Wedding Cupcake Ideas

Having cupcakes take center-stage on your cake table has its advantages and I've outlined some of them below:

1) Cupcakes add a bit of whimsy and uniqueness to your wedding. Guests often go to several weddings every year so distinguishing yourself from the crowd can often be difficult. A well-formulated display of cupcakes will be quite the conversation piece and your guests are sure to appreciate your originality.

2) Cupcakes often offer more versatility than traditional tiered cakes. You can have numerous cupcake flavors so that guests can choose their favorites. In addition, you can decorate the individual cupcakes in just about any style to match your color scheme and wedding theme. Just check out some of the fun cupcake towers shown below.

3) Cupcakes can save you money IF you do them yourself or find a baker that hasn't caught on to the cupcake trend and jacked up their prices. It seems that bakery professionals have decided that cupcakes might be bit more work to decorate than a tiered wedding cake so they've adjusted accordingly (they want everyone to believe that it has nothing to do with their new found popularity).

4) Simple cupcakes can be baked, decorated, and arranged by a non-professional. Let's face it, not many brides along with their family members are going to be able to create a great looking 4 or 5 tier wedding cake, but with the help of videos and readily available decorations, a good home baker can make some darn good looking cupcakes.

5) You don't need traditional cake servers at the reception which should save you a few dollars too. After all, cupcakes don't need to be cut so guests can just swing by the table and pick up their own little piece of heaven all wrapped up and ready to go just for them.

Although wedding cupcakes are growing in popularity, they certainly aren't the best choice for every bride. So here are some of the disadvantages to consider when deciding whether you want to use cupcakes at your wedding reception.

1) Traditional cakes tend to serve more people than a cupcake tree or tower so for very large events, having cupcakes may not be a viable option.

2) If you want to have a cake cutting ceremony where the bride and groom cut the cake and feed each other (captured by a photographer), cupcakes may not be the best option. However, some brides have found that a good work around is to have a single round cake at the very top of the cupcake tree. On top of the round cake, you can put a wedding cake topper and use that portion of the cake for the cutting ceremony. In addition, many brides and grooms save the small round cake to eat on their 1st anniversary.

3) Price out slice versus cupcake to see if it really is cheaper (especially if this is the main reason that you are selecting cupcakes over a traditional cake). You may find that by the time you add in the cupcake liners, decorations, cake stand/tree rental, and other incidentals that it isn't more inexpensive.

4) With a cake, you can always cut thinner slices at the wedding reception if you start running low or underestimated the amount of cake that you needed. Obviously with cupcakes, this isn't an option so you'll need to have plenty of cupcakes on hand and you may end up with a bunch left.

5) Choosing to do your own cupcakes can add a lot of unneeded stress to an already stressful time for a bride so consider if saving a bit of money is worth all that extra worry and time that you will need to expend.

Cupcake pricing varies greatly between professional bakeries and obviously if you do the cupcakes yourself, you will be able to save a lot of money when compared to professionally baked cupcakes.

Professional bakers normally charge based on the number of cupcakes that you are ordering (price decreases per cupcake when you order more) as well as the amount of decoration detail on each cupcake. If you expect each cupcake to feature a hand-crafted rose, calla lily, orchid or other sugar decorations, the costs are considerably higher than if you just get simple iced or fondant covered cupcakes with say sprinkles or an initial. It has been my experience that most professional baked cupcakes range in price from $3 - $7. In addition to the cupcakes, the bakery can also make the 6 - 8" top cake iced to match the cupcakes for an additional charge. Normally, they ask for a deposit on the cupcake tree/stand which is refunded upon your return of the stand to the bakery.

If you are baking the cupcakes yourself, there are several items to consider when calculating your per cupcake cost. Assuming that you or friends are baking and decorating the cupcakes for free, the main costs will be tied up in:

• Cupcake and icing recipe ingredients
  
• Paper cups range from $0.10 - $1.00 per cupcake depending on complexity of design
  
• Decorations such as sugar flowers range from $0.30 - $3 per flower, fondant cut-outs can be $0.50 - $1 each, etc.
  
