Cupcakes I whipped up in my own kitchen last night.
Cupcake shops are popping up all over and although I can't help peak in the window to see all the beautiful cakes lined up in little rows I won't pay for them. Frankly it would make my grandmother roll over in her grave if I payed $3-5 for a cupcake. A box cake mix (which tastes just the same as homemade and can be added to if you want to make it your own) costs less than one cupcake. An average cake mix makes 24 cup cakes which if you bought them would run you around $96 at $4 each.
Here are some simple tricks to make your cupcakes look like the pros at home. By the time I am done with you, you will be ready to start your own cupcake shop.
1. Wrappers: Find a fun wrapper that fits your theme or color scheme. Many stores are coming out with new designs and patterns. Most wrappers will run you from $1-$3 per pack. Michael's Arts & Crafts has a huge selection.
2. Baking the Cakes: Make sure to evenly distribute the batter and clean up any drips and drizzles. When you pull the cupcakes out of the oven allow ample time to cool completely before trying to frost cupcakes. *Brownies are a tasty alternative to cake batter.
3. Frosting: I am a huge fan of ganache as an alternative to butter cream. I think it isn't as sugary and has more flavor. The word ganache sounds fancy but it is really simple.
Ganache
- Two parts chocolate chips -mix and match or stay classic with all plain chocolate: semi sweet, peanut butter, mint, butterscotch, white chocolate, you get the idea
- One part heavy cream
- Flavoring/Coloring: pinch of ground expresso, peppermint extract, orange extract, coffee liquor (optional)
- Powdered sugar (for stiffening the frosting if needed
Create a double boiler out of a pot with a little water in it and a glass bowl on top. Melt chocolate in glass bowl over simmering water. Add cream and mix. *Add flavoring or food coloring if you choose to at this time.
Use the ganache right away as a glaze by dipping your cupcakes or allow to cool completely (about 2 hours) and whip in a mixer for a fluffy frosting. (Add powdered sugar to stiffen frosting if needed)
Ganache as a glaze
Ganache as a frosting: Whip, pipe with a pastry bag or just use a ziplock bag and cut off a corner, pipe in a simple circular motion from the outside filling in. Add toppings right away before the ganache sets.
4. Topping: Get extravagant with your toppings. Adding the extras on top really puts on the finishing touches taking your cupcake from homemade to expensive posh bakery cupcakes. Try to think of fun flavor combos that will be different for your guests like, smore' cupcakes by adding crusted gram crackers and marshmallows to the top of a devils food cupcake or a french toast cupcake by making a maple cupcake topped with cinnamon and sugar frosting and crispy bacon bits (sounds crazy but will taste great and will wow your guests), or stay classic with peanut butter and chocolate (viewed at top), mint, double chocolate, etc.
Some fun topping ideas:
- Shaved chocolate (take a candy bar and run a vegetable peeler down the side)
- Colored sprinkles to match your theme
- Eatable pearls
- Eatable glitter
- Nuts
- Crushed cookies or mini cookies
- Penny Candy
- Chocolate Bark (Stick a small piece of chocolate bark into the top of your frosting will make your piece look artsy when it is really just broken pieces of chocolate)
- Fresh Fruit
- Marshmallow
- Eatable flowers
Present your little pieces of eatable art on a cute tray or line them up in rows and watch the complements roll in.
Brownie Bites with Chocolate Mint Ganache, Andies Candies, and Green Sprinkles
One cupcake that I made many different ways. Aprox cost about $6-7!
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