Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is back today!  We missed Lauren last month… she was busy becoming a new mother!!  Congrats to Lauren on the birth of her son!  And speaking of moms, Lauren is sharing a fabulous recipe just in time for Mother’s Day!  I’ll let Lauren take it away from here…

Just in time for Mother’s Day I’m excited to share a delicious cupcake recipe that any mom is sure to love! This recipe is packed full of special flavors to create the ultimate sweet treat for mom’s special day. Not only do these cupcakes taste amazing, but they are displayed in some adorable DIY cupcake wrappers. Your mom will feel like a queen if you bake her a batch of these Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Strawberry & Vanilla Meringue Buttercream.

We all love a traditional vanilla cake, but these are extra special with the addition of vanilla bean paste to enhance the flavor and appearance. I love the little black vanilla bean seeds that are sprinkled throughout. To finish off the cupcakes a meringue buttercream made from egg whites, sugar and butter is swirled on top. This frosting is not your standard buttercream, but one that is more light and fluffy and not overly sweet. To give these special cakes the “wow factor” I decided to flavor the buttercream as two flavors: vanilla and strawberry, which created a beautiful white and pink swirl on top. Using fresh strawberries in the icing created a pale pink color with specs of the red berries throughout. The texture and flavor of this icing is the perfect compliment to the vanilla bean cakes.

If you’re feeling a little crafty and want to take these cupcakes to the next level of fabulous then you can create your own DIY cupcake wrappers. Wilton makes some adorable Ruffled Baking Cups now in assorted colors that you can pick up at your local craft store. I grabbed some pink and white ones to fit with the color scheme of the swirl icing colors. I found some adorable rick rack ribbon to match and by attaching them with double sided tape around the outside of the cupcake liners you have a super simple and beautiful way to display these delicious cakes.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Strawberry & Vanilla Meringue Buttercream Swirl
(makes 24 cupcakes)

For the cake:

3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
6 egg whites
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (I used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste)
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In medium bowl combine dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter, sugar, vanilla bean paste and vanilla on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
4. Gradually add in the flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with flour. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
5. Beat egg whites with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into cake batter.
6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Let cupcakes cool on pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
9. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Strawberry & Vanilla Swirl Meringue Buttercream.

For the icing:
First create a base buttercream, then modify to make the Vanilla & Strawberry flavors.

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
5 egg whites
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup strawberries, chopped

Base Meringue Buttercream:

1. In bowl of stand mixer combine egg whites, sugar and salt. Place over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. (The mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers).
2. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high whisk until stiff peaks form and mixture is fluffy and glossy, about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer on medium speed, add butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Separate icing evenly into 2 batches, one for Vanilla and one for Strawberry.

Vanilla Meringue:

1. To half the batch of icing, add vanilla.
2. Switch to paddle attachment and beat about 2 minutes until icing is smooth.
3. Place Vanilla icing in 12 inch piping bag and snip off tip with scissors.

Strawberry Meringue:

1. Puree strawberries in a food processor..
2. To the second half of icing, add the strawberries and beat until combined.
3. Place Strawberry icing in 12 inch piping bag and snip off tip with scissors.

To Frost Cupcakes:

1. Take both the Vanilla and Strawberry icing piping bags and place inside of a 16 inch piping bag fitted with star tip 1M.
2. Squeeze piping bag starting on the outer edge of the cupcake and go in a circular motion towards the center to create the Vanilla & Strawberry Swirl look.

DIY Cupcake Wrappers:
12 Wilton White Ruffled Baking Cups
12 Wilton Pink Ruffled Baking Cups
Pink & White Rick Rack Ribbon
Double Sided Tape

1. Place baked cupcakes into ruffled baking cups after they cool. (I baked my cupcakes in standard liners, and then placed them in the ruffled cups. You could always just bake your cupcakes in the ruffled cups to begin with).
2. Cut rick rack ribbon so that it will wrap around the outside of your cupcake.
3. Place 3 pieces of double sided tape evenly spaced around the cupcake wrapper.
4. Add the rick rack ribbon on top of the double sided tape, gently pressing it all the way around the cupcake.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and fun way to embellish your cupcake wrappers! Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!

