by Sheryl Berk
“Not true,” Kylie reminded her. “You were a wreck when you found out you were going to be a big sister. Everyone loses her cool once in a while. It’s a good thing we all have each other to clean up the mess.” She handed Delaney a sponge. “Starting with the flour we spilled on the kitchen counter.”
“I have a really good idea for the Coyotes’ cupcake decorations,” Lexi said. She’d been quiet until now, busily sketching in her notebook.
“Let me guess: coyotes!” Jenna teased her. “Big, furry ones.”
“As if,” Lexi sniffed. “That would be way too easy.” She held up her sketch.
“So cool!” Delaney exclaimed.
“Cool as a cucumber?” Lexi asked her.
“Better!” Delaney replied. “They’re gonna love it.”
When the cupcake club arrived at New Canaan Elementary School after school, Coach Keren was already waiting for them outside.
“I’m anxious to see what you made me,” she told Sadie. “It better be good.”
Sadie hopped out of her dad’s truck. “Well, it’s definitely as big as my mouth,” she said, apologizing. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Already done,” Coach Keren said, offering her hand to shake. “We all have our bad days.”
“You’re gonna flip when you see this,” Lexi told her. “We’ve never done anything like it before.”
Mr. Harris opened up the back of the truck and helped the girls lift the display out. It was a huge sheet cake decorated to look like a basketball court, complete with a four-foot-tall basketball net in the center. On top of the cake were dozens of mini cupcakes, topped with basketballs modeled out of orange fondant.
“Wait till you taste them,” Jenna said. “We call them Coyote Creamsicles. Orange cake with cream cheese frosting.”
“Sounds amazing,” Coach Keren said. “You can bring them in here.”
When they reached the gym, Coach Keren held open the doors so Mr. Harris and the girls could carry the cake inside. It weighed a ton and took nearly all of them to carry it out of the truck and up the school steps. “We have lots of hungry basketball players waiting inside,” the coach said. “Better not drop it.”
When they put it down on a table, Sadie was shocked to see not just the Coyote team but her own Blakely Bears waiting on the bleachers. Coach Walsh was there too.
“Didn’t think I’d let the Coyotes eat these awesome cupcakes all by themselves, did you?” she asked Sadie.
“I thought they were the enemy,” Delaney whispered to Sadie. “Why are the Bears hanging out with the Coyotes?”
Herbie was also there, proudly wearing his Blakely Bears team jacket. “Did I mention that Coach Keren and her team would like to hire PLC to bake cupcakes for their own Bake to Beat Cancer fund-raiser?” he said.
“You would?” Sadie asked Coach Keren. “Really?”
“As many cupcakes as you can make, we’ll sell,” she said. “And we’ll do everything we can to beat your record.”
“Beat sixty-two thousand dollars? I’d like to see that!” Jenna said smirking.
“So would I,” Sadie spoke up. “In fact, I’d love you to top it. The more money you raise, the better.”
Coach Keren crossed her arms over her chest. “I do believe the Bears have just issued us a challenge,” she said. “Ladies, are we up for it?”
“Yes, Coach!” the Coyotes shouted.
“Wow, they’re really competitive,” Kylie said.
“The Coyotes’ coach has been very kind to me,” Coach Walsh pointed out. “She emailed me all the time when I was in the hospital. Thank you, Rochelle.”
“I lost a really good friend to cancer a few years ago,” Coach Keren confided. “I understand how you were feeling, Sadie. Truly I do. It’s okay to get mad.”
“I was mad at the cancer, not at you,” Sadie admitted.
“I hope you’ll accept this as a peace offering,” Coach Walsh added. “Even though we’re rivals on the court, it would be nice to be friends off the court.”
“I think you mean a Peace, Love, and Cupcakes offering,” Herbie joked.
Sadie held up a cupcake. “Who’s hungry?” she asked, waving it in the air.
Both teams raised their hands. But she gave the cupcake to Coach Walsh. “You first,” she said.
Coach Walsh popped the cupcake in her mouth and gobbled it up. “Now that’s what I call a slam dunk!”
Pineapple Cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans (you’ll need two to make 18 cupcakes) with pretty cupcake liners of your choice.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, mix together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Stir in the sugar and pineapple.
5. With the mixer set on low speed, add the flour mixture; mix well.
6. Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full with batter.
7. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely, at least fifteen minutes, before frosting.
Pineapple Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons crushed pineapple, drained
1 to 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
Shredded coconut to garnish
Directions
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy.
