CHOCOLATE DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES
For 36 medium-sized cupcakes:

* 3/4 cup boiling water
* 3/4 cup cocoa powder
* 6 ounces butter
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 teaspoon fine salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 eggs
* 2-1/2 cups cake flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together boiling water and cocoa. Cover and set aside. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add this mixture, alternately with the buttermilk. Add cocoa and water mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop into cupcake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Let cool completely before decorating. Dip tops of cooled cupcakes in the warm ganache and let set. Pipe more ganache on top for decoration. To fill, put butter cream in a pastry bag with a small round tip. Stick tip into the center of each cupcake and pipe in filling. Be careful not to pipe too much or you will break the cupcake. Serve.

Ganache:
8 ounces chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Chop chocolate and place in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Bring cream and sugar just to a boil in a small saucepan and then pour over chocolate. Whisk together and then stir in butter until melted.

Violet Butter-cream:

4 ounces egg whites
6 ounces sugar
8 ounces butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon violet essence
Violet food coloring

Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a stainless steel bowl. Place bowl in a water bath set over low heat. Whisk occasionally until sugar is dissolved and mixture is very warm, about 150 degrees F. Remove from water bath and whip with a hand-held mixer on high speed until stiff peaks. Lower speed and add the butter in small pieces. Add vanilla and violet essence and mix until smooth. Add violet color, 1 drop at a time, until desired shade is reached. Use to fill cupcakes as directed above.
References :
Show: Food Network Challenge Episode: Challenge: Cupcake

Go to a smart and final or industrial kitchen supply, why? Well target and walmart is nice and cheap but that's the problem, there pans are nice and cheap.

Make them color or item themed with the brides taste in mind, after all we know its really her big day not the guys..

Frosting hmm.. do Alton's recipe don't skimp on margarine use butter and follow the recipe!!!

and here is Alton Browns take on it!!! Its Awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ4sJ-4WguU
References :
Alton brown and myself

If you are doing your own may I recomend that you make chocolate cupcakes and you can add the frosting in any color. Chocolate is ususally more moist and decadent IMO.

I make all my desserts from scratch. Here is a couple of recipes. Try them out in a small amount before you make a huge batch.

Good luck!

Chocolate cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Make the cake mix by combining the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Using an electric mixer or a food processor, blend in the shortening until no lumps remain. (Using the mixer on this makes a dusty cocoa mess, so I prefer the food processor!) This is the dry cake mix part, and you can store it in an air-tight container for several months.

Finish making the cake by adding the water, oil, and eggs to the cake mix in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until moistened, and then beat on medium for about 2 minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured pans (one 9×13-inch pan, two 9-inch round cake pans, or cupcakes) and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cookeed properly.

Vanilla cupcakes:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/VanillaCupcakes.html

I like the recipe above.

And finally frosting is quite simple. Mix "\:
1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.
In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes. Frost the cake of your choice
References :