Cupcakes, Mini Eclairs Etc

[Barmaid]

This is a long one, so bear with me please. I also have quite a few questions on which I would welcome your opinions, please.

My s-i-l is getting married in July see thread here http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/Question1216901.html

We've now sorted out the savouries and I'm nicely organised for that. Now we are onto desserts.

Bride has suggested mini cupcakes and mini eclairs as some of the desserts. However, time is going to be an issue - I have a shed load to do and only 3 days to do it in.

So

1. Is it better to make mini cupcakes individually, or just cook one slab of cake and cut it into squares and then ice them?

2. If I do go for mini cupcakes, does anyone have any good ideas as to how I can manage not to trail the mixture up the sides - therefore making them look messy?

3. If I do mini eclairs, does anyone know where I can buy mini eclair paper cases, I'm googled out. I can either find 1000 (I only need about 50) or they are US sites.

Any other ideas, apart from faking my own death?

[woofgang]

I'd do cupcakes not sheet cake. You can bake them well in advance and freeze them, just icing nearer the day. Top them with a piped ganache, one blob, nice and tidy and will keep well in the fridge. I'd try and talk her out of mini eclairs, they are going to be a pain to make and store and messy to eat. Maybe a wonderful cookie instead? The other thing that is easy peasy, fasy and delicious is chocolate dipped strawberries. For added glamour, get edible glitter or lustre dust and sprinkle on the as they set. Dip a clean dry paintbrush in the glitter or lustre, hold it over the strawberries and tap the handle of the brush. Lustre or glitter on the cupcake toppings will look glamorous too, also you can get stencils to use with roll out icing that you pat lustre on, take a look at the youtube vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFk5nXmuK2g

[EcclesCake]

1. Visually I'd definitely go for individual cup cakes.
2. You can buy large disposable piping bags from Lakeland that will allow you to pipe into the cases neatly.
3. Could you not buy conventional mini cases and draw out the pleats on either side to create a long case?

[chris1957au]

1. cup cakes will be better and just as quick, they will cook quick than a slab and present much better.
2. Use a piping bag with the appropriate size plan nozzle, don't over fill it.
3. Ask at you local cake shops or use small cup cake paper to serve them in.
or make profiteer rolls
Hope this helps

Chris

[chris1957au]

snap eccles did not look down the page

[black_cat51]

or buy them from iceland :)