Wedding Cake & Cupcakes

8" Rose Cake for cutting
230 cupcakes: bumpy cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, & vanilla almond cupcakes

First Birthday Cupcake Cake

1st Birthday Smash Cake

X-Rated Bachelorette Cake & Cupcakes

This naughty cake & cupcakes were made for a bachelorette party.

Vanilla cake, filled with vanilla pudding, iced in flesh toned vanilla buttercream icing, with toasted coconut accents :)

Marble cupcakes, vanilla buttercream, chocolate candy decoration.

Baby Annoucement Cupcakes

I used these fun, blue filled cupcakes to announce the sex of our baby to my coworkers!

Vanilla cupcakes, filled with a blue cotton candy buttercream, topped with white chocolate cheesecake frosting.

Toasty Cocoa Cupcakes

Perfect for winter or summer, these cupcakes are a play on hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Dark Chocolate cupcakes, filled with a rich chocolate ganache, and topped with a marshmallow frosting.  Hitting the tops with the kitchen torch browns the marshmallow beautifully & adds a nice toasty flavor.  Super cute in mini size!

Donut Topped Cupcakes

For a recent order, I was asked to make a cake (forgot to take a picture!) and cupcakes for a Dunkin Donuts manager of the year.  What better way to tie in the Dunkin Donuts than donut topped cupcakes, glazed with the DD pink & orange.

Vanilla bean cupcakes, frosted with vanilla bean buttercream & topped with homemade vanilla bean donuts, with a simple glaze.

Banana Split Cupcakes

I found these cupcakes over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen & knew I had to make them.  I had a bit of trouble with the consistency of the frosting, but the flavor was absolutely delicious!

A banana cupcake with a marshmallow center, strawberry buttercream, chocolate sauce & a cherry on top.  The only thing missing is the pineapple!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake cupcakes have two seasons - spring & fall!  They are especially delicious with some spiced cream cheese frosting.  Using the same spices used in the cake, cinnamon & nutmeg, it adds another layer of flavor to the already delicious cream cheese frosting.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
for ~24 cupcakes
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
12 oz cream cheese
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix on low.  Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until combined.  Pipe onto your cupcakes!  Extra frosting can be frozen for 2-3 months.

Savory Buffalo Wing Cupcakes

Quite possibly the craziest cupcake I've made: Buffalo Wing Cupcakes.  These were made partially as a dare, and partially because after I saw the recipe, I knew I needed to make them!  I made about a dozen and was worried that they wouldn't get eaten, but there was only 1 left at the end of the night.

I kind of "winged" the recipe, but I didn't take great notes, so no recipe to share.  The cupcakes were cornbread cupcakes, with bleu cheese crumbles mixed in.  The frosting was actually mashed potatoes with bleu cheese crumbles and ranch dressing, and of course, a buffalo chicken wing on top.

Green Velvet Cupcakes

A fun play on the traditional red velvet cupcakes, these just use green food coloring instead of red for a festive holiday treat.

Red/Green Velvet Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 heaping tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp food coloring
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda in salt in a bowl and set aside.  In a stand mixer, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, food coloring, vinegar & vanilla on low speed until combined.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

The cupcakes pictured were topped with cream cheese frosting, but I also used a 7 minute frosting for some as well!

Cupcake recipe adapted from Paula Deen

Shamrock Shake Cupcakes

Is it mint or just vanilla with green?  I'm not sure what it used to be, but there is definitely mint extract in the new shamrock shakes.  What better way to celebrate a seasonal treat than to turn it into a cupcake?  These cupcakes start out with a white cake base, with a bit of mint extract and green food coloring, and get topped off with a white chocolate buttercream.  They smell and taste just like the shake.  Another great St. Patrick's Day treat!

Shamrock Shake Cupcakes

Ingredients

4 egg whites

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

¼ cup green creme de menthe**

½ cup shortening

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1.Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty to twenty-two 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and the creme de menthe. Set aside.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.

3.Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

4.Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

5.Divide White Chocolate Frosting between two bowls. Tint one portion with green food coloring. Spoon each frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe white and green frostings onto tops of cupcakes to resemble four-leaf clovers. Makes 20 to 22 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.

*Tip: If you prefer not to use creme de menthe, substitute a mixture of 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon mint extract, and several drops green food coloring.

White Chocolate Frosting

Yield: 3-1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

6 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped

1/3cup whipping cream

1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Place white baking chocolate in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan heat whipping cream just until simmering. Pour over white baking chocolate; let stand, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth; let stand for 15 minutes. Gradually beat butter into melted white chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beating until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches piping or spreading consistency. Makes 3-1/2 cups.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens

Angel Food Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

These are heaven in a cupcake liner.  Homemade angel food cake is so much better than store-bought - it's light & airy & fresh.  Swiss Meringue Buttercream is easily my favorite frosting, and light enough to not overpower the angel food cupcakes.  Adding pureed strawberries only made it 10 times better!

