both cups and metric. Super awesome and definitely worth buying. Leave a comment with some contact details if you want to enter the competition!

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    2. Hi Jojo
      Thanks for info - I do much better with metric than cup measurements. I'd love to win book my details gloriahearn@yahoo.co.uk. Hope you have a great trip next week.

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  35. I'd like to enter - I love Ms Cupcake!

    My email address is jostimpson [at] gmail [dot] com

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  36. I love Ms. Cupcaaaaake!!! <3

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  37. I've only recently started making vegan cakes, so this book would be great. Those jaffa cakes look fab! faceless dot food at yahoo dot com or @facelessfood on twitter

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  38. Hilarious; I was trying to remember where I'd seen the photo of the bunny with the pancake on its head! I visited London for the first time last month and Ms. Cupcake was a super-duper highlight! That Ferraro Rocher cupcake? To. Die. Worth the airfare alone.
    P.S. #jojoisawesome

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  39. ms. cupcake sounds like missmuffcake - so i need this book right!?

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  40. I need this book, I am an aspiring vegan and can't resist my weekly baking sesh! My email is Shopaholic_pippa@hotmail.co.uk and my name is Pippa T

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  41. I am in love with Ms Cupcake.
    I need this book.

    Contact me at gandy [at] inabox [dot] plus [dot] com

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  42. This sounds awesome! I had no idea there was a vegan cupcake shop in london or I would have Definately visited when I was last in London!! Also, #Jojoisawesome. Fact!
    (ooh yeah. and hannahlyz@hotmail.co.uk ♥ Just in case!)

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  43. I haven't had a chance to try Ms Cupcake yet but since coming to the UK she has popped up on my radar. Combine that with my love for dessert and cookbooks and I need this book! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

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  44. Oh man, those Jaffa cakes look ah-ma-zing! I really want that book now :)

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  45. Great review! I was lucky enough to hear Ms Cupcake talk at the Cake and Bake Show London. What an inspiring woman. So far I haven't been lucky enough to sample and of her goodies. Would love to be able to make them myself!

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  46. * any
    And my contact details are: wemakecakes@hotmail.co.uk

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  47. ZOMG SO GOOD :D I will get this book whatever but free would be fabulous, thanks Jojo :D splunge@alum.mit.edu xx

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  48. I'd love to bake something from this! I've been sorely remiss in my baking lately.

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  49. That book looks so pretty and I bet the goodies are to die for! kelseybisset (at) gmail (dot) com

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  50. Looks amazing! I have to have this book!

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  51. The cookbook looks so pretty, and the recipes sound amazing! I'd love to win a copy. :) Have fun at Vida Vegan Con! :)

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  52. You so lucky to have a sneak peak at the book, I'm getting so antsy and keep seeing all the posts, it looks so pretty! I need Jaffa Cakes!!! Mmm

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  53. I am so a fan of Jaffa Cakes now...they look squealingly yumful!

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  55. As soon as I saw the 'share a picture of a cute bunny' I thought 'I'm in!!' haha. My bunny Harvey Aloysius McBunBuns will be disappointed but I think he'll get over it. That's so strange as we were talking about Jaffa Cakes last night and I spent ages googling trying to find some vegan ones and couldn't find any. So I NEED this book ;) It looks really good, and so do your cookies. Love soft and chewy cookies, I can feel my belly getting bigger already!:D urban_lake @ hotmail . com

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  56. I want this book. Don't enter me though--let someone else new to veggieness win. I was just stopping by to say hi, drool and learn more about this awesome cupcake lady.

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  57. Every vegan on the internet has commented on this post! I'm itching to get my buttercream-covered paws on this book! aliceslater666 (at) yahoo.co.uk

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  58. Ah, those Jaffa Cakes look delicious! I've been excited about this book ever since it was announced! x

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  59. I just love Ms Cupcake with heart & soul :)

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  60. Lovely review, jojo! I'm very curious about the jaffa cakes!

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  61. I would love to win the cookbook from Ms. Cupcake. I live in Sweden and vegan cookbooks are incredibly hard to come by here. My email address is lovabromander@hotmail.com

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  62. I really really want to taste vegan Jaffa cakes. Oh, and make them first, of course! :)

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  63. Wow, stweet giveaway item. I'd love to win. Jojo, have you ever thought of maybe releasing a vegan baking zine. I'm sure lots of people would love from you. I know I would. Cheers!


    ~Midnite (harrypotter_rox(at)msn.com

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  64. Oh my, vegan jaffa cakes!!! These look sooo good. Had a bite of my friend's Ms Cupcake sandwich cookie thing at Brighton Vegfest in March....YUM!! :)

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  65. ps you can contact me via my blog http://veganchefsteph.blogspot.co.uk/
    :)

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  66. Hi, I'd love to win, the book looks amazing. contact at lorrainek78 (at) yahoo.co.uk
    Thanks

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  67. I'd love to win! I'm at angry.violist [at] gmail.com

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  68. I miss jaffa cakes so hard! You know where to find me. :)

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  69. This is pretty exciting! I feel like cookbook authors have been afraid to touch the subject of vegan cupcakes ever since VCToTW came out and became the end-all, be-all book on the subject. I would be so curious to check this out, hoping that it revives the beloved cupcake back to its original popularity.

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  70. Ohhhhh me me me me me! My cookbook collection currently only takes up half a shelf...I could use some help with that :) xo paprikapapaya (@hotmail.com)

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  71. poopiebitch(at)hotmail(dot)com2 May 2013 at 02:41

    It's pretty clear that I need this book, so it would be extra awesome if I could win it! CAKE. FORK YEAH.

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  72. Laura Charlotte Marie Bilas2 May 2013 at 04:52

    Hello :) I would love to win the book. Many thanks x

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  73. Thanks for the give away!

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  74. novasharkey(at)yahoo(dot)com3 May 2013 at 12:12

    I would love to win this book - jaffa cakes!

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  75. I reeeeeeeeally hope this one is going to be available in Canada! After seeing those cookies, I need this book.

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  76. I have been looking at this book online and a few other Vegan baking books. I don't really bake, but I'd like a good baking book (and Ms Cupcake's as it is a UK based one) to dip into and keep for a long long time. What do you think is the best Vegan baking book?

    Janey

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  77. I love that she's written a book! I've only ever tried one of her cupcakes but it was one of the most delicious ones I've ever had, so I'd really like to try her recipes. And I've never had a Jaffa cake, so clearly I need to make those.

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  78. Ive found your existence in ''the vegan girl's guide to life'' about like, 2years ago, and I'm still in love with your blog since then.
    keep doing what you love darling !! <3

    http://sweetbutviolent.blogspot.fr

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