We’re wrapping up Beach Week with a tropical cupcake recipe from our contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy. What a sweet ending to our fun in the sun!  I’ll let Lauren take it away from here….

Summer is quickly coming to an end and beach season is almost over, but before we dive into the fun of fall baking I wanted to share one last summer themed cupcake recipe with you all!  Every week when I go to our local farmer’s market I always grab a pineapple.  It’s one of my favorite fruits and I love how you get a little bit of sour and sweet in every bite.  I’d been thinking of some ideas to incorporate pineapple into cupcakes and mentioned the thought of a pineapple flavor to Carrie.  She loved the idea and suggested giving Martha Stewart’s dried pineapple flower a try as a garnish on top!  So today I’m excited to share with you my Pineapple Cupcakes with dried pineapple flowers.

First let’s talk about the cupcake and then we will move on to the flower.  These cupcakes start as a basic yellow cake and contain both crushed pineapple and sweetened shredded coconut to create a tropical, fruity and light cupcake.  In every bite you can taste the texture of the pineapple pieces and coconut flakes.  Swirled with a generous portion of cream cheese frosting on top, this is a perfect treat to enjoy on these last summer days.

So now for the pineapple flowers.  If you happen to own Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes book like me, then you have probably seen this dried pineapple flower a time or two as you flip through page after page gazing in amazement at all of her fabulous recipes and decorations. I know I’ve looked through the book a million times always skipping over this section, intimidated, thinking that there was no way I could make that flower. But this time I decided heck why not give the pineapple flower a try, thanks to the suggestion from Carrie! So I turned to pages 222-223 in Martha’s book and studied the pictures for a little bit and read over the directions about five times before I finally grabbed an knife, and started slicing away at my pineapple. I was on a mission to create these gorgeous flowers to go along with my pineapple cupcakes. I must say for a first attempt, I was pleased with how the flowers turned out. This procedure really wasn’t that intimidating after all and I look forward to trying it again sometime.

I hope you all decide to give this recipe and these dried pineapple flowers a try as you say farewell to summer!

TROPICAL PINEAPPLE CUPCAKES
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 12 cupcakes)

For The Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 8oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In small bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk until well combined.
3. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter, sugar and vanilla for about 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs and continue to mix well.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
6. Stir in the crushed pineapple and coconut.
7. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18-20 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 cupcakes are cool, decorate with cream cheese frosting and dried pineapple flower.

For the Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

1.In bowl of stand mixer cream butter and cream cheese for about 2-3 minutes until creamy.
2.Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar mixing well and scraping down sides of bowl.
3.Mix in vanilla.
4.Place icing in piping bag fitted with large round tip and swirl on top of cupcakes.

For the Dried Pineapple Flowers:
1 whole pineapple

• Refer to online tutorial from Martha Stewart (found HERE) to make dried pineapple flowers.
• Note: I found it was easier to remove the pineapple “eyes” with a 1/4 tsp measuring spoon rather than a small melon baller.

I hope you all enjoy these last few days of summer, however you may be spending them!

	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.

Our end of summer celebration is in full swing!  It’s Beach Week here on the cake blog and we’re having some serious fun in the sun.  Four talented bakers were asked to create new designs inspired by the sun, sand and surf.  To bring the beauty and colors of the beach to life in a sophisticated cake design.  And today’s cake is simply spectacular!

Our third beach-inspired design comes to us from Jacki Fanto, owner of Blissfully Sweet in Sydney Australia.  You may remember Jacki from previous features on our site. (like this realistic reptile cake).  Jacki paints a brilliant picture with her interpretation of the beach theme.  The ocean waves churning and tumbling, whitecaps bubbling on their crests.  Radiant colors fill the sky as the sun gradually slips over the horizon.  With a rainbow of soft shimmery colors, embossed wave patterns and a sculpted wave-inspired topper, this cake is exquisite!  Join me swooning over this glorious Ocean Sunset Cake!

Jacki of Blissfully Sweet shares the inspiration for her design:

“I spend most of my summers at the beach, and in particular at my family’s home which has panoramic coastal views.  One of the favourite things that I love about spending my summers there, is watching the sunset over the horizon from our balcony.  So when I was asked to make a “beach” themed cake, my first thought was sunsets and all their glorious colours.  Many different ideas came and went as I thought of designs, however a beautiful artwork/sculpture buy Jennifer Falck Linssen.  As soon as I saw her beautiful wave like structures, these became my focal point for the cake.”

