I made Strawberry butter cream cupcakes.
With fresh farmer’s market strawberries that tasted like candy!!
They were so fragrant and sweet!
Some had Sprinkles, some were chocolate cake, some were vanilla cake, some had chocolate chips….All made with fresh strawberries and LOVE!!!
I went crazy…
Mmmmmmm…Strawberry butter cream is so scrumptious!!!
XXOO
Once upon a time two amazing people met and fell in love!
Yesterday “Mike” married the lovely “Jodi”, and because I love this family SO MUCH, and also love baking, I made about 165 carrot cake cupcakes and a three layer carrot cake for their reception.
There was SO MUCH FOOD!
It was quite the baking ordeal, and I’m not sure when or if I will ever make that many cupcakes and 5 gallons of cream cheese icing again.
SERIOUSLY.
5 gallons.
It was so much work.
But it was amazing how well received they were.
And it was great to give them a wedding present that I actually put a lot of love into.
People were coming up to me in droves telling me how delicious they were.
I was in the kitchen of the reception hall washing a platter at one point and all of the sudden 150 people started chanting my name!!
I’m not kidding.
Mike was trying to invite me up on stage to take credit for my baking, and not knowing where I was in the building, he got everyone chanting.
It was pretty much the best feeling in the world.
So, anyway…here are some photographs I took from the recption!!!
Yummy cupcake goodness!
Wedding cake!
Potluck Reception food!
Deviled Eggs!
The most delicious cole slaw this girl has ever eaten!
Broccoli salad!
I got the last dark chocolate covered strawberry!
Fresh fruit salad!
Heirloom Caprese!
Fresh peaches with basil!
So much fun!!!! Time for a nap!
Oh man these were good.
Except I didn’t actually get to taste them. I just heard that they were amazing from all of my co-workers.
I’m going to trust them.
It’s good for my self esteem you see…
I’m still without a proper camera, so I’m still taking pics of food from my iPhone.
Sorryboutit.
Make these Cupcakes:
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup boiling hot water
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder.
Let cool to room temperature.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.
Make the yummy Ganache frosting:
Makes 4 cups
1 pound good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/3 cups heavy cream
3 cups powdered sugar
Place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.
Beginning near the center and working outward, stir melted chocolate into cream until mixture is combined and smooth.
Refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting just barely begins to hold its shape and is slightly lighter in color. Use immediately (ganache will continue to thicken after you stop stirring).
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the ganache to stand up mixer bowl and begin to whip using paddle attachment, slowing adding the confectioner’s sugar.
Whip it. Whip it until it is light and fluffy and delightful.
Refrigerate for at least two hours.
To decorate the cupcakes like fluffy clouds:
Place frosting in a ziplock bag, cut the corner of the bag, use as pastry piping bag, or just use an actual pastry bag!
Top with pretzel pieces, toffee pieces, espresso dust, candied coconut, butterscotch chips, or whatever your heart desires!!
And don’t even try to figure out the calories. Just eat them.
