Cupcake Wedding Cake - Add Some Flare to Your Special Day

Cupcake wedding cakes are becoming a popular staple on the wedding scene. They are a sweet, elegant and perhaps even a do it yourself alternative to the traditional, more formal wedding cake. Cupcake wedding cakes are easy enough to make yourself or at least have a friend do it for you. There are endless possibilities as to how these sweet treats can be prepared, decorated and displayed. You're only limited by your imagination.

I will share with you the steps to making a cupcake wedding cake that will certainly be one to remember.

The cups. To get the best effect possible give this bit of detail some thought. Are you going for formal, out of the ordinary or whimsical? Do you want paper or foil? Or for something really different and very glamorous how about chocolate cups? There are so many styles and colors of cupcake cups to choose from. Flavor. When it comes to the basic flavor of the cupcakes you have to get it right. There's your basic chocolate, vanilla or a combination of the two, marble. You can also incorporate gourmet flavors such as Irish cream, amaretto, rum raisin or lemon and poppy seed. The flavor should be subtle and not over powering or too sweet. Icing. There are so many ways you can ice a cupcake, from the type of frosting to the way in which it's applied. A layer of plain butter cream icing is usually used as a crumb coat. This is the first thin layer of icing that if it happens to get a few crumbs from the cake itself it's no big deal since it will be covered with another and final layer of icing. The flavor of the icing should definitely compliment the basic flavor of the cupcakes themselves. A final topping of butter cream, flat icing, a ganache or the ever elegant fondant is well... the icing on the cake. There are also non-icing alternatives such as jam, fresh fruit or jell-o. Design. Once you've decided on the type of icing you would like there are a number of ways that it can be applied. Butter icing applied with an off-set spatula gives you a lot of control over the finished look of the topping. You can also consider piping it on in a smooth or textured continuous bead. Fondant is becoming a popular choice for topping cakes and cupcakes alike. It's elegant and smooth finish will have people wondering just how much you spent on your cake! It's a bit tricky to work with but with the right tools the whole process is a lot easier and you're sure to get your desired results. Ganache is a really simple topping but looks like a million bucks. It's basically chocolate melted in hot cream with a small amount poured over each cupcake. Ganache provides a simple and elegant finish to any cupcake wedding cake. Display. Again, this is limited to your imagination. There are tones of cupcake stands you can choose from to display your cupcake wedding cakes. From round displays four tiers high to single pedestal cupcake stands, cupcake wedding cakes can still be the awe inspiring centerpiece of your wedding reception. Finishing touches. Once the cupcakes are displayed as you want them dress up the display with silk flowers, leaves, branches, ribbon or other sweet treats.

Choosing a cupcake wedding cake as the focal point for your reception can be a lot less expensive than traditional wedding cakes yet, if done correctly, can still look just as elegant.

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Easy Cake Decorating Ideas For Beginners

Beautiful cake is not only for big bucks as times. You can learn easy cake decorating ideas you can do yourself to make even a mix of extraordinary ordinary box cake. With a few simple and technical tools and easy cake decorating ideas in this article, you will be able to make a beautiful cake of yourself at home.

Icing the cake

Most of the time, you'll want to begin with a smooth icing around the cake. To obtain a smooth surface, make sure that the cake is completely cooled and your frosting is too thick. Thinner icing spread more easily and end up with a finished more smooth.

First of all, put a very thin layer of icing around the cake. This is called the granular layer, and it will keep the crumbs get mixed with the frosting you will see on the finished cake. At this point, you can refrigerate the cake to set granular layer and make it easier to apply the finish coat.

Then, use a spatula icing on the second layer of icing. Start with a large amount of frosting in the middle of the top of the cake and it spread to the edges. When the top of the cake is completely covered, cover the sides of the cake. To smooth the sides, take the straight spatula from top to bottom and hold the edge against the cake turn you the plate.

