Wednesday, January 25, 2012

How to Ice a Cupcake

You have taken plenty of time to decide on what type of cupcake to make. You took the time to mix the batter and bake it until it is perfectly done. Make sure that you do not skimp on one of the most important steps of how to ice a cupcake.


The frosting and how it is put on can be just as important as what flavor cake that you made. It is the first impression that your treat will have on people and there for it is very important


How to Ice a Cupcake, Piping Bags


One of the easiest ways to get a professional look to your cupcake frosting is to using a piping bag to put it on. This will give you the just from the bakery look that is going to make your treats really stand out in the crowd.


Step One


Make sure that you cupcakes are cooled completely. If they are even just a bit warm, the frosting will begin to melt. This is truly the most important step to the entire process of how to ice a cupcake.


Step Two


Make sure that you have more frosting then you think that you are going to need. Creating a nice swirl on top of each of your baked treats is going to take a decent amount of frosting to do.


Step Three


You can get a piping bag and tips for a great deal HERE. Choose a simple tip and place it into the bag. Load the bag with frosting that you are going to be using.


Step Four


Place a small mound of frosting in the center of the cupcake. This one trick will make your technique to ice a cupcake really stand out.


Step Five


Swirl around the outside of the original mound of frosting and continue upwards until you create a point at the top of your mountain.


Step Six


From here, you can add sprinkles or even cupcake toppers if you would like.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Cake Pop Maker On Sale

If you are looking to purchase the best cake pop maker then you have come to the right place. This is the best one on the market. The Nostalgia Electrics cake pop maker is easy to use and creates some amazing treats in no time. 

Cake Pops

One of the newest trends when it comes to baking cupcakes these days is to create what is called cake pops. They are little round cakes that are often placed on the top of a stick. This makes them look more like a lollipop then a cupcake. However, once you bite into them you will enjoy the cakey goodness. 

These tasty cupcake like treats can cost a lot of money when you are purchasing them through a bakery. This is especially true if you are getting them for a party. They are great for people to carry around and enjoy during a party. However up until now, they were a bit pricey. This not the case with Nostalgia Electric cake pop maker. 

Basics of this Cake Pop Maker

This model can make up to 7 cake pop or other treats at a time. The non stick surface makes it easy to remove the finished product easily. This also makes for a very easy clean up. In the kit that is pictured here, you will also get an injector that you can use to put jellies or cream in the middle of your cake pops. A recipe book is also included that will give you some great ideas of what else you can do with this great appliance.

Cake Pop Maker Reviews

The Nostalgia Electric cake pop maker has more then 20 5 star ratings. You can read all reviews of this product here. The reviewers love this product because unlike some models that make 12 small cake pops, this makes 7 good size ones. One of the very in depth reviews mentions that you can use popsicle sticks to place the cake pops on so that they have more support. 

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Baking Cupcakes Tips to Get It Right the First Time

Baking cupcakes is something that can be quite easy to do when you know how. People spend a lot of money buying these tasty treats at bakeries. The shame is that they can create the same if not better creations then the ones that they just bought with just a few tips.

Cupcake Tip One

The first thing that you are going to want to do when baking cupcakes is to make sure that you bring all of your ingredients to room temperature. The difference to how much easier it will be to mix the batter can be quite amazing. Batters that are harder to mix and remain lumpy can cause you to over mix. This can seriously change the way that your finished products come out.

Cupcake Tip Two

It is important to have a good cupcake pan when you are creating your tasty treats. The best ones to use are going to hold between 6 and 12 cupcakes at a time. If you need to make more then it is better to have more then one pan. You will also want to make sure that your cupcake pan is heavy and are on the shiny side.






Cupcake Tip Three

Use paper and foil liners in your pans when baking cupcakes to make it easier to remove them. You can try for the non stick spray option. However, there are going to be times that they will stick even with the spray.

Cupcake Tip Four

When filling the cupcake pan, you are going to want to fill them 1/2 to 1/3 full. It is important also to make sure that your pan is uniformly filled so that they bake evenly. Many bakers use ice cream scoops to place the batter into the pans to make sure that they are even.

Cupcake Tip Five

Test your treats at the minimum time that the recipe that you are using says that they will be done. You do not want to over bake your cupcakes. If you notice that they are still not done, you can always put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set 32 Piece

Whether you are just get started in the world of creating your own cupcakes or if you have been doing this for a while, you know how important it is to invest in the best equipment possible. Wilton has been the leader in baking accessories for a long time now. 

This is why the Wilton Cupcake decorating set has become one of the must have items for anyone that wants to create beautiful baked goods. These really are the the best of the best. 

Why the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set

When it comes to making your baked goods look like they were done by professionals, the way that they are iced and decorating is going to be the key difference. There are just items that you will see come out of a bakery that most home cooks do not do. That does not need to be the case any more with this cupcake decorating set.

What the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set Includes

This is a 32 piece set that gives you everything that you need to ice both cupcakes and cakes in any way that you will like. Many people rave about this set because it combines many pieces from other cupcake decorating sets.
  • 6 decorating tips in various sizes 
  • Decorating Triangle
  • Spatula
  • 2 Couplers
  • Decorating Bags
  • Icing Colors
  • Instructions

Read More About Cupcake Decorating

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

How to Make a Cupcake Centerpiece

Cupcakes are not just a tasty baked good that people everywhere love. These little creations can be used to spice up any event through decorating. Yes, you read that right, You can make edible decorations with your baked goods. One easy to do idea is to make a cupcake centerpiece. It can take an ordinary event and make it something that people will be talking about for months afterwards.


