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.








Friday, November 25, 2011

Wedding Cupcakes Ideas

Using wedding cupcakes for your big day is not as strange as it might seem at first. Most people get a large wedding cake and have it sliced and delivered to their friends and families. Using a smaller version of this treat is something that has been growing in popularity. However, there are many different ways that you can use wedding cupcakes to help you to celebrate your big day.

It is not just about eating, there is much more that you can do with this versatile baked good. This lists gives you a great place to start to come up with something to do with these treats.

Idea One: Decoration

Many weddings will have multiple displays set up around the room. These can be simple centerpiece for tables or even sculptures for the buffet tables. Why not use wedding cupcakes as a decorating tool? There are many stands that you can use to create interesting displays and centerpieces to show off your theme. You can also easily color coordinate your theme with your icing to make a real splash. 

Idea Two: Name Card Holders

Most places will just place a folded piece of paper or card with the name of the person that is to sit in a seat. This is ok, but it is also very ordinary. You could use wedding cupcakes to be your name card holders. Create designs that match your table displays and you can easily put in a topper that can hold that piece of paper or card that has the person's name on it. This will be something that everyone will talk about long after your big day is done.

Idea Three: Use As the Wedding Cake

One of the best ways to use this baked good is as the wedding cake itself. You can easily put a mini bride and groom on top of one of them. You can have many different flavors available so that everyone at your celebration can have something that they will enjoy. You can also make it easier for people to take some cake home with them by using this much smaller version of the norm.

It is possible to incorporate wedding cupcakes into any theme that you can possibly imagine. The good news is that with more and more bakeries becoming big on the cupcake craze that you are sure to get some great ideas from them on how you can decorate yours to make them stand out. Using wedding cupcakes is also good for people on a budget. You can bake your own and decorate them to save yourself a lot of money over using a bakery.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Must Have Cupcake Baking Supplies

Want to make some tasty treats then you are going to need these cupcake baking supplies. Being able to create these mini cakes is not all about just deciding to do it and then poof you have the finished product. There are some steps along the way that you need to take and some tools that you need to use if you want everything to turn out right.


Number One: Best Cupcake Recipes


While you can always create cupcakes from a box mix, the tastiest ones are going to be made from scratch. There are many great cupcake recipes out there for you to use. From a basic chocolate variety to the more exotic raspberry lemonade flavors, you are sure to find a few that you want to try your hand at.





Number Two: Stand Mixer


While having a stand mixer is not absolutely necessary for cupcake baking if you are going to make one batch and be done with it. You are going to learn that to get your batter right and not to have your arm fall off from being tired, you are going to need a stand mixer. You will want one that is versatile and has a strong motor so that it can mix up anything that you might have in mind.





Number Three: Cupcake Pans


This might seem simple that you need something to put your batter in. However, this is often over looked when it comes to getting the cupcake baking supplies that are going to give you the best results. It is a good idea to go with a non stick surface and make sure that you use liners when you are baking. You can even get some of these in smaller sizes to make bite size treats.





Number Four: An Ice Cream Scoop


No, you are not getting this serve some ice cream on the side. This is a great cupcake baking supply to use to distribute the batter evenly. You can find scoops in various sizes. Get yourself one and you will be amazed at how all of your treats come out the same size every time.




Number Five: Frosting Decorating Tips


Whether you want to do intricate decorations or just frost your cupcakes, a nice selection of frosting decorating tips is going to be key. You can use these to be delicious fillings in side your cakes. You can also create those swirled tops that you see in bakeries.





Number Six: Cooling Racks


The number one rule of cupcake baking is to let your cakes cool completely before you bring icing any where near them. If you do not do this, you will get a melty mess. This is why it so important to have a good set of cooling racks.




Number Seven: Cupcake Displays


Depending why you are doing your cupcake baking, you might want to have a way to display your finished pieces. There are some great stands that you can use for parties and other celebrations.







Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Birthday Cupcake Ideas for Girls

Baking cupcakes for a birthday part can be an easy and very rewarding thing to do. One of the best things about doing this is the many different ways that you can decorate this amazing treats that you give out. Just look at the amazing like of birthday cupcake ideas for girls that is listed here. All you have to do is pick one or maybe even two that go with your theme and get to baking.


Number One: Rainbows


One of the cutest birthday cupcakes ideas that has been seen recently is making each little girl an individual rainbow. This is fairly easy to do, but gives a bog wow factor at the party. Take any flavor cupcake and ice it with a blue icing. You want the shade of blue that you go with to remind you of the sky. With a piping bag, make two puffs or spots of white icing on the cupcake. This will be your clouds. You can take any rainbow colored striped gummy candy and cut it into the size between the two clouds. Place it on the clouds so that it makes an amazing 3d rainbow.


Number Two: Princess


It seems every little girl at one point or another has a princess birthday party theme. There are many different options that you can do to make this birthday cupcake idea. You will of course need pink icing for many of the ideas. You can purchase the ready to use princess decorations of cakes and stuff from the store. This is a great way to get a picture of some of the more popular princesses. You could also create little prince hats for each pink cupcake.


Number Three: Flower Garden


This birthday cupcake idea is great for a tea party or any other theme where flowers would fit. You want to ice each cupcake with green icing. Now depending on your baking expertise, you can make each cupcake have a different type of flower on it with your piping bag. If you are not this creative, many stores sell sugar flowers that you can easily place on top of the cupcakes.


When it comes to birthday cupcake ideas for girls, all you need to do is to look at what the little ones are interested in and go from there. Whether it be music or even sports, there are great decorating items that you can purchase to make it easy to pull off some amazing cupcakes for your party this year.




Monday, November 14, 2011

Is Baking Cupcakes for Your Next Birthday Party a Better Option



When it comes to planning birthday parties, there are so many decision to be made. The last thing that you want to be debating on the bog day is whether you should be baking cupcakes or sticking to an old fashioned cake. While there are people who will tell you that it is only right if you do it a certain way. The truth is that you need to weigh the pros and cons and decide what is best for you.
Baking Cupcakes

Pros

The first reason that many people choose to go the baking cupcakes route for birthday parties is the ease at which you can serve them. There is no worrying about who is going to cut the cake or making sure that all of the cake gets onto the plate with the icing still in tact. All your guests have to do is to pick up their own baked good and be on with the partying.

Do you have picky eaters in your family? Who doesn't. It can be difficult to cover everyones likes and dislikes when you are serving one sheet of cake. Hwoever, when baking cupcakes it is easy to do different flavors. You can do one batch of chocolate and perhaps another batch of cupcakes in red velvet. This way, you can make sure that there is something at the Birthday party that everyone will enjoy.

There is much less cleanup when you choose to serve cupcakes. You do not have to worry about the knife to cut or the forks for your party guests to eat with. This is one of the easiest food items that you will have ever served.
Who has not had almost an entire cake leftover after birthday parties? When you are baking cupcakes, it is easier to control how much you make compared to how many people are attending. It is also much easier to send some home with people when it is cupcakes.

Cons

The one con that can be seen when you are thinking about baking cupcakes for birthday parties, is that it is not traditional. Many people expect a large sheet cake that has a large decoration on it to be brought out when everyone is singing.

There is really no good reason to not try baking cupcakes for your next birthday party. You can whip up a batch of your favorite flavor and be all set to go in no time flat. Cupcakes are truly one of the best party foods out there.