For the best look, try to get as smooth as possible over iced cake. For the top of the cake, take a spatula perfectly horizontal. For the sides, stand perfectly. Try to dip the spatula into the water hot and drying it before gliding through the frosting for even smoother results.

Smooth, even icing on your cake is probably the most difficult part of the decoration of the cake. The practice of these techniques until you get icing perfectly smooth and you might find that you even do not need any other cake decoration ideas for an elegant, beautiful cake.

Simple cake decorating ideas

For a cake all simply elegant with a very easy technique, dust your frosted cake of powdered sugar. Try to use a template for a themed or geometric design on top of the cake. Remember the manufacture of flakes of paper as a kid? Make one to fit the top of your cake and use it as a template for a design of sugar in powder-de-unique.

If you want a more detailed design, three dimensional, you can purchase ready to use decorations and cake toppers in any theme you can think of. Candy flowers and letters, sprinkles in special shapes and even small toys can be used over your cake.

For a particularly tasty look, sprinkle the cake with candy, nuts, shredded coconut or chocolate shavings. Use fresh fruit, as a simple ring of slices of strawberries or a model complex of a few kinds of fruits. For a different style, decorate only the sides of the cake and leave the top smooth or surround a cake simply frosted with fresh fruit or flowers.

Another option is to use a comb of decoration or decorative triangle to add texture for frosting. A comb of decoration is a simple piece of plastic or metal with a variety of contours in the form. You drag the comb on the glaze to leave a reason textured in the frosting. It is an excellent solution if you have difficulty in obtaining your frosting also smooth that you want it to be.

Anyone can master these easy cake decorating ideas

These easy cake, decoration ideas you will help to make your cake more beautiful and are easy enough for anyone to learn. Master these techniques and then take cake decorating classes locally or online to learn more advanced cake decorating ideas and techniques such as the piping with a pastry bag with fondant to the.

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Artistic Cake Design

Cakes are a huge part of holiday, birthday, oh heck, just about any kind of celebration. And cake design has truly evolved into an art form. Some individuals to their entire careers to the art of cake design. You can walk by some bakeries and glanced through the window at some truly beautiful creations. I met a culinary artist recently and learned some very interesting things about the art of cake design.

This gentleman informed me that cake design and is quickly becoming a very highly sought after specialty. In fact, cake designs are as old as cakes themselves. The very first person who manage to create a skin of icing on the cake was in effect, the very first cake designer. They do of course vary greatly in our only limited by the artist's, and yes I do consider them to be artists, imagination.

As an example, the colors and flavors in integrated into their creations are incredibly fast and assorted. And when it comes to materials used, there have been several options down the ages. But the number one complement to any cake is the frosting. Now you can even find sugar free icing but I must ask you in all honesty, what is the point of having cake if it doesn't have a delicious, sugar filled icing?

But the look of the cake is determined by one factor, and one factor alone, and that is the skill of the cake design. A good cake designer can convert even the plainest of cakes into a brilliant and tantalizing creation. And they can be done with the most basic of ingredients. Just some edible wafers, a whole lot of icing sugar and a good and dependable icing cone will do the trick. Please don't ever make the mistake of thinking that the more elaborate and design, the better it will be. Nothing could be further from the truth. When they come together finally in the hands of a master cake designer, you'll have a creation that is infinitely appealing.

It seems that cakes without frosting are becoming popular, but then, the cakes themselves come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so they alone can be the stars of the show. Gone are the days when it was only possible to make round or square cakes. Nowadays, with qualified cake designers on board, the only limitations are the creators imagination.

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Fall Wedding Cake Designs: A Study in Opportunity

The key to building the decor of your wedding reception is found in choosing the right wedding cake design, and this is equally true for a fall wedding. The cake stands as the visual focal point of the reception hall. It is usually the largest single decoration for your reception hall and it is what your guests will see first when they enter your reception hall. As a result, you want to choose a fall wedding cake design that will develop your theme.

