Cupcake Apparel

Now that we've talked about scratch versus boxed cake mix, the cupcake craze, unique cupcakes and wedding cupcakes, let's talk about decorations.  After all, the decorations are what draw the eye to the cupcake.  The decoration is the cupcake's apparel.  From the simplest frosting, to crazy flavors, unique designs and character cupcakes, the eye is drawn to what's on top of the cupcake before they choose to eat it.

There are many ways to decorate a cupcake and I have found Wilton.com to be the most helpful in learning icing recipes and techniques.  Buttercream is one of the most popular icings, with a sweet, buttery flavor (shown below).  The consistency can be varied based on amount of ingredients but is best used for smooth cakes.  Wilton Decorator Chocolate has a stiff consistency and is used for shells, stars and flowers.  Rolled fondant is great for covering cakes that need to be perfectly smooth.  It's consistency is dough-like, which makes it great for molding decorations for cake toppings.  Whipped Icing has a lighter consistency, which is great for icing cakes, pies or puddings.  So, what icing should you use for your cake?  Well, it depends on the texture of your cake and what your desired outcome is.   Some people enjoy a dense cake with light icing and some people like dense cake with a stiffer icing.  

Any of these icings can be made into the flavor and color of your choose.  Just add your choose of flavoring until you get your desired result.  Start out with a small amount and add as needed.  When it comes to food coloring, you can make any color you want.  Just add small amounts of color to the icing mixtures and add as needed.  One mixture can be split into multiple bowls and died various colors; this will save you from making multiple batches.  

Icings are usually piped onto cupcakes with a decorating bag and use of a decorating tip.  Wilton.com, Michaels and many supermarkets sell decorating bags and tips.  The tip determines what the icing will look like on the cupcake.  A traditional tip is the 1M tip that gives the classic swirl effect.  Tips such as varied round tips and star tips can make more unique look.  You can choose to use one tip for the whole cupcake or use a variety of tips to make a more complex look.  Fondant is rolled out like dough and can be molded or cut into any desired shape. 

My favorite way to decorate a cupcake is making the cupcake look like a character.  There are so many characters you can use for inspiration and kids love them!  Find the Top 30 Disney cupcakes here.  Characters from Chewbacca to Jack Skellington and Donald Duck are on the top list. 

I hope you have found these tips helpful and have found inspiration to make your own character cupcakes for any occasion. 

Wedding Cupcakes

Wedding cakes have been tradition for more than 100 years in the making.  Brides dream of their perfect wedding with many of the traditions associated with it.  The cake is one of the most important items at a wedding for many brides and many must have the traditional cake topper and cutting of the cake as part of their wedding (Callaway).  But today, many brides are stepping outside the box and dreaming up more unique weddings and creating new unique wedding traditions to pass along to their future generations.  So, many brides today are choosing a twist on the traditional wedding cake, wedding cupcakes! 

Wedding cupcakes are popping up more and more in weddings.  At first, they were thought to be a budget saver.  However, many bakeries charge just as much for cupcakes as they do a traditional cake.  Although professionals may charge the same for both options, it is much easier for an at home baker to fancy up a mass amount of cupcakes than it is to make a traditional wedding cake look fancy.  If done at home, wedding cupcakes can be a great way to save money in your wedding budget.

Another perk of wedding cupcakes is if your wedding is held at a location with no caterer or professional cake cutter available.  Wedding cakes are tricky to cut into the perfect sizes to serve the amount of people it is made to.  Wedding cupcakes however can be made for the exact amount of guests or even a few extra in case you have some hungry party guests!  

As mentioned in my previous post, there are many styles of cupcake liners and wrappers available.  You can purchase chic cupcake liners or wrappers to match your wedding theme.  You may personalize your cupcake wrapper as well.  One idea is to have customized wrappers just for the bride and groom.  Or for those who still want the traditional groom's cake, you may choose to customize some of your wrappers to include his favorite sports team on your big day.  Dress My Cupcakes is the world's largest manufacturer of cupcake wrappers and gives you the ability to customize your wrapper to fit your need. 

Although cupcakes are a unique twist on the traditional wedding cake, you can still display your cupcakes in a traditional manner.  Making your own cupcake tree can save your budget too.  Visit the My DIY Wedding Day blog to learn how to make your own cupcake tree like the one below.

So what is the best way to go, wedding cake or cupcakes?  There is no true winner in this battle.  The best way to go is what you feel will fit your wedding and your lifestyle the best.  It's your wedding and the choice is up to you.  Personally, I love cupcakes but at my wedding, I chose a to have a wedding cake (pictured below).  I had dreamed of a wedding cake since I was a little girl and it just seemed right to have it on my big day.  Both wedding cakes and cupcakes can be equally elegant, so take these tips and choose which is the best option for you on your wedding day. 

