Readers, it’s December! Time to trim the tree…and our cupcakes…again! If you missed my last two cupcake frosting tutorials, you can find How to Perfectly Frost Cupcakes 101: The “Ice Cream Swirl” Methodologies here and Frosting Cupcakes 201: The Ruffle Flower Pile Up Method here. The first frosting tutorial reviews how to bag your frosting, how to hold it, as well as demonstarting one frosting method for two distinct looks. The second tutorial is for a ruffle flower cupcake. This method is so versatile and pretty. It can be used at a wedding, but is also so simple you can throw it on a cupcake for a child’s tea party and not feel guilty!
Today’s frosting tutorial, the O Christmas Tree Technique, is downright seasonal! Basically, you can only use this one from December 1st to January 5th. No exceptions. But feel free to prove me wrong. Follow the above steps to create scrumptious Christmas trees for all to see. A key to creating awesome christmas tree cupcakes is to have stiff frosting. If your hands are warm and/or your frosting is too soft, the heat from your hands will warm the frosting and your trees will fall and look like sad Christmas bushes. This may or may not have happened to me multiple times. Keep your frosting chilled until you are ready to frost. Or create two bags of frosting. Refrigerate one while you decorate half your cupcakes and then switch. If you do this, you will have tall happy Tannenbaums.
Need a good frosting recipe? I promised to give you mine a long long time ago! Because I am so overdue on my promise, I am actually sharing not one, but two of my frosting recipes! The first frosting recipe is my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting. To be used on any and all cupcakes. (It takes a little bit of effort to make, but you can store it in an airtight container and freeze it up to two months! I like to make a batch in October and keep it for cookie and cake decorating throughout the holidays.) The second is a basic decorator’s icing that is for practice only. Personally, I need to make more of this stuff because my skills are failing. This practic icing lasts for months and months without refrigeration and is perfect for all of us “less-skilled frosting-ers”! Here are the recipes!
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/8 cup whipping cream
1 1/4 lbs. unsalted butter, room tempature
Directions: Heat milk and sugar until sugar crystals dissolve. Add flour and salt and whik over an ice bath until the custard has cooled. Whisk in vanilla extract. Pour custard mixture in a mixing bowl with a padd attachment. Add cut-up butter and add whipping cream. Mix on low speed. Increase speed until mixture begins to thicken. It takes a little under ten minutes for mixture to be completely incorporated. Put frosting in plastic container with a lid and refrigerate. Makes approximately 6 cups.
Practice Icing
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
3 to 4 Tbsp water
1 lb 10x confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp meringue powder
Directions: Follow same method as the buttercream recipe above. Does not need to be refrigerated.
Happy Decorating,