Depending on the theme you are trying to develop there are any number of fall wedding cake designs you could pursue, but a bright red cake adorned with daffodils or a light green design with daisys are probably out. Instead, the autumn season is a great time to employ a rich chocolate colored cake (most bakeries will allow you to put any flavor of cake inside that you want and if your pastry chef is any good no one will be able to tell until the cake is cut) accented with blues, greens, or reds.

Indeed, a wedding cake iced in a rich chocolate ganache with chocolate roses or white chocolate roses and accented with high quality fresh fruit can be a stunning work of art that harkens to the traditional fall decor while maintaining a distinctly modern touch.

Likewise, lining dark chocolate scrolls vertically on the side of a fall wedding cake is a simple way to make a dramatic statement. Once again, use fresh fruit or flowers to accent each tier and cover the base of your cake jewelry.

Or why not choose a fondant design that artistically employs both chocolate and cream colored fondant. There are so many possibilities. Imagine a cream colored cake with chocolate silhouettes embedded in to the fondant.

Furthermore, you could always choose an off white, three or four tiered, stacked cake decorated in a deep gold rope at the base of each tier and then strewn with lifelike marzipan leaves (or use silk leaves in autumn colors if you can't find a pastry chef with the skill to create the leaves) to develop your fall wedding theme.

I would be remiss to conclude this article on fall wedding cake designs without pointing out that some of the most dramatic options are not cake at all: Take the Pavlova for example. This healthier alternative to cake can draw as many ooh's and aah's on display as they do when they melt in your wedding guest's mouth.

For a fall wedding cake substitute, try a hazelnut pavlova brushed in chocolate and topped with an apricot whipping cream and dressed with a handmade chocolate design as simple or intricate as you choose. Or perhaps you would prefer some of them be topped with a fresh seasonal berry. They can now be displayed simply by placing them on a chocolate covered cake stand big enough to hold your desired number of servings. As you serve them, consider adding a drizzle of apricot sauce to each plate for a truly unforgettable wedding experience.

The great opportunity that autumn weddings bring from a design standpoint is the chance to play with the rich, warm colors of the season. There is so much you can do to embrace the season and in turn end up with a celebration you will look back on with pride for years to come, and as far as the reception is concerned it all begins with a well thought out fall wedding cake design.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find tips and accessories from wedding cake jewelry to fall wedding favors at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

Birthday Cake Designs

Does someone in your life have a big number coming up? Are you looking for that perfect piece of confectionery to make your loved one's day extra special?

First of all, before you begin baking your birthday cake you should ask yourself: What does my recipient like? That is, who is your guest of honor, and what are their interests? Is it a child's birthday? Than, maybe they would like a cake decorated as a racing car! Is it a business colleague's party? How about an work-related cake? All of these ideas come back to a simple point: Make a cake based upon the subject's hobbies or interests.

Let's do a comparison: I have a two year old with a birthday that is soon arriving, and I need to make a cake for this young person. It was my intention to make a cake based upon a popular cartoon character, but this ended up being a bad idea. The reason was that this character was for children of a much higher age group. As such, my subject was not interested in, and did not care for, this popular character. Instead, I had discovered what the child really was interested in, and based a cake design on that interest. The subsequent result was a cake design that everybody at the party loved, including the child's parents!

The above story is just one example of how one must keep a mind upon the subject's personality. If you can make a beautiful cake that is coordinated to your subject's tastes, than you can create a cake that will leave an everlasting impression upon everyone that will never be forgotten.

Cake Design Ideas

Teddy Bear: For one year old babies, sixteen year old girls, or aging fathers, a teddy bear cake is a great birthday idea for a loved one. Its sentimental and caring. It is best made for someone with a warm personality.

Action Toy Cake: This cake is a great design idea for boys between five and eleven years of age. Action heroes are a popular theme for boys at this age, and designing a cake to match this interest is a great idea. If you are unsure of what your tot likes, just watch what he watches on Saturday morning.

Sports Cake: This is a great idea for almost any male in one's life, whether they be five or one hundred and five. Sports designed birthday cakes are very popular with boys or men. They are often easy to make, and go great with season tickets as birthday gifts!