	Lauren Kapeluck Lauren is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a self-taught baker and lover of all things sugar. Read more about Lauren on her bio page.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a favorite read in my house.  My daughter absolutely loves it!  And I’m absolutely in love with all of the Eric Carle inspired cakes and parties popping up lately, as are many of you!  That’s why you’re going to flip over today’s tutorial!  The lovely ladies at Cream & Flutter recently hosted an adorable Baby Shower inspired by this classic book.  (You may remember Cream & Flutter from the oh-so-creative and mega popular Gender Reveal Cupcakes we featured last August.)  Well this talented sister duo is back today with a fabulous cookie DIY from their caterpillar party… hand painted and totally incredible!  Today you’ll learn how to make your very own, Very Hungry Caterpillar Cookies!

HUNGRY CATERPILLAR COOKIES
A DIY by Cream & Flutter

1. Make a template by tracing fruit from book.  Cut with sharp pairing knife on cold cookie dough.
2. Cut out hole with small circle cutter.  Place cookies in freezer for one hour to ensure they keep their shape.  Then bake.
3. Outline cookie in white with stiff royal icing.  Fill cookie with thin, white royal icing.
4. Dilute food coloring with a few drops of water.  Paint base color first.  Add details once dry.

A huge thank you to Trisha and Amanda from Cream & Flutter for sharing their hand-painted, Hungry Caterpillar Cookie Tutorial with us today!  You can see more of their Very Hungry Caterpillar Baby Shower HERE on the Cream & Flutter blog.  Enjoy!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Cookies & Tutorial by:  Cream & Flutter

It’s Friday and we’re wrapping up the week with an event full of whimsical fun!  Today we’re going to spread our wings and fly… straight into Pixie Hollow.  Tinker Bell and her friends have gathered for a birthday celebration!  Maylene of Malu Boutiques took her daughter’s love of Tinker Bell and brought this magical land of fairies to life.  Join us as we explore the beautiful meadows filled with flowers, sweet treats and fluttering fairies… it’s a Pixie Hollow Birthday Party!

Tree stumps, moss and glitter unite to create the perfect scene for a pixie party!  Little guests were given wands and wings upon arrival.

The sweets table was overflowing with goodies!  Macarons topped with fondant flowers, cake pops, apple tarts, chocolate covered oreos, cupcakes, cookies and an adorable fairy house cake.  Guests also enjoyed push pops filled with homemade guava and banana mousse.  And making an appearance throughout the sweets table… the most adorable fondant fairies!  The detail on these little ladies, created by Mimi café Union, is incredible!

And of course, nothing is as sweet as the birthday girl herself.  All dressed up in a frilly Tinker Bell tutu with the most adorable little shoes!

Maylene shares some details about the party:

“My daughter loves the princesses but her favorite is Tinkerbell.  She stays so quiet while watching her movies (If you knew Sam you would know what I mean.  She turned 3 going on 20.  She can talk you ear off). We wanted to recreate a Pixie Hollow theme so that she could feel as if she was there.

The entrance was adorned with real tree trunks where Sam’s scrapbook was placed that way everyone could sign it as well as pick up their wands and wings so that once they would walk in they could be ready for pixie hollow.

My husband’s work bench was used to create Pixie Hollow with all the fairies, flowers, animals, tree trunks, and of course the food and goodies.

The girl’s table had a forest look with the tree centerpiece being the focal point each of the chairs had an organza bow with a different fairy attached except, for the birthday girl. Hers had Tinkerbell. As for the boys we created a Captain Hook table. We accented their chairs with hooks, and made pirate hats for them to wear.

The children had a blast playing in the tree house and swings. Afterwords they made their take home gifts. The girls colored fairy pictures while the boys made foam sword. It was a good time had by all.”

A huge thank you to Maylene of Malu Boutiques for sharing her daughter’s Pixie Hollow Birthday Party with us!  It is simply delightful!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Invitations, Designing and Styling:  Malu Boutiques
Photography:  Santy Martinez
Tinkerbell’s House Cake and Cupcakes:  Sweet Treats by Cristy
Fondant Fairies:  Mimi café Union
Cake Pops, Apple Tarts, Chocolate covered Oreos, and macarons:  Sugar Fancies
Sugar Cookies:  Dainty Delights
Fondant Flowers on macaroons:  allaprimadesigns
Glittered Bon Bons:  Bedazzle My Bon Bons
Mini Butterflies: Lynlee’s Petite Cakes
Rice Paper Butterflies:  incrEDlBLEtoppers
Push Pop Containers:  CakesAndKids.com
Tinkerbell Tutu: Tini Posh
Headbands:  ElleBelle Couture
Tinkerbell shoes:  ShesSoCraftyGoods
Mini Bunting Banners:   The Purple Pug
Entrance sign: Peas & Thank You’s
Tulle Pom pom: Titi’s Tutu