This is very easy to do. The other nice thing about making a cupcake centerpiece is that you can scale it up if you have a larger table, or you can make it smaller for smaller events. There are many creative ways that you can build a multi layer tower depending on your skills with a saw.


Step One


The first thing that you need to do to make a cupcake centerpiece is to make or purchase a multi level stand. There are many inexpensive stands that you can buy that will save you a lot of time on this step.


If you are going with making one, you can create a pyramid like shape with plywood boxes nailed together. You want to paint it in a neutral color so that what gets noticed is your cupcakes.


Step Two


Once you have baked your cupcakes and allowed them to cool completely, it is time to decorate them. One of the best ideas is to decorate each level of your display a bit differently. You will want to coordinate them, but these differences will make the decoration stand out.


Step Three


Arrange your baked goods on your cupcake centerpiece. You want to make sure that you fill each level so that it does not look like it is empty. If you need more cupcakes then get to baking. It is also a good idea not to put any too close to the edge.


Step Four


To finish off your cupcake centerpiece, you can decorate the base with flowers, ribbons, confetti, or whatever else might go with your theme. Just remember to make it eye catching and you will be all set. You can do this with any theme that you can think of.


Tips for Cupcake Centerpieces


Think outside of regular themes when you are designing yours. Do a car theme and make each cupcake its own car,


Create smaller versions to go on every table for large events.


You can use this in place of a birthday or wedding cake.



Sunday, December 4, 2011

Tips for Running a Successful Bake Sale

Organizations use running a bake sale as a way to earn money for various different things. From churches trying to save up for a new roof to marching bands need to buy new uniforms, there is money to be had in selling cupcakes and cookies. The key to being able to to do this is that a list of bale sale ideas that are going to turn a small fundraiser into a huge event.


There is a difference between running a successful bake sale and one that is not. The difference is these tips.


Tip One: Plan Ahead


The first thing that you want to do when you are looking into bake sale ideas is to plan far in advance. The more time that you have before the actual event to put work in, the better off you will be. This goes from everything to decorating to advertising your event.


Tip Two: Have a List of Suggestions


There are usually many people who would like to make something for the fundraiser, but they do not because they can not decide what to bake. It is a good idea to have a list of suggestions of what people might like to make. You can include the basics like cupcakes and cookies, and build from there.


Tip Three: Have a Sign Up List


When you are setting up a successful bake sale, you are going to want to know in advance how many items that you are going to have to sell. This is why having a sign list is very important. This way, you know who will be bringing what and how much to your event.


Tip Four: Send Out Reminders


People get busy with their every day lives. It is a good idea to send out reminders either through a quick call or even an email before your bake sale. This will help to ensure that more people bring their goodies to sell.


Tip Five: Advertising


Now that you have the baked goods to sell, you need the people to sell them to. Do not overlook advertising for your bake sale. It is a good idea to run ads and places notices on comunity bulletin boards. On the day of your bake sale, you will want to make sure that you put signs anywhere that you think might be getting traffic.


Tip Six: Decorating


You want to make sure that you use colorful table cloths, balloons, and streamers to bring attention to your bake sale. Remember that presentation is just as important when it comes to closing a sale even when you are selling cupcakes.


Tip Seven: Bags


Have everyone that is involved collect those plastic grocery bags leading up to your bake sale. This will give you something to package up the purchases in.







Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Must Have Tools For Frosting Cupcakes

When it comes to frosting cupcakes, there are a few ways that you can go about doing this. You can just use your regular old butter knife to put something on top of them. However since you spent all of that time making sure that the actual cupcakes came out great, you should spend some time making sure that they are decorated to the best that they can be. This list of the must have tools for frosting cupcakes will make sure that you have everything that you need to make treats that will leave everyone speechless.


Number One: Cooling Racks


The number one rule of frosting cupcakes is to make sure that they are cooled completely before you even begin. Even a warm cake can cause your icing to melt off. This will not make for a beautiful display. You can usually get cooling racks in multiple packs. This will make it easy to create as many treats as you need at one time.





Number Two: Icing Knife or Spatula


Watch any cooking show on the TV and you will see the long blade spatula or knife that the professionals use for frosting cupcakes. This is not an expensive tool to get for your kitchen. The key is that this makes it possible to create an even cover of the icing on the cake that you want to decorate.





Number Three: Piping Bag


There are disposable piping bags or there are ones that you can clean and reuse. Which ever type that you prefer, you should have a few of these on hand so that you can decorate your creations.




Number Four: Decorating Tips


Decorating tips usually come in packs with a few different models included. These are great for basic frosting cupcakes or even the more intricate designs. If you have ever wondered how bakeries create that swirl of icing on top of theirs, this is what they use. You use a decorating tip to place a mound of icing in the center of the cupcake. The next step is swirling more icing around the mound to make it look similar to a soft serve ice cream cone. This is super easy to do and looks very professional.





Number Five: Cupcake Toppers


If you want your cupcakes to look great but you feel that you do not have an artistic bone in your entire body then you are in luck. Cupcake toppers are simple plastic decorations that place into the top of your treat and you are done. You can use these in combination with frosting cupcakes to create the perfect look for any occasion.