Cupcake Tasting

Cupcake Tasting
Originally uploaded by Cup O'Cake Designs

This weekend I had my very first Cupcake Tasting. A friend of ours is getting married in May and asked me if I would make the cupcakes for her wedding. Of course, I jumped at the chance.

Anyone whose been involved in planning a wedding knows that one of the best parts of the planning is the cake tasting! I couldn't deprive the Bride and Groom of this experience, so after getting an idea of their favorite flavors I brought over seven kinds of cupcakes for them to try (along with some family members).

I made them mostly in half batches and left many of them behind for the Bride & Groom to share with friends and co-workers. The few that were left came with me.

I made: Mint Chocolate Chip (chocolate cupcakes with mini chocolate chips, topped with mint swiss meringue buttercream and mini chocolate chips- top left), Vanilla Vanilla (vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream- top right), Vanilla Chocolate Chip (vanilla cupcakes with mini chocolate chips topped with vanilla buttercream and mini chocolate chips- below the Mint and Vanilla cupcakes), Peanut Butter Chocolate (chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter chips, topped with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and Reece's pieces- fourth from the top on the left), Margarita (margarita cupcakes with margarita frosting- bottom right), Banana Toffee Caramel (banana toffee caramel cupcakes topped with caramel swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with caramel- bottom left), and Cookies & Cream (not pictured).

It was a lot of work, but I viewed it as a test run for the actual wedding. I am pleased that spending that much time on the cupcakes didn't wear me out or frustrate me- in fact I think it was one of the more relaxing weekends I have had lately.

The Bride & Groom chose their favorite four flavors (Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Margarita) for their big day.

Banana Caramel Toffee Cupcakes

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This weekend I also baked some birthday surprise cupcakes. The birthday girl isn't a fan of regular cakes or cake that is overly sugary sweet. My husband did some covert work (as the birthday girl is a coworker) to determine a flavor she might like.

I'd found this recipe on How to Eat a Cupcake a while back, and this seemed like the perfect time to try it out. I made a double recipe and only got 15 cupcakes.

I haven't yet had one (mine is still waiting at home, in the fridge for me), but according to my husband they got rave reviews around the office.

The toughest part about this recipe was cutting up the caramels (to bake inside the cupcake). Caramel will always seek out caramel and attempt to stick together. I ended up cutting up the caramels one at a time- after finishing one, I would toss it in with the flour and sift before cutting up the next caramel.

The cupcakes are topped with a light caramel whipped cream frosting.

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting

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My parents had a Mortgage Burning Party this weekend- after 30 years they've finally paid for the house- and I offered to make dessert. I was looking for something that my Dad would like, since he's not into your typical sweets. He loves banana cake, so I looked for a cupcake recipe.

I used the Martha Stewart recipe, as well as her recipe for honey cinnamon frosting. I'd used the recipe once before, but was really unhappy with how the frosting turned out. This time around, I baked the cupcakes a day before frosting them. I think that made a big difference- last time they must have been too hot, which melted the frosting.

My Mom has a Wilton Dessert Decorator which she hadn't tried out yet, so I offered to test it out. It worked great to get the frosting onto the cupcakes. The cupcakes were delish and everyone loved them.