Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

So you have your cake, it’s cooled and ready for some frosting—only what kind? Well, cream cheese frosting of course! This cream cheese frosting recipe is painfully easy and tastes so great on any cake or cupcake.

If you’re looking for a frosting that packs a little more of a punch, try some fun variations! Because this recipe is so basic, there are many different options when it comes to “spicing up” your deliciously simple cream cheese frosting. Read more

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

C is for cookie… that’s good enough for me. In fact, it’s good enough for most people, but for those who love cupcakes as well, take a look here.

These adorable cookie monster cupcakes capture the lovable Sesame Street sweets lover at his most vulnerable hour—with a cookie right in his mouth!

These creative cupcakes are great for a child’s birthday or other special occasion. I especially like these cookie monster Sesame Street cupcakes because I used to love Cookie Monster.

Nowadays, there is talk of Cookie Monster eating healthy and such monstrosities like that, so it’s good to see that Cookie Monster still likes to enjoy an enormous cookie every now and then. But then again, don’t we all? [singlepic=94,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

• Premade Cupcakes
• Blue Sprinkles
• White Royal Icing
• Miniature Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Chips or Black Icing

Directions:

1) Frost your cupcakes with your white icing. If you want Cookie Monster to look “extra” blue, tint some of the white frosting with blue food coloring. Be sure to keep the frosting as smooth as you can.

2) Grab a handful of blue sprinkles and lightly press them to the cupcake, being sure to cover all portions where icing is visible.

3) For the eyes, take a dollop of white icing and place them in the appropriate places. For pupils, you can use many different techniques. I’ve found that just a tiny dot of black icing works well, but feel free to use chocolate chips, raisins, etc. in order to give Cookie Monster some depth and personality. Have fun!

4) As a finishing touch, cut a small chocolate chip cookie into halves and press a half into the spot on the cupcake when a mouth would usually be. If you find the cookies too hard to cut, just shove the whole cookie into the cupcake. After all, that’s how Cookie Monster would do it!

After your Sesame Street cupcakes are complete, there is not much left to do, but enjoy. The only problem is, with Cookie Monster looking so cute, it may be hard to bite into the little guy, but you’re just going to have to try your best because he sure is tasty!

Popcorn Cupcake Recipe

Movie nights, for me, are the perfect way to spend any evening, but where would a movie be with no popcorn? Well, it would just be wrong. That’s what makes these cupcakes so much fun. I found them at familyfun.com and I just love the idea. This recipe allows you to create creative little popcorn cupcakes and gives off the image of a bucket of popcorn.

I’ve found that these cupcakes are great for parties, gatherings, or a fun girl’s night in! Who would have ever thought that marshmallows could be popcorn! So go ahead, pop in a movie, pop down on the couch, and don’t worry about popping that popcorn. These popcorn cupcakes already have it all taken care of! [singlepic=82,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

• Premade cupcakes
• White icing
• Mini marshmallows (white or pastel yellow and white)
• Yellow food coloring (optional)
• Clean paintbrush
• Scissors
• White construction paper
• Blue and red markers

Directions:

1) Frost the cupcake with white icing. To create each piece of “popcorn,” cut one mini marshmallow in half and squish the two pieces back together into a whole mini marshmallow, pinching firmly.

2) Pile the finished popcorn onto the frosted cupcake. For a buttery look, either dilute a drop of yellow food coloring in water and brush it on with a clean paintbrush or mix pastel yellow marshmallows in with the white.

3) To make the band, cut a strip of construction paper about 1 1/4 inches by 8 inches, or to fit your cupcake, and decorate as shown. If you’re creating many cupcakes, design just one band and color photocopy it. Wrap the band around the cupcake and secure with tape.

Well, that’s it. With these simple instructions and a little creativity, you too can enjoy a popcorn cupcake to accompany any movie night! This popcorn cupcake recipe is a fun twist on a traditionally salty snack!

Gardening Cupcake Design Recipe

I love gardening. It’s a fun outlet and making things from nothing (plants from seeds, cakes from flour and eggs, etc) has always been a passion for me.

I stumbled across these cupcakes yesterday and found them to be so adorable! Although they do take more work than my usual recipes the end product just looks so creative and professional!

