Decorating a Cupcake
is Fun and Easy

Decorating a cupcake can get tricky - it isn't just baking the cupcake then slapping some icing on it for a delicious treat. There's a lot of art in it, and quite a bit of technique to cupcake decorating.

But never fear! The keys to decorating a cupcake isn't out of your reach... in fact, it could be closer then you might have imagined.

The Pan

Ever pull out a cupcake just to discover that it's full of crumbs, with no actual useful cupcakes? How about when you go to ice and begin to decorating a cupcake, let alone a pan full of them and find that when you touch it, it basically falls apart?

The reason that happens is because your pan isn't properly prepared. When you're not using foil or paper liners, you still need to prep the pan - even if it's a non stick one.

Try mixing vegetable shortening with a bit of flour, then coating it. That will ensure that it doesn't stick, and actually slides off easily and without hassle - it also won't taint the cupcake's taste.

Filling

This is such an important part of cupcake decorating - the actual cupcake! Ever hassle with filling your cupcake liner with batter, and end up getting it everywhere? It happens - and more people do it then you would imagine, but there's a better way.

Using a decorating bag, squeeze the batter until it's about 2/3rds of the way filled. This ensures that you get the best fill, you don't spill any to burn on the sides, and it fills into the pan evenly - which can seriously affect baking.

Adding Something?

Spice up any cupcake batter by adding your favorite ingredients. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, small candies... even marshmallows add something different and unique to your cake batter.

But be careful! It's easy to over-add, and over mix the batter, causing your cupcakes to come out tough and flat instead of light and fluffy. Make sure to start with a little, and don't mix your ingredients - fold the batter around everything else.

Overall

Cupcake decorating isn't hard, and once you get the technique down, there's no telling what you're able to do with cupcakes - there's just no limits!