The main event of the birthday weekend was a picnic and wine tasting at Keswick Vineyards, and we could not have planned for it to be a more perfect spring day. I honestly wish I could spend every weekend like that...basking in the sun, eating good food, and sipping on a glass of Virginia wine.
I was honored to be asked by Boyfriend's mom to make cupcakes for this picnic. Taking some inspiration from Martha Stewart, I took my favorite chocolate buttermilk cake recipe and made cupcakes with salted caramel frosting, then turned them into butterflies. It was so easy and so cute!
The supplies are most likely items you already have on-hand: pretzels and chocolate-coated candies (e.g., M&Ms). Once the cupcakes are cooled, set aside some icing for the butterfly "bodies", which you may color any shade you like. Ice the cupcakes and stick two pretzels in the frosting, leaving a smidgen of room between them for the "body". Add an M&M for the "head"; and lastly, add the body using the icing you set aside. You can do this by either using an icing tip or simply by cutting a hole in a ziplock baggie.
And voila! A swarm of beautiful butterflies!
A few notes:
- My chocolate buttermilk cake yields A TON of cupcakes. Like 45. This meant that I got to take more than half to work to both thank everyone that has helped our team over the last few months and bribe others for upcoming projects.
- The pretzels get stale fairly quickly (e.g. overnight). I suggest either making the cupcakesthe day of, or just providing a warning to the party that the are "only decoration :)
- I still have yet to perfect my caramel-making skills. I'm not sure where I'm going wrong...Am I not letting the mixture get "amber" enough? Is it because I use half and half instead of heavy cream? Or am I stirring when I shouldn't be? One day I will master this art; but for now, as long as it tastes good, its caramel in my book!
Happy Spring,
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