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 Follow
cupcake preparation directions in the recipe.
If the recipe does not have specific instructions, be aware that most cake
recipes can be made into cupcakes. |
I don't know about you, but I simply love cupcakes, as do my
kids.
Cupcakes are miniature cakes, usually
buttercakes, and are a very very popular
birthday food in the United States. The term 'cupcake' is first found in E.
Leslie's 'Receipts Cookbook' of 1828. They can be made in all sorts of flavors
from the same batter used to make cakes.
I noticed that there are specific ways that people eat
cupcakes like some sort of ritual. Some like to take the whole cupcake liner off
before eating, or take it off as the cupcake is eaten. Some like to lick the
frosting off first and then eat the cakes, such as my kids do, but I like to
bite into my own individual portion, taking in both icing and cake. However,
whatever way pleases you, for me and my family, eating cupcakes is pure joy and
I always see it in their faces !!
Baking Cupcakes from a Cake Recipe or Mix:
Follow cupcake preparation
directions in the recipe, but if the recipe does not have specific instructions,
be aware that most cake recipe or mix can be made into cupcakes.
 QUESTION:
I don't have any muffin mix on-hand but
several boxes of cake mix. Is there a way to make muffins from a cake mix?
ANSWER: Yes, you can make "cupcakes"
from a cake mix. You can make a
batch of cupcakes from any cake recipe. For two, 8- or 9-inch layers or one,
13x9-inch cake, you'll get about 24 to 36 standard-size cupcakes. The steps
are:
- Preheat the oven the same temperature the recipe
states.
- Use cupcake liners. Spray their insides with vegetable
oil spray before you place them in the pan. Then, grease the inside of the
muffin tins (do not grease the top of the pan so the batter won't spread)
and line with the greased muffin liners. The cupcakes will be flatter on
top because cakes have more fat and sugar in them than regular muffins --
when the cupcake tops reach the top of the pan, the ungreased portion
won't promote any more spreading and flatter tops.
- Divide the batter evenly among the tins and fill 3/4
full. Fill any unused muffin tins 1/3 full with water so they won't smoke
in the oven. Keep the oven temperature the same.
- The cupcakes should take about 20 - 30 minutes to bake
(if you are baking a buttercake type mix).
When done, place
cupcake pan on a wire cake rack for 10 minutes to cool. Remove to rack to
cool thoroughly before frosting
or storing
(follow instructions for cakes).
If you have only
one 12-cup muffin pan, cover and refrigerate the rest of the batter while
baking the first batch; do not store the batter in the refrigerator for
any length of time. The leaveners in the batter will expire over time and
your cupcakes will not rise as high. Then bake the rest of the batter in
the cooled muffin pan.
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Decorating a Cupcake:
One of the easiest treats to dress up for holidays and birthdays
is the cupcake. All you need is food coloring, cake decorator gel and frosting,
and a little imagination. (Simple
cake
decorations; can be applied to cupcakes).
For the cupcakes:
 | your favorite box cake, any flavor |
| red, blue, yellow, and green food coloring |
| white icing (recipe below) |
| green, black, pink and orange decorator gel |
| yellow and white decorator |
| frostingdecorating tip |
| white and multi-colored sprinkles |
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| multi-colored non pareil sprinkles |
| yellow and blue sugar |
| circus peanuts |
| red licorice whips |
| red and white gumdrop |
| colorful cupcake liners (find at party stores) |
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| 1 batch
Easy White Buttercream Icing
(print) |
| 1 batch Easy Chocolate
Buttercream Icing
(print) |
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Shapes: Wrap rolling pin
with plastic wrap. Place Air Heads on work surface. Roll out until smooth.
Cut out shapes with a small, sharp knife. Reroll and cut scraps as needed.
Place on plastic wrap. Frost cupcakes and place shapes on top.
Note: Air Heads candy bars
can be found in individual packages at candy counters and in bags in
supermarkets. If they're too hard to roll out easily, warm them a few
seconds in a microwave. |
Directions:
Prepare cake mix as directed. If desired, you can make colored cupcakes with
either a flavored mix, such as cherry, or add a few drops of red food coloring
to a prepared white mix to make pink, blue to make light blue, and so on. Put
cupcake liners into muffin tin and fill liners as directed on box cake mix. Bake
as directed and allow to cool thoroughly before frosting and decorating.
Prepare the white icing. When finished, separate into five small dishes. Add a
few drops of food coloring to each bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. You can
make pink, light green, light blue, purple, and yellow, or mix to make whatever
colors you like.
Decorate! Here are a few simple tips:
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Bake cupcakes and frost.
Color grated coconut with
green (or whatever) food coloring. Sprinkle on top. |
Piping - Using the tip on the decorator frosting, pipe strips
across the frosted cupcake (to decorate like an Easter egg).
Sprinkles - The beauty of sprinkles is that there is no perfection involved.
Hold a pinch about a frosted cupcake and simply sprinkle them all over. Use
contrasting colors, and mix colors when pleasing. A great way for kids to
decorate with sprinkles is to have them dip the top of the cupcake right into
the container of sprinkles.
Sugars - Using colored sugars is easy, and doesn't have to be messy. Simply dip
the entire top of the frosted cupcake into the sugar for a blanket look. Dip the
edges of a frosted cupcake to create a border, and then decorate with a
sprinkling of non pareils.
Bunny - Cut the bottoms off of two circus peanuts for the bunny's ears. Cut two
small pieces of circus peanuts for the cheeks (see photo). Cut the tip of a
gumdrop for the nose, and cut two teeth from a white gumdrop. Use licorice whips
for whiskers and black decorator gel for the eyes.
Frosting only - Use the different colored frostings to decorate one cupcake.
Spread half of a cupcake with one color, and carefully spread the other half
with another. You can also spread a full coat of one color, and dot the center
with another. Get creative and try swirls or other shapes by using only
frosting.
Decorating Dusts
- They are so pretty. Dust the top of a frosted cupcake.
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