How to Make Cat Cupcakes

Fanciful cupcakes are easier to make than you might think. For a cat lover these kitty cupcakes will be a delight. Using baked cupcakes, candy and store-bought frosting you can make a batch of cat cupcakes in less than an hour. This cupcake design is simple enough for children to do, but the finished product makes it a suitable project for adults, too. Use your favorite colors to create your own cat cupcakes featuring feline faces. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Combine white cake frosting with food coloring to create the color desired for the cat's fur. To make a black cat, skip this step and use chocolate frosting. To make a yellow cat, combine drops of yellow food coloring with the frosting and mix. Add more food coloring until the desired color is achieved.

Spread a thick layer of cake frosting on top of each of the cupcakes, smoothing it with the icing spatula. Use 1 to 2 tbsp. of icing per cupcake.

Draw strips across the cupcakes with the brown or black decorator gel icing if you would like to create a striped cat face.

Cut the licorice rope into six pieces measuring 2 to 3 inches long for each cupcake.

Press the licorice into the bottom, center portion of the cat face to resemble whiskers. Use three licorice pieces per side and angle the licorice slightly.

Place a jelly bean in the center where the licorice pieces meet to create a nose for the cat.

Affix two jelly beans of the same color above the nose and whiskers to make the cat's eyes.

Cut each cookie into quarters.

Place two quarters at the top of each cat face with the points pointing away from the cupcake to make the cat's ears.

Carnival Candy Ideas

Traveling carnivals began in the United States in 1893 with the Chicago World's Fair. These carnivals have evolved to include rides, games and, most importantly, sweets. The longstanding tradition of carnivals has created many different carnival candies that have originated from all over the world. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Saltwater Taffy

Taffy and saltwater taffy have been sold at fairs and carnivals in the Midwest and along the Jersey Shore since 1880. Since this time, saltwater taffy has become a popular carnival candy. Taffy is made from boiled sugar and various flavorings. This boiled sugar is pulled on a taffy pulling machine until it becomes a chewy, toffee-like substance. The taffy is then cut into small pieces, wrapped and sold at carnivals. Taffy comes in almost every flavor imaginable, including popular fruity flavors such as apple, banana and cherry, as well as orange cream, licorice and root beer float.

Cotton Candy

Cotton candy is another sticky, sweet delicacy commonly served at carnivals and fairs. This carnival candy is made by melting coarse, granulated sugar --- often dyed to appear blue, green or pink --- in a cotton candy machine. As the sugar melts, a large bowl spins, aerating the candy. The melted, aerated sugar is then caught in a larger bowl and placed on a stick or in a bag for carnival-goers. Cotton candy cannot be produced without the specialized machine that melts the sugar and then aerates it. These machines can be rented or purchased through carnival suppliers.

Candied Apples

Candy apples are sweet, tart carnival delicacies eaten off of popsicle sticks. These candies may be the easiest to make at home, as they don't require the use of any specialized machinery. The caramel coating is first made at home by melting store-bought caramel candies or making your own caramel from scratch. Once the caramel has heated to a temperature of 245-250 degrees, the apple on a stick is dipped inside at an angle and rotated around so the caramel coats the entire apple. Once removed, the excess caramel drips off, while the remaining caramel hardens into a sweet, delicious coating.

Deep-Fried Candy Bars

No carnival candy could be more decadent than the deep-fried candy bar. Sweet, greasy and fatty, this incredibly unhealthy treat originated as a novelty food in Scotland and has since become a popular carnival treat throughout the United States. Any candy bar can be used --- Twinkies and Oreo cookies are also popular deep-fried carnival fare. The candy bar is chilled to prevent melting, then coated in a batter used for deep frying other commonly fried foods, and dropped into a pot of boiling oil.

How to Make Kitty Cupcakes

One common way to decorate cupcakes is to make each one look like a specific animal. Kitty cupcakes are appropriate for a wide variety of occasions, such as Halloween, a child's birthday party, a school party or even a celebration in honor of your cat's birthday. You can adjust the colors of the cupcakes to fit with the color scheme for the occasion. Kitty cupakes are simple enough for school-age children to help decorate. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Spoon some white icing into your icing bag to use later.

Dye the remaining icing the color you would like the cat's fur to be.

Spread the colored icing on the top of each cupcake with a spatula. Smooth it out for a short-haired kitty or form it into ridges for a fluffy kitty.

Squeeze two round dollops of white icing from the bag onto the cupcake, just below center. The dollops should be touching one another and should take up about half of the width of the cupcake. They make the cat's muzzle.

Cut the black licorice strings into pieces measuring about 2 inches long.

Insert three licorice pieces through each ball of white icing and into the cupcake. These make the cat's whiskers.

Put the small pink candy at the top of the muzzle for the kitty's nose.

Put two candy-coated chocolates on for the cat's eyes.

Cut the wafer cookies into triangles and place two of them onto each cupcake for the kitty's ears.

Tips

- You can substitute other types of candies to make each of the features on the kitty's face.

How to Sort & Stack Cupcakes

If you want to open your own cupcakery, or just need some presentation ideas for the cupcakes you are baking for your next social event, think about ways to sort and stack your cupcakes. One of the advantages that cupcakes have over round or sheet cakes is that they can be presented in a variety of ways, using different types of stacking devices. Whether you are making cupcakes that all look the same, or are giving each cupcake an individual decoration, you can sort and stack them in a way that will catch peoples' attention. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Line your cupcakes with cupcake liners as they bake. Cupcake liners keep the shape of the cupcake bottoms together and make it less messy when you and your guests handle them. Additionally, cupcake liners allow you to set cupcakes into wire-spiral cupcake stands without damaging the cupcake.

Stack your cupcakes into a multi-tiered cupcake stand. Sort them according to color. If you baked two or more different varieties of cupcakes, consider alternating the tiers so that every tier of the stand holds one type of cupcake. Or, you can alternate various cupcakes on each tier. For instance, if you baked lemon cupcakes and cherry cupcakes, you can sort them like lemon, cherry, lemon, cherry on the multiple tiers.

Set glass blocks along your dessert table. Glass blocks give your table a dimensional effect if you do not want to use a cupcake stand. Stack some of your cupcakes along the top of the blocks and the rest on the table in front of the blocks. Sort the cupcakes so they are an inch apart, using the sorting technique of your choosing.

Use cake plates to sort your cupcakes if you do not want to stack them in a cupcake stand. Cake plates give you a raised plate where you can set a variety of cupcakes, or identical cupcakes, in a cluster-like presentation.

Tips

- Do not stack cupcakes directly on top of one another or you will ruin the frosting.

How to Make Embossed Cupcakes

When you are looking for a new way to decorate a batch of cupcakes, consider creating an embossed embellishment and placing it on top of the cupcakes. Embossing a cupcake simply means stamping a design into fondant and placing it on top of a frosting cupcake. This technique is a good option for a novice cupcake decorator because it does not require too much skill. For a special touch, find a stamp that coordinates with the event for which you are making the cupcakes. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Frost your cupcakes with icing of your choice and set them aside.

Sprinkle cornstarch over a clean counter top and knead your fondant until it is smooth.

Dust your rolling pin with cornstarch and roll your fondant out to about a 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thickness.

Take your stamp and press it into the fondant to create the embossed decoration. You can find stamps at many different stores, from department stores to scrapbooking shops. Make sure that the design on the stamp is well-defined and deep so that it is clear when you press it into the fondant.

Cut out the stamp design from your sheet of fondant using a cookie cutter. Choose a cookie cutter that just fits outside the edges of the design. You could select a simple round cookie or biscuit cutter, a heart, a star or anything else you like.

Lift the embossed decoration away from the sheet of fondant and place it on top of a frosted cupcake. Continue until all of your cupcakes are decorated.

How to Decorate Strawberry Cupcakes

In most parts of the country, spring fruit includes fresh, sweet strawberries. Few flavors fit into springtime celebrations like pink strawberry cupcakes. If you're planning a party or just bringing some refreshments, add a little bit of special decoration to the top of your strawberry cupcakes. Use a small garnishing trick from professional chefs to turn your cupcakes from plain to posh. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Strawberry Fan Topped

Place a batch of white frosting into a mixing bowl. Add food coloring one drop at a time to tint the frosting any desired color. Stir the frosting and food coloring together after every drop has been added. Stop adding when you have reached a color that you like.

Rinse strawberries with cold water and drain them in a colander. The number of strawberries you need depends on the number of cupcakes you are decorating. Plan on one strawberry per cupcake, plus about five extra in case you drop some.

Place a strawberry onto a cutting board with the green hull facing down and the point facing up. Cut a slim slice on one side of the strawberry, from the tip almost through the hull. Leave a small amount of strawberry attached to the hull.

