Bride-to-Be Cupcakes

I suppose I’m coming to that age where people start settling down and getting married. Last night I attended the stagette of a fellow team member on my basketball team, for the sake of the internet & internet creepers, we’ll call her Lady Roch (we’ll just avoid that high school nickname…if you really want to know it, trace back a few years in the paper haha). As stagettes are commonly filled with male anatomy, food and booze, I thought what better to bring that booze flavored cupcakes and a delicious appetizer of brie cheese and mango chutney (watch for another post in the near future). Enjoy the recipes & be sure to comment below!

Kahula “Bride-to-Be” Cupcakes

Cake of the Cupcakes:

• 2 3/4 all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 baking powder
  • Combine flour, salt & baking soda in a bowel, set aside
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (meaning you can press your finger into it gently with it leaving an indent)
• 2 cups sugar
  • Whip the butter & sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes. For the unexperienced baker, seriously time the amount. This is life & death to beautiful and delicious cupcakes
• 4 eggs, room temperature (also another key element – set them out at least one hour before hand)
  • Beat in eggs one at a time. After each egg beat for one minute on medium speed. Time yourself on this step as well. Just like running a marathon, timing your intervals is key people!
• 1 cup of Kahlua (I used French Vanilla Kahlua)
• 1 vanilla bean (cut the bean in half length wise, scrap the beans out and add into the batter)
  • Beat in Kahlua and vanilla beans while alternating in your flour, salt and baking powder mixture. Mix until everything is well blended

Divide batter into lined cupcake tins (Wilton Silver Foil tins were used this time). Bake at 350ºF for about 20-25 minutes. They can be checked by inserting a tooth pick into the middle – if it comes out clear they are good to go! Once baked, set out on cooling rack until completely cooled before icing. These cupcakes are also very fragrant after coming out of the oven! Nom Nom Nom….

The Icing

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 Kahlua
• 6-8 cups icing sugar (I used about 7)
  • Add the icing sugar in one cup at a time, mixing over a medium speed
• One vanilla bean (halved and beans added)
• Food coloring if desired. I colored half the cupcakes purple since it’s Lady Roch’s wedding colors. I also prefer using Wilton Gel Food Coloring. Doesn’t alter the consistency and gives brilliant color.
  • Place icing in piping bag and go to town! The Wilton 1M tip was used for these cupcakes. For the creme colored cupcakes, I drizzled them in chocolate to add to the fancy look I was going for….

I also decorated the cupcakes with a stagette/bride theme by picking up some little rings from Michael’s craft store in the Wedding section and bought some “Celebrate” ribbon (also at Michael’s) to create little bows for the top of some cupcakes.

Enjoy & most of all a Congrats to Lady Roch & her man, Turk!!! Looking forward to the wedding this summer and remember, if you need cupcakes for the wedding, you know who to call 🙂

Yours Truly,

CD