18th Birthday cupcakes - 19th December

I had an order to make 40 cupcakes for an 18th birthday just before Christmas. From the cupcake menu the customer selected Espresso Martini and Salted caramel flavours, the final choice was Ferrero Rocher cupcakes. As the cakes were for an 18th birthday party/gathering I used the Salted caramel sponge cupcakes as the base for some sugarpaste decorations to celebrate the special birthday.

Starting with the Espresso Martini cupcakes I made a coffee sponge adding 3 chocolate covered coffee beans to the cake before baking. Once baked the cupcakes were brushed with a vodka soak - espresso coffee powder / water / granulated sugar boiled together to make a syrup and then once cooled some vodka is added. The cakes were topped with a coffee flavoured buttercream, again using espresso coffee powder and some coffee essence. The cupcakes were decorated with a cocktail umbrella, a gold paper straw, some more chocolate covered coffee beans and a spritz of gold.

Once the salted caramel sponge had been cooked and cooled I added a centre of salted caramel spread and then topped the cakes with either a sugarpaste topper or a selection of chocolate curls, fudge cubes, honeycomb chips, bronze crunch and a drizzle of Bournville chocolate.

Finally, the Ferrero Rocher cupcakes were made with a cocoa and hazelnut sponge. Once cooled I added a chocolate hazelnut spread centre, I piped the top with a cocoa buttercream

nest, covered with chopped hazelnuts and topped with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate which I spritzed with gold dust. All the cupcakes were baked in gold cases as the customer's house was decorated with gold decorations for Christmas. The Salted caramel cupcakes were displayed in a white and gold tulip case and the Ferrero Rocher in a brown and gold tulip case. I was really pleased with the finish and so was the customer.