Make another small slice right next to the first one, about 1/8 of an inch away. Keep slicing the strawberry until you've made six to eight cuts, depending on the size of the berry.

Lay down the strawberry on its side on the cutting board with the slices laying flat instead of up and down. Push one side of the strawberry slightly to the side until the slices fan out, separating the point ends and keeping hull together.

Load a pastry bag with the frosting. Frost swirls on top of each cupcake by drawing a spiral shape with the lines of frosting. Begin at the outer edge of the cupcake and move toward the middle, piling up the frosting as you go. Add a strawberry in the center of each cupcake's swirl.

Strawberry Lemonade

Mix lemonade drink mix powder with a batch of white icing until you get a strong lemon flavor.

Frost each strawberry cupcake with a smooth layer of lemonade-flavored frosting.

Lay a candy lemon slice on a cutting board. Make a cut from the middle of the slice toward the rind, stopping just as the knife point touches the rind.

Twist the candy slice by turning one half toward the right and the other half toward the left. Place the curved candy slice in the center on top of the cupcake.

Tips

- Place fresh strawberries on top of cupcakes right before serving them to minimize the chance of juice dripping onto the frosting.

Types of Fillings for Cakes

There is a cake for every special occasion: birthdays, graduations, weddings, baby showers and more. Cakes also vary widely in taste and preparation depending on culture, region and season. Many cakes contain layers of filling, such as whipped cream, ganache or fruit. Layered fillings often complement each other in flavor and texture and add flavor to any basic cake. When filling a cake, consider the flavor profile and aesthetics of the cake. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Cream

Whipped cream and buttercream are popular fillings for many cakes. You can purchase pre-made creams or make your own simple version of this soft and creamy frosting by mixing softened butter, confectioners sugar, an egg (optional) and your pick of flavorings. Flavors for buttercream include banana cream, lemon, coconut lime, mint chocolate and hazelnut. Meringue creams only use egg whites, while other creams use the whole egg. You can also use buttercream to cover the outside of your cake.

Cheesecake

A richer, heavier alternative to buttercreams, cheesecake fillings are made with butter, confectioners sugar and cream cheese. Cream cheese, the key ingredient, makes this filling sweet and savory. Some flavors of cheesecake fillings include caramel, chai tea, vanilla, chocolate and raspberry. Cheesecake fillings are often found in red velvet and carrot cakes.

Ganache

For the chocolate lover, ganache is the ideal cake filling. Ganache is made from chocolate, cream and butter. This chocolate filling can be thick, creamy and rich, depending on how much chocolate you use. With less chocolate, your ganache will be thinner and softer. Ganache can be flavored with liqueurs or nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts.

Fruit and Jam

Fruit and fruit jams are another popular filling, especially when you want to add color and juicy flavor to your cake. Strawberries, blueberries, apricots and other fruits can be used to fill a cake. You can also layer fruits and fruit jams with cream frosting or ganache. To use jam, simply stir to smooth it out or stir over low heat until smooth. Fruit and fruit jams, especially when arranged on top of the cake as well as inside, add a visually beautiful touch to your cake.

Cupcake Icing Tools

There are many different ways to decorate cupcakes; which way you choose will depend largely on what you are trying to accomplish. If you want very composed cupcakes that are identical, go with fondant icing or a poured icing with sugar decorations. When every cupcake is an individual, use a buttercream frosting or a similar recipe and spread it on. Basic tools will help you make memorable cupcakes. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Speading Tools

For decorating cupcakes with buttercream or other icings, nothing beats a small angled spatula and a turntable. The turntable rotates the cupcake, making it easy to smooth the icing or pipe designs in a circle. Some turntable models even tilt to make working on the top of the cupcakes easier. Using an angled spatula helps you avoid getting frosting all over yourself by lifting your hand above the iced surface.

Piping Tools

A pastry piping bag, a coupler set to hold the tips in place and a few tips make piped designs much easier and allow you to write messages on your cupcakes. The smooth frosting tip helps you get icing evenly onto the cupcake, creating a fluffy swirl. The swirled tip creates ridges and gives a little flair to the piped frosting. Other popular tips for icing cupcakes include the star tip, the writing tip and the French tip.

Rolling Tools for Fondant

Fondant is another popular icing for cupcakes. Fondant allows you to obtain a smooth finish or add cutouts and molded decorations. To use fondant, you will need a silicone mat and a rolling pin. Small cookie cutters or candy molds are optional.

Sugar Tools

Sugar decorations can be bought to use as cupcake decorations, or you can make your own. You will need a silicone mat or parchment paper and cookie cutters or molds in desirable shapes. You can use the same cutters and molds that you use for fondant. Sugar designs are usually used to embellish buttercream or fondant icings.

Lisa Frank Cupcake Ideas

Lisa Frank's colorful designs are the perfect inspiration for cupcakes -- or even an entire rainbow-themed birthday party -- that little girls would love. Fans have been collecting Lisa Frank's pastel and technicolor merchandise since the 1980s, which includes a huge assortment of puffy stickers, stationary, school supplies and craft kits. Everything is adorned with smiling dolphins, cuddly pandas, dancing bunnies in rainbow tutus, butterflies, hearts, stars or unicorns with long rainbow-striped manes. There are so many different ways to give cupcakes the "Lisa Frank" treatment. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Over the Rainbow

Make the entire cupcake a part of your design by baking rainbow batter. Disney FamilyFun magazine suggests dividing prepared white cake mix batter evenly among six bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl to create purple, blue, green. yellow, orange and red batter. Layer the different color batters in a muffin pan, and bake.

When the cupcakes are cool, top each with a whipped cream "cloud." Top each cloud with a few heart-shaped confetti candy, which are available in perfect "Lisa Frank" hues -- vibrant pastels.

Fondant Fun

Create different elements of the Lisa Frank world with fondant. Fondant is sold in different colors, or make your own. Dye it with gel food coloring, rather than liquid, for more vibrant colors. Instead of traditional frosting, apply a thin, flat layer of rolled fondant to the top of each cupcake.

Roll out more fondant and use small cookie cutters or a butter knife to make stars, hearts, peace signs, musical notes and flowers. Trace the shape of some Lisa Frank items to make small dolphins and puppies. Make a rainbow with several different colored fondant strips, which will stick together with a few drops of water. Make two puffy clouds with several mini-marshmallows, for under each side of the rainbow.

Moisten the back of the shapes with a little water, then place them on top of each fondant-iced cupcake. Use different colors of edible luster dust to paint the fondant shapes, and they'll be the perfect vibrant "Lisa Frank" hues. Luster dust is available in party supply stores or online.

Pretty Unicorns

Another way to decorate cupcakes "Lisa Frank" style is with pastel-colored butter cream frosting. Dye it pink, baby blue and lavender with food coloring. Use a pastry bag to apply, so it looks extra-fluffy. Check out Fine Cooking or Good Housekeeping magazines for a recipe, as well as tips on coloring and applying butter cream.

After frosting, top each cupcake with a sparkly, white chocolate unicorn, adorned with a rainbow mane. Use a chocolate candy mold to make unicorns by melting chocolate in a double boiler, and then chilling the mold in the freezer for several minutes -- just until the chocolate hardens. Carefully pop the unicorns out of the mold, and decorate each with sparkle and pearl dusting powders. These are available in many colors at candy supply stores and will look vibrant on chocolate.

3D Butterflies

There's a Lisa Frank rainbow butterfly eraser that could be your inspiration for butterfly cupcakes. Cut off the top, rounded part of baked cupcakes, which will be your butterflies.

Spread colored frosting on the top of the cut cupcakes. Make the cut tops into wing shapes by cutting two upside down V-shape wedges, on opposite ends. Put the cupcake tops back on, and frost the top and sides with a flat layer of whiite frosting. A piece of red licorice down the center of the butterfly could become its body, while two smaller pieces will resemble antennae.

Decorate the butterflies' wings using a tube of cake writing gel to make a few thick wavy stripes. Fill in each stripe with a different color of edible glitter, which you can find in party supply stores, or online.

Substitute for Muffin Paper Liners

The muffin paper, a staple of muffins and cupcakes everywhere both homemade and commercial, is not the only option. You see them all the time, and while they are convenient, they are not the only option and sometimes are not the preferred choice for serving baked treats. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Old Standard

The tried and true method for baked goods, including cakes, muffins and cupcakes, is to grease the pan or cup before adding the batter. The muffins and cakes come out with a slightly more crisp outside, and with no paper to seal them will not become mushy as quickly. Simply use a very light spray of non-stick vegetable cooking and baking spray in each cup, or rub the inside of the cup with a dab of shortening using a paper towel wrapped around your finger.

