Black forest cupcakes for a wedding are a tasty elegant dessert. The sweet pairing of fresh cherries and bittersweet chocolate will be a wedding hit! The single-serve convenience of cupcakes are usually more affordable than a traditional wedding cake.
Black Forest Cupcakes for Your Special Day
Black forest wedding cupcakes can be part of a display that looks even better than a traditional tiered cake set-up. Before you settle on a layout, browse photos of wedding cupcake arrangements to get an idea of what you like best.
Cake Choices
Traditional black forest cake batters are plain chocolate, but it's possible to incorporate a number of variations to put a twist on the usual recipe.
- Mix fresh cherry pieces into the batter to make it moister and intensify the cupcakes' cherry taste.
- Use a devil's food cake or double-chocolate cake recipe instead of plain chocolate to highlight the cocoa notes and the bittersweet flavor tones.
- Try a mocha batter to add a hint of coffee flavor. Using prepared lukewarm coffee in the batter of a plain or dark chocolate cake will also boost chocolate notes.
- Fold thin, solid pieces of dark chocolate into the final batter.
- Add a swirl of Kirschwasser or chocolate liqueur to the cupcakes before baking.
Frostings
Black forest cakes and cupcakes normally use a whipped cream frosting, which has both pros and cons. On the good side, fresh whipped cream is a light, refreshing flavor that can really draw out the flavors of both the cherry and the chocolate in the cupcakes, and a good decorator can make it look just as elegant as buttercream. However, whipped cream doesn't hold up well in hot weather or on display when it's not refrigerated, and it may not look quite as good as a frosting with some color to it.
Using chocolate frosting is a break with tradition, but it's also a successful way to make chocolate the all-around star of the cupcakes. Most decorators are able to create chocolate frostings that span a wide range of intensities, so taste ahead of time to choose one that you feel fits best with your final cake pick.
Fresh cherry buttercream is another option that can add a pop of color to a display and lighten up a cupcake with fruity notes. If you choose to go with vanilla buttercream instead of whipped cream to boost the endurance of your frosting, try asking the decorator to swirl in bits of fresh cherry or chocolate.
To enhance the look of any frosting, try topping it with fresh cherries, chocolate curls, or chocolate shavings.
Decorations
There are plenty of things you can do make your cupcake display stand out.
- If your decorator is topping each cupcake with a fresh cherry, consider drawing out the bright red to deep maroon tones of the fruits by placing fresh flowers around the dessert area. Try using burgundy roses, carnations, tulips, or daisies.
- Dragees are edible candies that resemble pearls or silver globes. They're normally used on cupcakes with colorful frostings, but they can be a great addition on black forest cakes as well.
- Drizzle a thin coating of chocolate ganache over the top of each cupcake to boost its visual appeal. The chocolate glaze will look especially good if your decorator is using a red cherry frosting.
- Lay out extra fresh cherries at the edges of each tier in the display or at the bottom so that guests can take them as they choose cupcakes.
- Pick a cupcake stand or cupcake tree that reflects the color scheme in the cake decorations.
An Novel Choice for a Wedding Cake
Adding special cake variations, a delicious frosting and a delectable display are ways to turn simple black forest cupcakes into a truly personalized wedding cupcake cake. Because black forest cupcakes aren't a traditional choice for couples, they are sure to be an uxepected treat at your wedding reception.
