"You are one brave girl, Sarah"

That's what my boss at work said when I showed her the pictures of last week's wedding order. And I really like that compliment. It ain't just about baking talent or piping skill, but it's about courage and the audacity to take on a huge project by little ol' me. And baking, decorating, delivering and setting up 200 cupcakes is a pretty huge project.



Of course as usual I had the help of the world's best helper (move over elves), aka world's best boyfriend (move over anyone!), aka my Andrew. I can't say thank you enough to him since he toiled over these cupcakes just as much as I did --rushing to the grocery store 3 separate times; transporting 20 boxes of cupcakes up and down stairs; washing endless dishes and mixing bowls; taking in my seriousness and moodiness time to time -- and all with a smile. What a keeper, huh? His mom was super duper generous enough to me let me use her kitchen too! Not only do they have a GORGEOUS kitchen with large counter tops and tons of space, they have two magical ovens that cut my baking time in two. Otherwise, I woulda been doing this for 16 hours. Am I the luckiest gal or what?



But don't be mistaken. This ain't all fun and games. It's tough work and by the 8th hour of standing, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an inkling of regret. The pressure of trying not to ruin someone's beautiful wedding by having sub-par cupcakes is a killer that causes many panic attacks along the way. Timing and measurement is key, and with a bit of miscalculation or mistake, you're easily in big trouble. Ah, but there's always room for creativity and problem-solving that can prove that any predicament can become a piece of cake! You just gotta believe in yourself and keep going at it! It all takes a bit of courage, I guess. :)



Anyways, I just thought that I'd include a little visual guide on how I frost my cupcakes, since a lot of you had some questions. It's quite simple, really, but I suppose a few photos might help you! I'll also tell you a few tips for easier operation.



TIP #1: When placing your piping tip into your piping bag, there's an easy way to make sure you're not spilling frosting all over yourself when you're filling it up. You twist the bag and then stuff it into the tip. When you're done filling, you can shake or push the bag down and the buttercream will fill it out.



TIP #2: Another super easy way to fill up your bag is by placing the pastry bag into a tall cup or cylinder and folding half the bag over it. You simply fill it up with buttercream and tap it so that there's not air pockets. You then unroll the pastry bag and then twist the top so that it's ready to go!



TIP #3: Obviously, there are many ways you can do the swirl. This is my basic swirl that I love because it looks luxurious and almost soft-serve ice cream like. You apply pressure as you circle inwards, overlapping the previous layer. This way you make it nice and high. You can also do an easy rose-shaped swirl by circling inside out. Try using different tips shapes and sizes. My favorite ones are the Wilton 1M Star Tip and Ateco #855 Close Star Tip.



TIP #4: The real key to a nice frosted top is the frosting itself. The consistency is crucial when piping-- it can't be too stiff or too runny. Runny frosting is the bane of my baking existence as it really is SO hard to deal with. While I got my Basic Buttercream down, cream cheese frosting is always a problem for me (I'm still so amateur, I can't even get my cream cheese right yet...) But if you can get a viscosity that is hard enough to hold itself yet soft enough to be pushed and moulded through a pastry bag, you've got it!



I guess that's it for today! If I come up with any better tips (I'm still learning as I'm going) I'll be sure to post them up too. As for the recipes, the red velvet cupcakes can be found here, and the vanilla cupcakes is here!

Easy Hard Work

Hard: Making 155 cupcakes.
Easy: Using a new super duper kitchenaid mixer.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes.
Easy: Using simple decorations like silver dragees and simple recipes.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes and assembling all the boxes for them to go into.
Easy: Using your wonderful and hard-working boyfriend.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes and assembling all the boxes for them to go into and delivering it at 6am for a wedding located "up north".
Easy: Using a GPS and your wonderful and hard-working boyfriend.



