How To Ice Cupcakes: Easy Tips And Tricks To Ice Your Cupcakes Like A Pro

Fancy, sugary and mystical cupcakes are as much of delight to watch as they are to eat. Also known as fairy cake in England and patty cake in Australia, these little cakes originated somewhere in eighteenth century. Experts claim that it was in the year 1796 that the world awoke to the first recipe and description of "a light cake to bake in small cups." The recipe was recorded by the book 'American Cookery' by Amelia Simmons and since then these dainty cakes have been the reason of joy and cheer for many across the globe. The peculiar nomenclature has a sweet history too. Before muffin tins were widely available, these bite-sized cakes were often baked in individual pottery cups, ramekins, or moulds and, therefore, came to be known as cupcakes. Even after the advent of muffin tins, the name stayed and every small cake, which is the size of a cup is called a cupcake. Did you know that cupcakes were also referred to as 1234 cakes or quarter cakes? This number basically signifies the measures of the ingredients in the recipe - 1 part butter, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts flour and 4 eggs. It was an easy and convenient way to remember the recipe for people who soon started baking it in bunch. By the 19th century, cupcakes became a mainstay of all bakeries across the U.S and Europe, and it didn't take them much long to find global fandom too.

Let's admit it, for most of us the star of the cupcake is always its icing. Without its pretty frosting, it would just be any miniature cake. Such is the power of icing, if you are willing to experiment you can add so much volume and value to your cupcake. Icing cupcakes is not difficult at all. For that you need few basic ingredients, patience and dash of creativity, which you will master in due course of time. Once you've learnt how to make icing, you can set your creativity free and whip up some deliciously striking cupcakes at home (Read sprinklers, candies, toppers and vivid colours).

Here are some expert tips on how to ice cupcakes

How To Ice Cupcakes: How To Make Perfect Frosting

The icing that one usually sees on cupcake is buttercream icing or frosting. It is visually more appealing and fluffy. For classic vanilla frosting, follow this step by step tutorial. This recipe is easy to whip up at home without you needing to put in much effort.

You would need:

• 250 grams of butter(softened)
• 4 cups of icing sugar
• 1 and half teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 2-3 tablespoons of milk

How To Make Icing For Cupcakes:

1. Beating sugar ingredients together in a cream: With the help of an electric mixer, beat the softens butter, sugar and vanilla essence together. Make sure the blender/mixer is set at low speed. You can beat them together using a wooden spoon too.
2. Now, slowly add some milk to it and whip the mixture well. This would make your frosting fluffy.
3. If you want chocolate frosting, add about half a cup of cocoa to the mix and whip with milk.

How To Ice Cupcakes

What would you need

• A piping bag
• Curved star nozzle
• -Icing mix

How to ice cupcakes: 3 Ways 

A: High cone swirl

1. Carefully take your cupcakes out of the tray. Place them on a flat surface so you have enough room to ice them.
2. Now, take your piping bag and put the large mouthed star nozzle on its icing tip. Larger icing tips result in a better final look for icing swirls. Smaller tips are generally used for writing or making small decorations.
3. Fill the piping bag with icing and twist the end.
4. Practice the icing first on a flat plate. This would ensure that your icing tip is in place or you are able to apply optimal pressure. Hold the twisted part of the bag with one hand. Now, making use of other hand, put pressure on the bag and pipe in circular motion until you make a swirl. Check that the icing is coming out well through the icing tip, if not then check if the tip is screwed correctly. Also see if you are able to control the amount of icing that is coming out efficiently.
5. Now, come to your cupcakes. Repeat the same drill; hold one end of the bag with one hand, you may want you use your writing hand for this. Hold the rest with the your other hand. This hand is just for guiding support and not to apply pressure. Squeeze the bag from the top, make sure you apply even pressure.
6. Now, start by piping a ring around the edges of a cupcake, continue doing so until you reach the centre. Ease out the pressure when you do so and end the swirling. Pull up slowly and make a sharp point. This would give your cupcake a high cone swirl icing.

B. Rose Effect

If you want a circular rose like frosting on your cupcake. hold the piping bag above the centre of the cupcake and pipe your way in circular motion till the edges. Once you reach the edge, ease the pressure and pull up gently.

C. Icing And Decorating

If you don't want the conical or rose swirls, you can simply ice them with the icing mixture you just prepared. Now, gently slide it over the cupcake's surface. Cover the entire surface of the cupcake with the icing.

Decorate it with sprinklers, candies and toppers.