Sentry Page Protection
11 Fun Cupcake Decorating Ideas - November 2012
So you’ve made a batch of cupcakes and you’re wondering what to do them. Or you’ve been commissioned to produce 12 beauties for the class birthday treat. Don’t panic, there are some great ideas for you right here.
Last month I shared some hints on baking the perfect cupcake. They are so easy to bake it really is no wonder they have become so popular.
Add a little icing and they become more than an average cupcake, they become a work of culinary art.
Fill ‘Em
Even though you can’t see the filling from the outside, adding a filling to a cupcake always adds that extra wow. Use a long round icing tip to inject icing, thick creams, jam, lemon butter or nut butters. Simply inject the tip into the middle of the cupcake at a 90 degree angle and fill until the tip starts to come out of the cupcake. Stop filling and remove the tip.
Last month I shared some hints on baking the perfect cupcake. They are so easy to bake it really is no wonder they have become so popular.
Add a little icing and they become more than an average cupcake, they become a work of culinary art.
Fill ‘Em
Even though you can’t see the filling from the outside, adding a filling to a cupcake always adds that extra wow. Use a long round icing tip to inject icing, thick creams, jam, lemon butter or nut butters. Simply inject the tip into the middle of the cupcake at a 90 degree angle and fill until the tip starts to come out of the cupcake. Stop filling and remove the tip.
Easy Icing Flowers
You don’t have to take advanced decorating courses to have some pretty looking flowers. These flowers are pretty easy make, using simple cake decorating nozzles. You can get cake decorating bags and nozzles or even complete sets and most homeware or kitchenware stores.
Here’s a brief overview of how to create these icing flowers:
For the blue flowers: Using a Wilton 12 tip, make a mound in the centre of your cupcake. Then use a Wilton 16 tip to make a small cluster of long star shapes out the top. Then starting around the bottom middle, use Wilton tip 18 to make the petals. Work around in a circle and then make another row above until you come to the top.
For the shaggy flowers: Make your leaf shapes with a leaf tip (Wilton 352 will do). Then use a multi-opening tip (Wilton 233) to make the shaggy petals. Start from the outside and make a circle. Then make another circle further in, until the whole cupcake is filled.
For the pink and blue cupcake: Add a few leaves and use a star tip to create small flowers around the cupcake. Use a small round decorator tip to add a dot to the centre to the flowers (Wilton 3).
Wilton is a well-known brand of cake decorating tool. They are stainless steel and come in a large range of sizes and edges. There are other, less expensive brands you can use, in both stainless steel and plastic.
You don’t have to take advanced decorating courses to have some pretty looking flowers. These flowers are pretty easy make, using simple cake decorating nozzles. You can get cake decorating bags and nozzles or even complete sets and most homeware or kitchenware stores.
Here’s a brief overview of how to create these icing flowers:
For the blue flowers: Using a Wilton 12 tip, make a mound in the centre of your cupcake. Then use a Wilton 16 tip to make a small cluster of long star shapes out the top. Then starting around the bottom middle, use Wilton tip 18 to make the petals. Work around in a circle and then make another row above until you come to the top.
For the shaggy flowers: Make your leaf shapes with a leaf tip (Wilton 352 will do). Then use a multi-opening tip (Wilton 233) to make the shaggy petals. Start from the outside and make a circle. Then make another circle further in, until the whole cupcake is filled.
For the pink and blue cupcake: Add a few leaves and use a star tip to create small flowers around the cupcake. Use a small round decorator tip to add a dot to the centre to the flowers (Wilton 3).
Wilton is a well-known brand of cake decorating tool. They are stainless steel and come in a large range of sizes and edges. There are other, less expensive brands you can use, in both stainless steel and plastic.
How About Real Flowers!
How simple and elegant. Just a little icing and then each cupcake is topped with a flower. You can use violets, pansies, nasturtiums, roses and other common garden flowers. Leave them as is, or dip the petals in beaten egg white and drench with caster sugar. Just make sure the flowers you choose are food safe and aren’t treated with any harmful chemicals before adding them to your cupcakes.
How simple and elegant. Just a little icing and then each cupcake is topped with a flower. You can use violets, pansies, nasturtiums, roses and other common garden flowers. Leave them as is, or dip the petals in beaten egg white and drench with caster sugar. Just make sure the flowers you choose are food safe and aren’t treated with any harmful chemicals before adding them to your cupcakes.
Fondants for the Shapes You Want
If you’re looking for very specific designs and shapes, you can choose a fondant icing. You can use pre-made fondant or make your own. Using fondant allows you to cut out specific shapes, make the colours you want and more.
If you’re looking for very specific designs and shapes, you can choose a fondant icing. You can use pre-made fondant or make your own. Using fondant allows you to cut out specific shapes, make the colours you want and more.
