200 Cupcakes and a Gorgeous Wedding!

Guess what? I baked 200 cupcakes in two days...then I frosted and decorated 200 cupcakes in 4 hours and put them out on a table for 150 guests...and I lived to tell about it!


I never would have guessed how much work goes into planning a wedding and how much preparation goes into planning one's cupcake display.

I think I tested about 10 different cake batters to find one that would be just right...and I gained about 10 pounds doing it...oh the sacrifices a person makes for their profession!



I wanted to do a few different cupcakes to ensure there was something for everyone at the wedding...some people prefer chocolate...others vanilla...

I ended up making four different cakes: Lemon and Lemon Creme Frosting, Angel Food Cake with a pudding center and Blueberries, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and a Shortbread Cake with Crushed Nilla Wafer Crust, Raspberry Cream Filling and a Mascarpone Cream Cheese Filling.

My kitchen has a permanent layer of powdered sugar on it now. I think I will be scrubbing for days to get everything clean again.

On Thursday I did the shopping and baked the lemon, chocolate and shortbread cupcakes and ended up completely gutting my fridge to make room for them. On Friday I baked the angel food cakes, whipped up and bagged the frosting and fillings and decorated the cake stands.

Saturday I went to the reception hall and started decorating! I think I slept a total of 8 hours over 3 nights and the only thing that kept me away was adrenaline and Caribou Coffee!



I've already posted the Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting...you can find that here. For the wedding I just sprinkled shaved chocolate on top of the frosting.

As for the rest of the recipes...I will get them into their individual posts tonight hopefully!

Have a happy day!!

Turtle Cupcakes

Warning: This cupcake may contain extreme amounts of all around goodness that will cause the corners of your mouth to point upward in a huge smile all day long! This cupcake is so stinkin' sweet it is hard not to love it...

Turtle Cupcakes

1 recipe chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 chopped pecans
11 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
Caramel Apple Dip


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 30-36 cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers.

Place pecans in a food processor and pulse them for about 3 seconds just to get a rough chop started. Then add pretzels and continue to pulse. You want the pretzels to be a little chunky...definitely do not turn them into a powder!

Pour pretzel and pecans into a bowl. Add melted butter and sugar and stir until combined. Scoop a rounded tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake wrapper and lightly press to bottom to form the crust.

Prepare chocolate cake as directed. Scoop cake batter on top of pretzel crust so your cupcake liners are about 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes...until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Completely cook cupcakes. Using a handheld apple corer, cut a hole in the middle of the cupcake. Place Caramel Apple Dip in a piping bag with a large round tip. Fill hole in the cupcake with caramel.

Prepare frosting as directed by recipe. Place in a piping bag with a 1M star tip and pipe frosting on cupcakes making sure to cover the caramel. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

ENJOY!!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Mascarpone Whipped Frosting

I have a question...what is so darn scary about a big pink frilly dress? It is the essence of being a girl...to love all things pink...and all things frilly right? Is there something about this particular dress that screams "I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!" Because when I put this dress on my daughter for an afternoon of fun and pretend at home...this is what happened...


She wanted it off...now. There was no negotiation. The dress was coming off or she would pass out from screaming. I made beautiful girly cupcakes inspired by her dress and we were going to have a tea party in our dresses. Instead we are wearing pajamas...but it is just as fun!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Mascarpone Whipped Frosting

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Over a piece of wax paper, sift together flour and salt and set aside.

In your electric mixer bowl, beat butter until soft and light in color (1-2 minutes). Add sugar and beat til fluffy (3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time scraping down bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract and continue to beat until combined.

With your mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour and buttermilk in three additions, starting and ending with the flour.

In a small cup, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mix to fizz and then quickly fold into the batter using a spatula.

Working quickly using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin tins half full of batter and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating pans 3/4 way through baking. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Mascarpone Whipped Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In your electric mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to another bowl carefully.

Then add cream cheese and mascarpone cheese and beat until smoother. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a bit of the whipped cream into the cheese mix to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream in two stages. If it is not thick enough right away for piping (which it should be, I've never had a problem) refrigerate for one hour. Use a 1M star tip in a pastry bag to frost cup cakes and top with sprinkles!

Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day! (And Chocolate Cupcakes)

Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful men out there! I'd like to specifically gush about two daddies in particular this morning. They happen to be my generous, loving, nurturing husband and my own father.




Zafar...Thank you for being the patient one with the children. For taking the time to teach them, for opening their eyes to different cultures then the one they live in. For being passionate about them. For wiping their butts and cleaning their noses...I love you.

Dad, thank you for raising me they way you did. For giving me all the skills I need (such as changing a tire and my own oil). For raising me to be a strong independent woman. Thank you for being involved in my life as a child and as an adult. Thank you for loving my children and spending time with them. For everything dollar you've ever loaned me and every shoulder you let me lean on. You are the best.

Chocolate Cupcakes

(Slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee granuals
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla and coffee granuals. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

With an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
4 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 ounces unsweetened chocolated, melted and slightly cooled.
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter, cream cheese and shortening until well blended.

Add in the vanilla and salt and mix on low speed until well combined.

Gradually pour in the chocolate until thoroughly combined.

Add in the confertioners’ sugar one cup at a time until completely incorporated.