If your cake recipe requires using a larger pan, divide the batter and bake two separate layers to ensure your cakes rise correctly while also preventing collapse during baking. This can ensure they grow evenly while preventing them from collapsing in the middle while baking.
This gorgeous pattern would look lovely on any kitchen wall! This cross-stitch design showcases various cupcakes and sweet treats for added sweetness!
Cupcakes
As their name implies, cupcakes are individual-sized cakes baked in muffin pans and decorated with frosting, sprinkles, fruit, or other toppings. Cupcakes are beloved treats enjoyed worldwide and widely celebrated at bake sales, parties, and everyday snacking occasions alike, especially on birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, or national and traditional holidays!
When baking cupcakes, it is vitally important to follow the recipe precisely in order to create light and fluffy cupcakes. Many recipes call for cake flour which has lower protein levels than all-purpose or bread flour and provides more delicate crumb compared to dense or heavy all-purpose options. Most also recommend mixing wet and dry ingredients alternately until smooth – this helps avoid overmixing, which could result in dry cupcakes.
To frost a cupcake, start by spreading an ample amount of frosting with a spatula and use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to swirl. Please start at the outer edge and move towards the center; open or close it as necessary to achieve smoother or more ridged looks respectively.
If you have multiple colors of frosting available, layering them together to make unique designs is a fun and straightforward way to experiment. Even using different types of frosting with similar consistencies, such as buttercream and chocolate ganache, may create unique looks!
Before decorating your cupcakes, allow them to cool completely. Add decorative tags or labels for extra appeal; for an added surprise, add chocolate chips as toppers!
To create a flower-like decoration, a piping bag equipped with a petal tip should be used. When holding it with your dominant hand and facing toward the top of the cupcake, press down on its end while simultaneously releasing pressure as you rotate up and down in an all-out revolution. Repeat as necessary to cover its entirety.
Frosting
Decorating cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods requires selecting an ideal frosting to complete its presentation – be it simple and smooth or elaborate rosettes. There are different types of frosting available, so it is essential to understand their differences.
Frostings are typically thick, creamy, and spreadable toppings made of milk, sugar, and butter; some varieties also include flavorings or toppings like chocolate or fruit. Frostings are most often used to decorate cakes and cupcakes, but they can also serve as fillers between layers of food items.
Icings, on the other hand, tend to be thinner and glossier. Made with either a sugar base or natural dyes like cocoa powder, they can be colored using food-grade paints for vivid effects or used for detailed decorating.
Buttercream and cream cheese frostings are two of the most beloved types of frostings, consisting of butter, sugar, and sometimes vanilla or lemon extract. Both styles of icing pair beautifully with most cake flavors.
When making buttercream, you must use high-quality butter. Low-quality varieties will produce sticky frosting, which may be difficult to spread; you also must whip the butter until it reaches an ideal texture – too little whipping will produce crumbly results, while too much whipping could stiffen and become difficult to work with.
Once you have chosen your preferred type of frosting, it’s time to begin decorating your cupcake. First, apply a thin layer to the base of your cupcake; this will help it stick securely on its board. Next, use an offset spatula to form your design shape.
Once your design is complete, it’s time to add the final touches. Sprinkles can add color and texture to your cake, while small amounts of melted chocolate add dimension to your masterpiece.
Marzipan
Marzipan is not only an essential baking ingredient, but it can also serve as an indispensable decorating tool. Rolled out thin sheets, it can cover cakes such as Battenberg or Christmas cakes or be formed into figurines for additional decorative pieces. Marzipan candy comes in different hues or is covered in chocolate to complete its appeal; its soft texture offers more almond-than-sugar taste characteristics.
Marzipan is composed of powdered sugar and ground almonds, but its exact recipe depends on your tastes. Some recipes call for adding other flavors like cocoa powder or rose water; this gives it its signature color while also making it vegan-friendly. Vanilla extract and alcohol such as Grand Marnier or vegan Irish cream are other popular ingredients that are often added.
Start by placing powdered sugar in a food processor, pulsing until finely ground, before adding almonds. Grind until crumbly – using either a blender, coffee/spice grinder, or food processor (be sure to use fresh batch almonds so they aren’t oily!). Next, add an egg white, almond extract, and any optional flavorings. When this step has been completed, the marzipan will be ready!
Your marzipan can either be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Before use, allow it to come up to room temperature and soften slightly before dusting your work surface with icing sugar and lightly kneading until it becomes smooth and pliable (but not greasy).
To use, brush the marzipan with some cooled boiled water or vegetable oil before rolling it out onto a work surface dusted with icing sugar until it reaches approximately 0.5cm thickness. This will help it adhere to your cake. For decorative figures, different colored food coloring can be mixed in to achieve different hues; for instance, if making lemon cakes, you could combine yellow food coloring into the marzipan and then roll it into oval shapes to resemble its pocked skin.
Sprinkles
Sprinkles are vibrant edible decorations that add a fun and festive flair to cakes and other sweet treats, perfect for parties and special events. Making your sprinkles at home is quick and straightforward and allows you to customize them with different colors or flavors – they even last long enough!
Sprinkle colors can be created using either natural or artificial food colorings to sugar. Food coloring can make anything from classic rainbow sprinkles to more subdued hues like lavender and mint, and adding flavoring can alter their flavor altogether – for instance, peppermint-flavored sprinkles would make an attractive holiday cookie or cupcake decoration!
There are various types of sprinkles, such as sanding sugar, jimmies, and sparkling sugar. Sanding sugar is a coarsely-grained colored sugar used to add delicate sparkle to baked goods, typically sprinkled over desserts such as sugar cookies, king cakes, and cupcakes. Although gluten-free, this sprinkle has very loose packing that could potentially melt during the baking process.
Jimmies are short, cylindrical sprinkles available in an array of colors that most people think of when they hear “sprinkles.” Jimmies are ideal for topping baked goods such as funfetti cakes or birthday cake-flavored treats and are excellent choices when adding color to batters and doughs as their colors won’t bleed too easily.
To create your sprinkles, combine powdered sugar with boiling water in a double boiler bowl until the ingredients form a thick paste–something similar to toothpaste consistency. Divide this into small bowls and tint accordingly with food color until you achieve your desired shade of sprinkles. Finally, transfer them to a container for storage and enjoy!
