Black & Pink 30th Birthday Cupcakes
Home » COOK » Recipes »I used to make cakes and cupcakes for my friends and family, and I thought I would share these creations with you. I have been meaning to write blog posts about these for years now, and it’s about time I finally did it!
I use vodka to spray away excess icing sugar dust from sugarpaste. Just buy a little spray bottle and pour a shot of vodka in it. Vodka evaporates quicker than water, leaving the sugarpaste nice and clean and free from icing sugar.
To make chocolate cupcakes, add 3 tbsps cocoa powder to the batter.
I made these black and pink cupcakes for a 30th birthday.
We have many more Cupcake Recipes for you—why not take a look at them next?
I made two batches of vanilla cupcakes, half were decorated with black buttercream icing; the other half with pink buttercream. Both had glitter (of course!) The black ones were sprinkled with pink sugar crystals, and the pink cakes with chocolate vermicelli strands. Other decorations were sugarpaste ’30s’, as well as sugarpaste stars and hearts.
Black and Pink 30th Birthday Cupcakes
I use vodka to spray away excess icing sugar dust from sugarpaste. Just buy a little spray bottle and pour a shot of vodka in it. Vodka evaporates quicker than water, leaving the sugarpaste nice and clean and free from icing sugar.
To make chocolate cupcakes, add 3 tbsps cocoa powder to the batter.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes[br]
- 335 g unsalted butter softened
- 335 g caster sugar
- 335 g self-raising flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 6 eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
For the buttercream icing
- 500 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 500 g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp milk or lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- black food colouring
- pink food colouring
For the ’30’ toppers
- pink and black sugarpaste/fondant
- icing sugar for dusting
- vodka spray
- food glitter
Instructions
- It's best to make the toppers a day or so before so that they have time to dry. Dust the icing sugar over the counter and roll the sugarpaste to a thickness of about 5mm. Cut out the numbers and place on a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper. Brush away excess icing sugar, or spray with vodka to remove. Leave to dry. Do not put in the fridge (they get sticky) or leave in the kitchen to dry as it's often too humid.
- Preheat oven to 175C/Gas 4.
- Place 24 cupcake cases into tins.
- Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 3 minutes until smooth, pale and fluffy.
- Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. (see notes above)
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden and risen.
- Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
To make the buttercream
- Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
- Slowly sift in the icing sugar until combined.
- Whisk in the milk (or lemon juice) and vanilla extract.
- Divide the mixture and add a few drops of food colouring to your desired shade.
- You should find that the buttercream will form stiff(ish!) peaks and can be used in a piping bag.
To assemble
- Only decorate the cupcakes when they are completely cool.
- Place some of the buttercream icing into a piping bag with a star nozzle attached (don't overfill the bag) and pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake.
- Add sprinkles and the '30' toppers
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Ickle Pickle
June 11, 2015 @ 1:55 pm
These look so fab! What a lovely idea for a special birthday. Kaz x
Zena's Suitcase
June 5, 2015 @ 9:09 pm
These look amazing. I’d be very happy to get these for any birthday, or even if it wasn’t my birthday!
Michelle Ordever
June 16, 2015 @ 8:07 am
Cupcakes are both a special occasion treat and for everyday too :P
Helen
June 5, 2015 @ 8:47 pm
These look so yummy and they’re my wedding colours hehe.
Helen x
Michelle Ordever
June 16, 2015 @ 8:07 am
Awesome wedding colours! When do you get married? x
pinkoddy
June 4, 2015 @ 4:55 pm
They look fantastic you are very clever. Hope they had a great 30th it’s a fab age.
Michelle Ordever
June 16, 2015 @ 8:08 am
Thank you! Feels like forever ago that I was 30… :p
Angel Eden Blog
June 3, 2015 @ 10:18 pm
I do the same :) They look wonderful
missielizzie
June 3, 2015 @ 6:26 pm
What lovely classy cupcakes for a birthday. You’re very clever.
Charly Dove
June 3, 2015 @ 4:52 pm
Oh my goodness these look like they taste absolutely incredible! Yum yum, will have to give these a go. Thank you so much for sharing x
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 5:25 pm
Not had any complaints so far! *knocks wood* x
Beautyqueenuk
June 3, 2015 @ 10:49 am
These look absolutely divine, you are never too old for cupcakes x
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 5:25 pm
Completely agree! I love a cupcake! x
Ness
June 3, 2015 @ 10:44 am
They really give a smart and grown up appearance to cupcakes. So many just look suitable for a child’s birthday party.
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 5:25 pm
I hear you! Cupcakes are for us grown ups too!
Andrea Dodd
June 2, 2015 @ 10:32 pm
Oooh lovely. I’m turning 30 this month as it happens :)
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 8:38 am
ooh! Happy 30th Birthday!! x
Erica Price
June 2, 2015 @ 11:30 am
These look delicious and I really like the look of the glossy dark icing.
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 8:38 am
It took a lot of black food colouring to get it to that!
lisa prince
June 2, 2015 @ 10:19 am
im such a cake lover at the moment, loving the dark icing
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 8:39 am
Cupcakes are awesome :D
Gretta Schifano
June 2, 2015 @ 9:28 am
Wow, these look amazing! Thank you for sharing the recipe. The tip about using an ice-cream scoop is genius.
Michelle Ordever
June 3, 2015 @ 8:39 am
When I learned the ice-cream scoop trick my cupcake making life changed!