How To Make A Cupcake Bouquet

When Valentine's Day came around this year, I decided to do something my husband wouldn't expect. I wanted to do something romantic and surprising, so I had a look around at florists for one that could deliver a chocolate bouquet to his work.
I found a fabulous one--40 gold Ferrero Rocher's on stems in a fancy box, and they looked like beautiful blooms! So I ordered them, and felt excited the whole of Valentine's day thinking of an embarrassing delivery being made to Luke's office.
My husband emailed me throughout the day and there was no word of anything arriving, and I didn't want to ask for fear of ruining the surprise.
He came home about an hour earlier than usual, and I greeted him at the door as always. "So, did anything interesting happen at work today?" I asked.
The answer was "No, nothing much!"
"No Valentine's day drama?"
"No" he smiled. "Why do you ask?" he then added suspiciously. "did you have something delivered?!"
"No, no what a silly idea" I laughed.
My heart sank to my feet. My attempt to be wonderfully romantic had again failed. *sigh*
"You did order something didn't you!" he asked, colour coming into his cheeks.
I guess my laugh gave it all away and I disappeared out the door with a basket of washing before he could ask me again, and before I told him.
The next day the secretary at my husband's work met him in the elevator. She apologetically told him that a bouquet had arrived for him about half an hour after he left work, and she felt terrible. Ah well...all's well that ends well. At least he got it in the end.
But it got me thinking. How easy would it be to make something like a chocolate bouquet yourself? (for about quarter of the price)
Then when I became a very proud aunty again (for the 9th time) I decided not to take a bunch of flowers...but a bunch of cupcakes. It was surprisingly easy, unique and beautiful. And a little more enjoyable than real blooms--for the stomach anyway!

HOW TO MAKE A CUPCAKE BOUQUET

What you will need to get amazing:

Cardboard
Scizzors
a stapler
large rubber band
coloured tissue paper
craft glue
a gift box
ribbon
7 disposable plastic cups
cupcake liners that fit in the top of the cups

1. Take seven disposable plastic cups and arrange as follows: one in the middle and six surrounding the sentre cup. It looks a little like a flower. Staple the cups together so they hold in this position. Some tearing of the plastic may occur, but that's okay as long as they're all holding together.

2. Measure the circumference of the cup collection. Cut out a circle in the cardboard of that size so that the cups sit neatly in the middle without too much of a rim around them.

3. Using craft glue, adhere the cups to the cardboard. Leave to dry.

4. Take the coloured tissue paper and cut as desired. Secrure it around the base of the cups with a rubber band.

5. Push the cup collection into the gift box (the gift box is optional, you could just tie some ribbon around the outside of the tissue paper if desired)

6. Add another layer of wrapping paper over the gift box for added dimension and colour and tie with a bow.

7. Now you are ready to fill your bouquet case! Make your favourite cupcakes and swirl them with soft butter cream icing in the design of a rose. For an example recipe, see below under "NOTES".

NOTES: The cupcake recipe I used was for these delicious Mini Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes in a more regular size. The icing was vanilla buttercream with a touch of pink food colouring.
Be sure to choose cupcake liners that will fit into the cups properly. I used a size of cup slightly smaller than your standard disposable cup, and the liner that fitted it was slightly smaller than the standard also. You can find all different sizes in your local super marker or at a party supplier.

Lemon Sour Cream Butterfly Cakes

When ever I go on and view my blog, my little son runs up to me and wants to get up on my lap, pointing and yelling  "yum! yum!".
And when I'm in the kitchen and the goods are being completed there is no stopping the applause, or the intense frustration from that little guy.

Mind you, he's a real sugar guts. Okay, he gets to lick the spoon, as you can see from his face, but he wants more than that! What can I say...I think he's my biggest fan. Unfortunately he's the one person I wish wasn't such a fan. He'll be a rotten-toothed toddler if I'm not careful! (maybe its a good thing kids teeth fall out after all)
Some of my other known fans are currently joining gymnasiums.
I overheard two talking recently about my baking and one said to the other "I am going to the gym so I can keep eating this stuff of hers."
Now that made me chuckle inside. Sweet on the outside and the inside. Just the way I like it!
Recently I made the chocolate fudge cupcakes in the picture above, and making mini ones, I found myself with dozens of them. So I made a choc-mint variation with mint butter icing swirled high on the top. Just a word of advice...you can have too much of a good thing...especially when its on top of mini sized cake! I had someone groaning on the couch from sugar overload after eating three. So eat that icing down in small proportions!
Meanwhile, to get over the super sugar hangover, here's a lovely little recipe for cupcakes without the icing. Pretty little butterfly cakes I'm sure everyone has had as a kid. I still love them!

LEMON SOUR CREAM BUTTERFLY CAKES (adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/)

70g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
125 g (1/2 cup) sour cream
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tbsp lemon juice
whipped cream to top
icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 160°C.
Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the sour cream and combined flours and stir to combine. Add the lemon rind and juice and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the surface. Place pans on an oven tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove tray from oven and transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whip desired amount of cream.
When cooled, cut the tops of the cupcakes off. Cut eat top in half.
Spoon blobs of cream onto the flat cut top of the cupcakes. Place the detached cake slices on the top of each blob of cream, like wings. Sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate as desired.

Chocolate Ripple Cake

Some things are better left unmentioned. When I told my husband that the chocolate ripple cake I made for my birthday was the most unhealthy thing I would ever let myself eat he looked at me strangely. "After all," I said "Its just cookies and cream". He couldn't believe it, and then I added "and a bit of fruit juice".
"I'm going to vomit!" he said. "Fruit juice??"
So I understand that the first image that comes to mind is curdled cream and orange juice, but this cake is far from revolting. And far from being able to curdle. Its always been a family favourite for us and is such a simple affair...yet so rich and amazing, you wouldn't expect it to only have three ingredients and take just half an hour to assemble. Its the type of recipe I love best...far from ordinary, delicious, quick, simple and elegant. And practically foolproof.
And, after a large piece of this cake and after that terrible image of cream and fruit juice, my husband had another piece because of its deliciousness. So fear not his comment! It was retracted most hastily! But...if it still appears off putting, you could easily make a boozy version with tia maria or baileys in substitution for the juice...it would be amazing!

CHOCOLATE RIPPLE CAKE

1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits
500 ml cream, whipped
1 cup fruit juice
chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

Whip cream until thick. Pour juice into a small bowl along side the serving plate chosen for the cake. Starting with one biscuit at a time, dip quickly into the juice, lather one side with cream and stand upright on the plate, immediately wedging another soaked biscuit along side it keep its position. Work in such fashion until you have built a ring of biscuits wedged together with cream. Fill the centre with remaining biscuits and cream. Use the remaining cream to lather the outside of the cake until all biscuit is covered. Grate chocolate over the exterior if desired. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. This is best served the day after making.
Serves 8-10