It’s finally time to frost those cupcakes! Remember the one’s we talked about in Rookie Gourmet? Click the link to get tips for baking the cupcakes, along with a few recipes. This week it’s all about how to make them simply beautiful. You can always buy the decorator bags and tips (they aren’t too expensive), but you can do just as good with the help from HC. Part two is called HC has style; because we not only know how to make the cupcakes taste good but look good!
For best results, you will need to allow the cupcakes to completely cool, and have the frosting at room temperature.
Au Naturale
You know how Martha Stewart’s cupcakes look?
They look homemade, but when you actually try it at home you don’t get the same pretty yet messy effect. Well you are in luck, because it is easy to do.
What you’ll need:
Semi-stiff frosting, meaning buttercream or cool whip based, to allow the frosting to stand high
Something to dollop with -aka a spoon or fork
Scoop an extremely large dollop of frosting on the back of your spreading tool, let’s say fork. Move your fork directly over the cupcake, and flip your wrist to turn over the fork and allow the frosting to fall off naturally. It should fall on the cupcake all at once. After it falls, you may want to fluff it a little with the back side of the fork, by making circular strokes around the edges and top of the frosting. Check out this tutorial for help.
If you want it to have lots of peaks, make short choppy strokes, quickly picking up the fork from the top of the frosting.
If you want it to be a little smoother, make long strokes (try to go all the way around the edge in one stroke) and slowly pull your fork away at the edges.
You don’t want to flatten the buttercream or completely cover the edges of the cupcake, so try to keep the spreading and fluffing to a minimum. Don’t push the fork into the frosting.
A Gigi’s Swirl
Alright, we will confess that the true Gigi swirl takes a piping bag and tip, plus tons of practice. But we can get try anyways, right?
What You’ll Need:
a couple of plastic bags
scissors
semi-stiff to stiff frosting –meaning if you flip over the bowl the frosting shouldn’t move
How to do it:
Put one of the bags inside the other, and fill it about half way with frosting. You double bag because the piping bag needs to be durable when you frost. Only fill it half way because you need to be able to grip the bag without your hands getting shaky from a buttercream overload.
Gently squeeze the bag to push out any air bubbles. Cut a ½ inch slit in one of the bottom corners of the bag, now twist the top of the bag.
Watch how this girl does the Gigi’s swirl! Make sure the top of the bag stays twisted shut, and make sure to apply enough pressure to the bag so the frosting will come out smoothly. Start in the middle of the cupcake, and move outward from there. At each new height, make sure to squeeze enough frosting out of the bag to make a little mound, and then move your hand in a circular motion to next tier. When you are finished with the swirl, make sure to stop squeezing the bag before pulling away from the cake.
Old School
You know the ice cream swirl you fell in love with? It is easier than the Gigi’s Swirl, but it still takes some practice of course! Start with the same supplies that you need for the Gigi’s swirl, but only cut the corner slit about ¼ inches long.
Look at me!
Make a pointed mound in the middle. When you feel like your mound is tall enough, stop squeezing and pull the bag straight up from the cupcake. Then make an ice cream like swirl around the mound.
My buttercream piping has a little more texture because I cut the slit in my plastic bag at an angle instead of straight across.
Try the scooped ice cream look!
Add Some More Sparkle
If you want to top your cupcake with sprinkles, cookie crumbs, etc. make sure to do so immediately after you are done frosting the cupcake. If you wait, the frosting will form a crust and the sprinkles will roll right off.
Add them around the edges by gently pressing them into the frosting.
Dip a cupcake, the frosting needs to be an extremely light marshmallow texture –or the frosting will fall off!
Check out these cupcakes to see more.
Add fruit flavors
Adding a simple slice on top does the trick.
To make it a little fancier, try fanning a strawberry –my go to cut.
More chocolate
Make your cupcakes look more formal with chocolate ganache.
Two options:
1) Drizzle ganache over cupcakes. While ganache is warm, dip a spoon in a bowl of ganache, then by quickly moving your wrist back and forth, shake the ganache onto the cupcake.
2) Make candy designs. Fill a plastic bag with chocolate ganache, see part one for a ganache recipe. Cut a 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch slit in the corner. The smaller the slit, the more delicate and fragile the candy will be. Make designs on a piece of wax or parchment, and allow them to completely dry. (You should do this before frosting the cupcakes, so you can immediately place them on the cupcakes.) Gently pull the plastic away from the candy, do not pull the candy just hold onto it lightly. You can place them in the cupcake any way you please because they are so light.
Challenge yourself with tootsie roll roses. They are fun to make and look exactly like the fondant on gourmet cupcakes.
I hope this tutorial encourages you to make a batch of cupcakes! Give HC your feedback! If you wanna know how to make anything from beignets to cordon blue, let us know! I hope to have more Rookie Gourmet to come!
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