Cupcakes and Cookies From Artesanal Sweets

Photos courtesy of http://www.artesanalsweets.com/

Artesanal Sweets offers you a large selection of delectable cupcakes and creative cookies for your wedding guests. 

More Pretty Cupcakes

Photos and designs from: http://www.reinwaldsbakery.com/

Sugar Flowers for Your Wedding Cake

Courtesy of: Summer/Fall 2010 issue of Portland Bride & Groom, SweetPerennial™ sugar flowers were featured on a three-tiered wedding cake designed by Sugarhouse Cake


All of Sweet Perennial's sugar flowers are custom designed and hand-made to order. Their catalogue is just a sampling of the designs and colors available. To learn more contact them with the details of your event, like your colors and flower scheme, cake dimensions, budget, and any other important details. We have leaves, flowers, ribbons, and other designs.

All photos courtesy of: http://www.sweetperennial.com/catalogue.html

Wedding Ideas for Cakes and More!

From: http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/

For great ideas and inspirations for everything from cakes to photograhy ideas, head over to http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/ and check out their blog, lots of cool ideas.

If You Don't Want to Make Your Own Macarons...

Try http://littleoven.com/macarons.html where they have a large selection of gourmet macarons for your event.  One great thing about these are they are gluten free!  So no worries!  Macaron Sampler (1 box of 12 assorted macarons, 2 of each of our current flavors): $20

Macarons for Your Sweet Table?

Macarons are a french delight that chefs, both professional and at home, can spend hours developing new flavors, colors, and fillings for.  The basic recipe is frequently from http://www.mytartelette.com/ but variations on the original recipe like the one above are found all over the web.  The shell recipe here was adapted by Dragon from Tartelette, and the filling is all Dragon's. 

Chocolate Champagne Macarons

Shells adapted from Tartelette's recipe
Filling recipe by Dragon
Makes: 24
Ingredients:

For the macaron shells:
3 tablespoons (25 gr) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (50 gr) ground almonds
1 1/2 cup (150 gr) powdered sugar
3 large egg whites
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar (or more depending on desired consistency)
2 tablespoons champagne/sparkling wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz dark chocolate, melted

Prepare the macarons:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar and vanilla until you obtain a glossy meringue. Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry.

2. Place the almonds, powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Sift the mixture and add it to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10.

3. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.

4. Fill a pastry bag with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 350F. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool.

5. For the filling: Beat butter until smooth. Add the champagne and vanilla; blend well. Add the melted chocolate; blend well. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency.

6. To assemble the macarons, pipe or spoon some of the filling in the center of one shell and top with another one.

More chocolate macarons at:

http://www.chocoparis.com/chocolate-macarons/
http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com/2009/10/french-kiss.html

Red Wedding Cake by Elizabeth Messina

Having a wedding where you want to serve a red cake?  This red confection shown on http://rmeventsbydesign.wordpress.com/ is part of a wedding by Elizabeth Messina.  Perfect to add to a Twilight themed wedding or a Christmas or Valentine's Day Wedding

Triple Layer Wedding Cupcakes by Artesanal Sweets

Photo courtesy of Artesanal Sweets at: http://www.artesanalsweets.com/

Artesanal Sweets offers a wide variety of confections to commemorate your special day. We do weddings, graduations, showers, engagements, or any time. Their specialty cakes, desserts and personalized cookies add a wonderful touch to any celebration.

Wedding Cake with Purple Flowers

Photo courtesy of: http://www.sugarbutterflour.com

Cake That's Almost Too Pretty To Cut!

All photos and design courtesy of: http://www.sugarbutterflour.com/

Sugar, Butter Flour are wedding cake baker par excellance!  They offer unique designs as well as classic cakes to suit every taste.  Check out their website and stop in and talk to them about the cake of your dreams.

  

Decorating Your Wedding Cake

All Photos and Flowers Courtesy of: http://www.sweetgrace.net/

Hydrangea Sugar Flower

Take a basic white wedding cake without a lot of bells and whistles and add these sugar flowers to make a boutique cake for less.  All flowers shown plus more are available at: http://www.sweetgrace.net/sugar-flowers-gallery.htm. 

Yellow Wild Sugar Rose

Lily Sugar Flower

Chrysanthemum Sugar Flower

Wedding Cakes From Royally Iced Cakes

All Photos and designs from: http://www.royallyicedcakes.com/

Royally Iced Cakes offers brides a wide selection of wedding cakes from classic to modern designs. Visit their website to see samples of their work (too bad you can't taste online!). YUM!

Chocolate Wedding Cakes

Chocolate wedding cakes may not be the norm, but more and more brides and grooms choose these delicious desserts for their wedding.

All Photographs courtesy of: http://www.palermobakery.com

Paper Cake Toppers

Items available and photos from: http://www.etsy.com/shop/concarta

These unique cake toppers can be customized to suit you and your groom and they make a unique topper for a modern bride with an artistic bent. Costs run about 70 to 130 dollars.  Available at http://www.etsy.com/shot/concarta. 

                   

Delicious Dessert

Photo and Idea from: Thedahlingdatingdivas.blogspot.com

This pretty but easy dessert is perfect for one of those romantic nights with camp.  Use Hostess Twinkies and strawberry topping and whipped cream for this concoction.  Cut the Twinkies in the shape of a heart, add fruit (and maybe some whipped cream) and Voila! Make your sweetheart laugh but also enjoy this fun dessert. 

Modern Cakes

Photo courtesy of: Baking Arts

Modern Wedding Cakes combine flowers with non-traditional artistic flair.  Consider using a similar cake

for your wedding reception.

 

     Photo courtesy of Studio Cake Design

More Cupcake Ideas

Photo courtesy of Ngoc Minh Ngo and http://www.realsimple.com/

Real Simple's website offered some new cupcake ideas that you might like to use for your wedding, shower or just for a nice dessert.  The above sundae is called "Sundae Best" and it's a minicupcake topped with hot fudge and a scoop of quality vanilla ice cream.  It's making me hungry right now! 

Photo courtesy of Ngoc Minh Ngo and http://www.realsimple.com/

This cupcake is called "The Short Stack"  and is a luscious concoction that resembles strawberry shortcake.  Slice your cupcake in thirds, and put back together with a filling of vanilla flavored whipped cream and berries of your choice.  Add a sprig of mint to finish off the pretty presentation.

Photo courtesy of Ngoc Minh Ngo and http://www.realsimple.com/

Use votive holders as a perfect container for a bite-size cupcake. Use mini-muffin tins, gently dust the cupcakes with 10x sugar, and you can even add candles or shortened sparklers. 

Cake Toppers

Love Birds Courtesy of http://www.daisy-days.com/

Today there are a variety of cake toppers available, everything from classic flowers, to ceramic lovebirds, to unique bride and groom figures.  Even glitzy initials and bobble head figures are available.  Whatever you choose be sure to have someone collect them for you after the reception if you want them as keepsakes.

Bride and Groom (sold seperately) at http://www.daisy-days.com/.

Don't Let Making Your Own Cupcakes for Your Wedding Be A Recipe For Disaster!

Try some of these new cookbooks dedicated solely to cupcakes!  It's a sign of just how mainstream cupcakes have become that there are whole cookbooks dedicated to them.  If you can't find something luscious and beautiful in these books you're missing the boat!