Yes everyone. I have done it. I have completed my first wedding order! And let me tell you.. it was a lot of hard work. But easy hard work. Because of wonderful people around me who's helped me! After all that box assembling (over 15 hours!) and ribbon cutting (and tying) and not having enough buttercream and so making it again (twice!) I have learned lots so all in all it was a good experience. But for sure, nothing beats finishing it all and delivering in the morning and seeing very excited faces and hearing "Oh, the brides is very pleased."



Ah anyways. I couldn't do all this without my sweet mommy and grandma who helped me out and of course, my wonder man. Hahaha! Cmon I know it's cheesy but I need to give him his due credit. He worked his back off for me! :D Plus, it was the birthday gift that he gave me that allowed me to do this all so easily in the first place, aka New Professional 600 6-Qt Kitchenaid Mixer. Do I hear screaming? YES!!! Does he spoil me to my bones? YES!!! But in all honesty, I told him that it was way too much of a gift and that he was indeed spoiling me sick. But what can I say, it is simply gorgeousness. ;)



Right. So these cupcakes. They were fabulous. I took leftovers to work and they loved it as well! The recipe was great because they were both so simple and tasty. That's all ya need. I used new recipes for the butter creams and they were both keepers for sure!! Not too sweet but great hold for those beautiful swirls. Enjoy everyone, happy baking. :)

VaVaVanilla! Cupcakes

adapted from a few different places
makes 30 cupcakes

CUPCAKES

ingredients

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FROSTING

ingredients

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)

directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add half the confectioners’ sugar salt, and meringue powder; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Add the rest of the sugar and mix again. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Easy Chocolate Buttercream

adapted from G-ma's Bakery

makes 24 cupcakes

ingredients

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar, and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and milk, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
I sorta did this by my own instinct (as it says in the original recipe). This is the kind of recipe where I didn't really follow exactly the numbers, and I would add accordingly. If it's not chocolatey enough, I added more cocoa powder. If it was too dry and heavy, I added more sugar or milk. You should experiment too! But make sure you don't do TOO much at a time or you'll end up with 5 batches of frosting... not to say that's such a horrible thing...

What can I say, I'm a lucky gal!!

Wordless Tuesdays

P.S. Okay. I've never done this "Wordless Tuesday" thing before and I don't think I'm going to do it again. But today, I just don't feel like talking much. Sorta really stressed about about finding a job, ya know? Hmph. It's a lot harder than I thought...

P.P.S. By the way, these cupcakes were for a bridal shower favor. I used a new cake recipe from Martha's Baking Handbook and they turned out pretty good. Amanda from slow like honey suggested it to me (when I realized I had the recipe right in my bookshelf!) The cake was light and moist -- yes, but I felt that I could taste the eggs a lot. I don't really like eggy. But other than that, it was pretty darn tasty!

P.P.P.S. I do realize that wordless tuesdays means this post should be wordless. Hehehe. Apologize for the use of words. I'm done now!

P.P.P.P.S. Oh but you need to see the recipe, don't ya? Here it is!

Yellow Butter cake

makes about two-three dozen

recipe from Martha's Baking Handbook (but cited from Slow Like Honey)

ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. dark rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups milk

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. If you are using the rum, add it in here. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Divide batter between the prepared pans. Bake until cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Make sure to check with a cake tester! Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

for two-three dozen cupcakes

ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1 8oz Philly's Cream Cheese Bar
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (really important that you sift!!)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)

directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add vanilla extract and one cup of sifted confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. Add remaining sugar, one cup at a time, beating until smooth each time. Mix in drops of food coloring, if desired.

I'm not too good at this wordless thing, eh? :P

I'm back I'm back I'm back!!

Hello my dear dear blog world friends! Guess what? I'm BACK and boy does it feel good! It's been over a month since I've posted anything, and without an ounce of exaggeration, this May has been the most crazy/eventful/stressful/sleepless/productive/adrenaline-filled/life-changing month of my life. I've been really looking forward to blogging again, so I'm afraid that this post is going to be über long. Heehee, is that okay? We must catch up, you know? Like good old friends do. :) Oh, and I MUST thank everyone who's left such sweet Good Luck messages to me! I needed it, used it, and so here I am once again! Thank you for caring!!