• Cake Tree/Stand can be made yourself (see below) or purchased at places like Amazon.com for $20 - $75

In the end, you truly need to add up all of the DIY costs and compare slice and cupcake prices to see what the best deal is.

Photo Credit: For the above pink & brown cake - Hanics Cake Shoppe

Polaroid Credit: Grace's Cakes

Before delving into baking your fabulous wedding cupcakes, you need to think about and make decisions regarding numerous things. Planning is the key to having a successful wedding cake tree/tower on your wedding day.

• Based on the guest list, decide how many cupcakes you'll need. I recommend that you go with standard sized cupcakes (not minis) and bake one cupcake per person + 10% extra for those people that decide they are so yummy that they need to eat another one. When filling your cupcake papers during baking, make sure you fill them 1/2 to 2/3 full so that all of the cupcakes turn out the same size. It helps make the presentation look uniform.
  
• Scour family recipes, cookbooks and online sites to find cake recipes for the cupcake flavors that you plan to bake. Sample, sample, sample - do NOT serve cupcakes at your wedding that are based on a recipe you have not tasted. You might be in for the shock of your life if you go the untasted route. If you can't decide on flavors, ask your friends what they like best. I don't know any girl that wouldn't love being invited to a cupcake tasting party!
  
• Choose decorations to tie in with your color scheme and theme. I highly recommend finding cupcake tower photos that you like with a similar theme so that you have a photo to give you inspiration.
  
• Enlist the help and friends and family and choose the dates for baking and decorating.
  
• Get someone reliable and detail oriented to set-up the cupcake display on the day of the wedding.

Once you've got the details pretty well planned out on paper, you should acquire the supplies that you'll need such as cupcake tins, decorating icing sets including tips and tubes if you plan to ice the cupcakes, fondant with tints if you plan to use fondant for the tops, decorations such as sugared flowers, accessories such as silver balls (whatever you need to complete the cupcake design), spatulas, mixers, cupcake ingredients such as flour, flavorings, etc., freezer containers, wire cooling racks, and finally, the towers or stands for the display.

I recommend baking the cupcakes up to two months in advance and then freezing them without frosting or decorations. Wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil prior to placing them in plastic freezer containers to maintain their freshness. Unthaw them the week of the wedding and decorate with icing or fondant.

To save money, buy some of those large shallow plastic tubs for gift wrap storage and use them to transport the cupcakes. It is a cheap and easy way to transport your cupcakes from your home to the reception hall.

Wedding Cupcake Recipe

Buttercream Icing
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk

Cupcakes
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into butter mixture, alternating with the milk.
Line Cupcake pan with paper or foil muffin cups. Pour enough batter into each cup to fill to ¾ of the way. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until firm in the center and golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make butter cream icing, mix butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and milk and stir until desired consistency.
Embellish as desired.

Recipe Source: Love To Know

My favorite flavors for wedding cupcakes are vanilla, chocolate, and a light lemon flavor. One of the big advantages of cupcakes over traditional cakes is that you can have numerous cake flavors. If you do decide to go with more than one cupcake flavor, I recommend that for each specific flavor you choose a different kind of paper cup or icing top. That way guests can distinguish one flavor from another when making their selection.

Some other options as outlined by Cakes 4 Fun based in the U.K. are as follows....they have some great options and ideas!

