Taking the Cake

About six months ago, I had never heard of Cupcake Wrappers. Now I'm a diehard fan. I just couldn't imagine a dessert table, cupcake stack or party without them. To think that years ago, we were all eating naked cupcakes! (You heard me!)

Anyway. Moonlight & Whimsy are currently stocking two types of cupcake wrapper - reusable and non-reusable alike, depending on your needs and tastes. I'd just unpacked my newest shipment from The Cupcake Wrapper Co. and it was good timing actually, as I'd only just bought my new Kuhn Rikon cupcake icing pen (Wheel & Barrow - $29.95) and was dying to try it out. I'd also been looking for a new vanilla cupcake recipe for awhile, so it was win/win!

There has been a spate of new Cupcake shops popping up all over Brisbane recently, mostly sporting the same tasteless cake with super-sickly-sweet frosting. This recipe that I stumbled across however, was recommended by a swag of cupcake-connoisseurs. Yes. Connoisseurs. The real gem here however is the buttercream frosting (honestly - this stuff should come with its own health warning)!!

Heart attack or not though, it is honestly the BEST frosting I have ever tasted, and so I was pretty chuffed that I could make something that could make grown men weak at the knees. (There were tears from my partner as I wrestled the bowl off him to wash up... REAL TEARS!)

It's serious melt-in-your-mouth stuff!

Above: Pink/White Polka Dot and Pink/White Stripe Cupcake Wrappers

Below: Green/White Stripe, Green/White Polka Dot Cupcake Wrappers

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 2 3/4 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 200g softened unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 170C. Line two 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes.
Add caster sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved.
Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each minute or until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add a third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat this process.

Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined (don't over-beat or the mixture will toughen!)

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about two-thirds. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting (from Smitten Kitchen)

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 26 tablespoons butter, softened (Yes! You heard me! Do it!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a big metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk occasionally until you can’t feel the sugar granules when you rub the mixture between your fingers.

Transfer mixture into the mixer and whip until it turns white and about doubles in size. (Here’s a tip: when you transfer to the mixer, make sure you wipe the condensation off the bottom of the bowl so that no water gets into the egg whites. This can keep them from whipping up properly.)

Add the vanilla.

Finally, add the butter a stick at a time and keep whipping until it's thick and luscious. Yes - this can take up to 10 minutes! Be patient!

Above: Blue/White Polka Dot Cupcake Wrappers

Below: Going dotty with wrappers from the Cupcake Wrapper Co!
 

Enjoy and don't forget we're selling the reusable cupcake wrappers for an introductory price $13.95 for 12 at Moonlight and Whimsy,  but be quick! The offer won't last long!

Ice Ice, Baby!

Welcome to all of our new readers! Thanks for the retweets on Twitter and Facebook (if one can actually retweet on Facebook?), it’s wonderful to be here, providing interesting event supplies and solutions to you all!

So the other day I received a very exciting shipment of LED lights. Exciting because sure we’ve all seen LED lights – but not like these! These babies are can brighten up any centrepiece, aisle, table – you name it! And the best thing of all? They’re submersible! Bye bye floating candles! Just switch them on and drop them in and watch them illuminate floral arrangements, crystal pearls, table settings and more. Submersible LED lights are perfect for lanterns as well and come in clear, hot pink, blue and RGB (all colours). The best part is – the batteries can be replaced with new ones – and these can be used for future celebrations or parties.

What I was mesmerised with last night were our Lite-Cubes, which look exactly like blocks of ice – you can even freeze them and use them to light up your drinks! Failing that, they make fantastic additions to any centrepiece- definitely giving your guests something to talk about. They come in two colours – clear (which come with two different flash types) or RGB, which has a multitude of settings that can be set upon a simple click of a button. Red, blue, green, red and blue, red and green, blue and green, or a constant rainbow cycle of seamless colour change. Lite Cubes are disposable and only last for 8-10 hours. At $3.75 each though – you can afford to stock up!

Check out our range of lanterns, LEDs and other lighting options for your next event at www.moonlightandwhimsy.com.au

Opening Week

Very exciting times here at Moonlight & Whimsy HQ – our first stock is arriving and the store is about to go live! We’re particularly looking forward to playing with the fantastic range of lite-cubes and submersible LED lights – and you know what that means? Hellooo photo-shoot! We’re organising an elaborate Alice in Wonderland kids birthday party at the moment – so you’ll definitely see lots of photos of our products in action!

We also have a gorgeous collection of laser-cut cupcakes wrappers coming in – guaranteed to make you WANT to cook and will definitely be the talking point of your next baby shower or high tea!
Don’t forget – we have access to a range of suppliers – so even if you don’t see the product you’re after – let us know, we might just be able to track it down for you! We’re also offering free shipping for orders over $200.

Lastly – we’re in the process of obtaining a Credit Card payment gateway – however we’ve been told that these things do take time. However…you CAN use your credit card in our PayPal facility, and we also have a Bank Deposit option. Money orders and cheques are also acceptable, however please contact us to arrange this first.

See you all online!
Whimsically yours,

Event...websites?

“What does event planning have to do with web design”? 

Well, a lot actually. Walk into any office and check out the human-computer ratio. Marvel at the laptops at lunchtime. Step on to any 5pm train, and you’ll see at one in every two people with an iPhone or an iPad. Digital information is everywhere. Most of us now pay our bills online, and have bank statements or electricity accounts sent via email. A handwritten letter or invitation has become a quaint way to communicate.

Now we at M&W are not against the handwritten options – far from it! However there’s something to be said for event websites that have the information at hand every second of the day, so your invitees aren’t racking their brains to remember the information on said paper held loosely by magnets on their fridge. At home.

An event-site not only has the details of your event – it also allows you to branch out and upload galleries, biographies, background information, guestbooks, feedback pages, current contact details, changes in venues, menus and dress codes.

Email us to discuss your personalised, hand-crafted event website today!!

Welcome to the Moonlight & Whimsy Blog

Welcome to Moonlight and Whimsy – dedicated to providing different event solutions for those who like to think outside the box. We cater for every kind of event humanly imaginable! From the personal: weddings, baby showers, dedications, christenings, hens nights, divorce parties, proposals to the corporate: Christmas parties, business functions, corporate breakfasts, lunches & dinners, award nights – the only limit is your imagination! We cater for every step along the way – from providing the basics in our online store, to event hire and total planning of your event.

Why create an ordinary event – when you can create something truly extraordinary that will be remembered for years to come?

I look forward to sharing more about the Moonlight and Whimsy vision in the weeks to come as well as the first shots of our brand new product range!
Until then – live extraordinarily!