Stephanie’s Cakes

I’ll admit it: most of the time, cupcake papers (or cupcake liners or baking cups or whatever you may call them) are more about saving cleanup time than anything else. But there are occasions that call for a little something special. That’s when you trot out the striped papers, the sports-themed liners, the pink and blue for baby shower cupcakes, or hearts for Valentine’s day, or sparkly foil liners for a little extra glitz. And thanks to a bevy of online shops, you can usually find what you need (although brown and black cupcake wrappers are notoriously difficult to find, simple polka dot designs are apparently non-existent, and I had a heck of a time finding pastel green liners recently - which you would think would be relatively easy, right? I mean, if pastel green isn’t one of Martha’s good things, I don’t know what is)

But what if you want to go even further? Check out these gorgeous cupcake wraps. They’re laser-cut from a heavy cardstock, and you simply wrap the papers around your cupcake, place tab A in slot B, and bingo! Ready for the spotlight.

Photo source: paperorchidstationery.com

(Note that these wraps are intended for use as an extra bonus decoration - you don’t bake the cupcakes inside them.)

I ordered some to play with, and they certainly are lovely all lined up on a cake plate or platter. It’s a fun way to dress up simply-frosted cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes look especially good inside the ivy vine wrappers, since the dark cake contrasts with the light filigree paper. I want to try this out with small dishes of ice cream or fruit, too… maybe a meringue cup filled with berries? Be aware that the wrappers are sized for standard cupcakes, though - jumbos aren’t going to fit - and if your icing or cake extends too far, you may end up with goopy wrappers. I suppose you could re-use them if your guests are particularly dainty eaters… but I wouldn’t count on that. Especially if chocolate is involved.

Choosing the words for a first post to a new blog is so difficult… should it be witty? serious? silly? charming and droll, or just-the-facts-ma’am straightforward?

Hello, my name is Stephanie, and these are my cakes.

Well, I guess that works!

A little explanation: This is the new online home of my cake pictures, hopefully formatted and arranged nicely for your viewing pleasure. I’ve been decorating and baking cakes for friends, family, co-workers, and friends-of-friends for several years now, and my passion is for making customized cakes that match a theme or the party honoree’s personality. I’ve learned a lot about how far I can push these sugary creations; I’m nowhere near as accomplished as the true cake artists who do this for a living, but I’m sure there’s more fun ahead.
So enjoy the photos. And have a cupcake. Or two.