{Tutorial} Monday

I can’t promise that there will be a nice “tute” every Monday, but I’m gonna try to get one up about twice a month. Just depends on what’s inspiring me!

On with the show!

Photo from SAS Cupcakes

Everyone knows cupcakes are all the {rage} right now! There are cupcakeries popping up just about every where. We even hosted a birthday party for big sister R at a cute cupcake place in Mariette, GA earlier this year.

These bakeries offer yummy and unique flavor combos and well as your traditional chocolates and vanillas and red velvet (just saying red velvet makes my mouth water!) and they are all decorated beautifully. Cupcake bakeries are wonderful, yet sinful, places! The problem is, they want like $30-50 or more per dozen!! That doesn’t really fit into my kid’s party budget, if it fits in yours, please invite me to your next party! Now you can go the route that I usually would take and call up Publix or Super Target and get your order on and the price is more like $8-10 a dozen. The only issue is that everyone knows you didn’t make them yourself and you are somewhat limited to your choices (Publix won’t do Red Velvet!!!) But if you are willing to take a little time and try something fun and new you can make your own beautiful cupcakes for half that!! There are even gluten free mixes out there if that is a concern of yours.
So here it is, your {kinda} crafty, non-intimidating, cupcake decorating tutorial.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Favorite boxed caked mix (and ingredients for baking them)
• 2 cans of frosting (better buy 3 just in case) I went with butter cream b/c it is the most traditional.
• muffin tin
• baking cups (I really want these!)
• disposable decorating bag or quart size or larger Ziplock bag
• decorating tips (you can find them at Michael’s or Sur la Table for about $1.50 – $2 each) which tip you need depends on what look you are going for. (explained more below)

Optional Items

• cupcake picks/toppers
• sprinkles/dusting sugars/etc (check out Bake It Pretty for some great looking stuff)
• food coloring gel & toothpicks

1. prepare cupcakes according to the directions on the box (I like to use a measuring cup to pour the batter so that they all come out pretty uniform and makes a lot less mess) and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

See, I don’t even own a real mixer!

2. Prepare your frosting bag. Cut about 3/4″ off the bottom of the bag and shove your decorating dip down in there so that about 1/2″ of the tip is sticking out of the bag and everything is nice and tight and the tip doesn’t slip back out or fall through. I like to use a coupler so that I can change out the tips easily (they can be purchased cheaply at Michael’s as well).
2b. Picking your frosting tip. There are 2 general tips you want to use for cupcakes. A  large round one to create cupcakes like this or  a star to create the frosting you see in the above photo. You can use a small star for tighter waves or a large star (see photos below for results) like I did (1M is the star I used)
3. If you’d like to color your frosting empty the can into a bowl and add a couple drops of gel food coloring with a toothpick and mix thoroughly. You can also add some vanilla to make it taste a little more home made.
4. Folding over the top of your bag scoop your frosting into the bag and fold down the top of the bag (securing with a rubber band if you need to). You can practice squeezing out some frosting on a sheet of wax paper to get the feeling of it before you start in on the cupcakes (or just bake an extra couple cupcakes as testers)

5. Using your dominate hand on top to control the pressure and your other hand on the bottom to guide the bag along make a small dollop of frosting in the middle of the cupcake. This will help you build height in your frosting

Using a large open star tip

6. Starting with the outer edge make a spiral that gets tighter you go and centers around the dollop you made. 3 loops seems to be a good amount to me when using the large star or large round tips. you’ll have to do more if you’re using a smaller tip. Don’t forget that you don’t have to go fast, especially at the beginning. It’s very tempting when you see the pros on TV icing like 2 dozen cupcakes in 3 minutes but there is a reason they’re the pro and we’re not!

7. Viola pretty cupcakes!

From here the possibilities are endless. You can top each with a candy or sprinkle. Use a cupcake topper (contact me and I’ll be happy to design cupcake toppers for you!), wrap the baking cup in beautiful cupcake wrapper, it just depends on how fancy or crafty you really want to get.

The Weight Watchers version 🙂

Simple large dot sprinkles I picked up at Target

Cupcake wrapper I made

Cute cupcake toppers, easily personalized for any party

Saw these at target, what a great deal makes 24 for $1.99!

 So get yourself to Target or the grocery store & make a quick trip to Michael’s (although you can buy a cupcake decorating kit at Target & Walmart for under $8 that has 4 tips including one that helps you make filled cupcakes, YUM!!)
What’s your favorite flavor combo on a cupcake??