On Sunday, our friends Jim and Colleen celebrated the baptism of their daughter McKenna. When Jim requested some "I can't believe it's not a Hostess!" cupcakes for the lunch following the baptism, I was honored to be able to contribute to the occasion. However, when Jim suggested that I decorate the cupcakes with doves, I was a bit hesitant. I could only imagine the horrors that would result if I tried to draw doves freehand. I cannot draw worth a damn with a pen or pencil, much less a frosting tip and bag.On the recommendation of my friend Patsy, I visited the cake decorating shop Little Bitts in Wheaton (11246 Triangle Lane, Wheaton, MD, 301-933-2733). I called ahead and the woman who answered the phone assured me that they had plenty of Christian-themed decorations that would fit the bill. When I went to the store in person, it did not disappoint. Little Bitts only sells cake and baking supplies and decorations (frosting colors, sugars and sprinkles in every shape and color, boxes, cake circles, cupcake liners, birthday candles, and the like). It's really quite an amazing place. They have so many varieties of sugar decorations that many of them are not even out on display, but kept in labeled boxes stacked on high shelves that are accessible by the store staff if they pull out a stepladder. I asked to see the boxes labeled, "Doves - large," "Doves - small," and "Christian Assortment."
The assortment included a book, cross, lamb, dove, lily, and fish. The small doves were very tiny and pure white, without much detail. The large doves included the nice details of a painted-on eye and bright pink beak. They were sold in pairs (facing opposite directions) for 60 cents a pair and I thought they would be the perfect size for the cupcakes. I bought my doves and went home to bake.
I usually overfill these cupcakes with cream filling, to the point where it bursts through the top of the cupcake (I just frost it over, so the cupcakes still look nice when they're served). But I wanted to keep the tops of these cupcakes flat, so that the dove would lie flush and it would be easier to write on the cupcakes. I didn't put in very much filling, and I (and other people who have previously eaten these cupcakes) could definitely tell the difference.Originally, I had envisioned piping out a ribbon reading "McKenna" that the dove would be carrying in its mouth. I quickly abandoned this idea after trying it out; there simply wasn't enough room on the cupcake for the ribbon and I would not be able to write McKenna's name small enough to make it work anyway. I decided to just write McKenna's name underneath the doves instead, using some leftover marshmallow cream filling that I dyed pink. The sugar decorations might have been a shortcut, but I was very pleased with the end result!
Recipe: "Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Filling," from Food & Wine, November 2002.
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