2. Add the sugar and crushed pineapple, starting on low speed and working up to high once the mixture is combined. The frosting should look creamy.
3. Add the pineapple juice and beat some more. You want the frosting to be soft and creamy enough to spread with a knife or flat spatula.
4. Frost your cupcakes with a knife or spatula. Top with some shredded coconut for that authentic Hawaiian luau taste!
Makes 18 cupcakes
2 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (I prefer Plugrá)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup raspberry preserves (My fave are from Sarabeth’s!)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans (you’ll need two to make 18 cupcakes) with cupcake liners of your choice.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute until it’s light and fluffy. Add the sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat the mixture until it’s combined, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between them.
5. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full, then use the back of a spoon to smooth out the batter. Since these cupcakes aren’t frosted, you want a really nice flat top.
6. Bake for approximately 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely.
&nbs
p; 7. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small, round tip with the raspberry preserves. Insert the tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze some jelly inside. You know it’s enough when a tiny bit pokes out on top. Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the tops of the cupcakes and serve.
Creamsicle Cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest, finely grated
2 eggs
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans (you’ll need two to make 18 cupcakes) with cupcake liners of your choice.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together at medium speed the butter, sugar, and orange zest until fluffy, about three minutes.
4. Mix in eggs one at time, beating well after each addition.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the half-and-half, juice, orange extract, and vanilla extract.
6. With the electric mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and cream mixture until all are combined.
7. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full and bake for approximately 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, about fifteen minutes, before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
I like to fill the center of these cupcakes with frosting as well, to give each cupcake a real “Creamsicle” taste when you bite into it. Ask an adult to help you use an apple corer to remove a little cake from the center of your cupcake. Use a pastry bag with a large, round tip to fill the hole with frosting. You can then frost the top of your cupcake as well.
Makes two cups
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Place cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix to soften it.
2. Add the butter, and continue beating until smooth.
3. Next, add the sugar slowly on low speed, gradually turning up to high speed once it’s combined. Add the vanilla. If you want to make the frosting more orange, add a few drops of orange food coloring (about 4 or 5 will give you a nice, bright color). Beat the mixture until smooth and creamy enough to pipe.
4. Using the piping bag, fill the inside of the cupcake with frosting. Then frost the top using the piping bag, a knife, or a flat spatula. If you want, garnish the frosted cupcake with a clementine or orange slice.
I was really impressed to hear about a young woman named Blakely Colvin who runs an organization called Cupcakes for Cancer (www.cupcakesforcancer.org). She was only thirteen in 2007 when she started this group to help a classmate. Even more moving: Blake had been sick herself and undergone chemotherapy when she was only ten.
“I wanted to help his family, but most of all I thought if I could just put a smile on Kevin’s face, it would be so awesome! I combined my love of cupcakes and my desire to make a difference.”
I asked Blake to sit down and chat.
Carrie: When did you start your organization and why?
Blakely: When I was thirteen years old and in eighth grade I had heard of a boy in our hometown who was diagnosed with leukemia. I immediately knew that I had to contribute in some way to help him. I personally know the emotional and physical effects of chemotherapy after being terminally ill when I was about ten years old. I knew that hope could help restore faith to him and his family. So, I simply set up a cupcake booth at my elementary school with the help of all my best friends. The cupcakes were a dollar apiece and sold like hotcakes! And everything just took off from there.
Carrie: Tell us about your national campaign! Cupcake Angels and Fairies!
Blakely: Our national campaign is to help “frost hope across America.” It allows anyone from anywhere to adopt Cupcakes for Cancer into their life and become an angel or fairy. They get to be in charge of their own cupcake sales, and all the profits go toward national cancer research. We have over twenty-five cupcake angels or fairies out of state and even one in Africa and one in Brazil!
Carrie: How has your mission evolved, especially now that you’re not a teenager anymore?
Blakely: I have been able to take on more responsibilities without having to rely on my parents to help me out. Also, I have become very aware of health and how important it is to our lives…especially in preventing cancers and diseases. I am currently working on transforming Cupcakes for Cancer into a health promoter too, through the option of sugar-free cupcakes and various styles of more health-conscious cupcakes that still taste just as amazing!
Carrie: Who has helped you with your organization?
Blakely: My parents have been the most help. My mother especially since she was always the one driving my friends and me to the sales, helping with setting up, baking, cleaning up frosting messes, and helping with fees for the start of the nonprofit. My friends have always endured the long cupcake days with me when selling. It hasn’t always been the most successful sales at times, but my friends always helped with their humor and sugary giggles to help me through. Also the community has been the best support. Without them, Cupcakes for Cancer would not be where it is today. They deserve just as much credit as I do.
