January 27, 2010

Bridal Expo

Please join me at the 2010 Spring Bridal Expo at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa on Sunday, January 31, 2010. The expo will be held between 10am and 4:30pm.

There are over $3000 worth of door prizes and one lucky winner will win the Elite Giveaway! A wedding package worth over $15,000! And you will get to sample Megan's Cupcakes! It doesn't get any better than this!!

This will be my second Bridal Show this year. I can truly say they are a lot of fun! As I have mentioned before, I planned my Christmas themed wedding, many years ago, so these Bridal Shows give me a chance to step up and use a totally different decor and my favorite cupcake flavor for sampling. Let's face it, party planning is fun and being able to meet with brides face to face and talk about their special day is really a pleasure!

If you are free this Sunday, please join me, I'd love to meet you!

Bridget Coffey
Chief Cupcake
248-765-6957

January 21, 2010

Wedding Cupcake flavors

January is a busy time for wedding plans. As I continue to talk to brides this month regarding their upcoming summer weddings, after talking flowers and decor, the foremost topic is cupcake flavors. When choosing cupcake flavors there are several things to keep in mind that will help narrow down your selection.

1. What is YOUR favorite cake flavor?
2. What season is your wedding?
3. What kinds of food /theme are you serving at the reception?
4. Is your wedding reception outdoor/indoor and is it air conditioned?

17 years ago (wow, I can't believe I just typed that) I was planning my wedding. My husband had little input on the wedding planning, but he did have an opinion on cake flavors. Unfortunately, no one had thought of serving wedding cupcakes, but we wanted something different. He chose a cheese cake wedding cake and that is what we served. So, if you have a flavor that is your absolute favorite, then by all means serve it. After all, it is your special day.

It is also important to consider season and the theme of your wedding. For example, one of my brides chose Tiramisu Cupcakes to go along with her Italian themed dinner, and another bride chose Caramel Apple Cupcakes to go along with her lime green apple decor themed September wedding. My recent Christmas bride (her wedding was on December 26th) chose holiday themed cupcakes; Red Velvet, Rum Cupcake with Pineapple Butter Cream, and a Coconut Cupcake. I also am working with an August bride who would like to encorporate peaches into her flavor. I suggested a Yellow Cinnamon Swirl Cupcake with Peach Butter Cream Frosting. Kind of like a peach cobbler. Summer brides love the Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Butter Cream and Strawberry Cupcake with Strawberry Butter Cream. I've even made a Triple Berry Cupcake and a Blueberrilicious Cupcake. The options are endless. The only other thing to consider is to be careful choosing a flavor if your wedding reception is out doors. Heat and humidity can tend to melt butter cream that is flavored with fruit purees. Fortunately, in northern Michigan, at least not last summer, we really did not have this problem.

After considering all these options and you are still not sure what to serve, but would like to choose several flavors, let me suggest this. Choose one neutral flavor (like the White Cupcake with Butter Cream Frosting, one chocolate flavor (like the Chocolate Chocolate Chip with Fudge Frosting), one fruit flavor (like the Strawberry Cupcake with Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting), and one spice flavor (like Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting).

Serving cupcakes may not be traditional, but they are nostalgic. There is no way to go wrong as cupcakes make people smile. I know your guests will love Megan's Cupcakes.

Happy Planning!

Bridget Coffey
Chief Cupcake
248-765-6957 (cell)
meganscupcakes@gmail.com
www.meganscupcakes.com

January 14, 2010

King Cupcakes, in honor of the Mardi Gras Season

Megan's Cupcakes is starting a new cupcake tradition this year with King Cupcakes in honor of the Mardi Gras season.

The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. This year Fat Tuesday, is on Tuesday, February 16th. During this time of year, one of the most beloved traditions in New Orleans is that of the King Cake.
On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals. This traditional celebration beginning in the 1870’s is celebrated with a “King Cake” in honor of the three kings.

Megan’s Cupcakes is continuing this Mardi Gras Celebration right here in Cadillac, MI with the King Cupcake. Our version is a yellow cinnamon swirl cupcake topped with butter cream frosting. Each cupcake is decorated with the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power.

A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into only one cupcake in each dozen we bake. Like the biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose cupcake the baby will be discovered. While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their cake will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.

Order a dozen King Cupcakes at your next gathering. I will deliver and include a note in the box explaining the tradition.

Bridget Coffey, Chief Cupcake
248-765-6957