Are you getting married and planning your wedding? One of the questions that you will want to ask yourself is about your wedding cake? There are so many options available from traditional wedding cakes, cupcakes or no cake at all. The trend in wedding cakes at the present time is the stacked like a pyramid cupcake wedding cake. How many delicious flavours, colours and combinations can you come up with or can your caterer? Why not have a whole range of flavours: Simple vanilla/yellow/white cake, but frosted with Nutella , Strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese, Black Forest, Oreo cupcakes, Mocha Caramel, Black Sesame cupcakes, Ginger cupcakes with lime icing or Lemon cupcakes with lemon icing and filled with blackberry butter cream. These cupcakes will make a statement with your guests and they will have fun figuring out the varieties. Perhaps you want to package one or two of the varieties for guests to take home, I would recommend the Black Sesame or the Vanilla with a flavoured powdered sugar dusting- you do not want to pack up anything that will require refrigeration. Remember to keep the cupcake stack refrigerated and bring it out just before serving. This will ensure that the cupcakes are kept cold and are considered food safe for your guests to consume.

Black Sesame Cupcakes

1 1/2 sticks (170 g) salted butter

1 1/2 cups (340 g) sugar

3 tablespoons black sesame paste

1/4 cup (35 g) black sesame seeds- toast and grind fine

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 cups (310 g) flour, sifted

1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl add the sesame paste, seeds, eggs and vanilla beat until combined. Beat in the dry ingredients, the milk beat for a couple minutes. Fill cupcake tin and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. For Matcha-Cream Cheese Frosting go to the First Services Hospitality website blog.