Wedding cupcakes

As promised, here is one of the two wedding cake recipes I used. The photo isn't brilliant (just with my little digital compact after several champagnes) but you get the picture -  a lot of cupcakes!!! 

The beauty of the cupcake tower is that first, it's a bit different from the traditional wedding cake and it can look terrific. Second, there are no cake plating issues that sometimes attract an additional cost. People can just be given one each or invited up to help themself. Third, based on one per person, you know exactly how many you need. And last of all, if you're at all capable and organised time-wise, you can do it yourself and this is extremely helpful if you're on a tight budget. Cupcakes can range from about $2 to $15 each if you buy them. No disrespect to the pros, but they're cupcakes! In about three bites, they're gone.

I used a really basic vanilla cupcake recipe because I think vanilla is a flavour that most people like or at least take no offence from. Also, done right, vanilla can have such a dainty and yet decadent feel to it that you don't get from chocolate or fruit cake. Don't worry - there was also fruit cake for all, but this was taken home in little grease paper bags as is the tradition. And yes, the recipe for that is coming!

Ingredients

115g butter, soft but not melted

115g caster sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

115g self-raising flour

4 tbsp good quality vanilla essence

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, and then sift in the flour. Mix  until everything is blended together, but don't overdo it.

Divide into twelve paper cases - this really does make exactly twelve perfect sized cupcakes. Bake in a 170ºC oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and ice however you like.

I put together a very basic butter cream icing for this (icing sugar, a little water, soft butter), but instead of all water to moisten the icing sugar, I used Cointreau. Really, really good. My sister helped me do the icing the day before the wedding (simple piping) and honestly, I am surprised any of the icing made it on the cupcakes. I haven't included the icing recipe as I tend to just throw icing together. When it's the right consistency, it's done. Do try and use a good quality butter though because I think it helps the flavour. 

For the hearts, I coloured marzipan with quite a lot of pillar-box red food dye, and used a tiny heart shaped cookie cutter. When the hearts had dried a bit, I painted them with confectioner's varnish for shine. Final thing, these freeze really well. 

The Wedding Cake Saga

With less than three weeks to go until the wedding, the time has come to 'get real' as Dr Phil would say, and admit that I do not have time to learn how to do white icing for the wedding cake. I've prepared the cake without a problem and I'm fairly proud of it. It's a rich, wheat-free, fruit cake that I've been dousing in brandy once a week. However, despite my best intentions, I've come to the conclusion that icing it with the required skill is best left to an expert.

Thank goodness I found myself pondering this out aloud at work last week. Linda from my office very helpfully suggested someone she knew who has set up a business and who is apparently brilliant. We shall see, but I really do have a lot of faith. It certainly could not be any worse than my efforts which could actually be pretty awful. I just don't know and the immediate weeks before one's wedding is no time to find out!

The decoration will be simple - I found a quirky cake topper that just suits me and Tim. The rest of the cake will be cupcakes organised in a number of tiers, but that I can manage without a drama. Haven't quite decided yet on the flavour but I'm thinking some sort of chocolate would be good. I guess I'll decide on the Thursday beforehand when I actually have to make cupcakes for 72 people. (What is wrong with me???!!!)

For now, think about this - in August of last year, a slice of Princess Diana's wedding cake sold for one thousand pounds. Will mine achieve the same greatness? I think not, but it should last until either our first wedding anniversary, or first child. Whichever comes first.