I’ve been in a Valentine’s baking frenzy the past few weeks. How can I not be with all the cute Valentine’s themed cookies, cakes, pies, dessert tables ,& parties floating around. I wish I could bake all day long and have a HUGE party for all my friends. I had to snap myself out of the frenzy when I got a call requesting cupcakes for a birthday dinner. For a second I was stumped, my brain has been so focused on Valentine’s Day treats I almost forgot that it was possible to have a birthday or any other type of celebration in February.
The request was last minute and in the middle of a crazy snow storm, the kind that dumps 5 inches of snow per hour, so I had to work with what I had on hand. Thankfully the requester, who is also my very talented hair stylist, wasn’t very picky about flavors or decorations. She did mention that her friend was a music lover so I wanted to try and incorporate a musical theme. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it; the only decorations I knew I had on hand were kissing lips and pink & red hearts. I wanted to make some notes for toppers, but my gum paste had all been colored pink and red.
We agreed on chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. While pulling out the cupcake ingredients, I stumbled white chocolate. Suddenly a light went off in my head…make the notes out of white chocolate and coat them with black sugar. So I crossed my fingers and hoped it would all come together with no glitches.
To make the notes, I melted the chocolate and poured into a small squeeze bottle fitted with a #3 tip. I piped the notes on to wax paper and then covered them with the black sugar. In order to fully cover the chocolate I really poured the sugar on thick.
I made sure to pipe out more notes than I needed for the cupcakes, in case some broke when removing them from the wax paper or in case some were just down right ugly. I piped out a few that I didn’t sugar so i could test them from time to time to see if the notes had hardened. It took about 4 hours for the chocolate to harden. This time will vary depending humidity. I live in a rain forest and it was a snowy day so it took longer than I expected.
Once they hardened, I dumped the excess sugar off the notes & carefully removed them from the paper. 
I was pretty bummed that the sugar didn’t stick to the treble clef better. I think it would have looked great on one of the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes were frosted I placed the notes on top. For something I whipped up on the fly, I think they turned out to be pretty cute.
Here’s the recipe for the cupcakes and frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 cup cold, strong, brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cupcakes pan with liners
- In a large bowl,stir the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil. Stir just until blended. . Spoon the batter into the prepared cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- In a bowl of an electric mixing bowl using paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time mixing well between each addition until the desired consistency is achieved.
Here are some of the other blogs I am linking up with this week:
Things that make you say “mmmm”
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
These are wonderful!
These are awesome!! =) I want to try my hand at making some of these kind of decorations. I have seen spider webs, musical notes (here), squiggles…Do you have any other ideas for me?
I’ve done snowflakes, coral, hearts, letters, butterflies & dragonflies. Although I can pipe well with royal icing I’m not so good at piping with chocolate or candy melts so covering with sugar or non-nonpareils of some kind make them look so much better.
These are adorable! Love the sparkly musical notes!
this is just an OUTSTANDING idea – great use of the melted chocolate. I am just more than loving these. I stumbled, pinned etc……………..
Thank you so much & thanks for hosting the link party! I love seeing what every one is up to.
Oh my goodness! These are so adorable! Love them!
These are amazing! Great job!
These cupcakes look awesome! I love how you made the musical notes!
I love those musical notes! What a genius way to make them. They’re so pretty. And yummy!
I love these! What a clever idea…so cute! I can’t wait to give them a try.
I found you through Totally Tasty Tuesdays – glad I did!
I’m impressed with your musical notes, they look great! They are so cute on those cupcakes. I found you via the Somewhat Simple Link Party.
I love this! We just posted our very first Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday Link Party and we would LOVE for you to stop by and link this up! http://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.blogspot.com/2012/02/kitchen-fun-and-crafty-friday-link.html
Thanks! I linked up the musical cupcakes; thanks for the invite.
What a clever idea for the music notes. Sweet cupcakes. If you want another place to add to your linky list, I would love for you to strut your stuff at Bacon Time’s Fri-Monday anything goes linky.
These are so wonderful!!They give some festive & exciting feeling with music notes…Thanks a lot for linking with Midweek Fiesta….
I am a huge music fan. These are great! I’m honored to be a part of your links! Thanks for linking to Foodie Friday! New linky follower too! Not Your Ordinary Agent
Not Your Ordinary Recipes
Hi There!
I’d love it if you come to my blog and enter this in my linky party, called A Themed Baker’s Sundy where the theme is Cupcakes!
Hope to see you there!
Cupcake Apothecary
http://cupcakeapothecary.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much for linking up these adorable cupcakes this week. I will be featuring them on my new post going live Monday Morn. Be sure to stop by & link up some new projects!!
Darling!!! I TOTALLY love this and so would my kids! Thanks for sharing at my party! XO, Aimee
I love every single thing about these cupcakes! wow…thank you for the recipe and instructions!!
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
I’m glad that you like them & I hope that you get a chance to try them out
Your awesome cupcakes are featured today at Mrs Foxs Sweet Party
I cant wait to see what you share next!
Congrats! You were featured on A Themed Baker’s Sunday! Hope to see you there this next week for our new theme: Cakes!
Cupcake Apothecary
Cupcakeapothecary.blospot.com
How exciting; thanks you so much!