New Tech

Reusable is a common theme in the modern world and has led to many innovations, including silicone bake ware. This includes silicone muffin tin liners. These flexible liners are made to keep the muffins and cupcakes from sticking, yet they are removed as soon as the treats are cooled. Nothing to throw away and your muffins and cupcakes look pretty without the use of paper liners. Simply pop the silicone liners into the tin, fill with batter and bake as normal. The liners are removed when the muffins are done and washed for the next use.

Make Your Own

Parchment paper is a highly useful baking assistant, and when you don't wish to use the ordinary liners, you can use this to make your own. Whether you ran out of paper cups or simply don't like them, parchment is an excellent choice, and creates a more crisp outside to the muffins, which many people prefer to the mush of ordinary paper liners. Cut a 5-inch circle or square of the parchment paper, then press it down into the tin. Crease where needed to make it smooth against the sides, then fill with batter and bake as normal.

Foil

Aluminum foil is another alternative to paper muffin cup liners, and can be in the create your own version or purchased already in cup form. Foil is a dressier method of lining cups if you choose to use the purchased product, and comes in a variety of colors and styles. If you wish to make your own, simply cut a 5-inch heavy duty aluminum foil circle and line the cup with it before baking. One note on foil is that it may stick to the muffins so is not a good method when you intend to remove the liner before serving.

How to Make Frosted Decorated Cut-Out Cookies That Look Like Quilts

Make your favorite cookie recipe or use store-bought cookies to create whimsical treats that look like tiny quilts. With the use of royal icing, edible ink pens, and a little planning, you can create a cookie that looks quilted regardless of whether you can sew or not. For a quilt enthusiast or as a snack for a quilting bee, adorable quilted cookies are delicious notions. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Sketch and plan your designs. Decide on the quilt patterns you will use and what colors you want before you start decorating your cookies. Make sketches and notes on a sheet of paper you can keep close by as you decorate. Quilting blocks are most commonly geometric patterns and ideas are readily available on the Internet.

Mix the royal icing to the appropriate consistency. Make your own icing using a combination of 4 cups icing sugar, 2 tbsp. meringue powder and 6 tbsp. water, or purchase the premixed dry ingredients from a bulk foods store and add water per the instructions. Blend the mixture with your hand mixer on low setting until it is a smooth consistency that is firm enough to keep its shape, but loose enough to pipe easily.

Mix the royal icing colors. Separate the royal icing into small bowls, one for each icing colors you want. Mix the royal icing well until the color is uniform. Make sure to cover the royal icing tightly with plastic wrap while you aren't using it because it dries out quickly.

Fill the disposable piping bags, fitted with #2 tips, with your colored royal icing. Only put in enough icing for your piping, leaving enough royal icing in the bowls for filling in the colors of your design. Pipe the outline of your quilting block patterns on your cookies. Use a steady hand to outline each geometric piece of your quilt pattern in the color that you will be filling it with.

Allow the icing to dry to the touch before moving on.

Thin your reserved colored royal icing by adding a few drops of water at a time while you blend it at a low speed with your mixer. You have reached the correct consistency when icing dripping from the raised beaters forms a ribbon-like swirl on the top of the icing that disappears within 10 seconds. Do not over-thin your icing.

Fill your squeeze bottle with the thinned colored royal icing.

Flood each piped section on your cookies with the appropriate colors by squeezing the icing from the bottle in a right-to-left motion, and then a top-to-bottom motion, within the piped outline. Do not completely fill the area, but add enough icing so that once it is spread, it will fill the section. Use the end of a toothpick to spread the royal icing out to completely fill the interior of the piped section. Continue in this fashion, flooding and spreading, until all the sections of your design are filled in.

Allow the royal icing to dry completely.

Draw tiny stitching details onto the dried royal icing using your edible ink pen so that the cookies look like quilted squares. Allow the details to dry before enjoying.

Tips

- Use different-colored edible ink pens to add more details to your quilted cookies or to add different-colored stitching.

Warning

- Make sure the icing has completely dried in between each decorating step to keep the colors from bleeding into each other.

How to Decorate Cupcakes to Look Like Cows

Cow cupcakes are a cute addition to a farm-themed party, or they can stand on their own as a decorative dessert. If you want to go beyond drawing icing patterns on your cupcakes, this method provides an easy way to decorate them with a raised cow face. It requires less drawing skill and you can execute it with a few common ingredients. Best of all, the decorations are made of candy and will add a tasty bonus to your cupcakes. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Ice the cupcakes with a smooth layer of white icing.

Draw two dots of black writing icing on the center of a pink candy wafer as nostrils. Place the candy wafer near the bottom of the cupcake's iced surface as the cow's nose.

Place two small brown candies above the nose as the cow's eyes. Place two white jelly beans above the eyes as horns. Insert two larger brown candies near the top of the cow's face as ears, angling them slightly upward.

Candy Cupcake Ideas

Children love yummy gooey cupcakes, but for a new twist on an old favorite, you can create cupcakes made from candy. Plastic, rubber and metal candy molds in the shape of cupcakes or peanut butter cups will yield candies that resemble cupcakes. Purchase little paper or foil baking cups intended for peanut butter cup candies and complete the illusion of miniature cupcakes that are made from candy. Traditional cake cupcakes can also be decorated with various candies and presented in paper or foil baking cups. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Molded Sugar

Sugar combined with water and meringue powder is used to create sugar skulls and the popular molded sugar Easter eggs sold every spring. When decorated with royal icing, molded sugar can also be used to create candy cupcakes. Press the molded sugar into plastic peanut butter cup molds and scrape the top so it is level. When the molded sugar has hardened, create the cupcake top with royal icing. Royal icing is made from confectioner's sugar and meringue powder and dries to a very hard consistency. Meringue powder can be purchased at specialty baking shops, some grocery and craft stores or ordered through online supply stores.

Solid Chocolate

You can make candy cupcakes from chocolate. Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or bars mixed with light corn syrup or use milk chocolate chips or bars to form the "cupcake" in a plastic, rubber or metal candy mold in the shape of peanut butter cups. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Melted chocolate can be poured directly into molds or it can be poured into miniature paper baking cups intended for peanut butter cup candy to give the illusion of a tiny cupcake. Melted chocolate sets up in about two hours, but putting the molds into the freezer can speed up the finish. Frost the rounded top of the candy cupcake with colored icing. You can use squeeze tubes or canned icing to form a rounded cupcake top.

Marzipan

Throughout history, marzipan has been used to create beautiful decorations on desserts and used alone in table centerpieces. Marzipan is formed from a paste of ground almonds, egg whites, almond extract and salt. This sweet almond-flavored paste can be molded into shapes and painted with gel or paste food coloring. You can add food coloring to the marzipan and mold it to resemble tiny cupcakes. Insert dried marzipan candy cupcakes into miniature paper or foil baking cups.

Cupcakes with Candy Decorations

You can also decorate traditional cake cupcakes with various types of candy. Frost chocolate cupcakes with green icing and sprinkle with coconut shreds dyed green with green food coloring. Place gummy candy worms on top to make a candy-decorated child's worm-in-the-grass cupcake. Gumdrops, hard candies, red hots, peppermints, chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, and candy-coated chocolates can be used to top a frosted cupcake or to form borders around the cupcake's edges.

How to Make a Hamburger Cupcake

Now you can serve hamburgers for dessert. These cupcakes create a faux version of a miniature hamburger using baked desserts. With a little creativity and some frosting, you can transform plain cupcakes into a treat to fool your family. Try them for dinner on April Fools' Day or as a dessert for a hamburger-lover's birthday party. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Split the yellow cupcake in half, width-wise to make the hamburger bun.

Cut the brownie into a 2 inch round using the cookie cutter.

Divide the vanilla icing into three bowls.

Mix yellow food coloring into one container to make mustard, add red to another container for the ketchup and green to the last to make the lettuce.

Use a spatula to spread a layer of yellow icing on the cut portion of the bottom of the cupcake. Apply red icing on the cut side of the top of the cupcake.

Place the brownie on top of the bottom half of the cupcake, over the yellow icing.

Spread a layer of green icing on top of the brownie with a spatula for the lettuce.

Optionally cut the fruit leather into a 2-1/4-inch square and lay it on top of the brownie to make a cheeseburger.

Stack the top half of the cupcake with the red icing on the bottom on top of the iced brownie or fruit leather.

Optionally, brush the top of the yellow cupcake with a pastry brush dipped in water to hold the sesame seeds on top. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the damp top of the cupcake.

Tips

- Use a 2-inch round chocolate wafer cookie -- not a sandwich cookie -- instead of the brownie.

