Process: Vanilla Cupcakes

I made a batch of the vanilla chiffon cupcakes we'll be featuring at the reception, and decided to take some process photos along the way. For your viewing pleasure, vanilla cupcakes from flour to frosting:

Latte Layer Cake

Okay, so this is barely wedding-related. But I couldn't let you guys go so long without talking about cake, in its many forms.

Yesterday was Joe's birthday. I set myself the task of making him a mind-blowing birthday cake whilst trying out a variation of the chiffon-style cake we decided to use for our wedding cupcakes.

The recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, Espresso Chiffon Cake. Light, airy espresso-flavored layers soaked with espresso-rum syrup. Insane. I thought the fudge frosting might be overkill though, so I opted for a variation frosted and filled with homemade whipped cream. So it's like a cappuccino disguised as a cake. Perfect for the guy who owns enough equipment to make coffee at least a dozen different ways.

Alright, I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

















So delicious that we had a slice for breakfast too. I could totally imagine adapting this for cupcakes. You can almost count on it.



Somebody had a good day.

Did you think we forgot about the cupcakes?

Last night, around 10 pm, I decided to make some cupcakes. And not just any cupcakes. Dear readers, I do believe that I have stumbled upon the two most glorious recipes in the world of cakey confections. These are winners, no doubt about it.


Note: these were just testers. When it's time for the real deal, there will be a mountain of swirled buttercream atop these cakes. Fret not.

For the cupcake itself, I present to you: Alton Brown's Vanilla Chiffon Cupcakes
And for the very literal icing-on-the-cake: Smitten Kitchen's Swiss Buttercream

For the test batch, my additions were:
- almond extract
- 1/2 tsp of my own chai spice mix (cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, and black cardamom)
- ground almonds sprinkled on top along with my schmancy Williams Sonoma sprinkles

These babies are light as air, not too sweet, and taste like clouds of heaven in your mouth. I have found it, my holy grail of cupcake recipes. Amen.

Love,
Gabby

A sample of Sample

Last night we visited a caterer, Sample, for our reception, to talk about all the possibilities we had, and were happy to receive a sample. Sample is one of the exclusive caterers for Marcy Casino, and stuck out for three reasons. First, because of a large bold statement saying "We will work with your budget." Second, the menu is creative and everything is fresh and prepared to order. And third, they're right around the corner!



We began our discussion over some fresh raspberry and strawberry bellinis, and discovered that a minimum cost per person was imposed by Marcy Casino, which was disheartening, but nothing too outlandish. We proceeded through the catering menus, to tailor our own package. We even talked about deviating from their options to add our own personal touches.



After the discussion.. we got... Samples! They brought us through their tasting menu, which was fantastic, and provided an example of the quality and freshness of the food that they serve. T'was wonderful!

They do 80% of the weddings at Marcy Casino, and we can definitely see why. The other "options" are hardly options at all by comparison. We were both thoroughly impressed and are excited to continue working with Sample.

Love,
Joe