The Cupcake Thread!

[mia1181]

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[FrekeChild]

I like the food marker ones personally!!!! And you have great handwriting!!!!! (WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than mine!)

 

[Dandi]

I like the second ones better, plus I love the handwriting on them!! I''d keep them like that!

 

[mia1181]

Date: 4/7/2009 2:17:42 AM
Author: FrekeChild
I like the food marker ones personally!!!! And you have great handwriting!!!!! (WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than mine!)

WHAT? YOU GUYS LIKE THE EASIER ONES BETTER? I was leaning toward the cutouts but the handwritten ones definitely photograph better.

Freke- I think I am going to need a writing sample from you...

I may just post one of my own. I have horrible handwriting! But with these I really took my time. I printed out a sample and I copied the letters as if they were shapes. That's not really how I write. Maybe I just hate it because I know I wrote it?


Okay so a couple of questions about fondant. It's difficult to write on when it is soft, so can I let it dry over night before writing on it? And then do I have to refrigerate it or can I just leave them out?

I am planning on cutting out the circles 2 nights before the party, and then writing on them the day before and letting them dry all day. And then the night before assembling the cupcakes. Will the fondant get too hard to actually eat? Do the assembled cupcakes need to be refrigerated if they are made the night before? I just don't think I'll have a lot of refrigerator space.

 

[Mara]

most people won't eat fondant anyway....they think it's gross. yes, you can cut the circles out, and let them dry then write on them, that is how i would do it. another way i have done letters (but its a PITA) is by writing them out in chocolate and letting that dry then putting them onto the fondant with some sugar syrup. but it's kind of painstaking and meticulous. i like the 2nd ones you posted. i am more of a pastel frosting person but not sure what look you were going for.

one quick note also re decorating with fondant. put the disks on the cupcakes a few hours before you plan to serve them. i have had some fondant melt into the frosting of the cupcake... aka esp buttercreams where the fat content is very high in the frosting, the oils draw from the fondant and the fondant can melt into the cupcake. sometimes it's very minimal but i have had it melt entirely into the frosting and lose shape. the weather does not have to be hot for this to happen though i have NOT had this happen on cupcakes in the fridge.
so just a note, i'd decorate a few hours before you plan to serve, don't do them the night before and put the fondant on them OR if you do, fridge them.

 

[mia1181]

Thanks for the tips Mara. Am I seriously the only one who likes fondant? I mean it just tastes like candy to me! Just sugar. DH will eat ANYTHING, and he picks the fondant off of the cupcakes. So i must be the strange one.

Oh and the frosting will be lighter, I was just seeing how dark they would actually get if I kept adding dye. I''ve never used anything other than the liquid food dyes before.

 

[Mara]

ha ha i actually have hardly eaten fondant...really only on cakes (and then i tend to leave it behind anyway) but it just tastes more like starchy to me. there are some that are ''better'' tasting, aka i have one that is a chocolate fondant...but i think most people tend to think it''s like just decor.

i actually like the dark sage green color you got there...!

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 3/31/2009 4:08:41 PM
Author: HollyS
This morning, my boss (she''s also my BF) gave me a wee little cupcake from the sampler that she ordered from Crumbs Bake Shop in NYC. She ordered yesterday, they were delivered this morning, frozen, and I hate to tell you what she paid for that!! OMG, they had better be good, right?

This was possibly the most scrumptious thing I ever put in my mouth: I give you The Grasshopper!

I like to lurk on this thread and see all the delicious creations you ladies make!

I had to chime in about Crumbs - there are two near me (one near my office and one near my apt) and let me tell you, they are probably the best cupcakes I''ve ever eaten! Even better than the infamous magnolias cupcakes here in NYC!

Happy baking!!!

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:54:23 PM
Author: mia1181

Date: 4/7/2009 2:17:42 AM
Author: FrekeChild
I like the food marker ones personally!!!! And you have great handwriting!!!!! (WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than mine!)

WHAT? YOU GUYS LIKE THE EASIER ONES BETTER? I was leaning toward the cutouts but the handwritten ones definitely photograph better.

Freke- I think I am going to need a writing sample from you...

I may just post one of my own. I have horrible handwriting! But with these I really took my time. I printed out a sample and I copied the letters as if they were shapes. That''s not really how I write. Maybe I just hate it because I know I wrote it?