Cupcake Ideas From "The Aristocats"

"The Aristocats," a 1970 Disney film about cats who inherit their late mistress's fortune and the butler who would try to steal it from them, makes a playful theme for a child's birthday party or for an adult who is young at heart. Keep the scenes, characters and settings from the movie in mind as you decorate cupcakes for your party. Specialty cupcake liners can be purchased at baking and kitchen shops or online. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Paris

Since the Aristocats live in Paris, create cupcakes that reflect the setting of the story. Use cupcake tin liners with a blue paisley, fleur-de-lis or toile print, or create paper cupcake holders in one of these prints to slip around the finished cakes.

Use French buttercream frosting; color half of the frosting French blue and leave the other half white. Load frosting into a pastry bag with a star tip, filling one side of the bag with the blue and one side with the white. Pipe on the frosting to achieve a swirl pattern. Top the cupcakes with silver dragees and mini Eiffel Tower decorations.

Pink Bows

Marie, the feminine kitten in the film, wears a large, floppy pink bow on her head. To create pink bow cupcakes, bake vanilla cupcakes in pink-and-white-striped cupcake liners. Color your frosting a light pink, and pipe or spread the frosting on the cakes. Sprinkle the cakes with white sparkling sugar.

For the bows, knead bright pink color into a ball of fondant about the size of a baseball, if making a dozen cupcakes. Sprinkle your work surface with powdered sugar and roll the fondant to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut ribbons with a pastry wheel. Form two loops with hanging ends from each ribbon. Wrap a small piece of fondant ribbon around the middle of the bow to secure. Place atop the cupcakes.

Piano Cat

One of the most notable scenes in the movie is when Toulouse jumps on the piano with paint on his paws. Create piano cupcakes by frosting baked and cooled cakes with a thin layer of buttercream.

Divide a batch of fondant into thirds. Leave a third white, color one-third black and the last third pink or blue. Roll out the pink or blue fondant on a counter sprinkled with powdered sugar. Cut rounds from the fondant that fit the top of the cupcakes and place on the cakes.

Roll out the white fondant. Cut the fondant into ribbons about 1/4 inch wide. Lay four to six ribbons on the cakes side by side. Cut ribbons, slightly shorter than the white ones, from the black fondant and position between the white pieces. Dip a clean mini paw stamp in gel food coloring and stamp paw prints on the piano keys.

Shaped Cats

Those with practice and skills working with fondant and gum paste may want to shape cat figures or faces to top cupcakes. For faces, frost your cakes with a thin layer of buttercream, then roll, cut and shape flat cat faces on the frosting. Include whiskers, blue eyes and bows on each cat's head.

Cat figurines can sit on top of a cushion of piped frosting. Create Marie, the white kitten, or Toulouse, her adventurous gray brother, using photos from the movie for guidance.

How to Decorate Dallas Cowboys Cupcakes

The Dallas Cowboys are a classic football franchise in the NFL. When you are throwing a party for someone who is a fan of the Cowboys, consider making cupcakes that are inspired by the football team. These cupcakes would also be a good option if you are having friends over to watch a Dallas Cowboys game. Even a novice baker could make Dallas Cowboys cupcakes that would impress her friends and family. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Frost your cupcakes with vanilla frosting. One of the Dallas Cowboys' colors is white, so the vanilla frosting will be in keeping with the cupcakes' theme.

Purchase some pre-made, pre-colored blue fondant. Sprinkle a counter top and a rolling pin with cornstarch and roll the fondant out to about a 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thickness.

Press a star-shaped cookie cutter into the rolled out fondant. Make sure that your cookie cutter is roughly the size of the top of the cupcakes.

Peel away the fondant surrounding the star shape and lift the star using the spatula. Be careful when you handle the star because you do not want to damage the edges.

Place the star on top of the cupcake. Repeat until all of your cupcakes are decorated.

Tips

- If you'd like to add some additional flair, frost half of the cupcakes with a blue frosting and use white fondant to cut out stars from. When displaying the cupcakes, alternate a blue cupcake featuring a white star with a white cupcake featuring a blue star and so on.

How to Make Fondant Bear

Creating shapes out of fondant is an easy way to decorate cakes or cupcakes when you want to get away from simply piping a design onto a cake with frosting. Fondant is a sweet, thick material that professional bakers commonly use to smoothly cover cakes. Create bear shapes using a bear cookie cutter and rolling your fondant out with a rolling pin. Use the fondant bears to top a cake, a variety of cupcakes or even frosted sugar cookies. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Purchase pre-made, pre-colored fondant in the color of your choice.

Sprinkle cornstarch onto a counter and rub it onto your rolling pin. This will prevent the fondant from sticking. Roll the fondant out to 1/8-inch thickness.

Press your bear cookie cutter into the fondant and lift it away. Remove the excess fondant from around the bear. Lift the fondant bear with a spatula, being careful not to damage its edges or leave fingerprints on it.

Dip a pastry brush in water and brush the water onto one side of the fondant bear. Place the bear onto whatever frosted baked good you are decorating and press slightly. It should easily stay in place.

How to Carve a 3D Bunny Cake Out of a Circle Cake

Bring your next Easter celebration to life with a three-dimensional bunny cake. This easy-to-make cake is a standout with children and adults at Easter and throughout the year. It requires only a standard circular cake, icing, decorating candies, and a good carving knife. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Place cooled cakes into the freezer for 45 minutes to one hour for easy cutting and frosting.

Gently turn the pans upside down to remove cakes. Set one cake aside to make a second bunny cake.

Use a serrated knife to cut the remaining cake in the exact center to form two equal halves. The two halves will look like half moons.

Turn the two halves upright (flat-side down). Place the two halves together, side-by-side vertically to form a mound or the bunny's body.

Cut a shallow v-shaped groove or a notch about one-third of the length of the cake on one end of the body to form the bunny's head. This groove will serve as the location for paper ears to be inserted later and also differentiates the bunny's head from the rest of the body.

Take the cake that you cut out of the front end of the mound and place it upright (flat-side down) and vertically or lengthwise on the other end of the cake to form the bunny's tail. Attach with toothpick or simply put in place and cover later with icing. Continue icing and decorating the cake.

Tips

- Present your three-dimensional bunny cake professionally by placing it on a large tray covered in foil and sprinkled with green food-colored coconut shavings to represent grass.

Warning

- Never place a hot cake into the freezer to prevent spoiling or increasing the temperature of other frozen goods.

How to Cover a Cupcake With Fondant

Many people are intimidated by fondant, but with a few basic tools, you can decorate cupcakes to look like those you see on the bakery shelves. Follow these steps using rolled fondant, and your cupcake's smooth finish will stand on its own. If a plain fondant finish is not what you are looking for, use the fondant as a base for further decoration. You are only limited by your imagination. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Take a cupcake, and turn it upside down. Using a ruler, measure the sides and top of the cupcake to find how large a piece of fondant you will need to cover it.

Lightly cover the top and sides of the cupcake with buttercream icing. Spread it smooth with a spatula.

Using your rolling pin, roll out the fondant to the desired size. Keep it at an even thickness, approximately 1/8-inch thick.

Cover the cupcake with the fondant. Trim off the excess with a small, sharp knife, such as an X-Acto knife.

Smooth out the fondant with your fingers and palm or a fondant smoothing tool. Do not press too hard, or the icing may leak out.

Tips

- Use white buttercream icing when you are using white fondant. A darker colored icing could show through the fondant.

How to Make a Fondant Bumblebee

Fondant is a type of icing used to make edible cake and cupcake decorations. Rolled fondant features glycerin and has a dough-like consistency, making it ideal for sculpting small cake decorations such as bumblebees. You can make the whimsical bee decorations and place them on top of cakes and cupcakes as charming decor. Bumblebee-decorated desserts complement a variety of special occasions, such as summer birthday celebrations, garden tea parties and baby showers. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Roll a piece of white fondant with a small rolling pin until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use a 1/2-inch circular metal fondant cutter to create two bumblebee wings. Press a thumb into the center of each circle to create indentations.

Roll a piece of black fondant until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use a small, round metal icing tip to punch two eyes out of the fondant. Roll the fondant circles between your thumb and forefinger to form tiny balls.

Use a fondant rolling cutter or pizza cutter to cut two 1-by-2-inch strips out of the fondant as the bee's stripes.

Roll a piece of yellow fondant in between your palms to create a 2-inch teardrop shape as the bee's body; the pointed end will be the back of the bee.

Apply a small amount of water to the stripes using a pastry brush and wrap them around the center of the bee's body, about 1/2 inch apart.

Brush water onto the wings and press them onto the center of the bumblebee, in between the two stripes.

Complete the design by applying a small amount of water onto each eye and pressing them onto the front of the bee's body. Press a toothpick gently into the fondant to create a smile under the eyes.

How to Towel Cupcakes

Towel cupcakes serve as ornamental and functional additions to your bathroom or sauna room environment. When you "serve" towel cupcakes they add a girly and sweet touch to anywhere they sit. Make your own towel cupcakes to decorate your home or give as gifts without spending a bundle of money.