As much as I love gardening, these cupcakes would make a fantastic addition to any farmer’s market or bake sale. Don’t let the directions or the ingredient list scare you. [singlepic=75,320,240,,right]

These gardening cupcakes really do take the cake! It takes a while to make them, but what farmer ever planted and harvested at the same time? Give these cupcakes the patience they need and you’ll be happy you did.

Check these out in Woman’s Day magazine or on their site! (Click the blue link to be automatically directed.)

What a fun idea! For this garden scene, you’ll make….

-Radishes
-Peas
-Carrots
-Lettuce
-Signs
-Shovels

This gardening cupcake recipe will surely be a hit at the next party. Even those of you who don’t really care for gardening can benefit from these cupcakes! We all like sweets and cupcakes so what are you waiting for? Grab a shovel and dig in!

Baseball Design Cupcakes

They’re for your son’s winning season. They’re for your dad’s birthday. They’re for your neighborhood party. They’re for the seventh inning stretch. Whatever the occasion may be… these baseball cupcakes are so perfect!

While, yes, these cupcakes are simple, the end result is quite a fun sight to see. Baseballs are already round. What better disguise for a cupcake!

These are great for the summer, they’re so easy, and a perfect ending to any day. So why keep reading, these are so much fun to make… play ball! [singlepic=51,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

Pre-made cupcakes
White Frosting
Red Licorice (pull-apart)
Chocolate Frosting

Directions:

1) Frost the cupcake with the white frosting.

2) Using the stitching of a real baseball as your guide. Recreate the pattern with the red licorice (or with red frosting and a writing tip).

3) With chocolate frosting and a writing tip, sign the ball with the name of your child’s favorite player. This step is completely optional, but I think it’s a great was to personalize these little cakes.

Well, that’s the game! I made these cupcakes for my little cousins for a family party after one of their baseball games. It was so much fun, to see them play, and then to show them their cupcakes!

They’re smiles were so big… not to mention that each cupcake had the name of a different player on their team. These cupcakes saved the day that afternoon and I’ll never forget the look on their faces when they saw their very own baseball design cupcakes!

Ladybug Cupcake Design Recipe

When it is suddenly time for that party, gathering, or after school snack what do you do? Of course, cupcakes are always right, but why have a cupcake the same way every time? In this fantastic recipe, you can create a little ladybug creature. These cupcakes are absolutely darling and not to mention they’re so tasty!

I made these lovely ladybugs for my neighbors and their kids one afternoon and they were a huge hit! The kids really loved the cute designs and couldn’t wait to learn how to make their own. Ladybugs usually are only outside, but now they could be in your kitchen (and it wouldn’t be a bad thing)!

Yield: as many cupcakes as you have! [singlepic=12,320,240,,right]
Ingredients:

• Cupcakes
• Chocolate frosting
• Strawberry frosting
• Red fruit slice candy
• M&M Mini’s
• Junior Mints
• Black licorice lace candy
• Small zip-lock freezer bag

Directions:

1) Ice the cupcakes with strawberry icing.

2) Place the chocolate frosting in a small zip-lock freezer bag and snip off one corner.

3) Pipe a mound of chocolate frosting in the center of each cupcake.

4) Slice a red fruit slice in half for the wings. Place on top of the chocolate icing.

5) Attach M&M Mini’s to wings using frosting for glue. (I use brown so it looks real, but obviously all colors are equally as scrumptious!)

6) Attach a Junior Mint for the head and two short black licorice pieces for the antennae.
These ladybug cupcakes are so fantastic. The design is easy, great for kids and extra fun for all the insect lovers out there! For fun variations, you can use a red velvet cupcake or chocolate cupcake. Of course, the usual vanilla is delicious as well!

All in all, these ladybug cupcakes are a hit, no matter the occasion or reason. In fact, who really needs a reason at all! These ladybugs are waiting! Go, go, bake then right now!

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

I love a good vanilla cupcake recipe. You can use this basic recipe for so many things.

Cupcakes are so compact, you can easily add decorations, and they taste great too!