When I received a sneak peek of today’s feature in my inbox… I was smitten at first glance.  Hellllllo Gorgeous!  A refined yet rustic dessert table filled with scrumptious mini desserts AND a stunning cake!  All created by the same bakery.  Pale rose cream cheese icing with a delicate ripple pattern that almost mimics the ripples of the nearby lake.  Dusty peach sugar flowers so dainty and quaint.  Arranged in a vintage, silk-lined suitcase.  It’s enough to make a girl feel faint!  If you can’t tell, I’ve completely fallen for this Romantic Rose & Peach Dessert Display created by Cocoa & Fig…

Laurie from Cocoa & Fig shared a little background about this display:

“This soft and romantic cake and dessert table is a nice twist on the vintage theme.  We knew right away that this would be a fun table to put together.  The bride, groom, and bride’s mother came in with lots of ideas.  And it didn’t hurt that the MOB owns a vintage furniture store!”

On top of the incredible style and gorgeous cake, this display included some delightful mini desserts!  Everything from the light pink macarons to southern banana pudding dessert shooters {shown above} to dark chocolate shooters and carrot cupcakes!  I think I see why Cocoa & Fig calls these next little gems Sinfully Chocolate Mini Cupcakes! I spy chocolate with chocolate topped with more chocolate….

Black velvet cake lollipops dipped in white chocolate… such a gorgeous contrast in one little bite!  Before we go, let’s take one more peek at the cake, shall we?

Are we officially gushing over this?  I have to say YES, we are!  I love, love, love the cake.  The suitcase.  The cake in the suitcase!  All surrounded by gorgeously tempting mini desserts and shooters.

A special thank you to Laurie at Cocoa & Fig for sharing their Romantic Rose & Peach Dessert Display with us today.  You have us swooning!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Cake & Desserts:  Cocoa & Fig
Photography:  Collin Hughes Photographs

Happy Thursday!  I’m guest blogging today over on Hostess With the Mostess… sharing a tutorial for my Sparkling SURPRISE Carrot Cupcakes!  You won’t have to tell your kids twice to eat these cupcakes….

Come join me over on Hostess With the Mostess for my full tutorial!  I hope my Sparkling SURPRISE Carrot Cupcakes add a little fun to your Easter celebration! 

Enjoy!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine, The Bride and Bloom, on DIYnetwork.com, TLC’s Parentables and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.

Happy Monday!  I’m guest blogging today over at The TomKat Studio.  I shared a tutorial for for these adorable Jelly Bean Flower Cupcakes!  And I’m sharing it here as well.  These little treats are super simple and perfect for your upcoming Easter celebrations!

Today we’re taking the jelly bean from basket filler to the star of the show!  In a few simple steps, your cupcakes will be blooming with beauty and ready for Easter!  (Or any other springtime celebration.)  So easy, even the kids can get involved.  Just ice the cupcakes and then provide bowls of jelly beans to your little ones.  They’ll love seeing the flowers come to life… and sneaking a few jelly beans along the way!

Group cupcakes on a large white plate or cake stand to create an edible centerpiece for your Easter table.  Or let a single cupcake serve as a beautiful and unique place setting for each dinner guest.

JELLY BEAN FLOWER CUPCAKES
a DIY by Carrie Sellman

Supplies:

• Cupcakes
• White Buttercream Icing
• Jelly Beans
• Yellow Sprinkles
• Edible Easter Grass

STEP 1:  Completely cover top of cupcake with a small mound of buttercream.  Leave no cupcake exposed.  Smooth slightly.

STEP 2:  Create an outer ring of ‘petals’ by placing jelly beans side-by-side around the outside edge of the icing.  Jelly beans will lay almost flat, sticking out of the side.  Don’t worry about exact position or pushing in too far.  We will adjust them again at the end.

