My First Tasting Went Beachy

An old coworker and friend of mine, Laura, informed me that she is getting married and was hoping I would do cupcakes for her bridal shower.  Who am I to disappoint??  ; )  When I asked her, she told me the theme of her wedding is going to have a beach vibe with awesome summery colors.  Immediately, the gears started turning.  Once I got the flavors settled, I called her up and asked her to come over for a tasting to see what she thought.

Laura told me that one of her favorite flavors was Key Lime Pie.  So, my first cupcake creation was what I call "Toes in the Sand"... I know, I normally avoid naming ANY type of food using body parts, but the first image that came to me when I tried this creation was sitting on a long crescent beach with my toes in the sand.  I can't always help what my mind throws at me, so it kinda stuck.

"Toes in the Sand" is a citrus flavored cake with a key lime filling.  It's then topped with coconut frosting and sprinkled with graham cracker sand.

The next cupcake I came up with was "Sex on the Beach."  It's a tribute to the ageless cocktail bearing the same name, obviously.  I started with a peach cake and mixed cranberries into the mix for a nice change in texture and mini bursts of tartness.  I then topped the cupcake in an orange-pineapple frosting and garnished with that a drink umbrella, of course.

The third cupcake was "Bahama Beauty" since it was so tropical that only an island lady could concoct such a melding of flavors.  I sooo wish that was me!  It's a mango-pineapple cake topped with a coconut-kiwi frosting.  I garnished with toasted coconut for a little crunch in texture.

Laura's reaction of "OMG!" and the fact that she asked to take some home was more than enough compliment for me  : )  I can't wait for the shower!!