Carrie: Since 2007, how much money have you raised and what does it go to?
Blakely: We have raised about $160,000 selling our one-dollar cupcakes! That is a lot of baking, if you can imagine! Every dirty kitchen mess was worth it though! We have been able to fund over ten wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, provide for individual families coping with cancer, and donate over $25,000 to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation in Santa Barbara and national cancer research!
Carrie: Do you think that kids can make a difference in the fight against cancer?
Blakely: Absolutely! Raising funds to fight cancer can seem hopeless or overwhelming at times. But it is important to focus on what you are doing and what you can do. Even if the money raised is not significant, it is about what you bring to others around you. People are hugely impacted by charity work and a passionate effort to fight cancer. It will only feed their desire to help as well. You can spread hope so easily! That’s the key to fighting cancer, in my opinion.
This book was written for a very special person in our lives, Elizabeth Maria Walsh. She was Carrie’s ballet teacher and favorite babysitter. We knew her from the time Carrie was in diapers. She was a ray of sunshine in everyone’s life she touched. No matter how dark things got, she stayed positive and light. She was diagnosed in 2012 with Stage IV adrenal cortical cancer. It’s one of the rarest forms of cancer—and Elizabeth was a rare individual.
She vowed to stay strong, fight it with everything she had and, above all, keep dancing. She started a foundation, Dancers with Cancer, to reach out to children in hospitals who were battling this deadly disease as well. Not for one moment was she sad or hopeless; she believed (just like Coach Walsh in this book) that you don’t know how strong you are until strong is your only option.
She loved cupcakes, going to Broadway shows, tutus, toe shoes, and especially tickle wars. She was full of surprises—like showing up for a visit in NYC on a whim. She never let anyone feel sorry for her or pity her. In her mind, she was lucky. This cancer gave her an opportunity to
reach out and help others. It gave her a voice to be heard. In fact, she told us how grateful she was for every single day—the bad ones as well as the good ones.
Elizabeth was an inspiration, not just for this particular Cupcake Club book, but to everyone who knew her. We hear her voice in our heads and our hearts every day. She died suddenly in 2014, after a fierce, courageous battle that included enduring numerous surgeries and treatments. She was unflinchingly brave and upbeat through it all. Her family and friends are continuing her charity to honor her memory. They welcome donations: dancerswithcancer.org/.
In Elizabeth’s own words:
“I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again: I believe in miracles. Never give up on anybody, but more importantly, never give up on yourself. Miracles happen every day. In all you do, never lose hope.”
Many thanks to:
The Kahns, Berks, and Saperstones, as always, for their love and support. Daddy and Maddie: love you to the moon and back!
Steve Walsh and Fatima Walsh-Espinal, Elizabeth Maria’s wonderful parents. We hope seeing her words in print brings a smile to your faces. We love her so much!
Becky Keren, Carrie’s Hebrew tutor and great friend who gets a shout-out in the form of Coach Keren! Besides your very own character, we owe you a dozen gluten-free cupcakes! xo
Dr. Beth Cohen at Uptown Pediatrics: you’ve always been our biggest cheerleader! Hope you like “Dr. Cohan” in this book! ;-)
Our super sweet agent, Katherine Latshaw, from Folio Lit; our great team at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky: Steve Geck, Kate Prosswimmer, Alex Yeadon, and Elizabeth Boyer.
All of our Cupcake Club fans who come to every signing, preorder our books, and race to bookstores the day the next book is out, and share their enthusiasm for the series with us! Hugs and sprinkles!
Sheryl Berk is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Soul Surfer. An entertainment editor and journalist, she has written dozens of books with celebrities, including Britney Spears, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Zendaya. Her daughter, Carrie Berk, is a renowned cupcake connoisseur and blogger (www.facebook.com/PLCCupcakeClub; www.carriescupcakecritique.shutterfly.com; Instagram @ plccupcakeclub) with over 105K followers at the tender young age of twelve! Carrie cooked up the idea for the Cupcake Club series while in second grade. To date, they have written seven books together (with many more in the works!). Peace, Love, and Cupcakes had its world premiere as a delicious new musical at New York City’s Vital Theatre in 2014. The Berk ladies are also hard at work on a new series, Fashion Academy, due out on shelves Spring 2015. Stay tuned!
