Top 10 of 2013

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate) and a happy holiday! 

I can’t believe how fast the year has gone by! I feel that the more conscious I am of time, the faster it passes. But if I don’t keep track of time, I get nothing done. See my dilemma? 

2013 has been really good to me. I still can’t believe how lucky I have been. This year started off with a bang when I won my first ever kitchenaid mixer . Then I gained a ton of experience through two new jobs that I have never ever done before. I stepped out of my usual hostessing routine and got a job as an event coordinator and another as a project assistant for the student health department at my university. It wasn’t easy, I was challenged everyday to use new skills, think outside of the box, and monitor my own pace to make sure that I was meeting all the deadlines. In May, I fulfilled a long-time goal of mine which was to earn a spot in the dietetics program. It has changed my life and I have never been happier. In October, I made it a priority of mine to hone out my baking skills. So, armed with passion but ZERO formal training, I applied to a couple bakeries in Vancouver and eventually got a job at a cakery! Being surrounded by sugar, butter, chocolate and cake all the time has been quite the dream. Then in November, something totally unexpected happened. I won a second kitchenaid mixer, this time from Simple Bites. Along the way, I’ve met and befriended some fantastic people who are as inspiring as they are talented. The combination of new experiences and meeting new people has helped me to grow into a better person. I feel more self-assured than I ever was, but I’ll admit that I still have a long way to go until I feel self-confident. I have finally kicked the habit of food guilt. I used to hate myself if I ate more than I should have. I extremely hated my body and was always criticising myself while pinching my fat in front of the mirror. Now, I can eat whatever I want whenever I want and not feel the slightest amount of guilt. 500g of chocolate chips at 4am? Sure! Hash browns cooked in bacon fat? Gimme some of that with a side of ham please! Though I have gained some weight from doing this, a load of mental weight has been lifted off my mind.

Thank YOU, for being my readers and friends (if I may). You guys motivate me to find the time to bake no matter how exhausted I am from school and work. Without you guys, this blog would be nothing. I know that I’m not the most consistent, nor adventurous, nor exciting blogger. I’m just a girl in her 20s with a gigantic sweet tooth and a camera. I don’t post pictures of me conquering Mount Everest or setting world records or backpacking through Europe. I only post white unbalanced pictures of the things that I bake in my modest kitchen. Somehow, you guys are still here and have stuck by my side through it all. Thank you again for being the greatest audience of my life.

Without further ado, let’s count down the list of top 10 recipes from 2013!

10. Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

I made these for C for his 20th birthday and they were a hit! But did we expect anything less from the dynamic duo of PB and chocolate though?

9. Red Velvet Brownies

And the red velvet reign continues! Seriously, can someone tell me why red velvet is so popular? It tastes like watered down chocolate to me. This is the second appearance of these brownies in the top 10 ranking!

8. Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

I only posted the recipe for these cupcakes about 2 weeks ago and already they have become a hit!

7. Ninjago (Orange Creamsicle Cake)

Some of my most creative projects happen when people ask for them! (I, on my own, am not a very creative person). One of my coworkers asked me to bake a cake for her son who is absolutely obsessed with Ninjago. I knew nothing about ninjago nor character cakes, but I agreed to it anyway! When in doubt, always say yes right? You should’ve seen the face on him when I delivered the cake and he realized that it was all his to eat!

6. Caramel Cream Pastry Cream Cake

“I want to take a straw and drink the pastry cream” is what a friend said to me after he had this cake. 

5. Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

If you’re a chocolate chip cookie fan, you must try it in skillet form! But please, don’t make my mistake. I forgot to eat it with ice cream. It is still one of my biggest regrets to this day.

4. Black Magic Cake

My go to chocolate cake. Hershey naaaaailed it.

3. Rainbow Zebra Cake

Just like the red velvet brownies, this is also the second time that rainbow zebra cake has made an appearance in the top 10!

2. Tuxedo Truffle Cake 

I made this cake last year when I was going through my chocolate collar addiction phase. You have no idea how much fun I had making the chocolate decor. I’m odd.

1. Hazelnut Praline Ganache Chocolate Cake

This cake. Bueno. Won by a landslide. In just a couple months, this cake earned the spot of greatest views of all time on my blog! It has 800 views more than the second most popular recipe. I created this recipe by just following my insatiable cravings and tastebuds. Had no idea this would be so well received!