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[Snoxy]

Hi

 

I have searched the forum because I am sure I saw a topic on cup cakes...can't find it though

 

I am keen to start baking cup cakes.

 

I have a fab little book

 

Can anyone please advise me on the best beginners tools? Icing bags? Nylon? A starter set of nozzles?

 

If any of you bake cup cakes regularly and have pics I would LOVE to see them please

 

Thank you

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I can recommend the disposable icing bags from Lakeland.

 

Sainsburys do some lovely candy stars which look fab sprinkled on cupcakes.

 

Of course there is the optional extra of a cupcake stand to show them off!

 

I get my nozzles from a sugarcraft shop in Ipswich.

 

I'm afraid my cupcakes don't hang around long enough to have their photos taken.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Lakeland disposable piping bags recommended here too - I use the 'Get a Grip' bags, they are more expensive than the regular disposable ones, but very good. And... if you're mean (like me) you can actually wash them out and reuse them several times! The nylon bags are a pain in the bum to use, so I wouldn't bother with those.

 

Pretty cupcake cases are a must food colours to make your icing pretty are also useful to have.

Other than that I can only recommend experimentation and practice!

[poachedegg]

Another vote for the get a grip disposable icing bags from Lakeland. ASDA do a good variety of sprinkles for on the top.

 

I also practise icing swirls with value instant mash on the back of plates - just keep scooping it back in.

 

Valentine Cupcakes

 

Chocolate Cupcakes

 

Bright Flowers (using a cutter)

 

These were some of the 1st ones I made last September when I first started making them - these were for DD's Brownie Pack Holiday

[Snoxy]

Thank you so much for the replies

 

 

FAB PICS...thank you for taking the time to upload them

 

 

Any advice on nozzles? We have a sugarcraft shop close by...what nozzle(s) should I be buying to start with in your opinions?

[BarbaraJ]

I love to make cakes and cupcakes especially at the moment. I prefer trying different flavours as they are mainly for family but may try some more decorative ones soon. I use disposable and nylon bags with usually a large nozzle thatyou would use for mash potato. The Oreo icing was a bit messy but was just for us. I am getting neater

 

Oreo cupcakes

Mars bar

After Eight

Gingerbread with Clementine cream

Malteser

Lemon meringue

[whoopsie]

I love those little gold stars - where are they from?

 

I have a Tala icing set and use Wilton icing bags - but that's because I do big cakes as well! If you are a fan of The Pampered Chef (I went to a party last night - brilliant!), they have some excellent stuff for baking and a new icing/potato gadget which looks very interesting. www.pamperedchef.co.uk

 

I'm also a big fan of Lakeland - they have a lot of cupcake stuff at the moment, and any good cake decorating shop will have edible glitter and sparkles (an absolute must as far as i'm concerned!!!).

 

enjoy!!!

[BarbaraJ]

I love those little gold stars - where are they from?

 

I have a Tala icing set and use Wilton icing bags - but that's because I do big cakes as well! If you are a fan of The Pampered Chef (I went to a party last night - brilliant!), they have some excellent stuff for baking and a new icing/potato gadget which looks very interesting. www.pamperedchef.co.uk

 

I'm also a big fan of Lakeland - they have a lot of cupcake stuff at the moment, and any good cake decorating shop will have edible glitter and sparkles (an absolute must as far as i'm concerned!!!).

 

enjoy!!!

http://www.cakescookiesandcraftsshop.co.uk/acatalog/Edible_Glitters.html

here you go

[Snoxy]

What a fantastic website

 

Been to the local sugar craft shop this morning after the school run...bought some basic bits...no stopping me now Couldn't get a nozzle because they were sold out...the lady is placing an order for 200 today and she said they will fly off the shelves

[Alis girls]

i have put on a stone drooling over Barbara's cakes

[whoopsie]

Thanks Barbara. I also use cakestuff.com - especially good if you have a big project on.