STEP 3: Create a second ring of jelly beans inside the first.  Start this ring so it alternates with the first ring, so beans are nestled tightly.  This row will go in on a slight angle.

STEP 4: Create a third and final ring of jelly beans.  This row will go in almost straight up.  Leave a small opening in center as you position.

STEP 5: Gently push jelly beans in more, starting at the bottom row and moving up.  Gently position until you like the final shape of your flower.

STEP 6: Put sprinkles into a small ziplock bag and trim off the tip.  Use to pour a small mound of sprinkles in center of flower.

STEP 7: Plate with edible Easter grass beneath cupcake.

TIPS:  If your jelly beans are not all the same size, use the largest ones in the outside ring of petals.  Save the smallest ones for the center.

I hope my Jelly Bean Flower Cupcakes provide a fun activity for your family and a delicious dessert for your Easter celebration!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine and featured on TLC, DIY Network, The Cooking Channel, Glamour and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.

I love seeing the creativity of women shine through when planning parties for their children.  And today we have an amazing example of just that!  Stay at home mom, Heather McKinney, is not new to our site… we featured the adorable Giraffe 1st Birthday Party she hosted for her oldest son back in 2010.  So when I saw a note from this talented mother in my inbox, I knew it was going to be good!  Navy, yellow and grey pair up to celebrate another first birthday in the McKinney house.  Created with an incredible attention to detail, a bold mix of patterns and a whole lot of love… check out Grayson’s Mod Elephant & Chevron First Birthday Party!

From the invitation to his little portrait… could the man of the hour be any cuter?!?  Okay, I’ll let the pictures take it away from here and then Heather will give us the scoop on all of the party details at the end.

I love that the elephant logo ran through the entire party.  From the invitation to the cake, cupcake toppers, birthday hat, onsie, and on and on…

Heather thought of everything!  To include tiny chevron bags filled with baby snacks like Mum Mums and yogurt melts.  It’s a party for a one year old after all!

Heather gives us the party scoop…

We celebrated our youngest son’s very first birthday with a mod elephant and zig zag party. We chose a navy, yellow and gray color scheme. Stripes and a chevron pattern were mixed in with a mod elephant motif, as the main design elements.  I created his logo, which featured a chevron-patterned number one with a yellow elephant graphic provided by Kaylee Bug Designs. Although I’m still a stay at home mom, I love decorating, and this was just another outlet for my creativity.

THE DECORATIONS

The cake table was the main focal point. It featured a seven-foot fabric installation that served as the backdrop. I made 18- and 12-inch, yarn-covered letters that spelled “one.” They were suspended from the ceiling with clear monofilament. It gave them the appearance of floating. Sweet Art Bakery made a logo-inspired, chevron smash cake, as well as 48 vanilla almond and buttercream cupcakes and 30 dark chocolate fudge cake pops. I created the cake pop stands, using upside-down drink dispenser bases stuffed with Styrofoam and shredded paper. We also featured several photos of Grayson, taken by husband of Chad McKinney Photography.

We made 12 yarn balls to create a chandelier effect in the living room. That space was also decorated with two handmade banners and paper garland. Additional decorations filled three other rooms in the house and included nine hanging cutouts, more than 20 signs, two banners, handmade table cloths, cupcake toppers, food tags, water labels, milk carton covers, soda bottle stickers with straws, yard sign, high chair cover and smash cake station decorations. Each of the 32 children who came received a zig zag or stripe goody bag filled with animal crackers, a coloring page, specially-ordered navy and yellow Crayola crayons and candy. From the yarn balls and yarn letters to the banners, printables and goody bags, nearly everything was handmade. I did, however, custom-order a few things, and my vendor credits are listed at the end of this submission.

THE FOOD

In addition to the amazing treats by Sweet Art Bakery, we also served Grayson’s favorite food, hushpuppies from Delaney’s Irish Pub. We made a pecan cheese ball and homemade sugar cookies that were cut out in the shape of a one. I filled tiny, chevron bags with assorted baby snacks, such as Mum Mums, yogurt melts and arrowroot cookies, for the little ones at the party. The other foods included a veggie tray, Chex party mix, white chocolate dipped Oreos and crackers.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

My all-time favorite Etsy boutique, Initial Here Gifts, custom-made two adorable shirts and a hat. She used the party logo and patterns to inspire her custom design on a fluffy birthday bat, a onesie and a t-shirt to wear during the cake smash.

