My First Cupcake Decorating Book
Page 1
my first cupcake decorating book
my first cupcake decorating book
35 fun ideas for decorating cupcakes, cake pops, and more, for children aged 7 years +
Published in 2012 by CICO Books
An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small
519 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York NY 10012
20–21 Jockey’s Fields, London WC1R 4BW
www.cicobooks.com
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Text copyright © CICO Books 2012 and the recipe authors listed on page 128
Design, photography, and illustration copyright © CICO Books 2012
For recipe credits, see page 128.
The authors’ moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.
eISBN: 978-1-782492-73-3
ISBN: 978-1-908170-36-1
Printed in China
Series consultant: Susan Akass
Editors: Susan Akass, Katie Hardwicke
Designers: Elizabeth Healey, Barbara Zuñiga
Step artworks: Rachel Boulton
Animal artworks: Hannah George
For photography credits, see page 128.
All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified.
Both imperial and metric measurements have been given. Use one set of measurements only and not a mixture of both.
All eggs are US large (UK medium) unless otherwise stated. This book contains recipes made with raw eggs. It is prudent for more vulnerable people, such as pregnant and nursing mothers, babies and young children, invalids and the elderly, to avoid uncooked dishes made with eggs.
Some of the recipes contain nuts and should not be consumed by anyone with a nut allergy.
Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. All ovens work slightly differently. We recommend using an oven thermometer and suggest you consult the maker’s handbook for any special instructions, particularly if you are cooking in a fan-assisted oven, as you will need to adjust temperatures according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Contents
Introduction
Kitchen safety and basic equipment
Cupcakes
Basic cake pops
Brownies
Vanilla cookie dough
Gingerbread dough
Frostings and icings
Tinting icing
Other techniques
CHAPTER ONE: COOL CUPCAKES
Easter bunny cupcakes
Mini strawberry cakes
Crystallized pansies
Spotty cupcakes
A rainbow of cupcakes
Christmas stockings
Butterfly cakes
Special name cupcakes
Sparkling diamond cupcakes
Pink piggy cupcakes
Victoria cupcakes
Princess cupcakes
Animal-face cupcakes
Chocolate and jelly bean cupcakes
“Ice cream” cupcakes
Snowmen in scarves
CHAPTER TWO: CAKE POPS
Sprinkle pops and swirly pops
Sailboat pops
Goldfish pops
Butterfly pops
Alien pops
Sheep pops
Flower pops
CHAPTER THREE: BROWNIES, COOKIES, AND GINGERBREAD
Stenciled brownies
Rocky roadies
Brownie owls
Brownie pops
Marbled cheesecake brownies
Stained glass window cookies
Ladybug cookies
Christmas tree cookies
Witches and wizards
Gingerbread family
Snowy village
Gingerbread animals
Templates
Suppliers
Index
acknowledgments
Introduction
Cupcakes look fabulous, taste delicious, and are fun and easy to make. In this book, we have a whole bunch of exciting ways to decorate a cupcake. But why stop at cupcakes? The latest trend is cake pops—yummy, creamy cakes on a stick—and we have a chapter on how to make and decorate these little beauties. Finally, there is a chapter of scrumptious chocolate brownies, gingerbread, and cookies to be made and decorated in a stunning variety of different ways.
Before you decorate, you need to bake your cakes or cookies, and we have included recipes and detailed instructions on how to do this. Of course, you will always need to ask an adult’s permission before you start, and will need to ask for help with heating ingredients on the stove and using the oven, but, as you become more experienced, you will be able to do more and more of the cooking yourself. The decorating is the really exciting part and you can do most of this by yourself or, for even more fun, with the help of a friend. What better way of spending an afternoon than creating stunning cakes for your birthday tea, or a special picnic, or a sleepover?
Most of the recipes use ingredients which you will probably have at home or which you can buy at the supermarket. A few use more specialist ingredients, which you can buy online or at specialist stores.
To help you, we have graded all the projects with one, two, or three smiley faces. The grade one projects are easy and can be made with ingredients from the supermarket. Grade two projects are a little trickier, take more time and patience, and may use some specialist ingredients. Grade three projects also use specialist ingredients and are the hardest. They include more difficult techniques, such as using an icing bag.
