BBQ

On Sunday, my brother and I hosted our first BBQ of the spring/summer- or EVER!  With bro on the grill and me on the salads and goodies, it was a recipe for success!  In addition to my pasta and melon salads, I made a variety of cupcakes, of course: Cherry Chocolate with Vanilla Buttercream and Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese frosting.

Pug Central!

Even Dizzee got to play!  Her friend Leroy is on the left.

Melissa and China(left) with Me and Dizzee(right)

Chocolate Cuppies.

Chocolate Cuppies- 3 ways:  Fudge, Cherry, and Peanut Butter

For an order this past Thursday, I created a couple dozen chocolate cupcakes.  I wanted to make different varieties and decided on the trio of chocolate fudge, chocolate peanut butter, and chocolate cherry.  The simplicity of their decorations and flavors was a great success!  Even the guests thought they were fake cupcakes on display!  

I baked off one dozen of chocolate cupcakes and one dozen of chocolate-cherry cupcakes, both with mini chocolate chips inside.  The chocolate-cherry cakes contained about 1/4 cup diced Maraschino cherries per half-batch cake mix.  

Chocolate Cherry with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 cup peanut butter, creamy

  

Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting

The flowers were hand-made out of vanilla fondant.

The results:

I am still excited about peanut butter buttercream.  It was the creamiest and most delicious treat I have created in awhile.  I also loved the sparkle of the sanding sugar on my cherry cuppies.  Who knew such simplicity was so cute?!  I still can't believe the guests thought they were fake!