Talkin' about a Beach Wedding Cake

Today I met with a lovely mother-of-the-groom to discuss the beach-themed cupcake wedding cake I'm making for her son and his wife.  The party is in July, a local celebration for a wedding that already took place far away from home.  Cindy (the M.O.G.) was referred to me by our mutual friend Chris, for whom I've baked a number of important family cakes in the past, including individual pineapple upside down cakes for her son's rehearsal dinner a few years ago.  Those were really pretty cakes!

Cindy and I met at Uncommon Grounds in Saratoga, over my lunch hour.  We hadn't met previously, but she recognized me from having seen my blog profile picture, and I was probably the only person carrying a box of cupcakes!  For her sampling, I made Paula Deen's red velvet cupcakes (recipe posted a few weeks back).  Last night, when I thought my baking for the weekend was behind me, I remembered that I had promised my son-in-law Bill scones for his coworkers, as his way to greet them and a new week on a Monday morning.  So, I whipped together a dozen-and-a-half chocolate chip walnut scones (which were so well-received that Bill got requests for the recipe!), and later realized I needed to provide a sample for M.O.G. Cindy today.  I'd gone through two 10-lb. bags of King Arthur flour in a week (!) and there was barely two cups of flour left.  It could be done -- I took Paul Deen's recipe and halved it, coming up with almost a dozen red velvet cup cakes.  This morning, before work, I made about a quarter of Paula's corresponding recipe for cream cheese frosting, and took the iced cupcakes with me to work. 

Paula's recipe!

I really enjoyed meeting Cindy and talking about the way the cupcakes will be decorated -- with fondant sand dollars, sea shells, and little teddy graham sun bathers lolling on fruit-stripe gum towels.  She wants the cupcake display to be lively, colorful, and fun-loving.  It will be, I promise.  Can't wait to see how it comes out.  I'll keep you posted - there's about a month to go before this cake makes its debut!In the meantime, there's always time to enjoy my buddies!

Hank (l., with haircut) and Pete (r. with cuteness!)