Angel Food Cupcakes from How Sweet Eats

Will You Be My Bridesmaid Cupcakes

These pretty cupcakes served very special purpose - the bride gave these to her bridesmaids-to-be.

Jumbo Chocolate Cupcakes with a chocolate ganache filling and salted caramel swiss meringue buttercream.  The topper is made of fondant and was sprayed with edible luster paint.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

After much searching, I have finally found my favorite vanilla cupcake.  This cupcake is light and fluffy, and thanks to the vanilla bean seeds in the cupcake, it still packs a strong vanilla punch.  The cupcake below was topped with my favorite, Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream, the perfect frosting for a light cupcake!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups cake flour (I always make my own by scooping 2 Tbsp of flour out and adding 2 Tbsp cornstarch)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
4 large egg whites
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean seeds
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.  Mix milk, egg whites, and both vanilla extract and seeds together in a small bowl and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar, about 3 minutes.  Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures to the butter/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  You should use 3 additions of flour and 2 additions of milk.  Once the mixture is combined, turn the mixer up to medium and beat for 2 minutes.  Portion into cupcake liners, about 1/4 cup each, and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350.

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

Moist, coke & chocolate flavored cupcakes are filled with cherries, brushed with a coke glaze, and iced with whipped cream frosting. Don't forget the cherry on top!

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Sushi Roll Cupcakes

These sushi cupcakes are some of the cutest cupcakes I've made! Even better, they were a surprise for my sister, who shares my love of sushi & baking. A special shout out to my baby sissy, Abby, for an awesome 4 years of college hockey :)

I used a basic vanilla cupcake, with a light coating of vanilla buttercream. White jimmies act as the rice, a dark icing with a slightly green tint outlines the rice, giving it the look of a sliced roll, and I used various candies to act as the meat & veggies inside the roll.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Filling

These cupcakes are for serious chocolate lovers! A moist, rich dark chocolate cupcake is filled with salted caramel and topped with a whipped chocolate buttercream.

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

will frost 12 cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened

3 oz chocolate chips, melted & cooled (I used a mix of semi sweet & dark chocolate)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the vanilla, and once combined, add the melted chocolate. Mix on medium for another 2 minutes, scraping the sides down once, until light and fluffy. This is a great piping buttercream!

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache filling

If there is one way to take a cupcake from good to wow, it would be with a filling. I've made these Peppermint Mocha cupcakes before and they are delicious on their own. A rich, chocolate cake infused with coffee flavor, topped with a sweet light peppermint buttercream; delicious! This time, at the request of a customer, I added a filling: a semisweet & dark chocolate ganache. It reminded me of the Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, which were also filled with ganache.

Peppermint Buttercream

enough to frost 24 cupcakes

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 Tbsp heavy cream

Whip the butter in a stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment for 5 minutes, until butter is pale and fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, then add the peppermint and the cream. You can add more cream to get to piping consistency. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes

Coffee & Donut Cupcakes

These coffee & donut cupcakes were for a Police Officer's retirement party. Obviously, they were for an officer with a sense of humor :)

I wanted to play off the cops & donuts stereotype, so I knew I wanted to incorporate the donut into the cupcake, as well as coffee flavor. Thinking that a coffee flavored cupcake may be too overpowering for the entire crowd, I chose to make a maple-vanilla cupcake. To top the cupcake, I made a coffee & cream buttercream by using a coffee/espresso flavoring and half & half. Finally, the cupcakes were topped with a baked chocolate donut, with a vanilla glaze & chocolate jimmies.

Maple Vanilla Cupcakes

yield 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp maple extract

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk milk, and egg whites. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla & maple extracts, then add the flour & milk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. Once everything has been added, beat the batter for 2 additional minutes. Scoop into lined cupcake pans and bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Coffee & Cream Buttercream

2 sticks butter (I used 1 stick salted & 1 stick unsalted)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp coffee extract

2-4 Tbsp half & half or heavy cream

In a stand mixer, beat the butter for 3-5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing until incorporated (it may be crumbly at this point). Add the coffee extract and half & half, continuing to beat, until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe on to cupcakes.

Mini Chocolate Donuts

yield 48 mini donuts

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg (don't skip this!)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

4 tsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, nutmeg & salt. In a small bowl, whisk milk, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and whisk until blended and smooth. To fill donut pans, put mixture in a ziploc bag and pipe into the cavities*, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before turning out from pan.

*Even though most pans are non-stick, I recommend spraying the pan. Wipe clean & spray each time to ensure the donuts do not stick.

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk ingredients together & use immediately. You can pour over donuts or dip each individually.

Cupcakes adapted from My Baking Addiction

Donuts adapted from The Motherload