Cupcake Decorating Cheat Sheet

Here at the B&M office we’re all partial to a cupcake now and again, and with The Great British Bake Off in full swing we’re craving some delicious sweet treats more than ever. You can’t beat a homemade effort but with such a small surface area to work with, decorating said cupcakes can be a bit of a nightmare if you’re not an experienced baker.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of cupcake decoration ideas and tips to turn your baking from drab to fab - so roll up your sleeves, don your apron and... just remember to bring us some, yeah?

First off, frosting!

 

Good cupcake decoration starts with the frosting, so it’s important to get this right if you want your cakes to both look and taste delicious. If you’ve never used an icing set before, each nozzle will provide you with a different result. Why not bake some practice cakes and have a go? See which nozzle suits your style the best and get frosting!

B&M Top Tip: why not experiment with some icing? Check out our white and colourful Betty Winters Ready to Roll Icing - perfect for beginners. 

Get fruity!

 

Healthy - check. Delicious - check. Looks great on the top of a cupcake - check! Using fresh fruit as a cupcake topper is a sure-fire winner with everyone. We think that strawberries and apples can look incredible atop a cake, but don’t be afraid to get a bit more creative and experiment with some fabulous fruits like starfruit and passion fruit.

Drizzle!

Image credit: Dixie Belle Cupcake Cafe at Flickr

The best and easiest way to drizzle? Melt some chocolate on the hob and use a teaspoon to gather some. Then, simply drizzle the chocolate from your spoon onto the top of your cupcake - easy!

If you want to try something a little more adventurous than chocolate, why not try drizzling some smooth peanut butter? Or salted caramel for a savoury / sweet taste that’s sure to have everyone asking for seconds.

Tags and flags!

Image credit: Glitter and Frills at Flickr

No, we’re not talking about Instagram tags here - although you’re more than welcome to get your cakes on the gram once you’re done. A wonderful way to make your cupcakes stand out is by decorating them with little tags or flags, Simply tape your little flags to some toothpicks, poke it into the centre of your cupcakes and voila! You have some cute-as-a-button little flags.

Don’t forget the cookies!

Image credit: Jamieanne at Flickr

Using cookies as cake toppers are a great way to give your cupcakes a bit of extra deliciousness! Simply break off sections from your cookies (or use them in full if you have mini ones), and push them into your frosting slightly, so that they stick. We think broken cookies look really cool and arty, and we can guarantee you’ll have a hard time keeping little hands away from them!

Store them correctly!

There’s no point in putting all this effort into decorating your cupcakes if you’re not going to store them correctly, so getting a decent cupcake box is essential if you’re going to be sharing them with family and friends.

Do you have any cake decorating ideas that you’d like to share? Join the B&M community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Happy baking!