cupcake decorating

How to Decorate Your Cupcakes to Look Fancy

By Brad Younger

With the many cupcake frosting ideas around, it may leave you wondering who suddenly instituted a cupcake frosting competition all over the internet. And indeed, their designs are so fascinating and they seem so easy to do that chances are, you can't wait to try them for yourself. Let see if we can cover some of the basics of How To Decorate Cupcakes.

While cupcake decorating seems easy, there is some art to it. You can't just pipe on random blobs on your beautifully-baked creations. This will ruin the cupcake's visual appeal and, chances are, guests would be more than happy to look away from a frosting disaster. To avoid it, just follow the simple tips below:

1. Run away with your theme. Are you preparing cupcakes for Christmas, Halloween, a birthday party, or even a formal event? Plan ahead about the colors you intend to use, and visualize a complete cupcake in your mind.
2. Master your tools. No soldier goes into battle without weapons. No painter faces a canvas without his or her materials. No writer sits down to face a blank sheet of paper without a pen. You get the picture. Make sure that you already have working knowledge of your cupcake decorating bags. Before attempting your first big cupcake event, practice, practice, practice. You should already know how much pressure you apply and the different pipe tips you have at your disposal to make some truly interesting designs.
3. Get creative. Maybe making animals from piped blobs of icing isn't really your forte. Work with what you already know, and 'cheat' a little by embellishing it with candies and other pre-made edible items to spice up your cupcake's appearance.
4. Know your choices. Are you looking to decorate cupcakes using frosting alone? What kind of candies should you stock up? A quick trip to the candy store and the supermarket will give you ideas about what to invest in and how much to spend.
5. Work with what you know. Perhaps it isn't really a good idea to copy an idea that would require masterful manipulation of cupcake decorating bags if you're known to be the clumsiest person in the kitchen. You can use fondant, which is arguably easier to control, and just sprinkle some candies on top.

These are just some of the tips that experts have picked after years and years of cupcake decorating. Cupcakes are excellent food suggestions for any occasion. This extremely versatile piece of pastry continues to dominate homes and bakeries because of its incredible versatility. Make one of your own today!

Read also our detail information about Cupcake recipe

cupcake ideas

Cupcake Decoration Ideas

By Lisa Paterson

Decorating cupcakes isn't near as difficult as it might seem. Truth be told, decorating an entire cake would seem more daunting than the diminutive cupcake. A little frosting, a little trinket, edible or otherwise, and you're on your way to some pretty nice desserts, with little effort on your part.

While cupcakes might not seem like the kind of cake one might have at a wedding, it actually makes more sense than one might think. An individual cake for individual guests makes everyone feel special and romantic, particularly if they are topped with roses, hearts or a combination of the both. Cupcakes topped with small flowers, ones matching the bride's bouquet, would not only be attractive but would lend themselves to guests who might not feel like eating their cake at the reception; smaller is more portable.

With so many occasions available for celebrating with cupcakes, decorating them can easily match the occasion. Some suggestions might be flowers for a shower, assorted fruits for a champagne brunch, candy for a child's party and a Super Bowl party can be enhanced by cupcakes decorated with little candy footballs or green icing field goals. A nice idea might be to ice the cupcakes in shades of green and white, forming them on a tray in the shape of a football field.

For brunch, cupcakes can be topped with various fruits, perhaps matching a fruit compote served with the meal. Alternating between slices of kiwi, strawberries and peaches is not only attractive but flavorful, blending nicely with the frosting and cake. Also, with fruit, instead of using the usual frosting, mix together a blend of whipped topping, vanilla pudding mix, milk and vanilla extract, makes for a light, fluffy frosting that will melt in their mouths.

Having a birthday party for one of the kids and at a loss for what to do? Plan a cupcake decorating activity, but prepare for the mess. You can either leave the cakes bare and let the kids do this, or pre-ice them and have various toppings laid out in bowls so the kids can pick and choose that which appeals to them. Candy hearts, chopped up candy bars (Butterfinger seems to be a favorite), M&M's, sprinkles and colored sugars are always favorites with the kids and they will have the pride in doing this themselves. Perhaps a "prize" for the prettiest cupcake, the funniest cupcake, the most colorful cupcake, would be a fun way to progress the party.

