Carrie Cakeaway, Cake Bartender

I like the sound of ice clinking against metal in a cocktail shaker. I'm a fan of mixing and matching precisely poured ingredients -- turning familiar flavors into something new, exciting, and (of course) delicious. Being half baker and half mixologist, I simply love crafting cakes and cupcakes made to taste like the best versions of their cocktail namesakes.

So, reader, what's your favorite drink?

Over the weekend, my assistant and I made five of our favorites -- (from the top, going clockwise):

• Mint mojito - lime-infused rum cake with muddled mint lime curd filling, topped with tangy lime frosting, a fresh mint leaf, and a lime wedge
• Vodka appletini - vodka-infused apple cake with lightly cinnamon-kissed frosting and a fresh apple wedge
• Beer batter - dark chocolate stout cake with stout-infused buttercream and a light drizzle of stout syrup
• Margarita - tequila butter cake filled with lime curd, topped with lime-zested cream cheese frosting, a sprinkle of course sea salt, and a fresh lime wedge
• Mudslide - Kahlua bourbon chocolate cake topped with Bailey's cream cheese frosting and a fudge drizzle

How's that for the booziest and most tempting cupcake carousel ever?

And speaking of mudslides -- Christina requested a dozen for her girlfriend's birthday. Out of the five flavors listed above, I'm especially fond of the mudslide. Rich chocolate and coffee notes, three different kinds of liqueurs, and a silky cream cheese frosting topped with a chocolate covered coffee bean and chocolate cookie "straw," these make a festive addition to birthdays and -- let's be honest here -- any day.

Thanks, Christina, for thinking of me for this special occasion! And thanks, friends, for inspiring me to continue experimenting behind the bar and in the oven where cake meets cocktail and lives tastily ever after.