Happy baking!
Project levels
Level 1
These projects are easy and use basic ingredients.
Level 2
These projects are a little harder and may use specialist ingredients.
Level 3
These projects use more advanced techniques and specialist ingredients.
Kitchen safety—read this before you start cooking!
Always wash your hands before you start cooking.
Tie long hair back so that it is out of the way.
Wear an apron to keep your clothes clean.
Make sure your ingredients are fresh and within their use-by date.
When using sharp knives, electrical equipment, or the stove, microwave, or oven, always ask an adult to help you.
Use oven gloves when holding hot pans or dishes.
When using the stove, make sure that saucepan handles don’t stick out over the front of the hob where you could knock them off.
Always remember to turn off the heat when you’ve finished cooking.
Use a chopping board when using a sharp knife or metal cookie cutters —this protects the work surface and will help to stop the knife from slipping.
Keep your work surface clean and wipe up any spills on the floor so that you don’t slip.
Don’t forget to clear up afterward—washing the dishes can be as much fun as baking!
Basic equipment
Mixing bowls in different sizes
Heatproof glass bowls
Microwave-safe bowls
Wooden spoon
Measuring pitcher (jug)
Weighing scales or measuring cups
Wire whisk
Spatula
Pastry brush
Rolling pin
Strainer (sieve)
Measuring spoons
12-hole muffin pans
12-hole mini muffin pan
Baking tr
ays
Cake pans
Small saucepan
Cookie cutters
Grater
Lemon squeezer
Baking parchment
Sharp knives
Palette knife
Wire cooling rack
Paper cupcake cases
Mini muffin cases
Basic Recipes
Vanilla cupcakes
You will need:
¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (175 g) superfine (caster) sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cup (175 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
12-hole muffin pan
paper cupcake cases
(makes about 12)
1 Ask an adult to turn the oven on to 350°F (180°C) Gas 4.
2 Line the muffin pan with paper cupcake cases.
3 Put the soft butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the butter is soft, creamy, and pale (if an adult is helping, you could use an electric beater).
4 Break the eggs into a small bowl and remove any pieces of shell. Beat the eggs with a fork until the yolks have broken up and the mixture is bit frothy.
5 Add a little egg to the creamed butter mixture and beat with the wooden spoon until the egg is all blended in. Then add a little more egg and beat again. Add a small sprinkle of flour if the mixture looks as though it is starting to separate (becoming bitty rather than smooth). Keep adding the egg until it is all used up and scrape any mixture down from the sides with a spatula.
6 Add the vanilla extract and stir it into the mixture.
7 Sift the flour and baking powder together into a separate bowl.
8 Add the flour to the mixture in two halves. Fold the first half gently into the mixture with a big metal spoon. Don’t beat or over-stir it—gentle folding traps air into the mixture and will make the cakes lovely and light. When this is mixed in, add the second half and do the same.
9 Carefully spoon the cake mixture into the paper cases in the muffin pan. Put the same amount into each one, so they are about two-thirds full.
10 Ask an adult to help you put the cakes in the oven and bake them for 15–20 minutes until they are risen and golden and the cakes are springy to touch.
11 Ask an adult to help you take the pan out of the oven and let it cool a little. Then lift out the cakes and put them on a wire rack to cool down while you make the frosting.
12 Decorate your cupcakes following the recipe and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Chocolate cupcakes
You will need:
1¼ cups (125 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
¾ cup (150 g) superfine (caster) sugar
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, very soft
2 large eggs
½ cup (125 ml) milk
12-hole muffin pan
paper cupcake cases
(makes about 12)
1 Ask an adult to turn the oven on to 350°F (180°C) Gas 4.
2 Line the muffin pan with paper cupcake cases.
3 Place a large strainer (sieve) over a mixing bowl. Tip the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar into the strainer as you measure them, then sift them all into the bowl.
4 Break the eggs into a small bowl and remove any pieces of shell. Beat the eggs with a fork until the yolks have broken up and the mixture is bit frothy.
5 Add the very soft butter to the mixing bowl, along with the eggs and milk. Use a wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients together to make a smooth batter. (If an adult is helping, you could use an electric beater.)