Select a metal cupcake holder, which can be purchased at home decor stores or through craft and hobby supply stores. These holders look identical to the paper, disposable ones but are made of shiny metal. Choose a cupcake holder for each towel cupcake you want to make and set them aside on your bathroom base tray.

Select a single hand towel and spread it out in front of you on a flat surface. Select a towel in any color for this task.

Fold the longest edge of the hand towel downward in half. Repeat this with the other long edge of the towel, folding upward in half. Grasp one end of the halved towel and roll the fabric like a jelly roll.

Place the jelly-rolled hand towel into the cupcake holder. Do this so that it's sitting upright and not on the fold.

Grasp the very center of the rolled layers of towel that is facing upward. Pull this part of the fabric upward gently to create a spiraled and tiered effect. This is what makes your towel look like a cupcake with icing. Do this for as many as you want to display or give as gifts.

Description of a Cupcake

Cupcakes have been made since the early 1800s. These delicious treats are individual cakes typically decorated with icing and frosting. They are fairly easy to make and appeal to people of all ages looking for a tasty treat in a small size. Cupcakes are served at parties, birthdays, other events and in the home as a sweet snack. Add this to my Recipe Box.

History

The word "cupcake" dates back to 1828 when it was mentioned in E. Leslie's "Receipts." The name comes from the fact that these cakes were baked in cups, such as teacups. This made making cupcakes easier, due to the simple measurement of "cups," as opposed to teaspoons, tablespoons and other measurements. While large cakes took awhile to bake in hearth ovens, cupcakes were much faster, as they were cooked in gem pans and muffin tins.

Ingredients

Flour, sugar, butter and an egg are the basic ingredients of cupcakes. These items are mixed together in a mixing bowl and then placed into a cupcake pan. Each cupcake hole is filled, at the most, two-thirds full. Cupcake makers get most creative when deciding how to decorate the top of the cupcake. The typical choice is frosting or icing, but this can be done in a number of ways and styles to give a desired taste or look. Other items can be placed on top of the frosting or icing, such as small pieces of candy.

Hostess

There are numerous companies that make cupcakes. Several have stores, while others sell them through grocery stores and other food and baked goods stores. One of the biggest names in cupcakes is Hostess, which began production of cupcakes in 1919, right after World War I. In 1947, Hostess released its most popular cupcake, which featured white icing in its now signature curlicue style.

Today

Cupcakes continue to be popular treat, whether made at home or purchased at a store. Their small size makes them appealing to people who want to eat some cake, but don't want to purchase an entire cake. Cupcakes have evolved over the years, as well, with specialty gourmet stores popping up that make cupcakes in a variety of styles and looks, increasing the possibilities for taste and presentation of these small, delicious treats.

How to Dust a Pan With Flour

Flouring or dusting a baking pan will prevent your favorite baked goods from sticking to the dish. It is not unusual for cakes and breads to stick, even when the pan is well greased. Dusting a pan is a simple technique that only takes a few seconds. Add this preparation step to your favorite dessert recipe and lessen your chances of tearing up a delicate confection. This technique works well with any baking dish or pan. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Spray a dry, clean baking pan with cooking spray. Don't overspray, just coat the inside and bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of flour in the greased pan. Standing over a garbage can or sink, tilt the dish 45 degrees and pat the bottom gently. This will move the flour around to coat.

Tilt the baking pan, turning it on each side to move the flour around. Flip the pan upside down and remove the excess flour by tapping the bottom of the pan.

How to Make Grass When Decorating Cupcakes

Manipulating frosting on cupcakes to resemble something like grass is an acquired skill. Fortunately, it is made much simpler by using a piping bag and tip to shape the frosting as you want it to appear. Though these are specialty baking utensils, you can find them in any craft store and many superstores. They are not expensive. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Select a piping tip with a very small, round opening to make fine, detailed blades of grass. The cardboard label on the tip will have an illustration that shows in what shape the tip pipes.

Mix white or cream-colored frosting with green food coloring until it reaches the intensity of color you desire. You can find food coloring in the same area of a store in which you find the piping tools.

Scoop the frosting into the piping bag with a spatula. You can find a diagram of this step on the back of the piping bag packaging.

Twist the bag at the point where the frosting fills the bag. This will keep frosting from squeezing out of the top while you pipe it on the cupcakes.

Aim the tip directly but gently onto the top of a cupcake. Squeeze gently to force out a little frosting. Pull the bag up slowly as the frosting comes out to elongate the blade of grass. Stop squeezing as you continue to lift the bag to taper the end of the grass. The blade should be roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length. Do not squeeze too hard. If you do, you will get a blob of icing instead of a narrow column.

Repeat this process to cover the surface of the cupcake.

Refrigerate the decorated cupcakes to ensure the frosting does not soften, run, or otherwise lose its detailed shape.

Tips

- You can use a tip with a wider opening which will enable you to cover the surface of the cupcake faster. However, the grass will look more realistic if you create it out of fine rather than broad columns of frosting.

How to Frost Princess Cupcakes

Princess cupcakes are a great addition to any birthday party or children's get-together. Save money and exercise your creativity by making your own princess cupcakes instead of purchasing them. Once you have made your own icing and frosted the cupcakes, decorate them with a princess theme. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Making Icing

Place the butter and milk in a bowl and allow them to sit outside of the refrigerator until they have reached room temperature.

Mix the butter until it is smooth. Use an electric mixer if you have one. A spoon or a fork will work as well.

Add the icing sugar slowly, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and is easy to spread. Add three drops of red food coloring and mix until you have obtained a pink hue to enhance the princess theme.

Add a spoonful of icing to the top of each cupcake and distribute it evenly with a knife.

Decorations

Press candy decorations onto the icing. You can purchase glittery sprinkles, pink and white sprinkles, or metallic candy pearls. Arrange the candies into designs or sprinkle them all over the cupcakes.

Draw designs or write letters on the cupcakes using an icing pen in a color that contrasts with the pink frosting, such as red. Emphasize the princess theme by drawing bows or tiaras on the desserts.

Purchase small plastic princess toys and press them into the icing of the cupcakes. Allow party guests to choose their favorite mythological princesses and keep them as party favors.

How to Arrange Cupcakes in the Shape of a Princess Crown

Cupcakes are useful in making designs that look like a whole cake but actually pull apart. The pull apart cakes are an enjoyable idea for kid's birthday parties and other occasions. All the children have to do is grab a cupcake from the design to partake of the tasty dessert. Making a crown out of cupcakes is not an arduous task and is sure to make your little girl feel like a princess on her special day. Edible decorations add faux jewels and a sparkly touch to the princess crown. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Set your cake board on your work surface. If you don't have a cake board, use a sturdy, square shaped piece of cardboard and cover it with aluminum foil to provide a shiny and clean surface for the princess crown cake.

Position three rows of regular size cupcakes on your board in a rectangle shape. Three rows of five work well or increase the rows if you desire, depending on the number of people you are serving.

Push the cupcakes as close together as possible. (see ref 1 diagram) Once frosted, it looks like a regular cake.

Set six mini cupcakes at the top edge of the crown, with two on the top left, two along the top middle edge and two on the right top edge.

Place another mini cupcake above each set of two. Position them so that it sits near the center edge where the two mini cupcakes below it meet.

Spread the frosting over the cupcakes by dragging it across the cupcakes with a rubber spatula.They tend to slide a bit at first until the frosting "glues" them together, therefore keep the cupcake still by holding them with your non-dominant hand while frosting. The rectangle shape forms the base of the princess crown and the mini cupcakes form the crown points. Allow the frosting to fill in the gaps between the cupcakes. Wait about 10 minutes to see if the frosting seeps down in the gaps. If so, just add more frosting.

Cut star or gem shapes out of the fruit leather with a sharp knife. Place them wherever you desire on the princess crown. Another option is to cut gum drops in half and set them on the cake with the cut edge facing up to represent gemstones.

Sprinkle silver or gold dragees over the princess crown pull apart cake to enhance the look of the faux gems.

Tips

- Cupcakes freeze well for up to two months. Bake your cupcakes and allow them to cool completely before freezing in an airtight container. Thaw them before decorating for the party. This saves time, particularly if you are hosting the party and preparing other foods. If you don't have a baker's piping bag, you can pipe different-colored frosting designs on your princess crown cupcake cake by filling a zipper-style sandwich bag halfway full of the frosting. Draw the designs on the crown frosting with a toothpick to help you with the designs. Squeeze out the excess air in the zipper-style bag and then seal it. Twist the end of the bag without the frosting in it until the frosting is forced into the corners of the bag. Snip off a tiny section of the corner and then squeeze the frosting out by holding it in the palm of your dominant hand. You can outline designs on the princess crown or fill them in with the frosting. Add hearts, stars or swirls on the princess crown cake with the piping or trace sections of the crown to make them show up better. Another idea is to write "Happy Birthday" or the guest of honor's name with the piped frosting.

