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