The last two days I have been baking and decorating the cupcakes for the wedding cake. The Bride requested 40 vanilla and 40 chocolate, so to start with I got set up with my trusty chocolate cupcake recipe! It always turns out well and it's always very tasty, so off I went.
Setting up ready for baking.
I always use an ice cream scoop to measure out my batter into the cupcake cases as it makes even cupcakes that rise well, are fairly level and taste good!
I was really pleased once they has baked and I removed them from the tin ready to cool. Then all of a sudden, disaster! The cupcake cases started to peel away and leave gaps all the way around the cakes! I was really disappointed and had to make another batch in the end as some of them were not able to be saved. However, I was hopeful that once they were iced, I would be able to save them.
Lesson 1: You get what you pay for with cupcakes cases
My second batch of vanilla cupcakes was much better. I used cupcakes cases from Squires and they were fine. I used a recipe from Peggy Porschen (again!) and it worked very well with a delicious vanilla smell.
Lesson 2: Use the sugar syrup glaze as directed, it will improve the finished result
This morning I was getting ready to ice and decorate the cupcakes, my favourite bit! I used The Hummingbird Bakery recipe for the buttercream, as it is always a hit. I bought new nozzles and piping bags from Lakeland which were a great buy. The bags have a nobbly silicone finish that let you grip the bag properly, even when you're covered in butter!
To colour the pink I added Rose gel colour to the buttercream bit by bit to build up the colour.
It may have been the yellow of the butter but it took a few drops more than I had anticipated to go from peach to pink. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get the best shade, as the cases were a little bright and any pink would clash. However, the one I arrived at I think worked well, and it is very difficult to go back a shade!
For some reason the pink buttercream looked a little warm when I piped it, but as it set, it stopped looking too wet.
When I added the roses and the pearls, it all came together and I was really pleased with how pretty the finished result was.
I was even more pleased with the outcome of the lilac butterfly cupcakes. I have never been a big fan of lavender or lilac, however I was really pleased with the shade of the buttercream and the butterflies looked so pretty perched on top like they had just flown onto them and landed.
Lesson 3: Do more with lilac and lavender!
A close up of the lavender cupcakes with their sugar pearls and lavender hand painted butterflies with lustre.
The pink chocolate cupcakes with sugar pearls
The pink and lilac cupcakes together with the butterflies, roses and sugar pearls.
I have to admit, 80 cupcakes all lined up did look like quite an achievement, and I'm looking forward to seeing them all stacked up on their cake stand tomorrow!
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