How to Frost Cupcakes With a Spatula

Cupcakes are small, individual cakes contained in a wrapper. Many people like cupcakes because of their convenience. Making cupcakes is similar to making a cake, however, the cooking time may vary due to their smaller size. Decorating cupcakes can be fun and creative. Add design and different elements to create your own personal dessert. When frosting cupcakes, you need to be careful not to crumble the dessert. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Allow the cupcake to cool completely. Completely cool the cupcakes to reduce crumbling. After they are cooled, lightly brush the tops off to eliminate crumbs. You can do this with your fingertips or by using a pastry brush.

Hold the cupcake firmly in one hand. By holding the cupcake on the bottom of it, you will be able to turn it easily and see the entire surface. You will also avoid getting frosting on your hand if you don't hold the cupcake on its side.

Grasp the spatula securely in your primary hand. Use one tbsp. frosting for smaller cupcakes and two to three tbsps. for larger cupcakes. You can also use food coloring in the frosting to create different colors before decorating.

Place frosting in the middle of the cupcake. Start frosting in the center of the cupcake so you can evenly distribute it in the following steps. It will also be easier to spread the frosting if you begin in the middle as opposed to the edges and attempt to come to the center.

Work from the center towards the edges with the spatula. Use a circular motion and turn the cupcake slightly with each stroke. You will use this method to work toward the outside edges with each turn.

How to Fill Chiffon Cupcakes

Chiffon takes the best of both cake worlds by combining the lightness of angel food with egg whites with the richness of traditional cakes that use oil. While a traditional cake dries out more quickly, a chiffon tends to last longer because of its airiness and lack of butterfat. Filling chiffon cupcakes with a pudding or custard adds even more richness to the confection, giving those who enjoy the treat a small inside surprise. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Method One

Cuff the top half of a disposable pastry bag. Slide a plastic coupler base into the tip of the bag. Fit a filling piping tip over the bag and base, securing it with a plastic coupler ring.

Scoop 1/2 cup of filling into the folded bag. Jams, custard, pudding, icing and meringue make delicious fillings for chiffon cupcakes.

Uncuff the bag and twist the top to secure. Place the chiffon cupcake on a flat surface.

Poke the center of the cupcake with the filling tip. Insert the tip 2/3 of the way into the center of the cupcake. Squeeze the bag to start the flow of the filling. As the filling builds up inside of the cupcake, pull the tip out towards the surface of the cake.

Stop the pressure and pull the tip completely out when the filling begins to exude from the top. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

Method Two

Place the cupcake on a flat surface.

Using a small paring knife, cut a small cone in the center of the cupcake. Use short saw-like motions to cut out the cone.

Cut the tip of the cone off with a knife. Set the cone aside.

Cuff a disposable icing bag in half, slide a plastic coupler base inside the bag and fit a medium-round icing tip over the base and bag. Screw a plastic coupler ring over the top of the tip to secure it in place.

Fill the icing bag with 1/2 cup of filling. Uncuff the bag and twist the top part of the bag to keep the filling in place.

Squeeze the filling into the cavity of the cupcake. Place the trimmed top of the cupcake on top of the filling to use as a lid. Decorate the remaining cupcakes.

Tips

- Keep cupcakes in an airtight container when not in use.

Warning

- If using a meringue-based filling, be sure not to squeeze the bag too tightly as this can deflate the egg whites.

How to Frost Soft Cupcakes

A delightful twist to traditional cupcakes, soft-serve cupcakes look like they came from a vintage ice cream parlor. Larger than standard cupcakes, these are made in king-sized baking cups in a king-sized muffin pan so that the longer base resembles a flat-bottom ice cream cone. Swirls of frosting rise to a peak like soft-serve ice cream, while tasty candies and colorful accents add the finishing touch. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Bake and cool the cupcakes according to the recipe. While any flavor of cupcake can be transformed into a soft-serve cupcake, vanilla and other light-color batters will bake into a shade that most closely resembles that of an ice cream cone.

Prepare the icing, taking care to achieve the right consistency. If the icing is too thin, it will not be suitable for shaping designs that stand or have lifted features. Medium to stiff icing is needed for this project and may require some experimentation. Thicken your icing with confectioner's sugar and thin it with water, if necessary. Apply ingredients gradually until the needed consistency is reached.

Attach a star decorating tip and a large coupler to an icing bag. Scoop icing into the bag and knead it toward the tip.

Hold the decorating tip about 1/4 inch above the cupcake at a 90-degree angle. Apply light pressure to the icing bag and pipe a spiral of icing onto the cupcake, beginning at its outer edge and working inward. Upon reaching the center, stop the pressure on the bag and carefully pull the tip away.

Pipe another spiral of frosting onto the cupcake but don't make it as wide as the first one. The goal is to create a tapered swirl of icing that looks like ice cream dispensed from a soft-serve machine. Stop the spiral at the center, release pressure on the icing bag and pull the tip straight up and away from the frosting. If the peak has too much of a point, use your fingertip to gently dab a little confectioner's sugar or flour onto it. This will flatten and soften the sharpness of the point.

Decorate the frosting with rainbow-colored sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, edible glitter or crushed peppermint candy. Top it with a red-hot candy, red sour ball or even a real cherry. You now have a cupcake that looks like an ice cream cone. Give your cupcakes the look of an old-fashioned ice cream sundae by inserting straws or striped candy sticks through the icing and into the cake

Tips

- The 1M open-star decorating tip has finely cut teeth that will allow you to create decorations that have many swirls and ridges.

- Any flavor or color of icing can be used, but if mixing with food coloring, make sure to use those that are taste-free. Some food colorings make icing taste bitter.

How to Flat Frost Cupcakes

Fondant, a sugar paste used to decorate pastries, can give cupcakes you make at home a smooth and flat finish, as opposed to traditional frosting that is textured. Once you're comfortable working with fondant, you can create intricate and polished designs for your cupcakes that have an appearance and versatility similar to molded plastic. Nearly any design can be shaped, cut or molded out of fondant. You can buy fondant at grocery, kitchen supply and craft stores. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Tear a chunk of fondant out of the package and massage in your hands until it is warm and pliable.

Add a small amount of food coloring with a toothpick to the fondant and massage until the color is even. Add additional coloring until you are happy with the intensity.

Frost the pre-baked and completely cooled cupcakes with a thin layer of buttercream frosting. This will make the fondant stick to the cupcakes. Set the cupcakes aside.

Sprinkle cornstarch over a clean counter top to roll your fondant flat.

Roll the fondant with the rolling pin on the cornstarch-covered counter until it is smooth and reaches your desired thickness. Some people choose thick layers of fondant, others use thin. Go with the look you prefer for your cupcakes.

Cut circles in the fondant using a cup or a cookie cutter that has a slightly larger circumference than your cupcakes.

Place a circle of fondant flat in your palm. Gently press a cupcake, frosting side-down, onto the fondant.

Rotate the cupcake in your hand and smooth the edges of the fondant with your fingers until the entire circle is stuck to the cupcake.

Repeat Steps 7 and 8 with your remaining cupcakes.

Tips

- You can cut stripes, designs, bows, faces and more out of additional fondant to create more intricate designs. Simply stick the embellishments to the cupcakes using small dabs of buttercream frosting.

- Instead of buying fondant, you can also make your own fondant at home.

How to Arrange Cupcakes at a Party

Cupcakes are a convenient stand-in for a cake because they do not require cutting before serving, nor do they need a fork and knife to eat. As convenient as cupcakes are, they can seem a meager alternative to a whole cake. But by artfully arranged cupcakes, you can create an aesthetic appeal that is as dramatic -- or even more dramatic -- than a whole cake. Does this Spark an idea?

Checker Board

Cover a cake board with red paper, securing it in place with tape on the bottom of the board.

Divide the top of the cake board into eight rows and eight columns measuring 3 inches each. Use a ruler and a black marker to outline the rows and columns to produce the 64 squares for a checker board.

Color in every other square on the board in with the black marker to produce a checker board pattern.

Spread black icing over the top of 16 cupcakes and red icing over the remaining cupcakes to make them look like checkers.

Fill the zip-top bag halfway with white buttercream frosting and snip off one bottom corner of the bag to make a piping bag.

Squeeze a small dollop of icing from the bag into the middle of each of the squares on the two rows at opposite ends of the cake board. This will help to hold the cupcakes onto the cake board.

Place the black cupcakes on top of the icing dollops on one side of the board for the black checkers' starting place. Arrange the red cupcakes on the squares with icing on the opposite end of the board.