My husband created a 15-minute movie that chronicled Grayson’s first year, featuring video clips, custom graphics and music.

Vendors & Credits:
Birthday boy shirt, onesie and hat:  Initial Here Gifts
Cake, cupcakes and cake pops:  Sweet Art Bakery
Invitations:  Kaylee Bug Designs
Hushpuppies:  Delaney’s Irish Pub
Cupcake liners, straws and tiny chevron bags:  Sweet Estelle Baking Supply
Fabrics:  Texas Susannie’s Fabric Store
Photography backdrops:  Swanky Prints
No. 1 cookie cutter:  The Cookie Cutter Shop
Goody bags:  Bake Me a Party
Photography:  Chad McKinney Photography

We’re starting the week off right with a gorgeous cake from a bakery with a very appropriate name.  Renata of Lovely Cakes in Norwalk, Connecticut, has a knack for creating just that…. lovely cakes!  Today’s cake has a natural feminine charm that would be perfect for any rustic wedding.  With alternating wood grain tiers and oodles of incredible 3D flowers, this unique design makes a beautiful statement.  Created for a collaborative photo shoot with other local vendors, you’re going to fall in love with this romantic Wood Grain & White Wedding Cake!  Not to mention the insider tips shared by Renata… keep reading!

I absolutely love the contrast created by the simple wood grain tiers and the great white-on-white texture of the flowered tiers.  Let’s get a better look at the detail work…

It’s simply beautiful!  The entire table was full of rustic charm featuring a combination of both sweet and savory treats.  From baked blue cheese apples to cinnamon caramel bread puddings!  Not to mention the selection of mini pies, cupcakes, cookies and donuts.  I love the idea of balancing out the sweets with a selection of cheeses and fruit!  It offers a little something for everyone!

And now for an extra treat!  Renata of Lovely Cakes kindly shared a few of her insider secrets to creating the beautiful wood grain effect!  Here are her tips:

• The wood tiers were painted with ivory and warm brown food coloring.
• Using a thick brush helps to create the wood grain effect.
• To make the darker spots on the wood, paint random spots with food coloring (straight from the container) and let them dry for a few seconds.  Then paint it over with diluted food coloring (I use Vodka to dilute the food coloring) and the spots will drag a little and blend in the ‘wood grain’.

A big thank you to Renata of Lovely Cakes for sharing her rustic Wood Grain & White Wedding Cake with us today!  With its natural charm and understated detail work, it’s simply lovely!!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake:  Lovely Cakes
Desserts:  Cookie Creatives
Table Design: Jess Country Flowers
Photography:  Candace Jeffery Photography
Stationary: Parrot Design Studio

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, so I thought we’d squeeze in one last treat today!  All decked out in green coffee mugs and topped with glimmering shamrocks, these cupcakes are a big drink of Irish fun!  Chocolate cake is baked right in the mug and then topped with layers of whiskey-infused ganache and espresso buttercream.  Chocolate drizzle and a glittering candy shamrock finish the look!  Grab your apron because we’re whipping up some Irish Coffee Cupakes!

Funny thing is… I had an actual Irish Coffee once.  While it looks like a fluffy cocktail, the Irish whiskey is actually quite strong!  So let me assure you.  This “Irish Coffee” cupcake looks fluffy and fun and tastes equally delicious.  It’s really all about the coffee and chocolate flavors with a little Irish flair.

I have to admit… I think these would be even cuter if baked in the clear, tall coffee mugs traditionally used for Irish Coffee.  A clear glass would let you see all of the layers inside and look more like the original cocktail.  But sometimes budgets win over style!  The Irish Coffee mugs were $4 a piece while these green mugs were only $1.25 a piece.  I also think this would be adorable baked up in a mini espresso cup and saucer!  Maybe next year!

Since I went with the green mugs, here’s a peek at what’s inside.  Chocolate cake.  Chocolate Whiskey Ganache.  Espresso Buttercream….

