Diamond Anniversary Cupcakes

On this day 60 years ago, my grandparents Ewen & Betty were celebrated their wedding day. Today we celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary with a party at their church hall with 60 friends and relatives.

Betty & Ewen 15th September 1951

We had a great day and I think Nan & Pa are exhausted tonight, but thrilled that they have been able to enjoy such a fantastic milestone. 

Pa, Anna, Nan & Lucinda

For those of you familiar with my blog - yes that is the Back to the Future dress you can see being worn by Anna!


My contribution to the party was the cake, or should I say cakes - I made 60 cupcakes and one small cake to sit on top of the tower to be cut by the 'Bride & Groom'.


I went for simple vanilla cupcakes today. When catering for large numbers you need a recipe that is quick and easy so I use this one - just throw all the ingredients in your electric mixer and turn it on. Cake batter done.


Vanilla Cupcakes (makes 24)
250g (9oz) softened unsalted butter 
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
5 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence


Put all ingredents in your electric mixer and mix at a medium speed for 8 minutes or until thick and pale.


When dividing the batter into the cupcake tin, I find using a snap lock bag the simplest and quickest way. Here's how I do it:

Place a large snap lock bag in a tall cup or glass. Use you spatula and fill with cake mixture. Snip off one corner of the bag and use like a piping bag to fill each cupcake paper.

Bake the cakes at 180C (350F) for 15-20 minutes or golden brown and the cakes spring back when touched.

For today's cakes I went for a simple colour scheme of white and silver. I decorated the cupcakes in two ways. The first, I piped a simple swirl on top and decorated with small silver cachous and a fondant butterfly I made using a butterfly shaped punch. Here's how they came out:

Pretty huh?

The second one was the icing spread over the cupcake evenly, then edged with the silver cachous and finished with a topper made with some diamond patterned card punched using a craft punch.

They call came together on a pretty perspex stand that I hired from my local cake decorating store.

The top cake was a dense chocolate cake  - a dense cake works better when using fondant (ready to roll) icing. I made a topper using Nan & Pa's wedding photo and edged the cake with the diamond print paper I found in the scrap booking section of my local craft store.

I called in a favour from the school I teach at (although I am currently on mat leave) and the textiles department kindly lent me a dress makers mannequin and we were able to display Nan's wedding dress - still in fantastic condition after 60 years.

Congratulations Nan & Pa, I hope you had a great day!