That title should read… “How to Make Wedding Cupcakes when You’re Not Really a Professional Cupcake Baker!”
Since I’m always bringing treats to people, those people occasionally ask if they can hire me to make treats. Not really wishing to create a business of making and selling food, I typically decline- however, a very sweet, young teacher at my son’s school was getting married last weekend and asked if I would do the cupcakes for her wedding. (In case you’re not in on the latest, apparently cupcakes are a hip alternative to a fancy wedding cake nowadays). We met and discussed the project, and I found myself agreeing to make 96 cupcakes!
Here are the details:
The bride wanted white and chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting. I tested out some recipes and frosting patterns in the weeks prior to the wedding.
All Recipe Links for Cupcakes and Frosting are at the BOTTOM of this post.
The bride also wanted a combination of white, light blue and light yellow frosting. She chose two different frosting patterns and wanted some with pearls and some without.
Here are some of the pictures…
I used a 1G Tip by Bakery Crafts for this simple swirl. The chocolate cupcake recipe used was excellent. It was really easy to make and it stayed pretty flat on top, making it easier to pipe the frosting.
I used a 2D Wilton tip for this more funky pattern.
I loved the white cupcake… though I’m a little embarrassed to tell you about the recipe. It was a doctored-up cake mix recipe (gasp!!) I know that’s not very gourmet, and it’s completely atypical of how I usually bake, but I’m telling you that these cupcakes were GOOD!! And again, a really easy recipe to make- the tops stayed nice and flat & easy for frosting.
My kitchen and dining room were a sea of cupcakes for the better part of a day!
The bride requested that I make a dozen completely sugar-free cupcakes for a few guests who were not able to eat sugar.
This recipe for sugar free chocolate cupcakes with sugar free chocolate frosting uses a monk fruit alternative sweetener. They turn out pretty delicious!
The bride also asked that I make her a small cake for the top tier of her cupcake display. They wanted to be able to cut into a little wedding cake.
I made a 6-inch two layer cake. I used the same cake recipe as the cupcakes- same frosting recipe too. The tip used for the edging was the Wilton 2D. The bride placed flowers on top of the cake for additional decor.
Though it was a ton of work, it was a fun project to do. And I actually feel pretty good about how they turned out (having never, ever done fancy cupcakes before!) Now that I’m a “paid cupcake-baking professional,” I’m sure that it won’t be quite as difficult to do next time.
If you’re looking for the right supplies to make these cupcakes, here are my suggestions (these are affiliate links to Amazon):
- 12-cup muffin pan
- My suggestion for the cupcake liners is to visit a local baking supply shop where you live. They should carry a good, white liner that won’t have the cupcake turning out greasy.
- Edible sugar pearls
- large plastic disposable pastry bags for piping the frosting
- For icing the cupcakes, I recommend trying either the Wilton Open Star 1M tip or the Wilton Closed Star 2D. Both of these you can usually find at craft or baking supply stores. Or just order a whole decorator tip kit and try out different ones!
- These disposable cupcake boxes are great… because you can bake and decorate your cupcakes, then store them in the boxes and refrigerate them overnight!
Here are all of the recipes:
Chocolatey Cupcakes (not dipped in the ganache)
White Wedding Cupcakes
White Wedding Buttercream
White Wedding Cake
Sugar Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Sugar Free Chocolate Frosting
If you can have a little bit of sugar in the frosting, I prefer this chocolate frosting recipe
Made these today and had to trash. Way too dense and heavy. I was so disappointed.
I made the buttercream frosting and it had a rough taste in your mouth not light and fluffy. Is there something i did wrong?
Yes, I’ve heard this before. It likely has something to do with the powdered sugar you chose. Some powdered sugar is not 100% sugar… look at your ingredients and make sure it is. I’d use a higher quality powdered sugar for best results.
Yeah these are definitely ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ cucpakes! I was also tempted to pipe/infuse the middle of the cupcake with the frosting and just top them with crushed candy canes, perhaps next time! 🙂
So can I hire you to do 100 cupcakes (all white with a swirl and pearl candy) and one simple 6″ cake for a wedding on September 30th? I live in Yorba Linda.
Hi Candy, Unfortunately I don’t do that sort of thing… just did it as a favor for a teacher at my son’s school a few years back, but it’s not something that I do on a regular basis. Sorry- I really wish I could help!
I have one question — is the swirl on the cupcake done in one complete movement or is it two?
one movement!
My son is getting married in 4 weeks and I am doing fresh floral arrangements – 11 tables, 2 alter arrangements, 7 bouquets and 7 boutineers I think I am crazy to try to do cupcakes too, but if I make the 100 cupcakes 1 week ahead and freeze them, then ice them the morning before the evening wedding I can do it!! You have done all the experimenting. I am going to buy the cheap frosting and try my hand at the swirl thing. He can’t afford $2.50 per cupcake plus $50 for the small cake on top of the display. Thank you for the recipes.
Glad you found me- good luck!
OMG, I have been asked by a good friend of mine to make her wedding cupcakes/small cake. Im soo NOT a baker. Im happy to help out to keep her costs down (im doing it for love). But… and its a BIG but.. im freaking out. When did you ice the cakes? Was it the day of the wedding or the day before? And when did you make the cakes?? Did you have to refrigerate the iced cupcakes before the big day? My piping bag broke at the last test bake. Not good. haha 🙂
I only had about 100 to ice, so I baked the night before and then iced the morning of. I don’t see any problem with completing them the night before though- as long as you are storing them refrigerated in cupcake boxes (I bought at a baking supply store). They’ll come to room temp the next day and be just fine!
I volunteered to do a neighbors daughter wedding cup cake display (150). They are were filled cupcakes. It took forever to do! Lots of work. I like you looked for the best recipes for this project. Did some samples and tried out on my friends. I used a six tier cake display for the cupcakes. She wanted milk chocolate shells on some (beach theme) and silk dazy blooms on others. Like I said lots of work and just did it because I never had before! Fun, but lots of work. A week later my niece asked me to do it again at her wedding reception. Got some good pictures and will send when I can find them. For the top of my nieces cake I used one those large cupcake pans. Looked really neat!!
Yes, lots of work- but everyone is so happy in the end! Glad it worked out okay for you!
I just made these for my daughters birthday. They were fantastic! Cupcakes were great and frosting was great! I will definitely be making these for many more birthdays. Thanks for the awesome recipes!
These turned out yummy! Makes a ton of cupcakes, so next time I will have to half the recipe.