H'OKAY. Where to start? I think I'll go chronologically. Hehe. Sounds good?
So first comes my sister's bridal shower. BRIDAL SHOWER. Honestly, I've always dreamed of hosting the most perfect bridal shower for my sister since the day I knew what a bridal shower was. I'm a huge party/entertaining person, and doing it for my best friend aka my sister, would be the most perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't host the shower of my dreams. As you know, my life was so hectic with school stuff that I barely had time to do anything else. But with the help of my sister's wonderful bridesmaids, we had a wonderful shower nonetheless. Everyone still had such a wonderful time, and I still got to make really cute shower favors! (See below. Heehee)






Okay. What's next? Well, we could talk about the late late nights I spent at the design labs at school. I'm talking about working till 6 am and going home for a few hours sleep, and then coming back to school to work again. I did this everyday for two weeks. It's definitely a feat I could not have done on my own. I owe the motivation/strength/crazy productivity to my lovely Lab 4 friends. Thanks sooooo much guys. I really couldn't have done it without you. You made my stressful nights a sweeter one and one to remember!! :) (Below is Sam, Cheryl, and Maryam. I'm missing a few ppl. Sorry. I don't have photos of you. Haha)






In the midst of tight schedules and sleepless nights, I also went on a trip to Montreal for a weekend! It was my sister and her friend Juliana's joint bachelorette trip. 9 beautiful ladies invaded the lovely city and squished into one hotel room! Haha! We slept, we brunched, we shopped, we dined, and we danced. We also blessed the brides with love, hugs, and prayer. :)











After the wonderful trip was... my grad show! The grad show that I have been whining and stressing out about. Honestly though, it's a really big deal for us because it's our final presentation of our hard work over the 4 years, which really showcases ourselves as designers. We had to refine and perfect our work, which is a tough process for us, since most of us are pretty much perfectionists and perfection has its costs. The grad show finally came, with much anticipation, anxiety, and -- anticlimactic feelings. As I set up my booth, my space, my face as a graphic designer, it felt somewhat empty. To think that I could put 4 years of my design life on two pieces of plastic panels. Hehe. Is that all? But swallowing those feelings of anxiety, I still had a great time meeting people in the profession, bonding with my class, and enjoying the support of my great family and friends. I still can't believe it's all over, but it is! And I am officially done my schooling!!! I am an ALUMNI. Crazy, huh? I LOVE IT!!










Wow. This is getting to be a really really really long post. You guys still there? Hehe. Well after this was basically my sister's BEAUTIFUL wedding. My sister was the most beautiful bride my eyes have ever seen and everything was just so wonderful. The ceremony, the reception, the joyous atmosphere was all perfect and we all had such a blessed time. I love my new brother and I couldn't have wished a more precious wedding for them! It was crazy being a maid of honor, but it was all very very worth it. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos, because photography was one thing I did not want to care about! I wanted to be IN the moment and carrying my sister's train wherever she went. :)

Alrighty everyone. I think that's it for the update!! Sorry that it was long, but I hope it made up for the long hiatus. Please look forward to the posts I shall be posting from now on!! I got lots of stuff ahead of us! :D

Oh, and one last thank you. To my boyfriend. I'm sorry this might be a bit cheesy and he actually tells me not to talk about him on my blog because he thinks that it would probably bring down my blog's popularity. Haha. But oh well, please bare with me because I need to do this!

Thank you Andrew for being the most supportive, sweet, sympathetic, and sexy boyfriend in the whole wide world. Heehee. Happy 4 months! Thanks for being there every step of the way and you bring so much joy to me. We might still be babies, but I look forward to every new day with you. Let's keep it up, k?