Pretty in Pink Winter Cupcakes ❅

Happy December everybody! 

I am SO excited for pre-Christmas times, first advent, and everything festive in the run up to Christmas Day!  Lots to do yes, but I'm definitely trying to squeeze in as much of the fun festivities as I can as well to really enjoy my favourite time of year :-)  So far this weekend we've enjoyed baking gingerbread cookies, watching a Christmas tree lighting... we went to a Christmas craft fair, put up some decorations and finished up all of our presents ready to send across to England... So I'm definitely ready for the holidays!

On a similar note, getting ready for the Christmas season I'm happy to be sharing another project from last week's busy weekend of makes and bakes.  Did you see my LEGO Gingerbread House last week?!  This was a customised birthday 'cake' for a 6 year old's birthday party (what a great idea he had right?!) and for the same weekend, I was also asked to bake some mini cupcakes for a holiday party a friend was running at her work.

 

She works for Rethink Breast Cancer in Toronto, and the cupcakes were for the Live Laugh Learn program's holiday party.  What a great reason to get baking, and I was SUPER happy to be asked to create something for this.

So that's where the pretty in pink colours come in.  Some hot pink to go with the colours/branding of their website... and some paler pink for a frostier effect.

Having seen my Bridal Shower Cupcakes from a few weeks ago, I was asked if they could also have some personalised tags for their cupcakes too!  I went with the words 'live', 'laugh' and 'learn' as well as LLL too.  I used a pale pink cardstock to print on (again with the Love Letter Typewriter font) and backed it with a hot pink paper! 

As it was a holiday party, I thought in addition to the pink colours, I would try to create a festive feel, and I went with a sparkly Wintery vision to complement the pink.

Martha Stewart helped me out with these pretty mini cupcake cases in pale blue and pale aqua as well, a last minute find in Michaels which was perfect.

I baked 2 batches of the mini cupcakes, making slightly more than the required 3 dozen.  I'm sure no one minds getting more cupcakes!!  They were a vanilla cupcake with lemon buttercream - nothing too crazy in the flavours, and hopefully everyone liked them :)

Once I had piped the pale pink buttercream I rolled the edges that stuck out in coarse white sugar, which sparkled so well in the light, and then topped each of those with an edible pearl.  Not necessarily Christmassy, but definitely giving it a snowy feel (great as we had just had our first snow of the season that weekend here in Toronto!) which I thought matched both the pink colours.

 

 

I used the hot pink colour for the cupcakes with the tags, as well as some more swirl tip mini cupcakes with snowflake sprinkles, really just enjoying the pre-December opportunity to get festive :)

 

In addition to the 3 dozen mini cupcakes, I also was asked to make 2 dozen chocolate dipped strawberries.  I took a little liberty here, artistic license perhaps and went with a festive feeling for these as well.  I used Baker's sweet chocolate and some pretty red sprinkles, which once on the chocolate actually looked pink (perfect for the colour scheme of my cupcakes!) and even a few little edible snowmen on there too!

 

 



So, around 48 mini cupcakes and 25 chocolate covered strawberries later I was ready for the second delivery of the day!  One gingerbread house bright and early, the second - these cupcakes and strawberries, early in the evening ready for the Live Laugh Learn holiday party. 

Got a few snaps of them all out on the platter at the event before I left them to their evening :)  Hope they enjoyed the festive mini cupcakes!

 

And finally, before I'm done here's the recipe should you want to recreate these pretty in pink mini Winter cupcakes this holiday season!

 

Ingredients: (to make 24 mini cupcakes)

 

4 oz unsalted butter, softened

4 oz sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz self raising flour

 

and for the buttercream -

12oz icing sugar

8oz butter

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp lemon extract

 

Method:

 

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F and line mini cupcake tray with cupcake cases.

2.  Cream together butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3.  Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as you go.

4.  Add vanilla extract (or other flavour of your choice!).

5.  Sieve flour and mix into wet mixture, without overbeating.

6.  Using a small cookie scoop put one spoonful of the batter in each cupcake case - it should rise up and still leave enough room for piping!

7.  Bake for 10-12 minutes in pre-heated oven.

8.  When baked (springy to the touch but so a skewer/cake tester comes out clean) leave to cool on a rack completely before piping/decorating.

 

for the buttercream -

 

1.  Beat sugar until softened.

2.  Add icing sugar and beat until well whipped.

3.  Add milk and any extract/flavourings (I used lemon extract) and colours of your choice for the buttercream frosting.

 

At this point you could use your piping big and tips, or just spread the buttercream on top before decorating with sprinkles, sugar or tags - the possibilities here are endless!  Feel the creativity ♥