Over My Head and Covered in Sugar
My sister got married this past weekend in scenic Lake George, New York, an occasion for which I made 220 boozy cupcakes of two varieties. When she’d asked me, a year ago, to bake for her wedding, I thought it was a terrific idea and didn’t bother to consider how wildly unqualified I was to make cupcakes on this grand of a scale.
So this weekend I found myself in the kitchen of her venue, wrestling with a restaurant-grade stand mixer, terrified that I would ruin these cupcakes (and hence, I’m pretty sure, the entire wedding), and covering basically everything and mostly myself in powdered sugar. See picture for evidence.
While my cupcakes were clearly made with more love than finesse, I think they turned out pretty ok. (Time was on my side as they were only presented three hours into the open bar reception.)
I made two types, a “bride” cupcake consisting of champagne cake with strawberry frosting and a “groom” cupcake that was Guiness and chocolate topped with Bailey’s buttercream. The frosting alone took nine POUNDS of butter (roughly the same number of pounds I gained sampling frosting and then eating celebratory buffalo wings at the wedding after-party).
Making buttercream special:
Buttercream frosting consists, most basically, of butter and confectioners sugar. The exact ratio of those two ingredients depends on the kind of frosting you’d like: the more sugar, the stiffer the frosting. If you’re spreading the frosting with a knife, it should be a little more buttery, but if you’re piping it, a little stiffer is better. If you’re leaving you’re buttercream plain, you may want to add one teaspoon of vanilla per quarter pound of butter. Otherwise, add 2-3 tablespoons of booze, pureed fruit, etc. to flavor it.
Strawberry Buttercream:
sliced strawberries
½ pound butter
4 ½ – 5 ½ cups confectioners sugar
Puree strawberries in a food processor. Sift confectioners sugar to remove clumps. Cream butter and ¼ cup of the strawberry puree. (As it’s hard to puree just ¼ cup of strawberries, I recommend pureeing your whole pint and then just adding the leftovers to a delicious smoothie.) Add sugar one cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Bailey’s Buttercream:
Bailey’s Irish Cream
½ pound butter
4 ½ – 5 ½ cups confectioners sugar
Follow the steps above, adding Bailey’s instead of the strawberry puree. Add to your favorite cupcake or consume straight from the bowl.
Nostalgia in a Cupcake
Okay, Okay, I’m still cleaning out the liquor cabinet with these experiments. I just promised Claire there would be red wine cupcakes, and there will be, but come on, how many happy memories are being recreated here? Convincing the pimply faced T.G.I. Friday’s employee yes, you totally need that third round of ultimate mudslides and you love how much flair he is wearing? Or how Kahlua is really the only thing that can cover up the taste of Crystal Palace vodka? (Still retailing for only $12.99.) This is pure delicious nostalgia.
Kahlua Mudslide Cupcakes
I usually prefer mine blended.
Makes about 2 dozen
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup Kahlua
- 1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 tsp espresso powder (instant coffee/espresso works too)
For the frosting:
- 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 Tbs)
- 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 Tbs Kahlua
- 1 Tbs Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- chocolate sprinkles (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with cupcake papers.
In a large bowl, prepare batter according to package directions substituting the 1 1/4 cup water with the vodka, Kahlua and Baileys. Add espresso powder. Mix well. Pour into cupcake tins, filling about 2/3 of the way, and place in oven. Bake for 19-22 minutes until cupcakes spring back when touched.
Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Using an electric hand mixer, cream butter and 1 cup confectioners sugar in a high sided bowl until fluffy. Add Kahlua, Baileys and vanilla extract. Mix in remaining sugar, adding more if necessary to reach desired consistency.
Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Decorate with chocolate sprinkles. Can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
By Ellie
