Wine & Sunflower Wedding Cake...

Love, happiness, smiles and joy filled our hearts at the Gallagher Wedding. Andrew and Amy Gallagher, may your lives be blessed with a fruitful marriage and be filled with the love of Christ!

Thank you for the privileged of designing your wedding cake, it was great to be a part of your special day.

Now for my friends and family, I am happy to share with you the themed:
 

Wine and Sunflower Wedding Cake 

Chocolate Wine Cake with Port Ganache &

 Chai Tea Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

designed by Brenna Bowers

Baby Cakes...

A darling little cupcake fit for a baby shower.

Have fun with this project and use your creativity.

The 1-2-3 step process

Baby Cakes

Author: Brenna Bowers

Serving: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 cupcakes

2 ½ white vanilla cups frosting

piping tip (large round & small round)

2 piping bags

2 pounds fondant (can be found at Michaels Craft Store)

gel food coloring (black {eyes}, pink & yellow {face}, 2 of your preferred colors for the blankets)

powdered sugar (just enough to roll out the fondant)

rolling pin

circle cookie cutter (about 2 ¾” diameter) (or a small cup)

pasta cutter/roller (optional) 

Directions:

Bake a batch of 24 cupcakes and let them cool completely.

Prepare two piping bags, one with a small tip and one with the large tip. Color one-forth of the frosting black and place into the piping bag with the small tip--this will be the frosting for piping the eyes of the baby’s face. Leaving the rest of the frosting white, place into the large tip piping bag --this will be for topping the cupcakes.

Divide the fondant into 3 equal portions. Color one section pink/yellow for the babies’ faces and noses, color the other two sections your preferred baby blanket colors.

To make the baby faces, roll a ball, in your palms, the diameter of a nickel. Then roll a tiny ball  and press into the center of the head to form the nose. Use your pinky nail (or sharp knife) to form the mouth. Using the small tip piping bag of black frosting, pipe two little eyes on the baby’s face. Repeat to make 24 baby faces.

To make the blankets, with a rolling pin, roll out the remaining 2 fondant colors (separately) to the thickness of a tortilla (use powdered sugar if it is sticking to the counter or your rolling pin). Using a circular cookie cutter or a cup, cut out a circle. Re-roll the fondant until 24 circles have been made. Lightly run a pasta cutter over the circles to make the imprint on each blanket, making sure to not cut through to the other side. Fold over the top flap about ¼ of an inch.

Using the large tip piping bag of white vanilla frosting, pipe frosting onto each cupcake. Top with one baby face and wrap up in a blanket.

Java Chip Cupcakes with Espresso Cream Frosting...

Alright alright, I know.....I cheated a little by using  a cake box mix. But if this is what it takes to get YOU into the kitchen to bake, my job here is done!

Simplicity is key, therefore this is an almost fool proof recipe--unless you don't follow my directions :)

Happy baking!

-Brenna

Java Chip Cupcakes with Espresso Cream Frosting

The batter is thick!

Notice the hunks of Oreo (from the pudding mix) and chocolate pieces.

A very light and moist cake!

Java Chip Cupcakes with Espresso Cream Frosting

Author: Brenna Bowers

Serving: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Java Chip Cupcakes:

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules

1 box (16.5 oz.) Duncan Hines “Dark Chocolate Fudge” cake mix (any will do)

1 package (4.2 oz.) Jell-O “Oreo Cookies and Cream” instant pudding

½ cup chocolate chips, chopped

4 egg whites

2 Tablespoons canola oil

Espresso Cream Frosting: 
1 Tablespoon instant espresso granules

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups (about 1 pound) powdered sugar, sifted

24 paper baking cupcake liners

24 chocolate covered espresso beans (optional)

brown sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Java Chip Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Warm the water (20 seconds in the microwave) and stir in coffee granules.

In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding, chocolate chips, egg whites, oil and coffee-water. Beat until well mixed (about 1 minute). Fill each paper baking cupcake liner three-quarters full. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Espresso Cream Frosting:

In a small bowl, add the instant espresso into the vanilla extract. Once the coffee granules are dissolved, sir in the cocoa powder until it forms a paste.

In a large mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until it is fluffy (about 5 minutes). Beat in the coffee-vanilla-cocoa paste until evenly distributed. Beat in the confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is thick and smooth.

Assembly:

Pipe the frosting onto cupcakes using a large star tip. Top each cupcake with an espresso bean and sprinkles.

Chill until ready to serve.

Margarita Lime Cupcakes...

The sunshine has recently sparks my appetite for a refreshing and tangy dessert. With this in mind, I was inspired to make something sweet for a Neighborhood Fiesta Block Party and came up with this very special mini cupcake that was quite a hit! This dessert  is the perfect union of a summery Margarita and a sweet cupcake. Go ahead, bake this masterpiece.

Brenna's Mini Margarita Lime Cupcakes!

One bite of perfection!

The Cupcake batter, notice the specks of lime zest.

Fill the pan 3/4 full with batter, bake until toothpick comes out clean.

Pull from the oven before they brown, you do not want to dry them out.

Place on a cookie sheet with foil to cool before the next special step...

Secret ingredient: a brushing of Tequila and Coconut Rum (for added moistness)

Perfect crumb, very moist and flavorful!

Key Limes. Packed full of flavor and tang.

Cream cheese Butter cream Frosting with Tequila and Coconut Rum

Margarita Lime Cupcake

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box White Cake Mix

½ cup flour

3 egg whites

1 can Frozen Bacardi Margarita Mix, thawed to room temperature (found in the frozen section at grocery stores near the other juice concentrates)

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoons lime juice (I used Key limes but any lime will work)

1 Tablespoon Coconut Rum

2 Tablespoons Tequila

Simple Syrup:

1 Tablespoon Coconut Rum

1 Tablespoon Tequila

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1 box powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon Coconut Rum

1 Tablespoon Tequila

2 Key Limes*

Garnish:

Key Limes, sliced in small wedges

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all the cake ingredients and stir on medium speed for 30 seconds. Spray a mini cupcake tin with oil spray (OR grease it lightly with butter and dust with flour). Fill each cupcake holder only three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 8 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean).

Allow the cupcakes to cool fully.

In a very small bowl combine the 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Rum and 1 Tablespoon Tequila. Using a pastry brush, brush a little of the mixture onto each cooled cupcake (this will add another element of flavor and also moisten the cupcake more).

To prepare the frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in the mixer and whip on high for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and beat for another minute until light and fluffy. Add in the lime juice, Coconut Rum and Tequila and mix just until combined.

Place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe in a circular potion onto each mini cupcake. Garnish the cupcakes with sliced wedges of the Key Limes.

*Key Limes are a smaller breed of limes that have a thin rind and have a more tart and bitter flavor then other limes.