Special Event Cupcakes

I get so nervous when I have to bake for an event. When my friend Denise asked me to make cupcakes for her wedding rehearsal dinner, I was excited, and then as the day grew closer, I started to worry. That old nag "expectation" was threatening to make me sabotage my own work. Ugh! "Why did I take this on?" I asked myself the night before, forgetting the dozens and dozens of successful cupcakes I have made over the years.

We had done a test batch a few weeks ago, to determine the flavor and decoration. Her fiance's family loves chocolate, whereas hers loves fruit, so we decided on a chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting. Her colors are grey, purple and white - so I did a silver foil wrapper and dragees (illegal now, but still available at my favorite baking supply store, Sugar & Spice in Daly City).

About a week ago, she decided that since the dinner was going to be a big, filling Italian meal, minis would be better than full-size cupcakes. Minis are something I have only recently started getting into. They are more work in one sense, because there are twice as many to prepare and decorate, but the decorating is much easier - only one dollop of frosting on top of each cake. It's much easier to make them look uniform, which is something I definitely wanted for this project.

The frosting is always challenging for me when using fruit. I used the same method for these as with my strawberry cupcakes - cook some jam and fruit with lemon juice until it melts, and stir this into a classic cream cheese recipe. The problem is, the taste is great but the frosting gets runny, which you don't want when decorating. The solution is to add more powdered sugar, which can make the taste too sweet. It's a delicate balance, but it turned out just right. I added a couple of drops of hot pink food gel to achieve a pretty, natural-looking raspberry color.

I made the cakes the night before, just in case something went wrong. Again, it's a delicate balance between undercooking and overcooking them and I wanted to make sure they were just right. The recipe on the back of the Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa is amazing and has never failed me.

All in all, they turned out great. I was able to deliver about 48 cupcakes for the party of 36 people, and they were thrilled with them. If only I could learn not to worry so much along the way! After all, cupcakes are supposed to be fun, right?

Vanilla Nice

Our friends Tom & Leanne got married last Monday, and since Tom had been asking me about making him cupcakes since last summer, I absolutely had to make a batch to bring to the reception. I knew exactly what I wanted them to look like - Vanilla Cake, Pale Blue Frosting, and Something Silvery on top. The problem was, I had yet to find the perfect Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

I must have poured over at least two dozen before settling on the "White Cupcake" recipe from - grrrrr - Martha Stewart. Why must the best recipes always be hers? Can someone else please take over, because I am getting sick of bowing down to her endless marketing and self promotion!

Well, I had to get over myself, because these cupcakes were JUST the Vanilla Cupcake recipe that I had been searching for. Moist, tender cake, with a delicate crumb, with a distinct aroma of vanilla. In fact, I think that this must be the exact recipe that Teacake Bakeshop uses.

Of course, there is some technique involved (Martha never makes it easy), but it is worth it.
If you are not afraid of beating eggwhites and folding them into a batter without breaking it, you are well on your way. Makes 3 dozen.

White Cupcakes

• 4 1/2 C. sifted cake flour
• 2 T. baking powder
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1 1/2 C. milk
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 C. + 2 T. (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 C. sugar
• 7 large egg whites

- Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with papers.
- In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine milk and vanilla in a glass measuring cup.
- Beat butter in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until pale & creamy.
- With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the sugar in a steady stream.
- Continue beating until light & fluffy, about 3 min.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture and starting and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat.
- In a clean bowl of the electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold 1/3 of the whites into the flour mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg whites in two batches, being careful not to deflate the whites.
- Pour batter into prepared tins, filling cups to about 1/2 inch from the top.
- Bake 18-20 min, cool on wire racks.

I used my basic cream cheese frosting recipe, colored with a few drops of blue food coloring, and sprinkled silver dragees on top. Pretty as a picture!

Backyard Beauties

I love this picture. I was searching online trying to get ideas for cupcakes for a wedding reception next week, and I stumbled across this photo of a backyard wedding with a cupcake tower for the cake. I love how casual it is next to the fence with a tiki torch in the background, and the bride's posture and expression. Cupcakes can be beautiful, but most of all they are fun.

Sartorial Blunders

I was recently introduced to a wonderful fashion blog, the Sartorialist. Scott Shuman, who was in the fashion industry for years (in menswear) posts pictures of real people on the streets, all over the world, wearing awesome ensembles. Sometimes he makes comments about a trend or observation, but most times the pictures just speak for themselves. No stylist could do it better than real people - I have always believed that. I always love the personal touches - a scarf, a vest, a bright pair of shoes. When I worked on 57th Street in NYC in the early 90's, I would often spot Bill Cunningham shooting away for his "On the Street" pitorals for the NY Times. His patience always amazed me.

I was thinking that it would be fun to do a fashion blog as well, but in a more quirky style. Often people's choices puzzle me - not in the sense that I am making fun of them, I just want to know the backstory. Recently we were at a wedding up in Sonoma, and I spotted this guy dressed nicely, but clearly wearing 2 different colored socks. A mistake (in a rush, dressing in the dark?) or deliberate ("I may be dressed up but my socks clash! Yeah! Rock 'n roll!")?


Hmm, I wonder what the Sartorialist would have to say about that?

Lavender Fields Forever

This weekend was absolutely spectacular - and we were lucky enough to be invited to an event that celebrated the bounty of the season. Friends of ours were married over the weekend in Duncans Mills, a town on the Russian River, about 3 hours North of San Francisco. They rented a couple of houses and we were able to enjoy great music, food, and the company of good people.


I wanted to bring something that commemorated the event - so I decided to make Lavender Honey Cupcakes, from my new book "500 Cupcakes". I felt that it worked for a few reasons: local ingredients (I had ordered the Lavender Honey and culinary lavender flowers from Lavender Bee Farm in Sonoma), color (the light blue frosting and fragrance were perfect for a spring wedding), and culture (using lavender paid homage to the bride and her family, who are French).



The vanilla cupcake base was not my favorite - a little too dense, a little too dry. I'm still searching for the perfect recipe - next time I am going to use Nigella Lawson's one for Fairy Cakes. The frosting was divine, though! And they were so pretty. I'll definitely make these again, or, as Jude suggested, use the frosting to ice a rich, moist pound cake.

Lavender Honey Frosting
1 8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/2 C. confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 C. lavender honey (or regular honey)
Blue food coloring
2 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

- Beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer, until light and creamy.
- Beat in the honey and a few drops of the food coloring.
- Stir in half of the lavender flowers.
- Spread the frosting on the cupcakes and sprinkle with the reserved lavender flowers.

Happy, beautiful Spring, everyone! Feliciations a nos amis! Bissous!