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.

cupcake pan

Giant Cupcake Pan Invading Homes Across America?

By Phillip Fought

This is an emergency message from the Culinary Warning System! If you have children in your home, you may be at risk of being invaded by the Giant Cupcake Cake Pan. This pan has been known to follow mothers home after appearing cute and adorable in kitchen stores across America

The suspect goes by the name of Giant Cupcake Cake pan by Wilton. It has been known to use the alias Dimensions® Large Cupcake Pan.

What are we to do with this thing? First let's start with the basics.

As an avid baker, I am always looking for new ways to remove the boring cake from my repertoire.

This pan is among the cast aluminum line. In general, I love these types of pans. I have some cast aluminum pans for baking cakes, pound cakes, and quick breads. The most popular are by Nordicware.

In this case, Wilton has created a whimsical shape that is very unique. It of course looks like a large cupcake. It is tapered at the top and somewhat tapered toward the bottom. It is split into two halves - allowing for even baking throughout and for easy construction after it finishes baking. The top half is spiraled - this allows for easy decorating. As you see in the photos available the level of decorating is limited only by your imagination.

The pan performs about as one would expect. The volume amounts are variable. I have seen 10 cups and 6 ½ cups listed on a couple of web sites. The 10 cups is total volume possible and the 6-½ cup is the practical amount to be poured into the pan. This allows for room to rise.

Don't believe the hype about the nonstick surface making for easy release. Use butter and flour or a spray like Baker's Joy inside. With these detail design pans, cakes want to stick in the groves. You must use something to ease extraction.

The depth of the pan at 3 ¾ inches will affect the baking time. While this isn't an outrageous depth, it is larger than normal and requires a "low and slow" approach.

In this case one bakes at 325F for 60 to 70 minutes. It is necessary to adhere to this approach or risk a cake over baked on the outside and under baked on the inside (giant lava cake anyone?).

One method of preparation is to split the batter and cook the whole thing for the same length of time. Some have said they put the batter in the "bottom" half first, bake for about 10 minutes or so and then pour the remaining batter in the "top" half and continue baking until done. Their desire was to even out the cooking process. The "top" half does narrow down at the point and could bake too fast. The results with the split method were good, so try both ways and see which works best for you.

After baking, allow the two halves to cool completely before decorating. To decorate, place the bottom piece small side down and top with your icing of choice. Next, place the top half on and then proceed to decorate as your imagination dictates.

The finished product was indeed attractive, surprisingly so. It was not as big as I had visualized, but nevertheless nice. The "cupcake" will be 7-1/4" wide by 7-1/2" tall when you finish.

As to the initial thought that this would be great for young kids, I don't think so. Why? Well, this is why they invented cupcakes in the first place: to give each child a small manageable serving without the hassle of slicing the cake and serving small children something that requires forks to eat. This cake tapers from the middle at both top and bottom and would not make for easy slicing to serve to small children. Regular cupcakes also allow for more diverse decorating possibilities where children can choose from different colored frostings and sprinkles. It also allows for small hands to help decorate. And again regular cupcakes are truly finger friendly food.

This pan would be great for small groups of friends and family where you don't want a full size cake. It would also make a great centerpiece, surrounded by traditional cupcakes - regular or mini - size doesn't matter. Surrounding the large cake size cupcake with concentric circles of smaller cupcakes would make for a cool visual.

You can, of course, do whatever you want.

How does it taste? This will be determined by the type of cake recipe used and how well the cake was baked.

Ultimately, I was skeptical of this pan, at first. I was convinced it was just a gimmick that would fade out of sight quickly as I am always this way with limited use, whimsically shaped pans. In the end, I think it could provide years of good use for children's birthdays and other functions.

One additional thought is that due to its unusually long shape it could be challenging to store this pan, but if storage space is not an issue for you then buy and use it with joy.

It retails for anywhere from $27 to $32.

To see photos, ask questions or to purchase, please visit my website at www.kitchenboy.net

birthday cupcake

Birthday Cake Fears Assuaged with Cupcakes

By Sara Mercer

"I want Elmo's eye!"

"Can I have the other one?"

"I want an eye, too!"