Job or Career Cake: Another great idea for the person with an unusual job or career. This is a great idea for dad or even for the boss at work. This idea has only two drawbacks: 1) You can only use it once in a long while, and 2) Do not present this cake if the subject's profession is not going well.

Holiday Theme: If your subject's birthday falls on or near a famous holiday, you can design your cake on that holiday. Halloween is always a popular time, as is Christmas and Valentine's Day. You can even plan a party on the holiday and call it a birthday party as well.

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Cake decorating designs

Cake decorating is an art form all its own. But if you're like most novice bakers you are Vincent Van Gogh cake world. Therefore, here are some steps you can take to quickly accelerate your performance with the design of the cake decoration.

Cake design software- as with any other aspect of today's world, the world of cake a software available to make life easier. Design Pro wedding cake is to distinguish it from applications that allows a user to build a cake of soil. You choose the design of the cake pans, icing types, colors and virtually no other accessory cake that you can think of. If you are looking to develop your creativity this software provides a robust platform that the possibilities are almost infinite.

Cricut for cake decorating- the Cricut is a new tool that has revolutionized the industry of cake and made much more accessible for fans that decorate the cake. It looks like a printer but it is very different. Load you sheets with fondant in it and he made drawings of precision so that you can then use quickly and easily. The level of this machine the playground for the rest of us. With this tool, you can design your cake like a pro.

Join a group- either online or in person, find a bakery of the group that is passionate about the decoration of cakes. This is a very important part of the process. Ideas that rebounds, problems and solutions on the other allows a superior design process.

Execution of a design of cake does not have to be a difficult process, it must be rather a pleasant and rewarding experience. Think about these guidelines and you will be well on your way in the decoration of the cake world.

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Choosing the Right Wedding Cake Design

The bride and the groom are of course the center of attention in any wedding. Even so, you would want to have the right decorative touch to make your photo and video souvenirs worth looking at. Part of your wedding design plan is your wedding cake design. The wedding cake design will always be the center of attention at the reception regardless of your cake's size and shape. The following are some important concerns to think of before picking a wedding cake design.

Complementary Piece

Your wedding, theme, colors, gowns and decorations are all a reflection of your personal taste. You should never forget however, that your wedding cake design is also part of your unified decoration. The color, shape and decorations included in your wedding cake design should also therefore complement your theme. The trick is to plan all the other details of your wedding decorations, dresses and colors before choosing a wedding cake design. This will help you pick a design that will fit the whole picture.

The Ingredients

You may choose to have an experienced baker come up with your wedding cake design. You can also ask your wedding planner to take care of all the cake details or you can take care of the wedding cake design yourself. Whatever option you choose, it is not enough that you look into a portfolio or watch a cake making video. You should also know the different ingredients involved in cake making and how these can affect your whole wedding cake design.

Butter cream for example is the common choice for cake icing. You may however also use white margarine and fondant icing. The latter is a great choice if you want to have a smooth and elegant look. Aside from the wedding cake design however, you should also think about the flavor. Fondant may really look good but butter cream still tastes better. You should also look into the butter cream mix. Too much shortening will make the eating experience a greasy one.

Number of Guests

Your wedding cake design should also depend on the number of guests you have and if you have prepared other deserts. Do you want all your guests to have a piece of the cake? Will you be serving other sweet items to them? You may not need a five tier cake if you are serving other deserts or if you have very few guests. You should however prepare a wedding cake design with multiple tiers if you would like a hundred or more guests to have a piece of your cake.

Time Frame

It will take months to execute a complicated wedding cake design. If you didn't know this and you only have a short time left, then you should go for a simple wedding cake design.

Budget

The wedding budget is almost always a part of wedding cake design concerns. You can have a great wedding cake design that will not cost much if you simply have sponge cake. You can then spend more on icing and cake decorations. You should also try to compute if you will be able to save on your wedding cake design by serving other deserts and just going for a smaller and simpler cake.

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