Vanilla and Chocolate Mix

 From bland to ............

  

GRAND.......to

GRANDEUR

 

Looking to take cupcakes from bland to grand?  All it takes is a bit of planning and some patience.  For this job my most valuable tools were a pencil and some paper.

My tips for you are to do some math.  How many cupcakes do you have, what are your different cake flavors and frosting flavors.  Since you won't need a full batter of frostings...how much do you really need to make?  Think about how you can mix and match by creating combinations that highlight taste and beauty. Also important is what will the guest want and how can you incorporate their preferences into your final plan.

Lastly if you haven't already, invest in some serve ware (cake stands, cupcake stands, dishes, etc) and a few embellishments (flowers, bling, etc.) because contrary to what anyone says.....looks matter! 

Almond Joy Cake

When it comes to flavor combos some people are mint and chocolate fans (peppermint patties), others are peanut butter and chocolate lovers (Reese's pieces), and then you have those that go ga-ga for the greatest of them all.....coconut and chocolate. Guess which group I belong to?  I love almond joys, coconut Hershey kisses, coconut syrup in my white chocolate mocha, Pepperidge Farm Tahiti cookies and more.  So when tasked with an order for someone who enjoyed the combo as much as I did, I was excited to create something that matched the deliciousness that she and I knew.

Almond Joy Cake: Alternate (4) layers of vanilla and chocolate cake.  In between each layer add Coconut Buttercream.  Cover cake with Chocolate Ganache, completed with sliced almonds and some regular Italian Buttercream on the side.

To make Coconut Buttercream: Make 1 recipe of Italian Buttercream and fold in coconut flakes and 1tsp of coconut syrup or extract.  Simple! Easy! Yummy!

**NOTE: Since there's regular buttercream piped on the sides, be sure to separate some from your mix, prior to adding coconut flakes.