Okay so a couple of questions about fondant. It''s difficult to write on when it is soft, so can I let it dry over night before writing on it? And then do I have to refrigerate it or can I just leave them out?

I am planning on cutting out the circles 2 nights before the party, and then writing on them the day before and letting them dry all day. And then the night before assembling the cupcakes. Will the fondant get too hard to actually eat? Do the assembled cupcakes need to be refrigerated if they are made the night before? I just don''t think I''ll have a lot of refrigerator space.

Mara already talked about fondant.

As for handwriting, there is a sample here towards to bottom.

 

[Dandi]

Happy (pre!) Easter everyone! I''ve just finished my last shift before the 4 day weekend (woohoo!!) and couldn''t resist making Easter cuppies to take to work!

 

[Dandi]

I used the vanilla cupcake recipe from Magnolia''s Bakery online, and got the idea from Mara (thankyou!!

xx) for the strawberry cream cheese using jam and real berries. YUM.

 

[Dandi]

The eggs on the top are M&M eggs! Yummy tummy

 

[misskitty]

HOW DID I JUST FIND THIS THREAD????

I love love love cupcakes. DandiAndi, your Easter ones are lovely! And mia, I also like the marker ones. Your handwriting is prettier than you think.

 

[Jas12]

Mia--I like both! ! Your hand writing is great--no worries there. I would do the second ones if there are easier, since you would not be compromising on the look IMO.

 

[prettylnpink419]

Hello Ladies! I have been admiring all of your talents for so long! I''ve decided to try to learn how to decorate cupcakes like all of you! I''m not really sure where to start. Is there a starter kit for cake/cupcake decorating? I don''t really have any of the tools I''d need. Can someone point me in the right direction? I''d really appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 4/9/2009 4:15:38 PM
Author: prettylnpink419
Hello Ladies! I have been admiring all of your talents for so long! I''ve decided to try to learn how to decorate cupcakes like all of you! I''m not really sure where to start. Is there a starter kit for cake/cupcake decorating? I don''t really have any of the tools I''d need. Can someone point me in the right direction? I''d really appreciate it! Thanks!

I started by taking the Wilton Courses at Micheal''s when I was in high school. I'' most familiar with Hobby Lobby and Micheal''s, but basically the classes are taught at the craft stores. They also carry a lot of the Wilton stuff. It kind of depends on where you live, but Wilton is the most widely available.

After the Wilton classes, I went to the local culinary school and took some more courses.

Here is the kit that I started with: 101 Piece Tool Collection

It has a lot of stuff that if you buy separately will cost more. I didn''t pay $150 for it, I used the 50% percent off coupon that the store had in their weekly paper. It''s a good way to get the more expensive items. There is a kit that is cheaper, however,

 

[Camille]

Date: 4/7/2009 10:54:44 PM
Author: mia1181
Thanks for the tips Mara. Am I seriously the only one who likes fondant? I mean it just tastes like candy to me! Just sugar. DH will eat ANYTHING, and he picks the fondant off of the cupcakes. So i must be the strange one.

Major cupcake lurker here

you''re def one of a kind Mia j/k

Foundant is gorgeous but I can''t stand it and I know I''m not alone.....I''ve checked dessert plates at many parties, fondant always stays behind thehehehe.

 

[Mara]

hi pretty....

youtube can totally be your friend when learning about baking and frosting anything. i took a few classes for beginners, but honestly, most of what i learned was online. classes just foster more of a learning environment with fun. a good baking gf took the wilton class and said she wasted her money. now that i am more advanced, i want to take some ''specific'' classes such as gumpaste, advanced fondant modeling etc...but you can learn most basics online and through practice practice practice! a lot of times with piping and stuff, your hands don''t know what your brain wants them to do so you have to keep trying.

in terms of what to start with... get yourself a good piping bag (ateco bags are my favorite) in two sizes (aka sizes 10 and 12), and a few tips to start. i am not a fan of a ''set'', because inherently there is a ton of stuff you get that you don''t use. any cake store or even michaels has tips you can buy piecemeal and it can be cheaper, like $1.10 for a tip so you don''t have to end up with a bunch of randoms. note on the cupcakes... get the bigger tips like 1A and 1C because the smaller ones are more for ''fine detail'' work on cakes and similar. also the ''grass'' tip is fun (lots of little holes in it) because you can use it to make grass for easter and things like that. same with the leaf tip. get some food coloring paste tubes, i would go with a primary or pastel set for that because you can mix and match the 4 basics to get the colors you want for now.

recipes online with blogs are FAB for starting out. you can just search for you what you want in google and most of the time there is a recipe to try. trial and error.

lastly, look at a lot of photos. flickr has a ton of amazingly decorated cupcakes and sometimes the people include links on how they did it or youtube videos etc. the more you look at photos the more ideas you will get too. good luck and have fun. don''t be disappointed if at first your stuff looks like it''s done by 4 year olds... i was that way too.

