Cupcake decorating

Even boys can have some fun putting sweet stuff on top of cakes. Here are some TOP TIPS to help with your cupcake decorating.

First the icing.  You can buy royal icing ready made in a tub, but it can be expensive, here are three ways to make your own:

  

Icing sugar with lemon or orange juice

You could just use icing sugar with a few drops of lemon or orange juice.   Put about 150 grams of icing sugar into a bowl,  and add just a few drops of juice.    Stir the mixture hard with a wooden spoon.   The mixture needs to be smooth,  but still quite thick – a bit like thick yoghurt.

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Instant royal icing in a packet

Use half a packet for your twelve cakes.  Follow the instructions on the side of the pack to make your icing.   Royal icing is great for decorating cakes as it is nice and thick and sets quite hard.    It looks really good on your cake.

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Butter icing 

(This is similar to the topping used on the ‘Chocolate Easter Cakes‘.)

150 grams of soft butter

250 grams of seived icing sugar (it is seived to get out the lumps)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (if you have it)

a little milk

1.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the vanilla extract,  if you are using it.

2.  The mixture needs to be like thick cream or yoghurt.  If it is too thick,  add a little milk.   If it is too thin,  as some more seived sugar.

You can add a little food colouring to your icing,  if you want to experiment.   But white always looks good.

Decorating ideas

This is the bit where you can do what you like with your cupcakes – you’re only going to eat them anyway!

White icing with a glace cherry on top is a bit of a style classic. The James Bond of cupcakes.

Dolly Mixtures look and taste good, not so classy though.

If you want to send a message to someone – perhaps a hidden code or an ironic warning – the best way is to let the icing set hard on your cake,  then use an icing writing kit from the supermarket.

Let us know how you get on.

Recipe

Cupcakes