Just a Little Glaze
It’s so simple and delicious. Just a little bit of warm glace icing drizzled on a cupcake and allowed to set, creates a beautiful and tasty masterpiece. Glazes are usually pretty simple. Just a little icing sugar, butter and milk are needed. Add flavourings like vanilla or one of your other favourites.
Basic Glace Icing
Glace icing is so basic, it's almost too simple. Just icing sugar and water - and a flavouring if you want.
To make enough glace icing to cover one 20cm round cake or 12 cupcakes, you will need 125g icing sugar and 2 - 3 tablespoons water. Mix the water into the icing sugar so that it is thin enough to drizzle over your cakes. That's it!
Variations
Coloured Glace Icing Recipe: Add 2-3 drops of food colouring. Be very careful not to add too much.
Orange Glace Icing Recipe: Replace the water with fresh Orange Juice or undiluted Orange lemonade.
Lemon Glace Icing Recipe: Replace the water with fresh Lemon Juice
Chocolate Glace Icing Recipe: Sift 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder in with the icing sugar before adding the water
Coffee Glace Icing Recipe: Substitute the water with strong black coffee
Vanilla Glace Icing Recipe: Add a few drops of Vanilla Extract
It’s so simple and delicious. Just a little bit of warm glace icing drizzled on a cupcake and allowed to set, creates a beautiful and tasty masterpiece. Glazes are usually pretty simple. Just a little icing sugar, butter and milk are needed. Add flavourings like vanilla or one of your other favourites.
Basic Glace Icing
Glace icing is so basic, it's almost too simple. Just icing sugar and water - and a flavouring if you want.
To make enough glace icing to cover one 20cm round cake or 12 cupcakes, you will need 125g icing sugar and 2 - 3 tablespoons water. Mix the water into the icing sugar so that it is thin enough to drizzle over your cakes. That's it!
Variations
Coloured Glace Icing Recipe: Add 2-3 drops of food colouring. Be very careful not to add too much.
Orange Glace Icing Recipe: Replace the water with fresh Orange Juice or undiluted Orange lemonade.
Lemon Glace Icing Recipe: Replace the water with fresh Lemon Juice
Chocolate Glace Icing Recipe: Sift 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder in with the icing sugar before adding the water
Coffee Glace Icing Recipe: Substitute the water with strong black coffee
Vanilla Glace Icing Recipe: Add a few drops of Vanilla Extract
Get Creative
The sky’s the limit with cupcakes. Each cupcake in your batch can be totally different if you want. Try a rocky road concoction with chocolate, marshmallows and wafers. Top your cupcake icing with shredded coconut. Or go simple and add a little frosting and sprinkles.
The sky’s the limit with cupcakes. Each cupcake in your batch can be totally different if you want. Try a rocky road concoction with chocolate, marshmallows and wafers. Top your cupcake icing with shredded coconut. Or go simple and add a little frosting and sprinkles.
Sometimes a Little Goes a Long Way
If you look, most of the cupcakes below are simply decorated. Just a swirl of icing or some drops of melted chocolate. Scrumptious needn’t be complicated.
If you look, most of the cupcakes below are simply decorated. Just a swirl of icing or some drops of melted chocolate. Scrumptious needn’t be complicated.
Royal Icing Accents
Sometimes just a little icing accent can make a cupcake. These are royal icing decorations you can purchase pre-made at your local cake decorating shop or any larger supermarket, in the baking aisle, or you can make your own.
Sometimes just a little icing accent can make a cupcake. These are royal icing decorations you can purchase pre-made at your local cake decorating shop or any larger supermarket, in the baking aisle, or you can make your own.
Sunflowers
These look tricky, but it’s a little deceptive. All you need is a dab of icing on the top of the cupcake, topped with an Oreo cookie. Then a leaf tip (Wilton 352) will create the leaves on the bottom. Top with 2 more rows of yellow leaves. Add a little ladybug royal icing accent as the finishing touch.
These look tricky, but it’s a little deceptive. All you need is a dab of icing on the top of the cupcake, topped with an Oreo cookie. Then a leaf tip (Wilton 352) will create the leaves on the bottom. Top with 2 more rows of yellow leaves. Add a little ladybug royal icing accent as the finishing touch.
Go Colour!
Instead of worrying about fancy designs, why not use colour as your creative flair? You can colour your icing or use an icing spray to get the colours you want.
Instead of worrying about fancy designs, why not use colour as your creative flair? You can colour your icing or use an icing spray to get the colours you want.
Presentation Can Make the Difference
You don’t need complicated designs to create an impressive cupcake offering. A tiered cupcake plate or another type of display can create the wow factor you’re looking for.
You don’t need complicated designs to create an impressive cupcake offering. A tiered cupcake plate or another type of display can create the wow factor you’re looking for.