Callaway, N. (n.d.). Cupcakes vs wedding cakes - the showdown!. Retrieved from http://weddings.about.com/od/weddingcakes/a/cupcakesvsweddi.htm

Unique Cupcakes

     As we discovered in the scratch versus boxed cake mix post, scratch cake is a great way to customize flavors.  The wonderful thing about creating cakes from scratch is that you able to combine ingredients to invent the most unique flavor combinations.  Ingredients that would not typically be thought of as cake ingredients inspire the most unique cupcakes. 

     Cupcake Wars is a cupcake competition that is aired on the Food Network channel; the show judges bakers based on taste and decorations.  The most unique cupcakes and displays are typically the winners of each show.  This show inspires many at home bakers to experiment with flavors to make their own creations.  I know I have been inspired by many of the baker's cupcakes on this show.  My favorite unique cupcake concept made on Cupcake Wars is the Pulled Pork and Sweet Corn Country Cupcakes.  It combines the sweet and savory flavors to create an interesting cupcake (Top 92 cupcake, 2012).  

     Liquor, beer, sweet potatoes, soda, cookies, popcorn, and so many more flavors inspire many cupcakes, but many would not think of these flavors to incorporate into a cupcake.  The top twenty unique cupcakes in 2010 were chocolate cherry coke, strawberry lime stuffed cupcakes, caramel pecan, pineapple, oreo, Guinness, lemon, blueberry white chocolate, nutella filled, olive oil, orange, pomegranate, huckleberry raspberry marshmallow, chocolate chip cookie dough, coconut, cinnamon roll, cider cupcakes with marshmallow frosting, grapefruit, snickerdoodle, caramel macchiato and margarita cupcakes (Top 20 unique, 2010).

     Other unique flavors include creamsicle, caramel apple, zucchini ginger, spiced chai latte, mojito, gin and tonic and root beer float (10 interestingly unique, 2009). .  These flavor combinations seem funky and some would be unenthusiastic to try them.  However, there are many people who jump at the chance to try these creations.  I for one am eager to make and try all kinds of flavor combinations.  The most unique cupcake I have created is a cookie monster cupcake.  It is unique in flavor and decoration.  The cookie monster cupcake is a cookie dough cupcake with cream cheese frosting, stuffed with a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth.  Marshmallow eyes top off the cookie monster and give him his true identity. 

     Unique cupcakes are amazing on their own, however, with the addition of a unique liner, your cupcake is set to be the talk of the party.  Check out the website Cupcake Swirl to purchase the perfect apparel for your unique treat. 

Top 92 cupcake wars recipe. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/shows/showtoprecipes/0,1000011,FOOD_32078_1230_06,00.html

10 interestingly unique cupcake recipes. (2009, February 6). Retrieved from http://myfindsonline.com/2009/02/06/10-interestingly-unique-cupcake-recipes/

Top 20 unique cupcake recipes of 2010. (2010, April 21). Retrieved from http://myfindsonline.com/2010/04/21/cupcake-recipes/

Cupcake Craze

     Now that you know the pros and cons of scratch versus boxed cake mix, I want to discuss the various ways to use the batter to make your very own creations.  People have been baking sheet cakes for centuries, however more recently the craze has become cupcakes and cake pops.  So why choose one over the other and when did the craze begin?

           

     The traditional sheet cake is not as popular as it once was.  Though there are still many bakeries that bake sheet cakes and wedding cakes, many bakeries are popping up everywhere that specialize in just cupcakes.  In fact, the first cupcake bakery was Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills, California in 2004 (Sprinkles Cupcakes, 2004).  The cupcake craze has inspired T.V. shows such as Cupcake Wars on the Food Network and DC Cupcakes on TLC. 

            

     Many date the cupcake craze back to Sarah Jessica Parker's "cupcake shop" on Sex and the City (Mitchell).  Cupcake bakeries are so popular because they allow people to choice their indulgence.  They are just the right size for one person and there is such a variety, that everyone in the family can pick their very own flavor.  Most cupcake bakeries also use high-quality ingredients that with just the right amounts of each, makes the perfect flavor. 

            

     Cupcakes are easy and fun.  They allow a baker to have an imagination with batter and frosting flavors, each cupcake can be different and they give you the ability to decorate each with it's own look.  Cupcakes can come in all flavors; check out the top ten cupcakes flavors from TLC.  

My most recent creation was a Chocolate Pretzel Crunch Cupcake that combined the sweet and rich flavors of chocolate cake and frosting with the saltiness of pretzels. 

