Cupcakes for a Ruby Wedding anniversary - ideas please!!

[AlCrowley]

It's my M and FIL's Ruby wedding anniversary at the weekend and I've just been told I need to make some cupcakes for the party!! It was on the list of things to do for the party apparently, and a stand has already been bought, just no-one told me. I'm not that annoyed but I am panicking slightly!! What on earth shall I make?

I was thinking plain cupcakes with frosting and some sort of simple decoration - cakes are for the kids, the adults have an M&S cake. I'd like them to look good next to the cake but, with a 3 year old and a 6 month old, I don't have a lot of time for doing anything too fancy.

Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to try out red velvet cake? Would fit quite nicely with the ruby theme.

Any ideas would be really appreciated - as would a recipe for some lovely, fluffy frosting please

You could get some of those tiny red boiled sweets that look like little rubies to put on top.

Maybe, but the youngest of the children is only 3 and I'd be slightly worried about them running round while eating boiled sweets.

My IL's ruby wedding anniversary 2 weeks ago so I did them red cupcakes (red velvet were too complicated timewise and I didn't have all the ingredients) I did vanilla cupcakes and added red food dye to cakes (Wilton is great string colour or the other brand can't remember I get from sugar stack on line! The ones you get in the super Market don't tend to have strong colour!) I also used the same on the icing and got some love heart (red tiny hearts Lakeland again) along with love heart papercases!)
they were simple but went down a treat!!!

Ooh, just had a look at lakeland. The heart shaped sprinkles look good, as do the paper cases...

yes I second just do read hearts, you could get a small heart cutter (try ebay) and cut them out of red sugarpaste (get it in multi pack in supermarket, or from cake decorating shop) or buy them ready made. Or do red flowers. Get a cutter or a punch to make the flowers and add a silver ball to the centre? I would do either normal buttercream if you have a lot to do (quick and easy) or cream chees /chocolate ganache if you dont have too many to do and you can refridgergate and not have them standing out too long.

I think this is probably the cake.

So, maybe cupcakes (possibly red velvet if I can manage it) in white cases with a swirl of white frosting and some Lakeland red heart sprinkles (starts too?). Maybe a sugarpaste flower or heart in the middle too if I have time? Probably heart so my flowers don't look rubbish next to the professional ones Plus, I can do them easily with a stamper/cutter rather than having to make each one.

Think it might have to be frosting as buttercream would be yellowy wouldn't it?

Never made Red velvet before though - this may need a trail run...

I'd go red velvet from the hummingbird cookbook

That's the recipe I've got I think. Is it hard?

Make the red velvet cakes, they are simple but make sure you get the right food colouring that the hummingbird cookbook suggests as have used others and they come out looking brown not red!

They are fab and I recommend with the cream cheese frosting as they are perfect - you would also be able to get some ready rolled icing in red and cut out red hearts.

If you need the red velvet recipe let me know and will post the basics on here!

That's very kind Doodleydoo, thanks. Luckily, I have the red velevt recipe that I got from a thread on Mumsnet ages ago, I've just never gotten round to trying it.

On my version, it recommends Dr Oetker colouring so I'll have to try and find some. I've got some Supercook stuff that I was going to use but if it makes the cakes go brown then I'll try to get some more.

Will the cream cheese frosting come out quite pale? I might try that with edible heart shaped glitter and possibly a sugar heart too?

OK, tried them - they're absolutely delicious but not very red. Went for Dr Oetker colouring and everything so not sure where I went wrong.

And I over-beat the cream cheese frosting a bit too so it's a little runny.

Al did you see this corrections list about the red velvet cupcakes? (scroll down )

Ah, I think I have Natural Red which might be the problem. Thanks taffetacatski

Glad they turned out well, as I say the colouring is the important bit! Also some glitter would be cool - can I suggest a piece of paper and cutting a heart out of the middle - worked for the last lot I did!

Hope it goes well, they are always a favourite in our house!

I can't find non-natural Dr Oetker colouring!! I've got some Wilton colouring paste now which should be a stronger colour so fingers crossed. They'll be lovely no matter what the colour anyway

Don't have time to get heart shaped edible confetti (or non natural colouring) posted from anywhere and the only place that stocks it has run out so I've got gold stars instead. They did have Non-toxic red glitter but it said it was for decoration only so I wasn't sure about the children eating it. I got some red icing and was going to attempt to find the time to make simple roses to match the cake but if I can't (a very real possibility as my sister is due to go into labour any day) I may very well make a heart template. Thanks for the suggestion Doodleydoo.