Wedding Digest Philippines Grooms Edition | Page 128

Contributors Do It Yourself Sweetness Expert Tricia Castrodes of Little Cakes takes the time out of her busy schedule to take us on a step-by-step short course to creating our own wedding cupcakes. A Sabbatical To A Cupcake Masterplan Ms. Tricia reminisces the beginning of Little Cakes. “After working as an employee for 8 years, I decided to give myself a break. What started as a sabbatical turned into a crossroad. It began with me just dusting my mixer, oven, and cookbooks, which have been lying dormant for so many years, then the love for baking just overwhelmed me. So I started baking and baking for my family and friends. Christmas of that year I started selling Christmas goodies. That was year 2006. It was also during that year, when cupcakes came back into everyone’s consciousness. So I started experimenting with cupcakes. Then the Little Cakes story began…” Five Years Of Yummy Baking “Life is sweet, like LITTLE CAKES!” Little Cakes specializes in custom-made gourmet cupcakes. We adore her cakes and so Ms. Tricia here shows us how to create something little and something sweet with our own pretty hands. The pictures and procedures by Ms. Tricia will guide you to that darling little cupcake you could bake for your wedding. Of course, if you can’t, well, Little Cakes is just a quick phone call away. Her five years in the business is inspired and kept strong by the personal fulfilment she garners and with customer satisfaction each time. “Each project is unique and I give each one my very best. My benchmark is always my creative satisfaction. I make myself happy then I hope clients would like my work. I am blessed that so far, our clients have been loving the taste of our cakes and enjoying our creations.”. #4 Gumamela St. Sampaguita Village, Malanday, Marikina City E-mail: [email protected] Contact no.: (02) 941.7136 • (+63) 922.8246810 Facebook: littlecakesfactory www.littlecakesfactory.com INGREDIENTS AND MATERIALS NEEDED • Cupcake pan •Baking cups (color depends on wedding theme) • Rolled fondant / gumpaste • Rolling pin • Cookie / Fondant cutters • Sprinkles • Non stick mat • Desired frosting tip • Pastry bag • Basic cupcake recipe (you can use regular cake mixes or google a simple recipe online) • Buttercream for frosting (recipes also available online) Steps 1. Prepare edible flower toppers ahead of time to let them dry c o m p l e t e l y. C h o o s e gel food color that will match the wedding theme and mix with just enough rolled fondant or gumpaste. Knead well to make sure the food color will spread evenly. 2. Roll the fondant with a rolling pin about 1/4 inch thick. You can use powdered sugar or cornstarch to dust your work table to keep the fondant from sticking to it. 3. Choose your desired cookie / fondant cutter to use for your topper. Shape and design the flower as desired. Let it dry completely. 4. Choose your desired frosting tip and put in a pastry bag. 5. Frost your cupcakes! If you’re doing it for the first time, you can try it on a plate first before actually applying it to the cupcakes. Practice makes perfect! 6. After frosting, put your dried fondant / gumpaste flowers while frosting is still fresh and soft. Add sprinkles as desired. But for weddings, always remember to keep it simple and elegant.