Friday 15 June 2012

CAKE WALK: CHOCOLATE QUINOA CUPCAKES WITH LAVENDER BUTTERCREAM (GF)

Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream



These beauties are for my daughter's school Fun Fair.  They run something called a Cake Walk.  Parents donate baked cakes and the people buy tickets to play this game somewhat like musical chairs. The people who play the game walk in a circle to music and when the music stops and they land on a certain number on the playground floor they win the cake.

Bebe won a cake last year.  Her little 4 year old arms could barely carry the huge chocolate cake she won.  She insisted on carrying it home herself.

This year, I'm baking these cupcakes for the Cake Walk.  In order to transport them I devised a cheapie, effective system whereby the cupcakes do not topple all over the place.  It'll soon be obvious how I did this in the pictures below.


First, I decided to decorate the cupcakes naturally so I went into my backyard looking for flowers.  See my bay tree?  It's huge!  There were thyme flowers, chive flowers...nah. nah.

I wanted something prettier.  Those little plants to the right are edamame we're trying to grow.

My 3 year old fig cutting to the left.  Pretty healthy!  The lavender looked lovely this morning so I chose some as cupcake decorations.

I used my trusty chocolate quinoa cupcake recipe and a simple buttercream.  I rarely use cookbooks anymore...I use my iPad and just search my blog's archives.  It's so convenient!
I like using disposable piping bags.  I have a 1M Wilton tip here.  The buttercream was tinted with a violet food colouring to get a lovely light lavender colour


4 cupcakes fit into this paper plate cupcake holder I built to transport my cupcakes to school. I stapled two plates together at the rims, cut 4 X's with a serrated knife, lined each hole with tissue paper and wedged a cupcake into each pocket.  


A candied violet and lavender sprinkles adorn some cupcakes

This looks like a little cupcake bouquet...you could add more flowers to get that effect.  But for me, it'll do.  In all, from a batch of 12 cupcakes, I have 3 of these cupcake bouquets. 
For the Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes recipe...click HERE
For the Simple Buttercream  (want to eat now can't wait) recipe...click HERE
For an over-the-top Swiss Meringue Buttercream (I have a stand mixer and patience) recipe...click HERE

7 comments:

Char said...

I love your idea for transporting the cakes. I've got a proper cupcake carrier but it's not always convenient to take for smaller amounts (than 24) and I'm always scared that it won't be returned (because other people are not as anal as I).
I saw on Pinterest another idea for individual cakes where you put the cake in a plastic disposable cup and wrap it with cellophane - looked good and works well too.

Cakebrain said...

Char,
yes, I too have a proper cupcake carrier...in fact I have 3! However, it is such a bother having to fetch the carrier if it's going to school. I'd rather just leave something disposable there. I do like the idea of the store/clothing shirt box with the cut outs too but this sure worked well because the plates were quite stiff and because they were able to have 3 cake walks with the dozen cupcakes (better value for the game!) On another note, as I dropped off the cupcakes, I noticed the classroom was full of baked goods...primarily store bought! LOL! I always wonder if people care if cakes are made from scratch; I also realize most people haven't baked a real scratch cake nor do they have the time to!

amlamonte said...

that IS a really cool carrier you built! i'm also experiencing some weird life loop-age right now, since i got the quinoa chocolate cupcake recipe from you, and then my friend got it from me and made them with lavender buttercream. i know you didn;t get this idea from her, but it still feels like full circle to me! gorgeous garden, by the by. i love fig trees.

Cakebrain said...

Anna,
yah...great minds think alike too! :)
thanks...I actually have 3 fig trees in pots and 2 in the ground. I'm paranoid that one will die so have a whole whack of backups! Now I don't know where to put the ones in the pots.
The circle of life...the circle of cupcakes. The same!

Unknown said...

These cupcakes look amazing. The game sounds super interesting, and I'm totally stealing your carrier idea :)

Cakebrain said...

Avanika, thx a bunch!
Alice, yes lavender buttercream is my fave colour and scent...and it does taste yummy too!

Avianti Jewelry said...

Wow these cupcakes look delicous!

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