 

[icekid]

Soo cute DandiAndi!

Mara- I always mean to check out youtube for cuppie tips and ideas, and somehow I always forget. Will have to get on that one!

 

[pennquaker09]

I second the Ateco bags.

 

[Mara]

ok who''s got easter cupcakes???

i am going to be doing carrot cupcakes ... i will do my old standby recipe (but i am intrigued by the one that was posted a page ago)... heavy on the rum-soaked raisins, yum! everyone loves that.

and i might get inspired do some meyer lemon cupcakes as well, depends on if i am able to go to my friend''s house and pick her tree! my small one only produces 4-5 right now and hers has like 100.

 

[Linda W]

Date: 4/11/2009 1:28:29 PM
Author: Mara
ok who''s got easter cupcakes???


i am going to be doing carrot cupcakes ... i will do my old standby recipe (but i am intrigued by the one that was posted a page ago)... heavy on the rum-soaked raisins, yum! everyone loves that.


and i might get inspired do some meyer lemon cupcakes as well, depends on if i am able to go to my friend''s house and pick her tree! my small one only produces 4-5 right now and hers has like 100.

Mara: I will take a dozen of each please.

 

[FrekeChild]

Me too Mara!

 

[mia1181]

Date: 4/10/2009 12:09:39 AM
Author: Camille

Date: 4/7/2009 10:54:44 PM
Author: mia1181
Thanks for the tips Mara. Am I seriously the only one who likes fondant? I mean it just tastes like candy to me! Just sugar. DH will eat ANYTHING, and he picks the fondant off of the cupcakes. So i must be the strange one.

Major cupcake lurker here

you're def one of a kind Mia j/k

Foundant is gorgeous but I can't stand it and I know I'm not alone.....I've checked dessert plates at many parties, fondant always stays behind thehehehe.

Okay so I am crazy. It just tastes like sugar dough to me. I think Wiltons premade is super yummy too. I was gobbling up every letter that came out wonky and had to actually stop myself before I gained 10 pounds! I wouldn't prefer it over real candy or frosting but I definitely wouldn't pick it off my cake! What about almond paste? Marzipan? Do people like that? I adore that stuff!

Sometimes I'll get a huge stick of chocolate covered marzipan at Cost Plus World Market and just gnaw on it! I think I must have a sweet tooth!

Thanks for the tips Mara. You also answered the question I was going to ask. I was dying to know what tips you use because I bought one that I thought looked huge, but still only made a tiny start pattern, not the look I was going for. It's funny you like the dark green! It's going to actually be a yellower chartruese green the day of.

Freke- All I have to say is that your handwriting looks like fancy calligraphy next to mine!

Your handwriting is very feminine, mine is very scratchy like a man's. The writing on the cupcakes was me trying very hard to make them look girly. I'm left-handed too which doesn't help.

 

[Mara]

so here are just a few of the pics i took today, i will prob get better ones tomorrow, but these cupcakes came out CUTE. typically i do not have the time to decorate like this, so i really enjoyed having the time today and went a little crazy. i made about 30 total (2 sets for friends and one for the fam tomorrow)... carrot cake and also hummingbird cupcakes, i have been wanting to try this recipe for a YEAR i kid you not, and it was FABULOUS. it has banana, pineapple, coconut and walnuts and i got it off martha stewart''s site..just google for it. as usual i made some adaptations to my own taste. YUM.

happy easter, cupcake peeps!!

 

[Mara]

peepalicious!

 

[Mara]

bite me carrot cake!

 

[Linda W]

Mara. You did a wonderful job on these. They look so darn yummmmmy. I want to pick one up and eat it. ha ha.
I love carrot cake

.

 

[lili]

Mara--
As usual, those Easter cuppies are masterpieces!
They are super cute.
You are just one talented lady.

 

[sevens one]

fantastic cupcakes!