Menu for a Springtime birthday

Our house celebrated a special 2 year birthday, with kiddies and loads of parents too. With the piles and piles of snow, the inspiration was the coming springtime. With a little planning (and help from a lovely mother-in-law), the menu and party went off without a hitch.

These cupcake toppers are printed clip art images pasted to wooden party forks

Along with Buttermilk cupcakes with orange and raspberry Cream cheese frosting, we had an array of tea sandwiches. Think dainty two-bite size bundles of flavour between soft, fresh bread. Not only are they simple to prepare, but are great for feeding a crowd, and perfect for little hands to hold and munch on.

First, the cupcakes: along with regular sized cupcakes, miniature cakes were prepared just for the little ones. Mini muffin pans are easy to find at kitchen supply stores these days, along with little cup liners. Using the recipe for buttermilk cupcakes, simply fill the paper liners with about a 1/4 inch left at the top, and bake for approximately 11 minutes. The recipe allowed for about 18 regular cupcakes and 20 miniature cupcakes.

For kiddies and adults alike, cupcakes rule!

For the icing, the biggest hit of the two flavours was raspberry. Not only can you get a wonderful berry flavour, but you will have a frosting that's a lovely shade of pink without having to use artificial colour. To the frosting, slowly add coulis (mixing constantly), until shade of pink required is attained. Remember to chill the frostings before using!

Raspberry Coulis
1- 11 oz package frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

• In pan, heat raspberries and sugar on low for approximately 5-8 minutes until broken down
• Pour mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on solids (the solids make a delicious jam!)

Below are links to the various tea sandwiches prepared for the party - all were hits! In order to get everything prepared on time, a little planning was needed. 

• All spreads were prepared the day before
• Thinly sliced vegetables were done with a Japanese mandolin cutter - an essential kitchen tool!
• Pre-ordered bread from bakery (of course not necessary!), but a good way to get what you want the day of your party
• Have helping hands to do an assembly-line preparation of sandwiches, Henry Ford had it right

Moroccan carrot with Tapenade and Goat Cheese

Goat Cheese and Watercress

Cucumber Mint

Minted Radish with Lemon Mayonnaise

Super easy cream cheese frosting

Warning to the reader: this recipe is dangerously fast and easy. You may begin to use it in everyday life....like on that morning bagel. Another warning (or perhaps note of hope), I have never made icing, nor taken lessons on piping. This post should illustrate that if one gets over inhibitions, you too can become a frosting rock star in 20 minutes. This recipe comes from Gourmet (1998). Check out the post on cupcakes too!

Click here for Buttermilk Cupcakes

These frostings are not too sweet and do well in piping and spreading over cupcakes. I especially love the flecks of orange zest in the orange frosting - you don't even need sprinkles (although these are definitely allowed!).

Planning tips:

• Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature
• For fancy icing (shown here), prepare piping tips and bags. I used 12 inch Wilton disposable bags here, but a sturdy ziplock bag works too. Cut end of disposable bag (or corner of zip lock) to accommodate a piping tip. If you don't have a piping tip, just use the open end of the bag. The size of hole will determine how much icing is applied. You can also apply the icing using a knife or flat icing spatula - simple and elegant!
• Other useful tools: silicon spatula, stand mixer or hand mixer, zester or fine grater
• If not using organic oranges, make sure to wash peel thoroughly, as this is where most of the chemical sprays are retained.

Cream Cheese Frosting two ways - Chocolate and Orange

Enough for 24 cupcakes. Can be made 2 days ahead, refrigerated separately, covered.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups whipped cream cheese (about 10 ounces)

4 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

zest of 1 orange (preferably organic)

Sprinkles of your choice 

Place chocolate in a small bowl over simmering water. Melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. In a bowl with an electric mixer (or paddle attachment) on low speed beat together butter, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.

Creamy perfection!

Transfer half of cream cheese mixture to another bowl and stir in melted chocolate until combined well. Stir orange juice and zest into remaining frosting.

Orange zest gives a burst of flavour and colour

Hello beautiful!

If frostings are too soft, chill slightly before using (this is the case for the orange frosting, for texture and flavour development). Frostings may be made 2 days ahead and chilled separately, covered. Bring frostings to cool room temperature and whisk to smooth before using. 

Since I am no expert, here is an excellent link for decorating cupcakes:

Wilton's guide to decorating cupcakes

I used Ateco tip #865 for the rosette piping, and #805 for the smooth piping. I think attending decorating class is in my future!

Using #865 - steady girl, steady!

Not too shabby for a beginner! Maybe $3.50 cupcakes?

Let's try cupcakes

Typically if you call something a 'trend', that something is now rendered uncool and un-hip. As the cupcake 'trend' sweeps the nations of the earth, I think we have found one that is too delicious to be rendered otherwise.

For those who have never tried baking cakes from scratch, let me assure you in this department, I am only about 20 minutes ahead of you. Cakes from scratch is something I have tried on a number of occasions and failed miserably (likely due to not fully following the recipes), and have resorted to using face-saving mixes.

Despite this, I was curious to see how easy it is to make these sweet treats in the kitchen, and put those $5 bakery cupcakes to shame. I will be using Buttermilk cupcakes (Gourmet, 1998), and to up the ante, will also do two (yes, two) cream cheese frostings (in the next post) to top these knolls of goodness. In fact, you will find that homemade cupcakes take only slightly longer than using a mix, and you can claim 100% bragging rights.

Some planning points:

• pull out your butter, eggs, and buttermilk to come to room temperature
• have your cake flour sifted (substitute 1 cup sifted cake flour with 3/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons corn starch)
• Useful tools: silicon scraper, stand mixer or hand mixer, muffin tin, paper cups, ice cream scoop
• Easy tip: make granulated sugar 'superfine' (which makes blending with ingredient smoother) by pulsing in food processor to a very fine grain. Superfine sugar is used by professional bakers, and now by you too!

Buttermilk Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes (do not double recipe, make separate batches)


twenty-four 2 1/2-inch paper muffin cup liners
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk


Preheat oven to 350°F. and line twenty-four 1/2-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes) and beat in vanilla.

Not quite fluffy - keep beating!

Fluffy! Good idea: scrape down intermittently 

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and with mixer on low speed beat in buttermilk until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined after each addition. Divide batter among muffin cups (batter will fill cups). Using an ice cream scoop assists in this process.

 Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of muffin trays halfway through baking, about 22 minutes, or until golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on racks 5 minutes and remove cupcakes from tray to cool completely. Cupcakes keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days.

Now what this needs is some frosting!