Today was Z’s 1st Birthday Party! It was a group effort – I baked, MZ designed, organised, invited and created all the gifts, BSA Quality Controled and Julia arranged the flowers (arent they gorgeous?!). We are all full on exhausted. But it was so much fun! We made a lasting memory for Z – which is what birthdays should be about – memory, friends, and wonderful times together.
This was the birthday table… loaded with pink heart cookies, glittering pink flower cupcakes, a spinach and artichoke dip, tea sandwiches and a bottle for Z! All, of course, in a girly pink and lace colours. Very pretty.
It all looked really pretty, and tasted good too…
The cupcakes were lovely – fluffy and imbued with vanilla. It really makes a difference when you add real vanilla bean to a recipe. The tiny flecks of vanilla seed were gorgeous, and the vanilla frosting was tinted pink, with India Tree natural food colours. The decorations were all natural – and gorgeous!
For the children, we had a red chili pinata filled with candy… And a cupcake station. We had frosted but undecorated cupcakes…
And a cupcake tin filled with edible glitter and sparkles and hearts and stars
There were a lot of busy bees making beautiful creations!
The Birthday Cake was quite insanely pink. I think this was about 15,000 smushed fairies worth of pink and glitter. (Photo courtesy of PFW)
The cake itself was a buttermilk chocolate cake – lovely and fluffy. But it was the frosting (despite its liberal covering of glitter and sparkles and roses and pearls) that was absolutely awesome. It was made with a full pound of Callebaut white chocolate, and it was unspeakably good. I adapted it from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. When soft, this icing is very very billowy and smooth… it has a satiny feel to it. Gorgeously lush like silk against the skin. But in the fridge, it firms up a lot, which is great on a hot day. It enabled us to serve and cut the cake without worrying about frosting melting everywhere…
Pink White Chocolate Icing
- 1 lb best quality white chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste if you have it
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- A few drops natural red food dye (I used India Tree)
Melt the white chocolate. You can do this in the microwave by placing the chopped chocolate in a microwave proof dish, and running for about 45 seconds, stopping every 15 seconds or so to mix the chocolate with a spoon. Stop when almost all the chocolate is melted, and just stir – the rest will melt easily. If you dont have a microwave, melt the chocolate very gently over the stove top using a double boiler if you can, but if not, in a small pot over very very low heat. Stir often, and take the chocolate off the heat before it completely melts. Set saide.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and salt and turn the heat up to medium. Stir the mixture until the sugar completely melts and everything is incorporated. You will have a wonderful caramel.
In a medium bowl that will fit into a larger bowl, pour in the heavy cream. Add all the white chocolate and the butter mixture, and stir well. Add the food colouring, one drop at a time, until it is of your desired pinkness!
As soon as the colour is to your liking, pop the bowl into a larger bowl that you have filled with ice and water. Stir the mixture well, and leave to cool down for at least 30 minutes in its ice bath. You may want to check on it after 10 minutes or so and refresh the ice.
What will happen is that the frosting will start to stiffen up. You dont want it completely hard, so take it out of its icebath if it starts to get very firm.
Using an electric blender, whisk the frosting until it is light and fluffy. Use immediately, or store in the fridge. If it firms up again, whisk until it is of the desired consistency.
Let your most beloved ones lick the bowl 😉
delectable 
Oooh smushed fairies!! The cake and frosting sound just divine Aunty P!! Think I might have to order something from you for November!
For you my dear, just tell me what you want 😉 Will bring some India Tree colouring and white chocolate back home…
Loving Our Aunty P from over here too! XOXOX
That is a beautiful tableful of treats. The cupcakes are stunning and that blushing pink frosting is exactly the hue we love about the natural dyes. Thank you for baking and for blogging about it. We’re honored to have been part of your celebration.
–India Tree
Thank you Liz! I was deeply impressed by India Tree food colouring. It was absolutely perfect – it was the natural pink we wanted – neither my sister nor I are into neon colours! The cupcakes and the cookies had the same hue as the beautiful flowers on the table 🙂 We used India Tree for all the decorating! Thanks, Pia
hi looks like u did a great job, does ur white choc frosting set hard ????….thanx
Nope not really. It will go hard if you put it in the fridge, but it is kind of soft and fluffy.