Perfected White Wedding Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing for My Daughters Shower

White Wedding Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Aside from the fact that my daughter is stunning, L'il Burnt Toast is many things to everyone who knows her. She’s smart, opinionated, independent and compassionate. Even as a child she always set out to get what she wanted in life and she never stops until she achieves it.

We all know that her future husband is the perfect match and we will be very proud to finally have him as a son-in-law. He is a truly great guy – smart, strong, and responsible – basically everything all mothers want for their daughters. I will be honoured to welcome him into our family in February at a church ceremony in Mexico. I know these two will continue to be very happy together.

This past weekend the maid of honour, bridesmaids and I put together a wedding shower. It came together with little planning but a collaboration of our vision of what we felt my daughter would want. A few e-mails, a Pinterest board and a few phone calls later and we could see our vision come to life.

L'il Burnt Toasts only request was a tea party theme so I borrowed tea cups, vintage water jugs and platters from Lois Lane, and our hosts grandmothers cherished tiered platter.

If you're wondering about the decorations we purchased pink hydrangeas from The Flower Studio where they sprayed them the coral colour to match my daughters wedding colours, a row of white helium filled balloons, a few tiffany blue pom poms and a bouquet of balloons and the scene was set. I feel it was simple and yet elegant.

Not that long ago I took a cupcake decorating class. We needed to bring a dozen cupcakes and I used a cake mix to achieve this. I am not usually a person that uses boxed cake mixes but usually the resulting cake is consistent. I did not really like the resulting cupcakes or their texture so searched the internet for a way to doctor them up and achieve a cupcake that had the perfect texture and more like something that comes from a bakery. 

I was more than happy with the result. The recipe below turned out delicious, moist and fluffy and perfect for holding a cream cheese buttercream frosting. It also saves time and effort using a cake mix as a basic beginning when you want to wow your guests. Many of the bridal shower guests not only asked for the recipe but said they were the best cupcakes they had ever had. If you try them you be the judge.

The finger foods consisted of a watermelon appetizer made by the bridesmaids and maid of honour, goat cheese and basil appetizers, hosomaki rolls (appetizer sized sushi) from Komatsu Market, fancy tea sandwiches from The Bike Shop Cafe, and......tea cup sugar cookies from Sarah's Sweets and a cupcake cake by yours truly.

Sugar Cookies by Sarah's Sweets

TIPS:

Most companies have downsized the size of their cake mixes. You need 18.25 oz so I purchased 2 cake mixes and added 1/2 cup of cake mix from the second box to the batter.

You can use either regular or light sour cream for this recipe, but heck... since it's a wedding cupcake and you want it to be as delicious and moist as possible, I recommend going for the full-fat kind.

Using an ice cream scoop is perfect for getting the batter into the cupcake tins without spilling but you can also use a 1/4 cup measuring cup with great success.

In the icing I used powdered vanilla according to the package directions so as not to taint the colour of the icing any more. It is guaranteed that a butter icing will be off white and not pure white. In baking shops you can also find clear vanilla.

The icing recipe uses almost a bag of icing (confectioners sugar). You judge the consistency you would like to achieve for well-defined and precise roses.

I like to use a 2D icing tip to pipe the rosettes. It creates a flatter and yet gorgeous rose. That way there is not a layer of icing larger than the cupcake itself.

**White Wedding Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting**

Adapted from weddingcake101.com

For Cupcakes:

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix (1 cake box +1/2 cup cake mix from second box)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream (full fat or low fat)

4 large egg whites

Buttercream Icing:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8-10 cups icing sugar (you use almost a full bag of icing sugar until desired piping consistency)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla (I used powdered vanilla - 1/4 teaspoon or you can use white vanilla)

1/4 teaspoon salt

For cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans. The recipe makes approximately 30.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat for 5 minutes, or until well blended.

Use 1/4 cup measuring cup to fill prepared cupcake tins. This will fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake about 18-20 minutes depending on your oven, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting: In bowl of stand mixer or with hand mixer beat room temperature butter and shortening until lighter in colour about 3-5 minutes.

Add vanilla or powdered vanilla and salt. Add icing sugar 1 cup at a time and continue beating on medium low speed. At the 6 cup mark add more icing sugar at your discretion. You need a piping consistency where the rosettes will remain firm.

Pipe icing onto cupcakes using a 2D icing tip. Allow to set. Assemble.

I love this recipe. It does not require refrigeration. Most people know that cream cheese frosting will be off white in colour and not pure stark white.

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