Sound familiar? I promise, it is not a Sesame Street cannibal picnic, it is just a birthday party, full of five and six year-olds. Cutting the cake seems to be the hardest part of any party, and of course it has to happen after all the kids are gathered together and have been staring at the cake for the duration of singing "Happy Birthday." Why does tradition do this to us?

I remember having a Muppet Babies cake in 1st grade, and of course, I wanted my piece to have Kermit's face on it. He was located in the center of the cake. Why do we put ourselves in this position? Wouldn't cupcakes be easier? No longer do cupcakes have to be boring with just sprinkles. Here are three ideas to help you throw a themed party for your child without the headache of a cake-cutting ceremony.

Sports Cupcakes

The idea is to make a football or soccer field, complete with players, out of cupcakes. After decorating your cupcakes with white icing, spray with a green food coloring spray (like Wilton's Color Mist). You can also color the icing green with regular coloring, if you prefer. On top of each cupcake, place a pick with a sports team member on it. Arrange the cupcakes to make a field, and on each end set up goals made from pipe cleaners.

Cupcake Kits

These come in different themes, from Superman to CareBears. Included in these kits are the picks to decorate the cupcakes with, as well as a cardboard display stand for the cupcakes to sit on. This is nice because it offers a colorful display with fairly little work.

Cupcake Tree

Also known as a dessert stand, this is a great item to have in your cabinet for various occasions. They come in at least three different sizes, with 3-5 tiers. Decorate the cupcakes for any theme, and all you have to do is arrange them in the stand. Another easy idea is to use pudding cups, whether you use store bought or make your own, topped with whipped cream. Pull out the stand at any party and fill some clear plastic punch cups with nuts, mints, and colorful candy for a useful decorations on your buffet or snack table.

Cupcakes are a great way to cut down on stress during a hectic birthday party. No cutting, no "I wants," and, most importantly, quicker distribution, so your kids can "Party On!"

cupcake stand

Get a Cupcake Stand For Your Next Party
By Jon McQuade

Have you ever made cupcakes for a party or event and had really no place to put those delicious little cakes of heaven. Most people place them on normal plate and set them on the table with all the other food and treats, but there's one problem with that you can only fit so many on a plate and you constantly replenishing the plate because those delicious cupcakes are just so popular. Would you love to find a solution for that so you can occupy your precious time on something else during your party? Here is the perfect solution and bet you never thought of it or even new they existed, the cupcake stand. Cupcake stands come in many different shapes and sizes to pretty much suit and type of party or venue you may choose those to have.

Birthday parties are just not complete without dozens of those wonderfully decorated and delicious cupcakes covered in all sorts of frostings. Why not let your cupcakes stand out in the party and join them with a cupcake stand. There are many styles and sizes of cupcake stands, if you want one for just a half a dozen cupcakes or one for 30 to 40. Cupcake stands work perfect for your party, they make it easy for the kids to grab, there easy to setup and put cupcakes in. the best of all cupcake stands make your party look good.

Birthday parties are not the only event for a cupcake stand, nor is it the only place to enjoy cupcakes. Those wonderful little treats find themselves everywhere form bakeries to baby showers. Talking about baby shower there's a good Idea! Cupcake stands are very popular at baby showers. You have to advertise the Pink or the Blue at the party and what a better way than with a large cupcake stand filled with pink or blue cupcakes.

Many cake designers love to work with cupcake stands because they make for such great decorating ideas for Weddings. You can have 3 to 4 tiers of very decorated cupcakes to extenuate a beautiful cake on the top. This design is use a lot a weddings and has come to be a pretty good suit for designers also.

By now you're probably coming up with all these wonderful ideas for your next party or event. You will find cupcake stands designed for just about any need you have and sometimes there pretty easy to make. They usually come to fit 8,12,24,30 cupcakes and fit more on the bottom then tier up to fit one on the top. Some are designed with little pockets to drop the cupcake in and others have circular shelves. Witch ever you choose makes sure to pick the right shape and size for the situation your having and don't forget to make as many cupcakes and possible because you don't want to buy a cupcake stand that holds 38 cupcakes and you only make 20 that would look pretty funny. And remember anytime you advertise your cupcakes on a cupcake stand they don't last long. So make as many as you can.