6 Carefully spoon the cake mixture into the paper cases in the muffin pan. Put the same amount into each one, so they are about two-thirds full.
7 Ask an adult to help you put the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are risen and just firm to the touch.
8 Ask an adult to help you remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then lift out the cakes and put them on a wire rack to cool completely while you make the frosting.
9 Decorate your cupcakes following your recipe and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Basic cake pops
You will need:
4 tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (50 g) superfine (caster) sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (50 g) self-rising (self-raising) flour
2 oz. (50 g) white chocolate, chopped
¼ cup (60 g) cream cheese
8-in (20-cm) square cake pan
baking parchment
(makes 20 pops)
1 Ask an adult to turn the oven on to 350°F (180°C) Gas 4.
2 Place the baking pan on the baking parchment and draw around it with a pencil. Cut out the square and set it to one side.
3 Grease the baking pan by using a piece of kitchen paper and a smear of butter to wipe round the whole of the inside. Now put the square of parchment inside the baking pan. This will stop the cake sticking to the pan.
4 Put the soft butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the butter is soft, creamy, and pale (if an adult is helping, you could use an electric beater).
5 Break one egg into a cup. Take out any bits of shell that might have got into the cup and then tip the egg into the butter and sugar mixture and beat them together.
6 Add the vanilla extract and stir it into the mixture.
7 Put a strainer (sieve) over the bowl. Tip in the flour and sift it into the mixture. Stir everything together until the flour has been mixed in.
8 Pour the batter into the cake pan.
9 Ask an adult to help you put the cake pan on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 12–15 minutes until golden brown. Leave the cake to cool in the pan.
10 When the cake is cool, crumble it into very small pieces using your fingertips or you can blitz it in a food processor if you have an adult to help you. Put the cake crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
11 Ask an adult to help you melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl, either over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave (see page 23). Add the melted white chocolate and cream cheese to the cake crumbs and mix them together with a spoon.
12 Shape the mixture into 20 small balls about the size of a large marble, or as instructed in your recipe. Put the balls on a tray and chill them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
13 Your cake pops are now ready to decorate. Undecorated pops will keep for 4 weeks in the freezer in a sealed container. Decorated cake pops should be kept in the fridge and eaten within 3 days.
Brownies
You will need:
1 cup (100 g) shelled walnuts or pecans (optional)
6½ oz. (200 g) bittersweet (dark) chocolate, chopped
1 stick (125 g) unsalted butter, diced
1¼ cups (250 g) superfine (caster) sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups (125 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
½ cup (75 g) milk chocolate chips
8 × 12-in. (20 × 30-cm) baking pan
baking parchment
1 Ask an adult to turn the oven on to 325°F (170°C) Gas 3.
2 Place the baking pan on the baking parchment and draw around it with a pencil. Cut out the rectangle and set it to one side.
3 Grease the baking pan by using a piece of kitchen paper and a smear of butter to wipe round the whole of the inside. Now put the rectangle of parchment inside the baking pan. This will stop the brownies sticking to the pan.
4 If you would like to use nuts, tip them onto a baking tray and ask an
adult to help you lightly toast them in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Let them cool, and then ask an adult to help you chop them. Leave the oven on.
5 Ask an adult to help you with this stage too. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, or melt them in the microwave (see page 23). Stir them until the butter and chocolate are smooth and mixed together. Let the mixture cool slightly.
6 In a separate bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract with a wire whisk until they are pale and thick. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir until everything is well mixed together.
7 Place a strainer (sieve) over the bowl. Measure the flour, cocoa, and salt into the strainer and sift them into the bowl.
8 Fold in the flour, cocoa, and salt with a big metal spoon until everything is well mixed together, then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if you are using them).
9 Pour the mixture into the baking pan, spread it level, and ask an adult to help you put it on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
10 Ask an adult to help you remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan. Follow the instructions in your recipe to decorate the brownies. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Vanilla cookie dough
You will need:
2½ cups (250 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1¼ cups (125 g) self-rising (self-raising) flour
pinch of salt
2 sticks (250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup (125 g) unrefined superfine (golden caster) sugar