[dianaeggplant]

So I have a few concerns about baking 300 cupcakes for my friend's wedding:

1. How do I freeze and how early can I store the undecorated cupcakes until the wedding?

2. Does anyone have a tasty recipe for Red Velvet Cake that can make 300 cupcakes?

3. How do I transport 300 cupcakes?

4. Any ideas on how to make a cupcake tree out of cardboard?

[Vera Bradley]

3. Single layers in multiple boxes (with lids).

4. Making a tiered cupcake stand: You can use cardboard cake circles (plan on joining/wrapping two or three cake circles for each tier, depending upon how sturdy your circles are), then cut and assemble your own dividers. See picture here for simple divider style. You could use inexpensive glasses secured to the circles with a glue gun. I've used a large acrylic hatbox from Container Store as my base, covered with tulle and ribbon.

Martha Stewart does this cupcake stand with styrofoam and boards.

Or you could order a large cupcake stand that will hold the 300 cupcakes from cupcaketree.com and decorate it to theme. That is what I would do.

[momoreg]

If you can, bake the cupcakes within 24 hours of serving them. It makes a huge difference. I pack mine in a single layer, as Vera Bradley mentioned.

[jessiquina]

do you think you are in over your head? ??

i'd say a cupcake has a 3 day shelf life. (eaten on the third day)
think of it as baking 150 the first day, 150 the next day and icing and decorating them the day of ? or the night before maybe .

i'd recommend using a box mix (they wont dry out like a scratch cake, thats why i'd give it a 3 day shelf life). you can add other ingredients to make it taste homemade- look for the Cake Mix DR. books. Its cheap, and if you use homemade frosting, it will taste awesome.

good luck!

[Sadie1]

OK..You can freeze cupcakes, undecorated for several weeks, if you freeze them in a single layer, then store as airtight as possible. I use bins in my freezer I find at stores like Target and Walmat. They are plastic with seal tight lids, I think they are called something like "store and lock". The lid has a plastic ring around it, with a "flap" on each of the four sides that lock into place. I do have trouble finding big ones. You can freeze them for several hours or over night uncovered, then stack them, with parchment inbetween, in the boxes. I think you have plenty of ideas for cake stands. As for a red velvet cupcakes, the one in "The Cake Doctor Cupcakes" is a favorite of mine. I have changed the basic mix around for use in many other cakes. My clients think they are the moistest cupcakes they've had, and with all the add ins no one suspects it starts with a mix as a base. Transportation is always a problem with cupcakes. If you have the time and budget, there is a box company called "Big River Boxes" (google them). The sell boxes and cupcake inserts that I use. They are the only company that I have found (although I admit after I found them, I loved them so much I quit looking!) that have the inserts. They are not too expensive, although if this is a one time thing for you, the additional $100 or so (boxes+inserts) would probably not be cost effective. The shipping is free and fast. I hope that helps you some!!

[jfield]

Since most folks answered your other questions, I offer a red velvet cupcake recipe. Unless you have access to a huge commercial mixer, you'll have to make your batter in "home" quantities. You actually don't even need a mixer for this recipe, though. Using oil instead of butter keeps these very moist. Since butter is a solid at room temp and hard as a rock out of the fridge, using butter as your fat will give you a drier mouth feel than using a fat that is liquid at room temp and (mostly) in the fridge.

5 c. AP flour (I weigh flour at 4 oz per cup)
2 c. buttermilk
3 c. sugar
3 c. neutral cooking oil
2 t. baking soda
2 t vinegar
4 T cocoa powder
1 oz. liquid red food color
2 t vanilla
2 t. salt
8 oz. whole egg (5-6 eggs, depending on size)

cream sugar, oil, salt
add eggs, 1 at a time, and food coloring
sift dry together
alternate dry and buttermilk, beginning/ending with dry
add vinegar and vanilla
BO 350 F until done

to make a ton of cream cheese frosting (I am just guessing, since it is usually paired with red velvet cake:

4 pounds butter, cool room temp
4 pounds cream cheese, cool room temp
6 pounds 10X sugar
to taste:
vanilla
salt (necessary)
lemon juice
orange zest

Yum.

Best of luck with the wedding. Them's a whole bunch o' cupcakes

[1dessertdiva]

Hi, if you decide to go with a cupcake tower from cupcake tree, be sure to re-inforce the bottom with something other than the cardboard they supply you with. I purchased 3 towers, I used 2 for a prom where I provided 600 cupcakes, the bottom began bowing after I put the cupcakes on. Luckily we caught it in time and placed plastic cups upside down under the towers and it turned out all right. Also if you buy these you may want to cover with decorators foil (looks nicer & keeps longer). If you want to see a picture of how they looked check www.weddingwire.com look under cakes or caterers for 97304 zip code, it is in my portfolio. Also, I decorated the cupcakes when I got to the site, it took about 45 minutes for 600, I had everything in pastry bags with tips and back-up when I got there, I was doing the cater too so I had to be quick. If you need help let me know.
Take care

[zcakes]

I agree that you can totally freeze the undecorated cup cakes. Then you can take full sheet cake boards and glue the cupcakes down with a little squeeze of butter cream. Then you can decorate them all on the board and then box. Good luck!