 

My favourite glitter so far has to be the Hologram Rainbow Dust .

[Snoxy]

Anyone have a tried and tested recipe for butter icing PLEASE

[poachedegg]

Anyone have a tried and tested recipe for butter icing PLEASE

 

I use 1/2 softened butter to Icing sugar (eg 3oz butter/6oz icing sugar), few spoons warm water as required and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

 

When I'm making the cakes I weigh out the butter for the butter cream, slice it thinly and leave on a plate in the kitchen to soften for later.

 

Cream the butter, seive the icing sugar (I stir before whisking to prevent an icing sugar storm!), whisk together until mixed, add a couple of drops warm water until the correct consistency and if required whisk in the vanilla extract - if you whisk for a while you get a lovely soft consistency.

 

For chocolate I also add a spoon of seived cocoa and to be really decadent a little melted chocolate.

 

For lemon, I leave out the vanilla extract and stir in a spoon of lemon curd.

[Snoxy]

Thank you so much Poachedegg

[BarbaraJ]

Anyone have a tried and tested recipe for butter icing PLEASE

 

I use 1/2 softened butter to Icing sugar (eg 3oz butter/6oz icing sugar), few spoons warm water as required and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

 

When I'm making the cakes I weigh out the butter for the butter cream, slice it thinly and leave on a plate in the kitchen to soften for later.

 

Cream the butter, seive the icing sugar (I stir before whisking to prevent an icing sugar storm!), whisk together until mixed, add a couple of drops warm water until the correct consistency and if required whisk in the vanilla extract - if you whisk for a while you get a lovely soft consistency.

 

For chocolate I also add a spoon of seived cocoa and to be really decadent a little melted chocolate.

 

For lemon, I leave out the vanilla extract and stir in a spoon of lemon curd.

 

same here double icing sugar to butter. i use milk rather than water, don't know why suppose because my mum did!

[Snoxy]

Thank you BarbaraJ

[whoopsie]

I use milk in the butter icing too. Love the lemon curd idea that sounds yummy. I have done some with rosewater too which came out quite nice.

 

Almond extract in the cake mix instead of vanilla is a nice twist. It can also be added to buttercream.

[Lesley]

I use milk as well - Camp coffee added makes a lovely coffee icing on chocolate cupcakes......

 

These are the cupcake/muffin hybrids I made for my (grown up) son's birthday..... I'd decided to make him Guinness Cake muffins (using the US family recipe for Wacky Cake as the chocolatey cake - and no Guinness!) with the cream cheese topping but he asked for Lemon Surprise cupcakes so I made both. I dropped the lemon cupcakes into the muffin wrappers so that they all matched...........

 

 

[Snoxy]

Lesley

 

WOW

[BarbaraJ]

Mmmmm yum, i use the brown paper cases sometimes, i cook in them though!

[Snoxy]

Just placed an order for some bits and bobs

[Lesley]

Mmmmm yum, i use the brown paper cases sometimes, i cook in them though!

 

I cooked the mix directly in the brown cases but the white ones show cake through them so I cooked the cakes in fairy cake cases and then dropped them in to the outer wrappers.

[Valkyrie]

Oh dear, I picked the wrong thread to look at after the healthy eating one.

 

Don't they all look fabulous!!!!

 

DD does a lot of cupcakes and gets her equipment from Squires Kitchen.

 

I sprinkled gold stars on my banoffee pie and profiteroles for a Christmas get together with the neighbours - I found them in Sainsbury's. They also do pink ones.

 

Chickwiggle does nice cupcakes too.

[sunshinesupernova]

I like the wide open nozzle that comes in the basic LAkeland piping set. It gives nice big swirls

 

 

For buttercream, I use 115g butter to 4 cups of icing sugar and 1/4 cup of milk (plus vanilla)

 

Not been on here on ages.... Nice to see you all

Edited May 4, 2011 by Guest

[Snoxy]

Yummy