Colourful cupcake tower for a fun wedding

I love to cook, so I thought it was about time that I posted a creative food idea for all of you planning a more down-to-earth wedding.  Cupcakes would be perfect if you’re thinking about creating a colourful and relaxed wedding.  Even if you’re not confident about your cupcake or fairy cake making skills, I’m sure most of us have a family member or friend who is a bit of a whizz when it comes to cake making.  Besides, everyone should have a go at making fairy cakes as they’re really simple, taste so much better when homemade, and you can decorate them any which way you choose!

By making your own fairy cakes, you can ensure that the ingredients are organic, fair trade, or local depending on your preference.  From organic flour to local eggs, fair trade sugar or farmhouse butter, you will be able to make positive choices about what goes into your wedding cakes.

Now for the recipe.  I use the following recipe, though I can’t remember where I got it from, which produces lovely fairy cakes.  However, there are loads of fairy cake or cupcake recipes out there, or you may even have a tried-and-tested family favourite.

Fairy cake recipe

Makes approx. 24

4 eggs
225g sugar
225g self-raising flour
225g butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Fill two 12-hole muffin tins with cupcake cakes.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the flour a bit at a time, along with the butter, folding them carefully into the mixture.

Pour the cake mixture into the cupcake cases, making sure not to spill any.

Bake the cakes for about 10-15 minutes, until they have a lightly golden top.  You can always check they’re cooked by inserting a skewer into a cake – if it comes out clean they’re ready.

Allow them to cool before icing.

Natural cake decorating colours

A fabulous American company called India Tree create natural decorating colours and sugars made from vegetable and plant colourants.  So there’s no need to worry about E-numbers and other nasties or to forgo beautiful cakes.  They come in just three colours – red, yellow and blue – which means you can create any colour you wish.

A cupcake wedding buffet

Dessert buffets seem to be all the rage in America at the moment, an idea that The Natural Wedding Company loves and thinks is a wonderful way to make your wedding day more guest-friendly.  Rather than having a stack of cupcakes made to look like a tiered wedding cake, why not lay out a table with pretty plates and vintage cake stands and set out your cupcakes that way.  Your guests can help themselves and we’re sure it would be a great talking point.

Children-friendly wedding idea

If you are planning a relaxed summer wedding with lots of children coming, why not set up a table with a pile of unfrosted fairy cakes, some bowls of multi-coloured icing and a huge variety of toppings and let them design their own cake.  It would be a great way to provide some entertainment and fun for the kids at your wedding.

If you don’t fancy making the cakes yourself, why not order some bespoke cupcakes from one of the fantastic companies listed in The Natural Wedding Company directory.  There is Cupcakes and Peonies who are based in the Midlands, Cakeadoodledo down in Devon made using eggs from their own hens, or Kiss Me Cupcakes who use fair trade ingredients.