Even if you don’t have the chance to make these for St. Patty’s Day, I still hope you give this recipe a try!  Simply swap out the color of the mug and trade the shamrock for a chocolate covered espresso been…. you’ll have delicious Cafe Mocha Cupcakes!  Yum!  Let’s grab a spoon…

Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Chocolate Cake (baked from scratch or made from a mix)
Oven Safe Coffee Mugs
Espresso Buttercream
Chocolate Whiskey Ganache
Glittering Shamrocks (find my DIY here)

Chocolate Cake:
Make your favorite chocolate cake recipe as normal.  Place coffee mugs on a lined baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Fill half way with batter.  Bake at regular heat for slightly longer than normal for a cupcake.  I baked mine at 350 for 25 – 30 minutes.  Total baking time will vary based on the size of your mug.  Cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out almost clean.  Let cool but do not remove cake from mugs.

Espresso Buttercream
2 sticks of unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cooled espresso
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar

1. In a measuring cup, mix together vanilla extract, espresso and salt.  Stir to dissolve salt.
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, liquid mixture and roughly 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Beat on medium until well blended with no visible lumps.  (I always error on more mixing than less, to avoid grainy icing.)  Scrape down sides of bowl.
3. Add another cup of sugar and beat well.  Scrape down sides of bowl.  Repeat until all remaining sugar has been added.  Beat until well combined.

Chocolate Whiskey Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 oz chocolate chips
1 T whiskey (optional – substitute espresso or omit, if desired)

1. Heat cream in saucepan on stove on med-high until almost boiling.  Remove from heat.
2. Pour cream over chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl.  Let rest for a few minutes while the hot cream melts the chocolate.
3. Stir, stir, stir until all chocolate has melted and ganache is smooth and shiny.  (If small bits of unmelted chocolate remain, pop bowl into microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power.  Stir and repeat until completely melted and smooth.)
4. Add whiskey and stir, if using.
5. Let cool slightly before assembling cupcakes.

To Assemble

1. Once cupcakes have cooled completely, spoon a layer of chocolate ganache into each mug.
2. Pipe espresso buttercream on top, using a pastry bag fitted with a #1M tip.  Start in the center and swirl outward in a circle to cover cup.  Do a second swirl, this time, starting on the outside and moving upward and in, to create a nice mound.
3. Drizzle additional chocolate ganache on top of buttercream.  I used a pastry bag fitted with a #1 tip and followed with swirl of the buttercream.
4. Place candy shamrock on top.  Enjoy with a spoon!

Whether you bake these up tonight to add something sweet and green to your St. Patty’s Day… or give these a try later in the year without the green flair, I hope you enjoy my Irish Coffee Cupcakes!  Wishing you the Luck of the Irish and a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy Friday everyone!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine and featured on TLC, DIY Network, The Cooking Channel, Glamour and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, we have an incredible dessert bar to share today.  Pairing the traditional Irish stout, Guinness, with chocolate is a popular combination….  especially perfect when baking for St. Patty’s Day!  From Chocolate Guinness Brownies to Black and Tan Cupcakes, these fluthered goodies were created by Sherri Meyers and her team at The Pastry Studio.  They might not have green sprinkles…. but these Irish treats will make your grown up friends smile!  Join me as we tip our hat to this festive and fun, Guinness & Chocolate Dessert Bar!

While this dessert table was originally created for a couples Book Club Party (the book was all about the history of Guinness), it would be perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration!  Chocolate Stout Brownies and Black & Tan Cupcakes are dusted with shimmering gold and lined up to create a plate of happiness!  Throw in some Guinness Double Chocolate Cake Pops and Guinness Biscotti… and you’ve found the end of the Guinness rainbow!

Sherri shared a few thoughts about the creation of this menu:

“We experimented with many different variations to make this dessert bar delicious and full bodied.  There was a lot of tasting going on in the studio, as we perfected these special desserts!”

Taste-testing Guinness infused treats sounds like a great day at the office, doesn’t it?  With the underlying chocolate and coffee notes found in this Irish stout, Guinness and chocolate are a perfect match.  Not to mention a unique and festive way to spread some Irish cheer!

A big shamrock hug to The Pastry Studio for sharing their incredibly tempting Guinness & Chocolate Dessert Bar with us today.  If you’re inspired to give Guinness baking a try this St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to check out {this post} from last year.  It will help you get your Guinness on!

The Pastry Studio:
Web:  thepastrystudio.com
Be a Fan:  The Pastry Studio on Facebook
Tweet:  The Pasty Studio on Twitter
Top Tier Directory: Full Listing