Tropical Birthday Cupcakes!

I have mentioned my friend Maria numerous times on my blog. If you don't remember hearing about her, then obviously you need to go back and read my earlier posts. Duhhh. But yeah she's an awesome friend who I have really come to trust in, even though we go to different schools. We still manage to see each other which is great. She is also someone I could really confide in when it came to a very risky business venture I'm exploring. It's new, it involves cupcakes, and I blush and get somewhat uncomfortable/embarrassed when I talk about it, but she's been supporting me along the way and helping me get over my fears=) It's still early for me to talk about, but eventually I'll give you guys all the deets.


Story time:
So Maria was turning 18 (woot woot) and her mom came to me with the idea that as my gift to her, I could make her cupcakes! I was speechless! I was honored she'd trust me to make them and I knew it would make Maria very happy. I now had all kinds of planning to do, but it was all fun. As to what kind of cupcakes to make, I decided to keep it very basic. I had to keep in mind that it is a birthday party and many people aren't open to exotic flavors and just prefer classics. So that meant vanilla and chocolate.

I haven't really made a chocolate cupcake before so it was a little nerve-racking, but it all went fine!

I knew the party theme was tropical, and her mom had plenty of those little umbrellas for drinks. So... umbrellas in the cupcakes? I think yes. I did have the option of playing with frosting left. No crazy flavors there, I decided. Plus, I wanted to show these guests what a real buttercream frosting is like. So I did a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting and then colored it.


This was my first time doing a big food dye job. I'm not gonna lie, it was a ton of work. The weather was of no help either because it was soooo hot and they would start getting melty so fast that I would constantly be taking them in and out of the fridge. The frosting was a huge project, but it was my first time and now I know what to expect.


Though it was a lot of work, it was all worth it. Maria was surprised when she saw them because I snuck them inside and she thought they tasted great! Of course at an 18th birthday party you have a ton of teenage girls who are all worried about indulging in sweets and gaining weight, but still, a lot of cupcakes went!

(Do you see the 18?!)

Through this whole process, I had a great time. I loved every aspect. From baking the cupcakes, playing with frostings, sampling cupcakes (shh..), and seeing the end result and the happy "customer"; it was all great. I enjoy (love) doing this, and hopefully I'll have many more opportunities to make people happy with my baking!