A favorite flavor with the young and old alike is always chocolate. Brownies are also a huge choice and whether you're decorating a brownie or a chocolate cake, dispensing with the frosting and still have an attractive snack cake is a breeze if you have powdered sugar and a stencil or two.

Putting the powdered sugar into a flour sifter, place the stencil atop a cupcake and sprinkle gently; paper doilies work extremely well for this and the ease in using this technique is appealing for busy moms.

No matter what you're planning, no matter the occasion or holiday, there is an easy way to decorate a cupcake to match. If it can fit on a cupcake and it's edible, go for it. If in doubt, candy is always the easiest solution. Don't restrict yourself to the common or usual choices; let your imagination wander as you stroll the aisles of the grocery store looking for toppings. You never know what might work!

Don’t forget to read our guide about cupcake recipe

chocolate cupcakes

Flour-Less Chocolate Cupcakes Devine

By Lynne Hayes

This collection of recipes has been tried and tested on many occasions; I have included a couple of BONUS recipes that are family favorites.

Like my BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe, a favourite with my kids on their birthdays and everyone else who tries it. I use and recommend GLAD Bake & Cooking Paper as it is the best I've used to stop the Best Ever Chocolate Cake sticking to the tins.

Cooks tips
1. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start
2. Use caster sugar for a finer texture cake, as it is absorbed by the butter and eggs more rapidly
3. Always use the type of flour specified in the recipe
4. Cook cakes in the center of the oven
5. If you cook more than one at a time place them on the same shelf being very careful not to let the tins touch each other, the sides or back of the oven and always reverse the positions of the cakes 1/2 way through cooking time
6. Always line tins with paddy cases, glad bake or use silicone bake ware
7. Never substitute ingredients as the results will be entirely different

Flour-less chocolate cupcakes 200 grams dark chocolate (good quality cooking) 2 eggs 90 grams butter 1/4 cup caster sugar 1 1/2 cups almond meal

1. Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl. Either place in microwave for 1 minute & stir OR sit over a saucepan of simmering water until melted. Cool slightly.
2. Beat sugar and eggs in a small bowl for 6 minutes, the mixture should be thick and pale.
3. Lightly fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the almond meal, then fold into the egg mixture
4. Spoon mixture into lined trays using an ice-cream scoop, fill to about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes then check with a fine skewer to see if cooked (inserted into cupcake, if it comes out clean then there perfect)
5. Remove from the trays straight away and cool on wire racks for at least 1/2 hour before icing. You can dust with icing sugar instead of icing these Cupcakes, or cook as one round cake.

wedding cupcake

Simply Yummy - The Wedding Cupcake

By Lynette Bell

If you are considering making your own wedding cake simplicity will be the key. The idea of using a wedding cupcake tier will have many benefits and the actual display doesn't have to feed your entire guest list. Try using a simple tiered rack with the remaining cupcakes in the kitchen to serve to guests.

Cupcakes make a great alternative to the traditional tiered cake. They can be made in a variety of flavors and arranged on a tiered rack or in a creative design on the cake table.

So what are the benefits of having wedding cupcakes?

• Less staff on hand as there is no need to cut the cake.
• No mess.
• Guests can choose their favorite flavor or decoration making it more personalized.
• Decorating disasters can easily be hidden.
• Simplicity - can be assembled at the last minute.
• Friends and family can help which will keep costs lower and add fun to the wedding preparations.

Wedding cupcakes don't have to be elaborate, just tasty. When decorating, consider using fresh flowers. Fresh flowers can be intertwined with the cupcakes. There are also many flowers that are edible and will make attractive cupcake decorations by simply painting them with beaten egg white and then dipping them in sugar. You will need to leave them to dry but you will find that these flowers will keep for many weeks in an airtight container so you don't need to do them all at the last minute. This will add some real class to the wedding cupcake display and you can bring in the colors of your wedding too.

The top tier could hold a small traditional fruit cake if you like. Or like many popular wedding cupcake ideas these days this could be a carrot cake, a sponge cake or chocolate cake. On the top of this cake you can have your traditional bride and groom figures or something a little different to match your particular hobbies. Perhaps you are racing fans. You could then use a matchbox car. Are you into fishing? Try a lure or a fishing bobber.

Over recent times the wedding cupcake has certainly made its way into the traditional wedding ceremony and is likely to stay around for many years to come.