Top each red cupcake with a red checker and each black cupcake with a black checker for an accent (optional).

Sheet Cake Cupcakes

Arrange the cupcakes into a rectangle measuring eight cupcakes across and four cupcakes down on a cake board, with the sides of the cupcakes touching each other.

Spread a thin layer of icing on the bottom of each cupcake liner to stick it to the cake board.

Cover the cupcakes with icing, spreading it with a spatula as though icing an entire sheet cake. This makes the cupcakes look more like a whole cake instead of individual cupcakes.

Tiered Tray

Spread a thick layer of icing of one color on top of half the cupcakes. Decorate the remaining cupcakes with another icing color.

Arrange the cupcakes with one icing color on the bottom layer of the tiered tray and the third layer from the bottom.

Fill the remaining layers on the tiered stand with the other half of the cupcakes so the tiers on the stand have alternating icing colors.

How to Attach Cupcake Pageant Skirts

Cupcake skirts are known by many names, including dress shells, pettiskirts, southern-style skirts and organza-ruffled skirts. They are the defining, decorative touch of a glitzy pageant gown. These fluffy, ruffled skirts attach to gowns to create a pageant skirt that will cause the judges to take notice and award points. They are typically purchased and designed separately from the bodice portion of the pageant skirt, requiring the skirt and bodice to be attached prior to wearing. These classic pageant skirts are easy to attach to a bodice to create a stunning pageant gown.

Pull the cupcake skirt on over the waist of the bodice portion.

Measure the width around the waistline. Use scissors to cut out a wide piece of ribbon in a matching color that is two times the length of the waist. Trim each end of the ribbon at an angle so that the ends of the ribbon are pointed.

Wrap the ribbon around the waist of the pageant skirt and the bodice so that the center of the ribbon is at the center of the spine. Tie the ribbon in the center of the front of the waist to hold the ribbon in place on the waist.

Insert one straight pin into each side of the ribbon so that the ribbon is connected to the cupcake skirt and to the bodice. Untie the ribbon and remove the clothing from the body. Turn the skirt and bodice inside out.

Use a needle and thread in a color that matches the skirt to sew a running stitch through the layer of the ribbon, cupcake skirt and bodice. Sew along the right side, left side and rear. To allow room for the clothing to be taken off and on, do not sew the layers in the front of the body. Turn the pageant dress right-side-out.

Put the pageant dress on the body of the little girl. Tie the ribbon into a large bow in the front.

How to Change Your Folders on Your Desktop to Cupcakes

Your computer's default icons are adequately designed to display their function but staring at the same images every day can become boring. Fortunately, you are given the option to customize your icons to whatever type of picture you want. If you have a set of icons you can customize each folder's appearance without the need for any special utilities or programs.

Download the cupcake icons you want to replace your folders with if you don't already have some on your computer. You can find a number of icon sets on sites like FreeIconsWeb.com and IconArchive.com. Note that the icons you download need to be in .ICO format.

Right click on a folder you want to customize, then click "Properties." Click the "Customize" tab, then click the "Change Icon" button at the bottom of the screen."

Click "Browse," then select the folder of the cupcake icons you downloaded. Once this is done you can select from all the icon images in that folder. Select the one you want to represent that folder, then click "OK." Click "OK" again in the folder properties window and your icon will be changed.

Tips

- If for any reason you have trouble with your icons, go back to the folder selection window, then click "Restore Defaults" at the bottom next to "OK."

How to Gather a Cupcake Applique With Chiffon Fabric

A fabric applique is a separate piece of fabric, often in a design such as a flower or cupcake, that is sewn to the front of another piece of fabric. Stabilizer is used on the back of the fabric to help hold the applique in place without causing the main fabric to pucker. If you want to gather the fabric around a cupcake applique, you can do so by sewing a traditional gathering stitch, then by sewing a zig zag stitch around the applique to hold the gathers in place securely. You can use this process for any applique design.

Place the cupcake applique onto the chiffon where you want to place the design. Layer a piece of stabilizer slightly larger than the applique behind the fabric.

Pin the cupcake and stabilizer to the fabric with straight pins.

Sew the applique to the fabric using the traditional running stitch or straight stitch. Leave the strings of the thread long.

Pull on the strings gently to gather the fabric around the cupcake applique into the desired shape.

Set the sewing machine to sew a zig zag stitch. Use a 1/8-inch stitch size. Sew around the outline of the cupcake with the zig zag stitch to secure the applique to the fabric.

Flip the fabric over and remove the excess stabilizer from around the applique.

What Is the Correct Way to Ice a Cupcake With a Piping Bag?

A piping bag is the most versatile tool in a cake decorator's arsenal, provided you know how to use it properly. The tool has several components, and assembling those pieces intimidates many novice decorators. Preparing a piping bag of icing or frosting requires minimal time, however. Once your bag is ready for action you can begin honing your application technique. There are two basic piping applications for cupcake decorating; both of them are straightforward and become routine with minutes of practice. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Filling the Piping Bag

Cut 1 inch off the narrow end of the piping bag with large scissors or kitchen shears.

Twist the ends of a coupler to unscrew the two pieces. You will then have a ring and a cone-shaped piece.

Insert the cone-shaped piece, narrow end first, into the piping bag. Push it down to the narrow opening of the bag. The coupler should be protruding from the opening in the bag about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

Slide the wide end of a decorative piping tip onto the protruding coupler. Slide the coupler ring onto the decorative tip. Screw it onto the coupler to secure the tip to the bag. Using a coupler enables you to remove a decorative tip from the bag to vary icing patterns or colors.

Scoop prepared icing into a piping bag liner with a spatula or large spoon. Fill no more than three-fourths of the bag.

Twist the liner above the icing to keep the contents from squeezing out while you work. Trim the closed tip of the liner with scissors to allow icing out of it.

Insert the narrow end of the filled liner into the piping bag. Ensure the tip of the liner reaches into the coupler at the end of the bag. Twist the piping bag in the same position you twisted the liner.

Piping a Continuous Swirl

Hold the tip of the piping bag 1/8 inch from the top surface of the cupcake. Position the tip at the outer edge of the cake.

Squeeze the bag gently to pipe icing out of it. Move the bag in a circle above the cupcake to outline the top outer edge in icing.

Move the bag in a continuous circular motion to spiral the icing toward the center of the cupcake.

Lift the piping bag as you reach the center of the cupcake to start building the design vertically.

Release the hand that is squeezing the icing out once the center peak is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall. Continue lifting the bag straight up as you stop squeezing. This finishes the icing peak with a point.

Piping Shaped Beads

Hold the tip of the piping bag directly to the top surface of the cupcake. Position the tip in the center of the cake.

Squeeze the bag gently to pipe out the icing. Pipe a pea-sized bead of icing onto the cupcake.

Release the hand that is squeezing the bag as soon as the pea-sized dollop is on the cupcake. Lift the bag as you squeeze and release to give a tapered finish to the bead of icing. The finished shape should be 1/8 to 1/4 inch high and as wide as the opening in the decorative tip.

Hold the tip of the piping bag to the top surface of the cupcake immediately next to the short icing design you just piped.

Apply short, shaped beads of icing across the entire surface of the cupcake, working outward from the center.

Tips

- Unscrew the coupler ring, remove the first decorative tip and place a different decorative tip on the bag to change the pattern of one icing color while you work. Unscrew the coupler ring, remove the decorative tip and place it on a different piping bag with its own coupler to make one icing pattern in multiple colors while you work.

How to Bake Messages Into Cupcakes

Send a secret message in the sweetest way possible – baked into a cupcake. It might sound like something from a movie, but you can write a message and hide it in the batter of a cake before baking. The secret to the method is the type of paper you choose. Plain writing paper can get soggy in the batter, and wax paper is difficult to write on, but heat- and moisture-resistant parchment paper can withstand both the batter and the heat of the oven. Look for it in the paper goods section of grocery stores. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Cut parchment paper with scissors into 12 strips.

Write your message on each parchment paper strip with a pen. Let the message dry to the touch. Use nontoxic pens and touch the message to ensure the ink has fully dried. Avoid permanent marker ink.

Prepare the cupcake batter per your favorite recipe or box mix. Preheat the oven as directed by your recipe.

Place cupcake liners into a muffin pan and fill each liner halfway with batter.

Fold each parchment paper strip in half with the message on the inside at least twice so the strip is about 1 inch on each side. Keeping the message on the inside of the folded paper will help to prevent the ink from bleeding into the batter.

Bury each folded strip into the batter of each cupcake liner.

Add more batter to each cupcake liner so they are two-thirds full and the parchment paper strips are completely hidden under the batter.

Bake and cool the cupcakes as directed by the recipe.