Seriously!  Jacki has created an elegant ocean scene that is both romantic and breathtaking!  From the rainbow of colors and their soft shimmery glow to the tall slender tiers and dainty ocean bubbles…. could it be any more lovely?  Now, let’s get a better look at this incredible wave topper!  A fabulous concept like this demands a close up or two…

Jacki of Blissfully Sweet shares the details of her design:

“I wanted the wave topper to be the WOW of the cake, so I decided to keep the rest of the lines clean and structured – where the beauty would be in the simplicity.  Embossed wave patterns circled the cake and each wave was finished in a different sunset lustre colour.   I wanted to start with the beautiful reds/pinks/corals of the sunset and graduate into the golds, greens and then the blues of the ocean.  All the hues of the sunset led up to the fondant cut out wave that floated on the top.  This is my ode to summer – how I believe it to be, full of relaxed, simple and beautiful days, rich in colours and feelings.”

A huge thank you to Jacki of Blissfully Sweet for inspiring us with her stunning Ocean Sunset Cake!  And to Leanne Ambrogio of Sweet Style for the gorgeous images!  We are officially swooning over here!  And immensely enjoying this magnificent ocean view!

And remember that our fabulous 7 qt KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway is open until Monday, September 3rd.   HERE‘s the link to enter!!  Because really, who doesn’t want to win this mixer?!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Cake :  Blissfully Sweet
Photography :  Leanne Ambrogio for Sweet Style

Today we’re continuing on with our end-of-summer celebration. It’s Beach Week! And so far we’re having a ball! You all keep crashing our site with your excitement over the amazing KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway that we’re hosting.  And rightfully so… who doesn’t want a KitchenAid? Let alone a 7 quart, top of the line version! So if you haven’t entered… HERE’s the link!

Now, let’s get back to the cakes, shall we?  Get ready to set sail because today we’re going out on the water!  Our second beach-inspired design comes to us from Miso Bakes.  You may remember Miso from previous features and DIY’s on our site.  (She is one of our monthly contributors!)  Miso’s crisp, clean and modern design is a delightful spin on a nautical theme.  Featuring a preppy red, white and navy color combo and sea-inspired decor.  Lift the anchor because the adventures at sea begin with this charming Nautical Cake!  Oh… did I mention there is a tutorial too?!?

How incredibly adorable, right?  I love everything about this cake!  From the oversized anchor to the diagonally striped lighthouse!  It’s a bold mix of nautical fun!  And the perfectly placed pennants are a fabulous use of the oh-so-popular flag bunting!  A genius way to incorporate this trend!  All topped with a rustic ship captain’s wheel.  Let’s take a closer look…

Remember when I mentioned a tutorial?  Well…. here you go!  A step-by-step DIY tutorial for the rustic ship wheel topper!

SHIP WHEEL TOPPER
a DIY by Miso Bakes

Supplies:
Round Cutters
Skewer or Floral Wire
Sugarpaste in Brown

STEP 1: Cut out a small circle and five sticks with a skewer or a wire*** inserted into one.  Let dry for five minutes or slightly firm.

STEP 2: Adhere sticks onto the circle with water.  Using a cutter, trim the sticks so they are rounded.

STEP 3: Using the exact same cutter, cut out a circle.  Using a cutter slightly smaller, cut out the center of the big circle.  Dry slightly.

STEP 4: Using water, adhere the ring you just created onto the rest of the wheel.

STEP 5: Make little teardrops out of gumpaste.  Flatten the sharp edge and adhere onto the edge of each ‘stick’.  These are the spoke handles.

STEP 6: Brush off excess cornstarch (or cocoa powder) with a dry brush.  Dry completely. Insert into cake.

*** If using wire, cover the wire with floral tape, and insert it into a straw coffee stirrer and fill the gap with royal icing, before inserting into cake.

I can just envision an entire nautical birthday party centered around this cake!  Little adventurers love the water and the beach!  Or simply leave the flag pennants plain and you have a delightful nautical cake for any sea-inspired event.

A big thank you to Miso Bakes for sharing her charming Nautical Cake and Ship Wheel DIY with us today!  We have greatly enjoyed this little adventure at sea!  Beach Week continues tomorrow with beach-inspired cake #3!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Cake  :  Miso Bakes