Cheese and Mini Cupcakes

In the past few days I’ve had two of the most exciting conversations so far about the wedding, all about cheese and cupcakes.

Remember a while back when we were trying to decide what to do about wedding cake? And we were going back and forth between doing a yummy yummy cupcake tower (which would be convenient because it would require no additional plates or forks to serve):

or a wedding cake out of cheese wheels (to go all European and have our last course be fruit and cheese, rather than cake):

We’ve decided to compromise and do both! So I chatted with my good friend Laura (aka PastryGirl), who in addition to being a wicked professional stage manager is also the former pastry chef at Higgins and SouthPark. She’s working on some ideas for savory and herbaceous cakes and is going to create some mini cupcake versions of them for the wedding.

Right now we’re talking about a sage cupcake with a marionberry buttercream, a cardamom spice cake (maybe with a crystallized ginger flecked icing of some kind?) and a simple vanilla cupcake with something citrusy on top. And maybe some thyme. She’ll make them all mini so that you’ll have the chance to sample a couple of different kinds.

Debi (Morgan’s mom) was gifted an amazing 4 tray antique brass serving tower (basicly a perfect cupcake tower) that she is passing along to us. We spent last weekend with the brass polish getting it all shined up and ready to…well… shine.

But, I couldn’t let go of the idea of a wedding cake built out of wheels of cheese (and the idea of having a cheese course in general). I mean, think about it- cheese wheels are just exactly the perfect shape to stack on each other for a wedding cake. Plus, if you know me, you know I’m a massive cheese freak. I have yet to resist a restaurant’s cheese plate (and I particularly recommend the plates at Ten01 and Urban Farmer- Ten01 is really good cheese that’s very well priced on the happy hour menu, and Urban Farmer has a whole cheese cart run by Morgan’s friend Amanda, which I’ll get to in a second).

So, Amanda. Morgan and I had been to an industry wine tasting a few months back where we ran into Amanda, who used to work with Morgan at Bluehour. Turns out Amanda is the official cheesemonger for Bluehour and for Urban Farmer. She’s got great cheese connections. When we told her our idea for a cheese wedding cake she got super excited. We played phone tag for a while trying to get something to gel, and I started to worry that she might just be too busy to help us out.

but no- got a call from her yesterday with her cheese recommends, which are:

1. Bottom round: Morbier

This is a raw cow’s milk cheese that has a line of ash running through the cheese (totally edible ash). Originally this line of ash would separate and protect the curds of the morning milking until the curds of the evening milking could be brought in and placed on top of the bottom layer. “Morbier,” according to a cheese site I found, “has a pleasantly pliant texture and a rich farmy flavor.” I think it also has a nice hint of green flavor- like the smell of fresh mowed grass but super subtle.

2. Middle Round: A Cablanca. This is a dutch fresh goat’s milk gouda described by its maker as having “a delicate, citrus tanginess and firm but creamy texture.”

3. Top round: A Cambozola. A mixture of creamy triple-creme style
Camembert and italian Gorgonzola, this one combines the moist, rich creaminess of Camembert with the sharpness of blue Gorgonzola. So think of it as a super mild, creamy blue or a triple creme with a bit of a kick. (for the uninitiated, triple creme is brie-like in texture, but often milder in flavor that your grocery store brie).

If any of these sound a little intimidating, don’t worry- we’ll be serving two cheese plates to each table on these adorable cut glass (of course) luncheon plates and letting you choose which cheeses to try and which to pass on.

Left to do for the dessert course: Find the perfect cake topper (or maybe make one?) and go to sauvie to pick fresh berries to serve with the cheese. mmmm berries.

Cheese Round Wedding cake?

First, I have to tell you that I have officially found my wedding doppelganger. We don’t look anything alike, and she lives in London, but seriously: Peacock themed wedding, peonies from a local peony farm, and now, get this, Cheese Round wedding cake!!

Morgan and I have been joking about the idea of forgoing traditional cake in favor of a series of stacked yummy cheese rounds (because I am completely cheese obsessed, and because there’s something so elegant and pre-fixe about the idea of ending the meal with cheese, wine and fruit rather than sweet crumbly cake). And yes, I was mostly joking about it.

Although, the thought of doing a nice sauvingon blanc reduction to drizzle over a slice of ash streaked Morbier, with some nuts and a few fruit compotes really does sound utterly….delicious….

Still. Just a joke. Right?