Bake Me I'm Yours...Cupcake Celebration

Bake Me I’m Yours…

Cupcake
Celebration

Lindy Smith

Introduction

Basic tools and equipment

Cupcake recipes

Decoration recipes

Covering techniques

Decorating techniques

PROJECTS
Celebrate
Wedding
Children
Seasonal
Designer

Suppliers

About the Author

Cupcakes are taking the world by storm, and I think I know why – put simply, baking and decorating cupcakes is fun, rewarding and not too time consuming. On my travels around the globe I’ve seen cupcakes in all shapes and sizes, in tiny little boutique cake shops and large supermarkets. I have also been given them as welcome gifts – everyone loves a cupcake!

I’m completely hooked on making cupcakes, and you probably will be too after reading this book! I’ve included some fabulously tasty recipes that are easy and straightforward to make, and I hope you enjoy experimenting with them as much as I have! Most cupcake recipes only take 20 minutes to bake, so by the time you’ve washed up and put everything away the cakes are ready – now that’s what I call perfect timing.

Cupcake decorating is all about personal taste, imagination and suitability for the occasion. There are endless possibilities, so I hope that the cupcakes I have created on the following pages will inspire you to have a go or to be a little bit more adventurous. I have used different types of coverings to appeal to all palettes, and have really pushed the boat out when it comes to the actual decoration.

I want to put the humble cupcake at centre stage to show the world just what it can be – a beautiful, ‘collectable’, miniature work of art that is a true taste sensation and not just a fashionable cake to bake!

Have fun

www.lindyscakes.co.uk

Before you begin it’s a good idea to check that you have all of the right tools for the cakes you plan to bake and decorate. Included here is the equipment that you will need in your basic tool kit to make and decorate any cupcake. The more specific tools used in each project are included in the ‘you will need’ section at the start of each project.

1. Scissors: these are useful around the kitchen in general, but you will occasionally also need them for cutting modelling paste.
   
2. Paintbrushes: a range of sizes and weights for painting and dusting.
   
3. Cocktail sticks: handy for those little details, such as eyes.
   
4. Spacers: roll your paste out between them to ensure an even thickness.
   
5. Dresden tool: to create markings on paste.
   
6. Palette knife: vital for lifting and cutting sugarpaste.
   
7. Rolling pin: for rolling out different pastes. Non-stick are ideal.
   
8. Wire cooling rack: to rest your cupcakes while they cool before decorating.
   

Cupcake pans and cupcake cases are obviously essential requirements before you begin. It is important that the cases fit snugly inside the pans to ensure that they are supported while baking, otherwise your cakes will lose their shape and end up flattened.

There are a range of sizes and shapes available. When choosing your pans select the size that you would like to bake, and then look at the shape of the cup – some have almost vertical sides, while others are much more angled. The difference, although not that visible when looking at a pan, makes a huge difference when decorating a cupcake – generally, the more angled the sides of the pan the more surface you have to decorate, while the more vertical sides leave you with less decorating area.

In this book I have used two different standard-sized cupcake (muffin) pans, and two different mini cupcake muffin pans.

When choosing your cases it’s important to consider the quality of the cupcake and the effect you are wanting to achieve. Cupcake cases are simply circles of paper, or foil-covered paper, that have been fluted to form a cup.

If you use thin cupcake cases (the type that you find in most supermarkets) you’ll find that the cases turn translucent when baked. This can be used to good effect, but it is frustrating if you are using a patterned case and you want the design to be clearly visible. One way around this is to use a double or triple layer of cases. Alternatively, spend a little more money and buy foil-covered cases, or cases that are made from thicker, higher quality paper. Re-usable silicone cupcakes are also available in various colours.

Size is another factor to consider when choosing your cases – it is very much personal choice, but it does affect the amount of cake batter that you will require. The chart opposite will help you to estimate the number of cupcakes you can bake from the recipes in this book using various case sizes.

The number of cupcakes you can bake from a given recipe varies according to how much you fill your cases. If you want your cakes to rise above the cases you will naturally use more of the mixture than if you prefer the cakes to stay below the case tops.

Once your cupcakes have cooled it is decoration time. How you choose to decorate is largely a matter of taste and personal preference, but time and quantity are also factors. If you are decorating 150 cupcakes for a wedding, adding an intricate design to each is totally impractical. If you wish to treat your best friend to a few special cakes then it is highly appropriate!

It’s worth doing a little preparation before covering your cupcakes. Not all cupcakes come out of the oven perfect – some may need a little trimming with a sharp knife, while others benefit from a little building up with an appropriate icing. Check each of your cupcakes to ensure that the decoration is going to sit just as you want it to, and remedy any that aren’t quite right.

Beautiful swirls of light and fluffy buttercream are what many strive for, but they are not as simple as they look and there are other options to try!

Try experimenting with different piping tips as you will achieve different effects with quite similar looking tips.

1
Place the tip into a large piping bag, then half fill the bag with buttercream. Twist the top of the bag to seal.

2
Holding the bag vertically, start at the centre of the cupcake. Apply pressure to the bag, then move the tip to the edge of the cake and go around the centre in an anti-clockwise direction.

1
Hold the bag vertically slightly above the centre of the cupcake.

2
Keeping the bag still, apply pressure to the bag and allow the icing to spread towards the edge of the cupcake.

3
Once it has spread as far as you wish, start to slowly lift the bag while maintaining an even pressure.

4
Release the pressure and remove the bag.

1
Place a dollop of icing in the centre of a cupcake.

2
Using a palette knife spread the icing towards the edges.

3
For a smooth look run the knife across the top; for a fluffier look lightly run the blade around on top of the icing then lift off.

Using sugarpaste is a very contemporary way of decorating cupcakes.

1
The sugarpaste will need a little help to secure it to the cupcakes, so brush the cakes with an appropriate complementary flavour of syrup or alcohol, or add a thin layer of buttercream or ganache. This also adds flavour and interest to the cake.

2
Knead the sugarpaste until warm and pliable. Roll out on a surface lightly smeared with white vegetable fat (shortening), rather than icing sugar. Roll the paste to a depth of 5mm/
³
⁄
₁₆
in. It is a good idea to use spacers for this, as they ensure an even thickness.

3
Cut out circles of sugarpaste using an appropriately sized cutter. The size of the circle required will be dependant on the cupcake pan and case used, and the amount the cakes have domed.

4
Using a palette knife, carefully lift the paste circles onto each cupcake. Use the palm of your hand to shape the paste to the cupcake, easing the fullness in if necessary.