Wedding cake cupcakes for two, for your wedding anniversary!
Not to be a buzzkill, but someone looked me right in the face and told me a wedding cake for two is a dumb idea.
She clearly has not drank the 'dessert for two' koolaid and realized how cool it is to make miniature desserts. (Or, she can resist leftover cookies and cupcakes better than I can, who knows? Maybe a pan of brownies doesn't whisper to her, begging her to eat them the way they do to me).
The point is: the criticism stuck with me for a long time. Sometimes, it's a good thing when someone undermines your passion; it makes you re-evaluate.
I immediately began running through my elevator pitch of what exactly 'dessert for two' is, and what it means to me. After some small tweaks to my verbiage, and I add more emphasis on 'small batch' and 'no leftovers' and 'date night,' because that's what dessert for two means to me.
It's a way to enjoy desserts without tons of leftovers (a new dessert everyday, if you wish!), it's a fun way to bake (just 1 egg and small scoops of flour!), and it's the perfect cap on date night.
All good things, you know?
Would you make wedding cake cupcakes?
So, what I want to know is: are you with me? Would you make a mini wedding cake on your anniversary? Would you make wedding cake cupcakes on your wedding anniversary, or on a random Tuesday just because you really love almond-scented cupcakes with buttercream roses and sugar pearls?
I know who's on my team. Ina is on my team. She makes a mini wedding cake for Jeffrey on their anniversary, and since they are #relationshipgoals, we best do the same.
So, what exactly is wedding cake flavor?
Wedding cake cupcakes: they're light and fluffy because they're made with only egg whites. They're rich because they're made with sour cream. They're delicately almond-scented, because that is what gives wedding cake it's traditional flavor.
The buttercream on top is perfection. Sally teaches us how to make buttercream roses, and it's the best tutorial. You won't believe how freaking easy they are! Plus, they're made with the one piping tip we all have in our drawer.
This recipe makes just 4 cupcakes, but I'm showing more than 4 here in the photos because I have several batches laying around. The recipe is easily doubled, too!
Happy Anniversary (or happy Tuesday!)
Wedding Cake Cupcakes for Two
Wedding cake cupcakes, small batch style.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of fine salt
For the frosting:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line four cups in a muffin pan with paper liners.
- First, make the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, beat with an electric mixer the butter, sugar and almond extract. Beat until light and fluffy, at least 30 seconds.
- Add the egg white and beat until combined.
- Next, beat in the sour cream.
- Finally, sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt evenly over the batter, and then beat until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, and bake on the middle rack for 17-20 minutes. When done, the tops will spring back, and a toothpick inserted will come out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool.
- To make the frosting: beat the butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the cream and the almond extract. Beat until very light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add more cream, if necessary.
- Scrape the frosting into a piping bag fitting with a star tip (I used a Wilton 1M). To make the rose shape, make a circle starting in the center of the cupcake and work your way out.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 0gSugar: 41gProtein: 3g
Ellen says
I recently made these for my husband, and they were divine! I'm telling you, not only was the flavor delectable, but the texture was the best texture I've gotten with any cake or cupcake... even after being refrigerated! (I made them a bit early, before my husband came home from work). I am super interested in trying to make this recipe larger for a 6-inch layer cake. Hoping the wonderful texture remains!
Ginny says
Hi Christina. I love your recipes. I have a quick question about the Wedding Cake cupcakes. The picture shows 6 cupcakes but the recipe says it makes 4. Is it possible to stretch it to 6? Thanks!
Christina Lane says
You're absolutely right. When I was testing the recipe, I made many batches, and I ended up photographing more than 4 cupcakes. I shouldn't have done that, because it's confusing! However, you can double the recipe and make 8 :)
Ellen says
OMG! This has to be one of my favorite recipes. I found this recipe several weeks ago when I wanted to make a surprise dessert for my hubby on date night. It was a huge success! I also halved the recipe another time when I wanted a sweet snack, and it turned out amazing yet again. I've been searching for a go-to layer cake recipe, so I gave this one a shot by multiplying the ingredients by six for a three-layer 6-inch cake. Not surprisingly, the cake turned out phenomenal! I've tried several recipes for cakes and this by far is the best. It has a delicious flavor, nice crumb, and stays moist even in the fridge. A true winner! Thank you for this recipe!
Linda says
Loved them. A perfect any time treat for anyone who loves wedding cake. Will be making these often.
Lisa says
Also a fan of wedding cake. Love the small batch. These are delicious. My cupcakes are a little dry and I am not experienced with cakes. What might I have done wrong? These were not brownish on top but certainly overbaking could have been the cause. I used cake flour, should I have used AP? Could I have beat them too long? I am just curious what may have caused the dryness. I will make these again.
Thanks in advance.
Lisa
Andrea says
Made these today with my kids for Valentine's Day! We subbed vanilla extract since that is what I have on hand. Tinted the frosting pink and topped with a strawberry for a little V-day flair. :) They turned out so good! Tasty, flavorful cake, great texture. I can't wait to try out some other small batch cupcakes. I love that this batch made four cupcakes for our family of four. Perfect! This is probably the 10th recipe of yours I've tried- I've loved everything I've made from this site. Thanks Christina!
Pamela says
I’ve made these twice in a week...so good. Do you have this recipe for a 12 count or higher?
Sakina says
So glad to have come across this recipe!! I am always looking for recipes with smaller portions! I actually ended up making mini cupcakes out of this and got 10 mini ones which was perfect! And the cupcakes were delicious!! Thank you so much!!
Jenna says
Could you please share where these awesome sprinkles are from? Or what brand? I’d love to use them for my wedding!!
Thank you!!
Lisa says
Can you do this without cupcake liners using a a spray or butter in the cupcake pan?
Christina Lane says
I haven't tried that, I'm sorry!