Olea's Cupcakes

Have Fun With Cupcake Decoration

Cupcake decorating is fun and easy once you get familiar with the basics. One of the biggest advantages of making cupcakes versus making a whole cake is that you can have much more fun with these bite-size morsels by getting creative with your frosting ideas.

Before you do, you should know some basics about frosting and other edible cupcake toppers. The best way to learn is through experience, trial and error are the greatest teachers when it comes to baking and decorating cupcakes.

Frosting is the most popular choice when decorating cakes and cupcakes. There are different types of frosting: buttercream, whipped cream, royal icing, cooked frostings, ganaches and glazes. It is important that you know the difference before you start decorating.

Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream frosting is made by blending together butter, powdered sugar, liquid, and other flavoring.

The powder sugar helps stabilize the mixture and easily dissolves during the beating process. It is favored because of ease in making, and because the more you beat this mixture, the creamier and fluffier your results are.

Cooked Frosting
Cooked frosting varies but seven-minute cooked frosting is the most commonly used. The main ingredients in cooked frosting are egg whites and sugar. A double boiler is used to gently heat the mixture to at least 140 degrees. A beater is required for this type of frosting. Unfortunately, these frostings are tenuous and will absorb into the cupcake if they aren’t eaten within the first 24 hours.

Whipped Cream Frosting
Whipped cream frosting also utilizes powdered sugar but whipped cream is substituted for butter. Again, the powdered sugar assists in stabilizing the mixture but, in this case the frosting can be overbeaten.

Only beat the mixture until peaks appear and be sure that when you remove the beater, pull it straight out of the frosting mixture. A downside to this frosting is that it must be refrigerated.

Royal Icing Frosting
Royal icing is most commonly used frosting for cake, cookie, and cupcake decorating. It’s easy to make with powdered sugar, egg whites, and other basic ingredients. This frosting is easy to make at home and to color with food coloring so you can get more inventive with your decorating ideas.

Ganache
Ganache is really just a complex term that means melted chocolate mixed with heavy cream. This frosting not only tastes delicious but looks divine as a slick glaze on your cupcake. You can also use ganache to make truffles by beating it until it’s stiff and fluffy and rolling it into small balls.

Glazes
Glazes are the most simple and easy frosting. Combining powdered sugar and water, milk, or cream creates a thin mixture. Glazes are most often used to pour or drizzle as a topping. Once hardened, the glaze forms a hard shiny crust. Melted chocolate creates the same effect when used as a glaze.

Now that you know the different types of frosting, remember that there are also even more to choose from. Fondant is a type of frosting that hardens when it’s cooled and offers a smooth surface cupcake or to cut decorations from. Marzipan is similar but has a texture similar to clay. Use marzipan to make delicious 3D edible designs. Gum paste is very similar in texture to marzipan but becomes brittle when it hardens. Decide what you want your decoration to look like and then choose the type of frosting that would best suite your needs.

Brownie Cupcakes

The mixture of cream cheese and chocolate is perfect. I mean who doesn’t like brownies. That and cupcakes? Hello, need I say more? This cupcake recipe is perfect for those that love chocolate. They are perfect to serve at birthday parties or for any occasion. Cupcakes are much easier to serve than slices of cake and you don’t have to worry about cleaning any dishes afterwards. Delicious and easy, that’s my kind of dessert.

The frosting is the simplest part of making these delicious brownie cupcakes. With only three ingredients; cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar you can’t make a mistake. The cupcakes aren’t difficult either. A little bit of melting and a little bit of mixing and you have yourself a batter to die for.

Make sure when you are baking you always use really high quality vanilla extract. It makes all the difference in the world when baking.

You really can taste the difference. And if you want you can substitute sliced strawberries instead of raspberries for the garnish. Adding a sprig of mint next to the berries makes a gorgeous presentation.

Here’s the recipe for what is soon to be your very favorite cupcake.

Easy Brownie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Frosting:
1 Package Cream Cheese (softened, 4 ounces)
1/2 Stick Butter (softened)
2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar

Cupcakes:
1 Stick of Butter (softened)
4 Ounces Semisweet Baking Chocolate (chopped)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs
2/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Garnish: 12 Fresh Raspberries

Preparation:

1.

Heat oven to 325.

2. With paper or foil liners line 12 regular-size muffin cups.

3. For the frosting beat ingredients on low speed to blend, then on high speed 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. To firm up frosting refrigerate.

5. In a medium saucepan over low heat, for the cupcakes, melt the butter and chocolate stirring until melted and smooth.

6. Remove from heat.

7. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended.

8. Stir in flour, cocoa, and baking powder just to blend.

9. Pour into muffin cups.

10. Bake 33 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out with moist crumbs.

11. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Don’t worry the cupcakes may sink just a little bit.

12. Put the frosting into a large zip lock bags.

13. Cut 1/2-inch off the one corner and pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes.

14. Garnish each with a raspberry.