Going to the Chapel

I am told repeatedly by friends and family I should open a restaurant or bakery.  My reply: " Too much work.  I only bake for family and friends."

Seriously,  just about the time you think you have a recipe down pat, you make it and it is flop.  For instants, this past weekend I made an Oreo cake with Pudding Frosting and wouldn't you know it, the frosting was a flop.   I have made the recipe hundreds of times, but for all intense purposes this weekend it did not turn out.   I had to doctor it up or throw it out.  Thankfully, doctoring it up worked.  

Now back to baking for family and friends: My nephew asked if I would make his wedding cake with not much information other than he was all about chocolate and his fiancé requested strawberry or marble.   They weren't fussy and said I could have free range, but they were expecting around 150 people at an outdoor reception.

I am not crazy.   I have only made a large tiered wedding cake one time in my life and that was for my parents 50th wedding anniversary.  It's a lot of work and you need a special cake stand.

Not a great photo of the cake but the only photo I have.   My mother cutting her 50th Wedding Anniversary Cake.  Not sure where my dad was, but most likely wanted no part in cutting of the cake.   

I decided for my nephews wedding to make three smaller cakes and lots of cup cakes. This would make it easier to travel and suit a variety of  tastes.   Plus, cupcakes are all the rage these day.

As you can see from the photo below the Grooms cake was all about chocolate.  A chocolate cake with pudding cream cheese frosting topped with ganache and chocolate covered strawberries.

The Grooms cake.

The Brides cake was Strawberry cake layered with strawberry jam,  frosted with vanilla pudding cream cheese frosting and topped with white chocolate covered Strawberries

The Brides cake.

The Mr. and Mrs. Cake was a Marbled cake, frosted with vanilla pudding cream cheese frosting and drizzled with chocolate ganache and topped with both white chocolate and chocolate covered strawberries.

My display for the cakes was a three tier  Victorian style stand.

Besides the three smaller cakes I baked several different flavored cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcake with peanut butter mousse frosting topped with ganache and peanut brittle.

Chocolate High Hat Cupcake with dark chocolate mousse frosting dipped in chocolate and topped with sprinkles.

Banana Cupcake with Banana pudding frosting topped with marshmallow banana and dried banana chips

Pistachio Cupcake with Pistachio frosting and nuts



Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting topped with mini chocolate chips and maraschino cherry.

Strawberry cake topped with jam, cheesecake frosting and white chocolate dipped strawberry.

Lemon cake with lemon pudding frosting and candy lemon wedge.

There is no recipe today, just photos, but some of the recipes have been posted in the past.  Follow the links for those recipes.  

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From the bottom of my heart.............. 

It Sure Is Sweet When Two People Fall In Love

It Sure Is Sweet When Two People Fall In Love..............was the theme of my daughter's bridal shower.   What a great time we had planning, preparing and attending the shower.   Many weeks of searching, shopping and crafting went into the preparation for the big day of the shower.  I hope the following photos spark an idea or two for you and yours.

Found bulleting board letters at the dollar store.  Strung their names for the bride to be's table.

Many trips to the dollar store ended up in a fancy table décor.   Plastic tablecloths in red and white.   Black and white designed shelf padding made wonderful placemats.   Leftover valentine napkins and decorations for the table setting.

More dollar store items used to decorate.   Red rose petals.  Flowers for the centerpieces and to throw around the tables.

Close up view

Mix and match colors, red, white, pink and black.

Found all the pieces to make the center pieces at the dollar store:  small gift box, foam, moss, silk flowers, red garland wire heart shape, greenery.  

Chocolate dipped braids sprinkled with red/white/pink nonpareils and a heart stuck to the end of each.

Cupcake stand made from dollar store trays and plastic glasses wrapped with silver Christmas bead garland.

The cupcake stand full of cupcakes: Lemon, Chocolate Oreo, and Pistachio.

Found this cute vase at the dollar store, we used it as an ice tea glass and party favor.

Fancied up red straw for the ice tea glass.

Found heart shaped red cherry jelly beans at Big lots along with heart shaped mints.

More dollar store ingenuity:  Pilsner glass filled with cinnamon hard candies, topped with a half foam ball, curly cue ribbon, starlight mints, heart straws and heart shaped lollipop.  These made wonderful prizes for the games we played.

Bride and groom wine bottle decorations.   These made wonderful prizes too.

Wedding wine glasses.  Yes believe it or not found these at the dollar store too.   However, we couldn't the amount we wanted so we used them at the head table.  Very adorable.  

Half and half: Used my princess house shrimp cocktail glasses filled with red hot candies (from the dollar store) as candle holders.

Found huge engagement rings at the Dollar General amongst the Valentine decorations.

Great ideas from Pinterest:  Tomato and Mozzarella appetizers along side of cucumber and feta or hummus bites.



Candy airplanes as a nod to the groom who is in the air force.



As another nod to the air force groom, paper airplane thank you notes, that were tucked inside of some of the ice tea glasses. 

Another view

Unfolded paper airplane used the computer to add our own thank you.



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From the bottom of my heart..............