Cupcake week... (1 Viewer)
Solution
Morning Rach
Right, I have two ideas for you and some pics to help you out.
One of my students made a cookie monster (as per pic) a while ago using vanilla cupcakes and buttercream.
In order to re-create this design, you will need a Wilton 1M Star piping nozzle (the nozzle can also be used to swirl rose designs too) to pipe the buttercream. Some Navy Blue Sugarflair concentrated dye and a cocktail stick, some mini cookies and some white/black icing.
First, make a batch of cupcakes and some vanilla buttercream. You could add some chocolate chips to your cupcake batter to continue a chocolate chip theme or add a few crushed cookies to your buttercream although you don't want to over cookie it!
You need to add a TINY bit of dye to your buttercream using a cocktail stick as per my picture. Stir into your buttercream; this will then alter the colour and start dying it blue, keep adding more colour to the buttercream in phases until you have achieved the desired colour (remember you can always add-in, but you can't take out once added). Always ensure you use a clean cocktail stick ensuring you don't contaminate your dye with buttercream.
Once done, scoop your buttercream into a piping bag (I use disposable ones that require the nozzle to be inserted first and the end snipped off). Remember if you wish to free up your hands place the piping bag in a glass as per my filling piping bag tip What you do is hold the piping bag at a 90° angle squeeze the bag, push down then lift up. (Try this on a work surface first) Another tip for piping cupcakes is, place your cupcake in a small glass in order to hold it still whilst piping or apparently place on a damp tea towel as this also does the job.
To make the eyes roll small circles of icing in your hand and then flatten them using your thumb and index finger, place these straight onto your freshly piped buttercream to make them stick. Then roll a smaller ball of icing for the pupil the same way. You can use a tiny drop of water to stick the pupil to the white icing. Then insert a mini cookie into the mouth and then store them in the fridge. Remember biscuits go soft and soggy exposed to air so keep them refrigerated.
You can also do this fab design too:
In order to recreate the fur design, you will need a Grass Nozzle; the Wilton range have two sizes, the #233 and #234. The #233 will give you fine strands of fur as per the cookie monster pictures, and the #234 will give you thicker fur. I would advise the #233 nozzle for this one, and instead of the Navy Sugarflair dye, I would use Baby Blue or Ice Blue to get the colour. For the eyes on this design, white chocolate buttons have been used and rolled up black icing as the pupils; choc chips can also be used for the pupils.
Right, I have two ideas for you and some pics to help you out.
One of my students made a cookie monster (as per pic) a while ago using vanilla cupcakes and buttercream.
In order to re-create this design, you will need a Wilton 1M Star piping nozzle (the nozzle can also be used to swirl rose designs too) to pipe the buttercream. Some Navy Blue Sugarflair concentrated dye and a cocktail stick, some mini cookies and some white/black icing.
First, make a batch of cupcakes and some vanilla buttercream. You could add some chocolate chips to your cupcake batter to continue a chocolate chip theme or add a few crushed cookies to your buttercream although you don't want to over cookie it!
You need to add a TINY bit of dye to your buttercream using a cocktail stick as per my picture. Stir into your buttercream; this will then alter the colour and start dying it blue, keep adding more colour to the buttercream in phases until you have achieved the desired colour (remember you can always add-in, but you can't take out once added). Always ensure you use a clean cocktail stick ensuring you don't contaminate your dye with buttercream.
Once done, scoop your buttercream into a piping bag (I use disposable ones that require the nozzle to be inserted first and the end snipped off). Remember if you wish to free up your hands place the piping bag in a glass as per my filling piping bag tip What you do is hold the piping bag at a 90° angle squeeze the bag, push down then lift up. (Try this on a work surface first) Another tip for piping cupcakes is, place your cupcake in a small glass in order to hold it still whilst piping or apparently place on a damp tea towel as this also does the job.
To make the eyes roll small circles of icing in your hand and then flatten them using your thumb and index finger, place these straight onto your freshly piped buttercream to make them stick. Then roll a smaller ball of icing for the pupil the same way. You can use a tiny drop of water to stick the pupil to the white icing. Then insert a mini cookie into the mouth and then store them in the fridge. Remember biscuits go soft and soggy exposed to air so keep them refrigerated.
You can also do this fab design too:
In order to recreate the fur design, you will need a Grass Nozzle; the Wilton range have two sizes, the #233 and #234. The #233 will give you fine strands of fur as per the cookie monster pictures, and the #234 will give you thicker fur. I would advise the #233 nozzle for this one, and instead of the Navy Sugarflair dye, I would use Baby Blue or Ice Blue to get the colour. For the eyes on this design, white chocolate buttons have been used and rolled up black icing as the pupils; choc chips can also be used for the pupils.
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Rach93
New Member
Wow... thank you this is amazing.
I love the second design.
Looking forward to having a go on sunday...I have loads of nozzles but dont think I have a grass one
Was thinking if doing elmo aswell. Cant wait to have a go.
Do you think I should add chocolate chip to the cupcake mix...
Rach xx
I love the second design.
Looking forward to having a go on sunday...I have loads of nozzles but dont think I have a grass one
Was thinking if doing elmo aswell. Cant wait to have a go.
Do you think I should add chocolate chip to the cupcake mix...
Rach xx
Glad you like it, it's easier posting pics because then you know what your looking for. If you have a cake shop near you I'm sure they will stock the nozzles or you could try and buy one off the internet at some point if you get chance. It's a great nozzle to have and can also be used for piping grass. I agree the fur design looks more like the Cookie Monster and yeah add a few choc chips to the batter mix (not loads though as they'll sink).
Just a point be careful when dying stuff a deep colour as adding dye to a product alters the taste and consistency of it and too much dye can make it bitter. I think you can buy extra red or burgundy dyes to help you create a reddy colour but always taste it to ensure that the buttercream tastes ok.
Let me know how you get on and if you get chance we'd love to see a pic at some point.
Just a point be careful when dying stuff a deep colour as adding dye to a product alters the taste and consistency of it and too much dye can make it bitter. I think you can buy extra red or burgundy dyes to help you create a reddy colour but always taste it to ensure that the buttercream tastes ok.
Let me know how you get on and if you get chance we'd love to see a pic at some point.
That's a shame, you could do chocolate or marble sponge cupcake and top with chocolate ganache and some white choc chips or sprinkles. Depending on what nozzles you have. You could also just fill your piping bag and cut off the end without a nozzle and this will give you a bigger swirl on top of your cupcakes. You could make mini 99 cupcakes too, make vanilla cupcakes and vanilla buttercream, decorate with coloured sprinkles and cut up flakes you could even add some cut up wafers too if you like.
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It all depends on how much you are applying to each cake, it's half fat to the amount of icing sugar. I usually make a batch of 250g butter with 500g sifted icing sugar along with a couple of tablespoons of milk and any flavouring you require. This will cover 12 cupcakes. You can store any excess in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes you must otherwise your buttercream will melt. Take your cupcakes straight out of the oven once cooked and straight out of the muffin tin and place on a wire rack to cool (they do cool pretty quick) if you leave them in the muffin tin to cool you'll end up with soggy bottoms and you don't want that.
Joan
Well-Known Member
They look marvellous, you've done a good job for saying it's your first attempt, give yourself a pat on the back.
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