If I was to make 65 cupcakes... where the hell would I start?

[Bangtastic]

It is my mums 65th Birthday in 3 weeks, we were going to order her cake for her party tomorrow, but I threw the cupcake tower idea into the bowl to see what everyone thought. Prices seem to be in the £150 region, when you consider the cost per cupcake, stand hire, and delivery etc. Don't mind paying that at all, but part of me thinks it'd be nice to do it myself... haven't mentioned this part yet, wanted to see what was involved before committing!

I am a pretty good cook, I seem to be able to manage most things I put my mind to and have patience with. I mastered chocolate eclairs yesterday for example

So where would I start? How would I get quantities right for 65 decent sized cupcakes with a firm buttercream red/black/white icing?

Any help from more experienced bakers would be much appreciated :)

I use the Hummingbird bakery recipe for frosting and cake

just to say that iced cupcakes actually freeze really well if you want to get ahead and not have them all to do on the day. They defrost in a couple of hours

I was thinking of doing the cupcakes in advance and freezing those, but doing the buttercream fresh that morning, that'd be alright wouldn't it?

Thanks for the tip bluesky, will definitely try without milk first because you'd think I had heat pads under the skin of my palms!

What is a standard sized cupcake case? I'm trying to order some now but there's so many bloody options! I've never really looked at the sized before.. and all I have in my cupboard now are mini ones!

Standard size cupcake case is 50mm and 38mm high

I use the Dr Oetker white muffin cases from most supermarkets

cupcakes, yes freeze them before. I wouldn't freeze the whole thing.

Honestly to save the stress make the buttercream the day before, it's a big messy job. And then on the morning, you can just concentrate on decorating.

It's doable. Think of storage though - have a whip round for tins and baking trays.

I recommend bake one day, ice the next. I use silver spoon royal icing and dye it nice pastel colours. The trick is not to overfill the cupcake cases, so they don't puff out too much when cooked. Then put on a spoon of royal icing, which kind of spreads itself into a flat layer (helps it the top of the paper case is still protruding a bit to keep the icing from running down the side. Buy sugar decorations (e.g. Little flowers etc) and place 1 in the middle of each cake. Job done - simple and elegant. Don't attempt anything fussy for 65!

Btw - cupcakes freeze well - which can also take the edge off the madness.

if you weigh the mixture as you put it into cases before baking you will make sure you get even sized cakes. I do 40g per cake. It's a faff but worth while

Or use an ice cream scoop - 1 scoop per cake means they'll all be the same size!

willali, you're beginning to sound like Holly from GBBO with your weighing!

Ice cream scoop - yes, saw that tip on Cupcake Wars

Luckily I have an empty freezer in the garage so I can pop them all into tubs and in there. I'll probably make them all a week before and then as bluesky said do the buttercream before and decorate on the day.

Luckily the venue is letting us use their restaurants kitchen for anything we need to do on the day, so I can take them all there in their tubs and do it there - plenty of room! Would it be okay to pipe the buttercream onto frozen cakes and then let them thaw out in the fridge until the the party starts? Or is it best to let take them out the day before?

Overuse of 'Luckily' there, sorry!

Take them out the day vefore. I've never iced them frozen and would worry the moisture as they defrosted would do something weird to the buttercream

Yes, you don't moisture between the cake and the buttercream, make sure they are properly defrosted.

Make sure the cupcakes are at room temperature when you serve, as cake straight from the fridge tastes stale.

Why don't you make 12 this weekend, and have a trial. That will get rid of some nerves!

I am making some tomorrow night, will try a batch of 24 and see how I get on, and then I can trial them at my nieces birthday party on Sunday will report back on how I get on!

Thanks for all of your help everyone!

Definitely do batches, and ice as many as you can in one go to ensure consistency. I did 50 for a friend's wedding in the summer, and I'm definitely not the best icer.

I used both buttercream and a small amount of royal icing, which I bought coloured. I got a butterfly stamp, and cut out lots of butterflies from the royal icing. Then if I made a mistake or wobble with the buttercream, you can cover it up with the butterfly.

You can see what I mean here if you like:chocolatecakehalloffame.blogspot.com/2011/04/wedding-cupcakes.html

psssssst, bangtastic, over here!

Betty Crocker Frosting. One container does about 30. Don't pipe- it's messy and a faff qnd most people don't like that much icing. Just get a palette knife and swirl a blob on each cake. Quick and easy. I can go from a standing start to 72 iced cupcakes in 3.5 hours.

And do you know about edible glitter?

I also recommend the Hummingbird Bakery recipes, pretty much foolproof. And Betty Crockers ready made icing if you're stuck for time, there are chocolate and vanilla variants.
And ditto on edible glitter - does wonders for your wow factor.

The one thing you must remember is to not overchill the icing before you pipe it - I burst two icing bags trying to ice straight from the fridge.

I am marking my place as I treated myself to a kenwood kmix last week and made my first batch of cupcakes at the weekend!

I think my butter was not soft enough as my buttercream wasn't smooth but they tasted lovely!

I decorated mine with white chocolate jazzies (poundland!) and pink colouring in the icing!

Love the numbers idea!

Good luck x

Again, the hummingbird bakery buttercream is quite different from normal cream: less butter and you beat it in an electric mixer for 5 minutes which makes it incredibly fluffy and light. I can ice lots more cupcakes than the recommended number, I think if you really did use 1 of their batches of buttercream to 12 cupcakes you'd be sick

I'm quite envious of you OP, I'd love to have an event to cater for with cupcakes

My tip for black icing is to make chocolate icing and then it doesn't need so much colouring.