Pink, gold and gorgeous!  Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we have a dessert table to make your heart swoon.  Today’s elegant feature comes to us from Sweet! Magazine, a treasure of projects, ideas and inspiration for any baker who wants to create beautiful cakes.  We’re taking a peek inside the cover at one of the charming dessert tables this magazine has to offer.  With incredible styling by Avie & Lulu and cakes by Sweet Tiers, this display is oh-so-feminine with just the right amount of frill.  Ruffles, glitter, gold and a spectacular heart backdrop… it’s enough to make a girl giddy!

“Sweet magazine is all about cakes that taste as good as they look. We love the ritual of shopping for the freshest ingredients. We love to set up the prettiest parties. We love the excitement of preparation. We love the nostalgia that comes with a recipe from childhood days. And most of all we love to share it all with our friends and family. Sweet is full of cakes, bakes and pretty makes to inspire you in the heart of your home.”

There is so much to love about this display.  Pink macarons dusted in gold.  Cake pops adorned with tiny golden hearts and cupcakes topped with golden bows.  Dainty heart cookies and fluffy heart marshmallows.  And of course, the cakes!  I cannot get over all the delicate little blooms clustered into a perfect heart shape.  Talk about LOVE!  This setup would be incredible for any day celebrating love… from Valentine’s Day to a bridal shower!

What a wonderful way to head into the weekend.   Now that your heart is happy, go and enjoy your Friday!  We’ll be back on Monday with a brand new recipe tutorial for your Valentine’s baking.

VENDORS & CREDITS
Styling:  Avie & Lulu
Cakes, Macaroons & Cupcakes:  Sweet Tiers
Photography:  Lee Bird Photography
Flowers:  Bouquet Melbourne
Purchase the Magazine:  Sweet! Cakes, Bakes and Pretty Makes

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here with a new Valentine’s recipe….

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, do you know what you are getting your sweetie this year?  While the standard box of chocolates and a dozen roses are a nice gesture, I’m encouraging you to step outside the norm and create a fabulous treat that will make this year’s Valentine’s Day just a little sweeter!  It all starts with a bottle of champagne and some fresh raspberries!  So grab a bottle of bubbly, no make that two, one to bake with and one to drink and get ready to wow that special someone with a batch of Champagne & Raspberry Cupcakes.

These cupcakes have been taste tested and given two thumbs up by my hubby so I’m sure you’re significant other will love them too! As I was browsing the champagne section at the store, I decided on Korbel Sweet Rose. Korbel is a pretty popular and affordable brand when it comes to champagne and I was drawn to the fact that they had a pink variety with a hint of raspberries, which was absolutely perfect for what I had in mind for these cupcakes! If you can’t find the Sweet Rose variety, don’t worry any champagne will do.

Champagne was used in both the cake and icing for this recipe. The cake turned out super moist and paired perfectly with a light and fluffy raspberry champagne buttercream. I love the subtle tint of pink in the icing from the pureed raspberries. These cupcakes are the perfect, simple and sophisticated treat for a romantic date night with your honey!

Champagne & Raspberry Cupcakes
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 20 cupcakes)

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup champagne, room temperature (I used Korbel Sweet Rose)
5 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In medium bowl combine dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In bowl of stand mixer combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla and mix.
   
6. Gradually add in the dry ingredients with the champagne alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcake are completely cool frost with Raspberry Champagne Buttercream.

For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp pureed raspberries (strained to remove seeds)
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup champagne (I used Korbel Sweet Rose)
1 tsp vanilla

1. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter until creamy.
2. Add in raspberry puree and vanilla and mix well.
3. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time and mix scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
4. Add champagne as necessary to create desired consistency.
5. Place icing in piping bag fitted with large round tip and frost cupcakes.
6. Garnish with a raspberry on top.

Hope you all have a sweet month!

	Lauren Kapeluck Lauren is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a self-taught baker and lover of all things sugar. Read more about Lauren on her bio page.

Today’s feature is seriously so gorgeous, you’re going to fall. in. love.  Head over heels!  You probably remember Storey’s 1st birthday… a glittery gold and pink party that we featured last year.  You all loved it so much, it was one of the most popular posts of 2012!  Well if it is possible, Storey’s 2nd birthday is even more beautiful.  Confetti, balloons and all of the birthday girl’s favorite things are brought together in shades of pink and red.  Impeccable styling by Storey’s mother, Ashley of Ashley Nicole Events, is paired with a spectacular cake and charming desserts by Rachael Teufel, of Intricate Icings Cake Design.  The results are simply breathtaking!  I think the smash cake says it best {you’ll see}… so let’s get to the good stuff!  It’s a fabulous Favorite Things Birthday Party!

Rachel from Intricate Icings gives us the scoop on the sweets:

“Having been a part of Storey’s first birthday, I was excited to see what was in store for her second birthday.  The theme was “Storey’s Favorite Things!”  Ashley sent over lots of inspiration including a list of Storey’s favorite things and several pink ombre items.  She fell in love with a cake created by My Sweet and Saucy which featured a watercolor floral painting on the bottom tier and a white flower on the top tier.  We took this same concept but changed the color scheme to pink and red ombre with hand-painted peonies.  We also added a middle tier filled with all of Storey’s Favorite things and of course her name in bright red. The flower on the top is also water-colored to match the overall theme.”

Rachel from Intricate Icings tells more about the desserts:

“The dessert bar was filled with other treats as well including cake pops adorned with sugar blossoms, tiny ombre heart-shaped bonbons with a watercolor ombre effect, and cupcakes with edible hearts listing more of Storey’s favorite things. We also created an un-iced ombre cake for Storey to dig into all by herself and another cake boasting ‘Best Day Ever’ “.

Have you ever seen a cupcake celebrating play-doh?  Let alone one as stunning as this?  The ombre heart toppers are incredibly adorable!  And prepare yourself for this guest table…. oh my goodness!

The smash cake says it all, right?  BEST. DAY. EVER!!  Filled with amazing sweets and a whole lot of love.

Having a two year old daughter myself, I love how Storey’s mom incorporated all of the things that make a little girl squeal.  Playdoh.  Dogs.  Balloons. Puddles. Elmo and Barney.  She has the whole list covered.  Not to mention the incredible styling that has girls of all ages squealing too!  This party would be equally as fabulous for a Sweet Sixteen party, a bridal shower, or even a 40th birthday.  It is beyond gorgeous!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Event Planner& Designer (Mother) :  Ashley Nicole Events
Cake & Desserts :  Intricate Icings Cake Design
Photographer :  Laura Murray Photography
Caterer :  Catering by Design
Florist :  Newberry Brothers
Invitations :  Gram Paper and Designs
Venue :  McNichols Civic Center Building
Chair Rentals :  Chairished Vintage Chair Rentals by Melinda Jean
Furniture Rental (Vintage dresser’s) :  A Vintage Affair Rentals
Kids Table Linens :  Nuage Designs
Guest Table Linens :  Chair Covers & Linens
Calligraphy :  Pink Ink Paper
Pony’s :  Little Angels Pony & Pals
Beverages :  Mondo Vino
Spheres (In which the flowers were inside and then painted) :  West Elm
Wooden Utensils :  Sucre Shop