     Cake pops have also become popular in recent years.  They are showing up everywhere, birthday parties, weddings, and more.  Cake pops are mini balls of cake on a stick that are dipped in chocolate.  They are the perfect bite size treat and can be made in any flavor you choose; they are also easy to make and eat!  Cake pops can be transformed into many other treats, such as brownie or cookie balls; you can also make cake pops look like just about anything.  Snowmen, owls (below), chicks, Hello Kitty, ice cream cones, babies, flowers, and so many more creations have been made as cake pops.  Personally, I have tried all kinds of cake balls.  My personal favorite is Nutter Butter Balls; learn how to make these cookie balls at Tasty Kitchen. 

     Sheet cakes, stacked cakes, cupcakes and cake balls have all had their fame in America.  Today, cupcakes and cake balls are the latest fad, but will they last?  New York Times asked this question and many followers agreed that the cupcake trend was near it's end.  They believe baked goods such as cookies, marshmallows, brownies and puddings are the next big trend (Trend watch: is).  However, I believe cupcakes are still on the rise, many Americans are still purchasing cupcakes over sheet cakes and more and more cupcake bakeries are showing up all across America.  I think the cupcake business has many years left at the top; there may be new trends that come about, but I do not believe they can trump the all mighty cupcake.

Mitchell, J. (n.d.). In hard times? let them eat cupcakes.. Retrieved from http://redwoodage.com/content/view/167480/44

Trend watch: is the cupcake fad nearing an end?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thekitchn.com/trend-watch-is-the-cupcake-fad-62842

Sprinkles cupcakes. (2004). Retrieved from https://www.sprinkles.com/

Scratch vs. Boxed Cake Mix

       In the cake world, scratch versus cake box mix is one dilemma many cannot agree on.  However, to most bakers scratch is the only way to make a cake.  Although I strongly agree with creating cakes from scratch because it allows more creativity in the art of baking, I want to explore the pros and cons of both.

       Let's begin by discussing baking a cake from scratch.  "Scratch cakes take a tightrope balance of flours, leavening agents, liquids, fats and flavorings" (Smith).  According to DIY Bride, the pros of scratch cakes are: the unlimited amount of flavor combinations you can create, the freshness of the cake without preservatives, better consistency for wedding cakes and the satisfaction of creating a piece of art from scratch (Cake month: boxed, 2012).  With scratch cakes, you can find great recipes online or create a one of a kind cake, with the ability to modify, enhance flavors and chose exactly how you want your cake to taste. 

       With all pros come cons, baking a cake from scratch takes practice because measuring ingredients must be done accurately.  Scratch cakes do not have a guaranteed taste; it is all about the amount and types of ingredients that make the cake taste great.  Scratch cakes can also be more expensive depending on the ingredients the recipe calls for (Cake month: boxed, 2012.

       Tips to make a cake from scratch can be found at HGTV's "Bake a Cake From Scratch" article. 

       Now, let's look at the pros and cons of boxed cake mixes.  Boxed cake mixes have been around for years.  Boxed cake mixes are convenient, inexpensive and can be stored until ready to bake.  It's easy to mix the three or four ingredients together and create a tasty cake that most Americans are accustomed too (Smith). 

       Although boxed cakes have proven to be easy and convenient in a time crunch, they have "limited flavors, texture and "weight" options and have preservatives in them."  When it comes to weddings, it is hard to scale box cake mixes to feed a mass amount of guests.  Some mixes also leave a chemical taste behind (Cake month: boxed, 2012). 

       Most people will agree that scratch cakes have a better taste.  One baker has found a way to make a boxed cake mix taste like a scratch cake with just a few minor tweaks.  By simply mixing the cake as instructed, adding an additional egg and pudding mix and by mixing confectioner's sugar with your frosting, you can create a tasty boxed cake that tastes homemade (Ipatenco, 2011).  See the full article on how to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade here. 

       After investigating the pros and cons of both scratch and boxed cake mix, I still strongly believe scratch is the way to go.  I like a challenge and enjoy experimenting with flavors, textures and decorating techniques.  From my experience in baking cakes, my "taste-testers" have always preferred my scratch cakes to boxed cake mixes any day.

References

Cake month: boxed mix or scratch recipe?. (n.d.). Retrieved from      http://www.diybride.com/index.php/blog/item/2436-cake-month-boxed-mix-or-scratch-recipe

Ipatenco, S. (2011, May 14). How do i make a boxed cake mix taste homemade?.  Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/442401-how-do-i-make-a-boxed-cake-mix-taste-homemade/

Smith, K. (n.d.). Bake a cake from scratch. Retrieved from http://www.hgtv.com