Warning

- Warn your guests before biting into the cupcakes that there is something inside the treats.

Cupcake Coloring Craft

Colorful cupcake crafts can work double-duty as sweet party treats as well as table decor. Use frosting to add a vibrant touch to the cupcakes and have kids decorate them with festive designs to match any special occasion. Supply children with a variety of edible decor items and encourage them to use their imaginations when enhancing the cupcakes. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Halloween Cupcake Crafts

If you're hosting a children's Halloween bash, create a batch of spooky cupcakes. Tint white frosting using food coloring, or buy pre-colored icing for convenience. Use orange and black frosting to create creepy jack-o'-lantern-inspired cupcakes. Green frosting will come in handy for Frankenstein-themed cupcakes, and you can decorate the tops of dark purple-frosted cupcakes with plastic spiders or pieces of candy corn.

Christmas Cupcake Crafts

Celebrate the holiday season by making Christmas cupcake crafts with your kids. Use a variety of small, edible treats to make festive baked goods. Transform the tops of white-frosted cupcakes into ornament-inspired crafts by sprinkling them with red and green decorator's sugar. Use green frosting and a pastry bag to pipe Christmas tree shapes onto the cupcakes as another option. Decorate the trees with small red cinnamon candies or shiny silver or gold dragees.

Flower Cupcake Crafts

Enhance a garden-themed birthday party or baby or wedding shower with flower-inspired cupcake crafts. Pipe frosting in vibrant colors such as pink, orange and yellow onto the mini cakes to create petaled flower designs. As another idea, top the cupcakes with white frosting and transform colorful gumdrops into flower patterns. Use small chocolate candies as the flowers' centers and create stems with green icing.

Critter Cupcake Crafts

Kids can create whimsical critter faces on the cupcakes using a rainbow of frosting colors. Top the cupcakes with red frosting and use brown or black icing to create dots for ladybug-inspired edible crafts. Use pink frosting for a pig and green for a frog theme. Kids can make facial features with small marshmallows, cookie bits, icing or licorice pieces.

What Do I Need to Bake Cupcakes?

Baking cupcakes at home requires access to only a few key tools. Learn about what you need to bake cupcakes with help from a cupcake artist and baker in this free video clip.

Video Transcript

Hello, my name is Audrey Hermes, owner of Frost Me Gourmet Cupcakes in San Diego, California. Today, I'm going to be telling you what you need to make cupcakes from home. You'll need your favorite cupcake recipe. This can be for cake or cupcakes as long as you can put it into a cupcake pan. You'll need all of your ingredients, electric mixer, handheld or countertop, mixing bowl, spatula. Your measuring spoons and measuring cups. A flour sifter, your pan and oven mitt. A cooling rack for your cupcakes when they're finished. A piping bag or a spatula to frost your cupcake with. You cupcake liners. And your decorations. All of these things will help you make your cupcakes from home.

How to Get Sprinkles to Stick on Cupcakes

Getting sprinkles to stick on your frosted cupcakes is something you can do in just a few quick moments. Get sprinkles to stick on cupcakes with help from a cupcake artist and baker in this free video clip.

Video Transcript

Hello, my name is Audrey Hermes, owner of Frost Me Gourmet Cupcakes in San Diego, California. Today, I will be showing you how to get sprinkles to stick to your frosted cupcakes. You will want to make sure that you put the sprinkles onto the cupcake directly after you pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes. You choose the sprinkles that you would like to place onto your cupcakes. I like to pour some of the sprinkles into my hand. This way I can pinch the sprinkles and directly add them onto the cupcakes where I would like them to be. You'll want to make sure that your cupcakes are freshly frosted when adding the sprinkles because the frosting will be pliable and sticky and that is how you get the sprinkles to stick to your cupcake.

How to Keep Cupcakes Moist With Icing Overnight

Keeping cupcakes moist with icing is all about how you store them before eating. Keep cupcakes moist with icing with help from a cupcake artist and baker in this free video clip.

Video Transcript

Hello, my name is Audrey Hermes, owner of Frost Me gourmet cupcakes in San Diego, California. Today, I'm going to be telling you how you can keep your cupcakes that are already frosted fresh overnight. If they're already in a pastry box, you can just wrap the entire box with Saran Wrap. You'll want to make sure to get all of the edges covered so no air can get into the box. If the cupcakes are not already in a pastry bag, you can keep them in a airtight container. Remember, if the frosting is made with butter or cream cheese, you'll want to keep them in the refrigerator to keep the food safe. And that is how you can keep your cupcakes fresh with frosting overnight.

How to Prepare Cupcakes

Cupcakes need to be prepared in a very specific way if the end result is going to be even half as good as you hope. Prepare cupcakes the proper way with help from a two-time winner of Food Network's Cupcake Wars in this free video clip.

Video Transcript

Hi, I'm Arleen from Sweet Arleens here in Westlake Village and today, I have with me Julia, our Executive Pastry Chef. "Hi!" We're going to be baking one of the recipes from the book that we've just contributed to Handstand Kids with of that Gar, Garfield and we've contributed a few different recipes to the book as well as I wrote the forward and we just enjoyed having a book launch here in Westlake Village a few weeks ago. And the carrot walnut is a delicious comfort food great for kids of all ages. So, we've chosen this product to share with you in how to make a cupcake. So, we're going to begin with showing our wet ingredients and our dry ingredients. The combination first that Julia is going to illustrate is a half a cup of dark brown sugar and a half a cup of granulated sugar. Mix with our fat, in this case it's going to be vegetable oil. Pure vegetable oil that we'll be adding, "Three quarters of cup of it", okay, three quarters of a cup. This recipe is so simple. You don't need to have a fancy mixture. You can use a whisk just like Julia is doing or you can put it in your mixture at home. "In fact, it's better than by hand 'cause you don't want air incorporated more than it has to be." Okay. So, next, we'll be adding two eggs and we always put our eggs, we always crack our eggs in a separate container before adding to our mixture. Why? "To make sure there's no egg shells in there." Absolutely. "That's a quick visual." Okay. So, now, we're set to start to add some of our dry ingredients. So, Julia, how much flour are we going to add? "We have one cup of flour, "okay", to start. To spice it up, we have a teaspoon of cinnamon, "oh beautiful", throw in that in there, "absolutely." And then we have a, a teaspoon of salt." Alright, I've got the salt. "And half a teaspoon of baking soda." Okay, and again, all the ingredients are measured out and then they're listed again in the cookbook. "Right." "And this you can all measure together beforehand and then it just goes right into the wet mixture." Okay. And we're going to continue to use our whisk to blend the dry ingredients into our liquids. "Yeah." Hmmm, I can already smell that cinnamon as you're blend, "Absolutely", as you're whisking that Julia. "Yes." Now, as far as the addition for flavor, we've chosen, this is a carrot walnut cake, so we have grated carrots as well as chopped walnuts. You can either buy grated carrots and chopped walnuts already done for you or of course, you can just get your own grater and knife out and take care of both. "Here at the bakery we use a food processor." Right to do, to do all of our carrots, right? "Yes." I always hear that going. "Yeah." Okay. So, with that, we're going to set our whisk aside and switch over to a spoon or spatula. "Awesome. And then, once you have all the wet and dry ingredients, you're just going to fold in the carrots, "okay", and the walnuts. I don't personally like walnuts, so, I can either recommend leaving this out or using pecans." Okay. Or for those with nut-free allergies, again, you can just leave out nuts altogether. Okay, we're going to go ahead and just quickly fold the carrots and walnuts into the batter. We don't want to over mix the batter or we risk it being dry. And then, when we're ready, we're going to go ahead and scoop it out into our cupcake tin. Of course we have really large cupcake tins at the bakery at Sweet Arleens, but we got a home size one here for you today. We want to ensure that we're, that we filled the cupcake liners about halfway full to result in a very even cupcake with room for icing. "To get the perfect portion, we use a number 16 scoop, all scoops have a number and as long as it's full all the way to the top without overflowing, something like that, "hmmm, that looks great", it's going to be perfect." "These carrot ones are a little bit messy 'cause they kind of hang over the side, but guaranteed a delicious, moist product every time." They don't look messy here at all Julia. "Right". Alright, now we've preheated our oven to 350 degrees, it's already heated, ready to go. Julia is going to pop it in the oven and we're going to bake those for about 24 minutes. But again, depending on your own oven at home, it maybe a minute here or there short or over. So, now, we're going to show our baked cupcakes, our baked carrot walnuts and showing those ice and we chose cream cheese icing at the bakery. These are actually a product that we sell here. And oh, those look wonderful Julia. "Yey!" So, making cupcakes is fun, it's easy, it's important to read your recipe thoroughly. But the carrot walnut cupcake is a taste of comfort. Enjoy. "Cheers!"