cream cheese

Wedding cakes

- Elspeth 3 Comments

This wedding was a couple of months ago, but I am only just now posting the photos. Shameful.

The beautiful couple graciously extended me the honor of making 70 cupcakes and 3 small cakes for their dessert selection. I had a fantastic time creating these goodies and they were very well received!

Below you will see the unbelievable photos from Ashley O’Dell Photography, who was awarded “Boston’s Best” by  “The Improper Bostonian 2011”. She’s given an well-deserved mention (as was yours truly!) in the “Style Me Pretty”, a bridal blog that is gobbled up daily by eager brides the world over.

I made 4 different flavors for their special day:

2 Turtle Cakes (caramel cakes, caramel buttercream, chocolate ganache, pecans, and caramel drizzle)

1 Honey-Almond Cake (honey cake with honey glaze, almond buttercream)

35 Carrot Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

35 Roasted Peach and Strawberry cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

Obviously, you’re going to like what you see below, so give me a holler when you realize how much you need my mad skills!

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

- Elspeth Leave a comment

Here is a cake I made for my friend’s mother:

White cake with lemon curd filling and cream cheese frosting.  I had intended to make a lavender frosting, but that idea went south when the meringue-buttercream curdled.  I very nearly cried!  It’s hard to invest a pound of butter into a failed experiment.  But my next experiment is going to be even greater: Lemon-lavender bars!!! Are you ready for that jelly?

Until then, I will tide you over with the cream cheese frosting recipe, courtesy of Baker’s Illustrated (the best baking book EVER) and tweaked a tad by yours truly.  This frosting was the perfect tart/sweet ratio and stood up well after piping.
8oz cream cheese, softened
5T butter, softened
1 T light sour cream
1/2 t vanilla (or orange, almond, whatever goes best with what you’re making)
1 3/4 c powdered sugar

Whip the first four ingredients in a standing mixer (the cream cheese and butter MUST be soft– if not you will get lumpy frosting indicative of complete failure), scraping down the bowl.  Add the sugar and beat til smooth.  Lick fingers and dance around kitchen in ecstasy.