Raspberry and Espresso for the NCAA

Yesterday I made cupcakes for my mom's office. David, a co-owner of the company IMX and good family friend, asked me if I could bake for a "client party" that was happening later that day. Basically it was a bunch of clients going to a bar to watch the NCAA game. Clearly eating was going to be involved as well, so I was ready to put my best foot forward. Also, since I was getting paid for this "catering service" I wanted to make sure they were perfect.  I had very limited time to make the cupcakes, let alone craft an idea, so I made cupcakes that I had made previously.

I decided to make White Chocolate filled Vanilla Cupcakes with a Raspberry frosting and Mahogany Cake (coffee chocolate cake) with Chocolate filling and Espresso Cream Cheese frosting.

I love love love these cupcakes.

Raspberry Cupcakes:
The raspberry frosting is my favorite. To make it, I strained blended raspberries over a cheesecloth for a few hours. While this was tedious work, I really think it makes the frosting a lot better. The consistency is smooth (and seed-free) and it generally has a more appealing look to it. Adding that into the frosting gave it a bright flavor that tasted truly like fresh raspberries.

Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes:
These cupcakes are also a favorite of mine because I love coffee with a little milk (espresso with cream cheese). In the past, I have topped them with Starbucks Brand Carmel Brûlée bites that I purchase at my local shop. This being said, due to the lack of time I had I used chocolate covered almonds instead.

Having all of the clients eat my cupcakes was a treat, but I am excited to make them again later throughout my project so I can give them to people I actually know and receive feedback. That being said, in the past I received great reviews so I am sure people were and will be pleased with them.

New Equiptment
Now, to make me sound like a baking geek, I got new equipment in the mail today! I got a Batter Dispenser  (generally used for pancakes) and I am TRILLED about it. Having this tool will facilitate me throughout my baking process so that I can make cupcakes even faster than before. Since I spend so much time baking, any time-saving tools are always greatly appreciated. In addition, I also got a new Wilton Decorator Pro and some mini cupcake baking pans. Having these tools makes me so excited to bake again later this week.

I scheduled a meeting with my senior comp advisor for next thursday, so I will probably blog about that as well. Hopefully the meeting will help me figure out how to focus better on what I am doing throughout this project.

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!
-J