BRONZE BUDGET BRIDE

These beautiful pedestals were created by the husband/wife team, Travis and Laura, who are avid entertainers. They both love the idea of being able to bring family and friends together for an event and host several themselves each year. They needed an outlet for their creative talents, stumbled upon Etsy and Adaura was born.

At www.Adaura.Etsy.com you will find beautifully crafted, unique pedestals in colors ranging from black to white and fun decorations for your next event.



Amongst them you'll see lovely teal blue as well as soft green cake pedestals and romantic red stands like this Heart Shape Cake Stand which would make a nice home for your Valentine's Day cake.



One of my favorite item that sells at Adaura, which I've features here before, is this Black 5 Tier Wooden Cupcake Tower but every piece in the shop is a work of art...beautiful, each and every one of them!



You are so lucky to get the chance to win this White 12" Wooden Cake Pedestal from Adaura during our 2000 Fans Celebration -  Week Of Giveaways, February 20-26th! Isn't it lovely? Yes, yes it is and your wedding cake will look gorgeous sitting on top of it.

Yes, you can find Adaura at www.Adaura.Etsy.com but I'd love for you to become a fan of Adaura here on Facebook and follow on Pinterest as well.

These buttermints are super cute and takes a little work to make but they would make such cute wedding favors...the kind that will have guest talking. So why not give them a try now that you have the recipe?

You'll need:

• Small plastic candy mold, such as a mini peanut butter cup mold or other mold that would make a good cupcake bottom shape
• Piping bag fitted with a small closed star tip

  Candy:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp whipping cream plus 1- 1/2 for thinning batter
• 1/2 tsp mint oil - such as LorAnn (my favorite flavoring oils)
• 2-3 drops liquid green food coloring
• Granulated sugar for rolling candy pieces in
• Nonpareils for decorating

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter well.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Mixture will be very dry.  When combined, add whipping cream and mint oil and mix again.  The mixture should become smooth and pliable - almost like play-doh.

Divide the candy dough in half.  Return half the dough to mixer and add green food coloring; mix again and cover the candy with plastic wrap.  Set aside.

Pinch off small pieces of white (uncolored) candy and roll in granulated sugar.  Press into candy molds and remove.  Place molded candy on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Repeat process until all candy has been used.  Let candies stand uncovered for 30 minutes.

While waiting for the white candies to dry, remove plastic wrap from green candy portion and mix on low speed in stand mixer. Add 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp whipping cream until candy is of piping consistency. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with star tip.  Pipe green candy on top of cupcake bottoms and sprinkle with nonpareils.

Allow mini cupcake candies to air dry for 1 hour.  After 1 hour drape a large tea towel over them and let them stand overnight.  The next day cupcake butter mints should be dry to the touch.  Display them on reception tables or package them in decorative bags.  Can be frozen for 3 months.

Note: Fruit flavored oils could also be used with this recipe for a "butter cream candy" instead of "butter mint candy". 

Makes 30-40 candy cupcakes

This cake is so beautiful that I just had to post the recipe that I found right here on Sprinkles Bakers.

Maraschino Cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 tablespoons flour for sprinkling over diced cherries
• 10 oz bottle maraschino cherries, finely chopped
• Drop or two of red food coloring, or Americolor Deep Pink food coloring gel *optional
• 4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Grease two 7” spring-form pans (or one 9”) and line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.   In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder .  Combine milk,cherry juice and almond extract, and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed.  Note: It’s okay if the cherries still have a little juice on them after this. 
4. Stir cherries into the batter.  Stir in food coloring if desired
5. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter.  Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.   Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

1. Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
5. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
6. Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
7. Add the vanilla extract.  Divide batter and tint with food coloring, if desired.  I kept a little un-tinted frosting out to pipe around the edges of the cake. To achieve my favoriteblue/green tint, I used a dot each of Sky Blue and Kelly Green Wilton gel food colorings.
8. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
9. Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

Serves 8-10      

Note: The heart topper is a piece of gum paste with a piece of clean, unused floral wire inserted through the center. The surface was brushed with corn syrup and dipped in multicolored sprinkles.

This is so perfect bridal shower...

This dress is actually a cake. Can you believe it? It's amazing. Stunning! Absoultely beautiful!

Good morning! It's Wedding Wednesday and it's time for our Cake Pop Giveaway thanks to www.TKCakePops.com!

To enter to win One Dozen Cake Pops from T K Cake Pops:

1. "Like" TK Cake Pops on Facebook, leave a comment on their wall and return the Bronze Budget Bride fanpage and let me know that you did.

That's it! That's all you have to do to enter.

However, if you want to increase your chances of winning:

a. Share the giveaway on your page by clicking the "Share" button for another entry into the drawing...

and/or

b. Get your friends to "Like" the comment that you posted on the fanpage. Each "Like" you get is yet another chance to win, so increase your chances and ask for some "Likes" today.

The winner will be announce tomorrow, January 19th at around 1/12c on the fanpage.

Remember if you win that your Cake Pops will be mailed to you so it's open to everyone in the USA.

Good luck everyone!!