Royal Wedding Peach Moscato Cupcakes

In honor of the Royal Wedding, I decided to try making some cupcakes from scratch based on a recipe recently posted by "Cupcake Kelly" on her "An American Cupcake in London" blog. Because Will and Kate will have a variation of fruit cake at their wedding reception, she decided to make a version of fruit cake that is probably a bit more tolerable -- Bubbly Peach Cupcakes. The cake is made with champagne and also includes fresh peach chunks that sink to the bottom of the cupcake when baked.

Naturally, I decided to do some tweaking to the recipe and substituted moscato for champagne. I've never been that fond of champagne (and I've tried some really disgusting champagne cakes when I was cake-testing), so I decided to use moscato, a sweet dessert wine. I purchased a bottle of Angioletta Moscato from Hy-Vee. When I got home, I realized I had accidently purchased regular moscato instead of moscato d'Asti. I decided to still use my selection, but the sparkling qualities of d'Asti may have produced a slightly different taste.

Peach Moscato Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla (peach flavoring also optional)

1/2 cup moscato or moscato d'Asti

1 cup diced peaches

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line muffin tray with paper liners. In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed mix cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating until combined. Add in the vanilla and peach flavoring (if using).

3. Add the flour mixture in two batches alternating with the moscato until all incorporated. Fold in the chopped peaches.

4. Fill each cup three quarters full and bake for 25 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes 16 cupcakes

For frosting, I used my grandmother's signature vanilla frosting recipe -- it's a family secret! Visit Kelly's blog to see her frosting recipe that included champagne.

It's Officially Royal Wedding Week!

So, in case you haven't heard, the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place just a week from today. Thus, it is officially Royal Wedding Week.

For years, I have been fascinated by the British royal family. Perhaps I just like to watch Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in his role as King Henry VIII on Showtime's The Tudors (he is quite magnificent). I prefer to read about the history of the royal family and its most infamous leaders of the past. Today, it seems, especially after the untimely death of Princess Diana, the British royal family has become stagnant, remnants of grander years when royalty still controlled kingdoms (before the elections of prime ministers). I wonder if Kate's induction into the royal family will changes things...

However, I'm sure I will watch at least a portion of Will and Kate's nuptials next Friday. After all, can anyone really avoid it? In any case, I will enjoy watching such a grand spectacle and will probably be particularly interested in the fashions. Sadly, I'm kind of excited to see what Kate decides to wear down the aisle. She has been a little risque in the past, but she will certainly set the trends for bridal fashions this fall.

Middleton (in Issa) at the Boodles Boxing Ball in 2008



Middleton (in Issa) at a children's charity auction in London during 2009



So, how will you celebrate (or ignore) the union of Will and Kate? Be sure to cast your vote on my poll in the upper-right corner!



Flower Girl?

My cousin Anja as my sister's flower girl

Everyone has looked down the aisle at the beginning of a ceremony to see a beautiful little girl throwing flower petals down the aisle as she approaches the front (or at least we have witnessed an attempt, usually followed by a parent holding their hand after they've stopped in the middle of aisle). So, why a flower girl? What's the significance?

The flower girl represents innocence and purity, and precedes the bride down the aisle by dropping flower petals that represent fertility. In some cultures, it is customary that children are the only attendants to the bride. Royal weddings, for example, often feature multiple flower girls. The modern flower girl emerged under the reign of Queen Victoria.

Flower girls attending Princess Diana

So far, Alex and I have decided not to include a flower girl or ring bearer in our ceremony. It's a cute tradition, but we don't like being faced with the task of having to choose from our various relatives. However, the aisle will still be lined with flower petals. Throughout the time Alex and I have dated, I have dried and saved every bouquet of flowers he has ever given me. The petals along the aisle will be the petals from these bouquets. As we both walk down the aisle, we will be reminded of each one of those special moments.