Vanilla:
A delicate Madagascan vanilla sponge topped with crisp sweet white fondant icing

Light Lemon
Light and refreshing lemon sponge topped with crisp sweet white fondant icing

Moist Chocolate Sponge
Our moist chocolate sponge with crisp chocolate fondant icing

Light Almond
An incredibly light delicate almond sponge with crisp sweet white fondant icing

Stylish and Smooth Coffee Sponge
A rich coffee sponge crisp sweet white fondant icing

Summer Orange
A light and delicate orange sponge which always brings summer to mind. Crisp sweet white fondant icing scented with orange

Lemon and Poppyseed
Lemon with zing and a crunch! The combination of lemon with a slightly nutty texture is a delicious summer cake and refreshingly cleansing on the palate.
Finished with a crisp sweet white fondant icing

Photo Credit: Cakes 4 Fun

There are so many great options when it comes to decorating your cupcakes. Choose icing colors to match the color scheme of your wedding and then adorn them with some decorations. Be sure that the paper cups that you select coordinate well with the icing and decorations. Some of the most popular embellishments are:

Sugar Flowers shaped liked calla lilies, roses, orchids, cherry blossoms and other easily identifiable flowers.

Real edible flowers such as pansies are also a great option for Springtime nuptials.

Fondant flowers, fruits, and heart shapes are also a popular choice. One of the resources outlined below sells heart fondant shapes that feature your initial in the center. Fondant leaves, poinsettias, snowflakes, seashells, and pumpkins are great choices to tie in with seasonal wedding themes.

Candies such as hugs and kisses, chocolate truffles, Valentine conversation hearts, and daisy shaped sprinkles are also great cupcake toppers.

As you can see from some of the photos in this lens, silver or white pearl sugar balls look great on cupcakes as well.

If you are good at piping icing, you could pipe your wedding monogram at the center of each cupcake. Just be sure that the writing doesn't look childish.

Finally don't forget ribbons and lace, they are always a great traditional way to adorn cupcakes.

Photo Credit: Le Cupcake

Besides taste, when it comes to wedding cupcakes, presentation is everything. You want to have a stunning reception centerpiece so careful planning to arrange your cupcakes on the cake table is very important. Even finely decorated cupcakes can look cheap when presented poorly. For that reason, I highly recommend that you use a cascading or tiered tower/tree design to display the cupcakes.

These days you can buy wedding cake stands that will hold anywhere from 20 cupcakes to nearly 150 in a seven tier arrangement. An essential element is having a top tier 6 - 8" cake that completes a stylish and sophisticated look. The cake also affords the bride and groom a traditional cake cutting ceremony for a cherished photo.

If bridal flowers are integral to your cake design, we recommend buying some fresh flowers that tie in with the ones used to decorate the cupcakes. Things like calla lilies, roses, and orchids that are interspersed with the cupcakes can create an elegant look. In addition, add some ribbon that matches the color scheme of your wedding to complete the look.

If you are having a very large wedding, consider using several tree stands or towers to create a wide display that will hold hundreds of cupcakes (see the sunflower display shown below).

Photo Credits: The Pink Cake Box

Shown above are 2 beautifully hand-crafted cupcake stands that have ledges sized perfectly to hold cupcakes and an area on the top that can hold a small 6" diameter cake. To create a round stand similar to these, visit Cake Journal for detailed step-by-step instructions for created a cake stand from round cake boards, styrofoam, ribbons, and beautiful paper.

You can create a square tower by purchasing boxes that are about 4" tall and that decrease in size with the bottom box 24" x 24", then 18" x 18", then 12" x 12", and finally 6" x 6". This yields a 4 tier tower that has 3" ledges all the way around the edge (perfect for cupcakes). You can decorate the boxes with elegant gift box paper and wide grosgrain ribbon to tie in with your color scheme.

Another great idea for cupcakes is to use them as your wedding favors. You can either arrange them in a tower style or place them at each guests place setting. This works especially well if your guests are enjoying a slice from the top round layer cake at the actual reception. Then you can send them home with another nibble for later.

I recommend buying either clear acetate or glossy white cupcake boxes like those shown to the right. You can finish them off with sheer organza, satin or grosgrain ribbon. Some companies sell personalized favor tags that could also be tied to the ribbon to make them extra special for your guests.

Photo Credit: Cupcake Favor Boxes from Wedding Favors Unlimited

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