Of course the mixes from the box are yummy too, but wouldn’t you rather a recipe come straight from your kitchen?

It’s really not as hard as some people think and you can make these cupcakes in a snap using this vanilla cupcake recipe!

Yield: 18 cupcakes [singlepic=10,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare, either, a muffin pan or paper cupcake liners by greasing them with a non-stick cooking spray or butter followed by a light coat of flour. Now you can set the pan aside.

2) In a medium mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shortening, milk and vanilla then beat it for 2 minutes with mixer at medium speed. Add the eggs and beat 1 minutes longer.

3) Take a spoon or cookie scoop and divide the batter into 18 cupcake cups (on the pan, in the liner, or both), filling them about halfway. Fill the cups and then bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes. When they’re done, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, let them cool and then frost them with a desired icing.

These cupcakes not only taste great, but look great too! They’re a favorite at birthday parties, weddings, showers, retirement parties, a bake sale and any other time for that matter!

Whether you’re throwing a bash or selling them for cash, this vanilla cupcake recipe is bound to be a hit.

Also…
Chocolate Cupcakes

Golf Cupcake Design Recipe

This cupcake cake design may make you think you’re not up to par, but really its a simple design with a look that’s complex.

With so many more golfers out on the course now-a-days, golf inspired things have become increasingly popular; from backyards, to houses, to even food!!

This little cupcake, designed to resemble a golfing green will make you wish you were on the course right now! This simple cupcake design only needs a few things. [singlepic=42,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

• Pre-made chocolate cupcakes
• Bright Green Frosting
• Golf Ball Mints (found in specialty baking shops or sport stores) *can also be substituted for Mentos or any other small white sphere candy
• Toothpicks
• Red Fruit Leather (or Fruit Roll-Ups)
• Hair decorating tip
• Pastry Bag

Directions:

1) Take your pastry bag, with the hair decorating tip, and put your green frosting in it, filling it up about of the way.

2) Gently squeeze the pastry bag over the edge of the cupcake until about 1/6 inch of frosting has come onto the cupcake. Continue that process around the entire cupcake, creating the illusion of flowing grass.

3) Place your golf ball, whatever you chose to use to resemble the golf ball, onto the cupcake.

4) Cut the red fruit leather or Fruit Roll-up into an isosceles triangle for the golfers flag. Poke two holes in the triangle on the shortest side. Weave the toothpick into the leather (roll-up) and stick the flag into the cupcake.

And there you have it! Your golfer’s paradise is complete! It’s finished with grass, ball, and flag; what more could you ask for? This cupcake cake design has proven to be not only a snap but it looks like you’ve been working in the kitchen all day to make these little greens! People will be shocked by your creative cupcake cake design and they’ll think these cupcakes were surely store bought! But everyone knows that they’re much too divine for that go ahead and enjoy the little cakes!

Cupcake Decorating Tips

There are many different cupcake decorating tips to help you create your best cupcake ever!

Now, for starters, there are two main types of tips for cupcake decorating. There are those little metal things you screw onto a pastry bag… tips. Or there are those little hints people give you to help you create a smoother, more professional-looking cupcake… also tips.

Well today must your lucky day because you’re learning about some of both. I know in my kitchen, I will take all the cupcake decorating tips I can get!

First off, lets start with the little metal tips you could use to decorate your cupcakes. There are obviously many different types. [singlepic=41,320,240,,right]

First, there’s the star tip; its pretty much a classic. This type of tip gives you piping line that has points on it like a star and its frequently used for large cake borders.

The second tip is called the basket weave which is a type that resembles a thin rectangle. There are two varieties of the basket weave. In one, both of the sides are flat, which gives you a ribbon-like look. The other type has one flat and one rigid edge. This tip uses the rigid edge to create a textured effect, frequently used to give the illusion of a traditional basket-weave.

The flower, leaf, and rose petal tips are fun as well. These tips are commonly used on cupcakes and when you use these tips, it makes a flower or a leaf in one step. When you are mass producing cupcakes, these tips are very useful to keep the designs simple, yet elegant. It is a huge time saver in the kitchen.

The final tip is the round tip. (Of course, there are still many more types of tips out there; but these are the four basics and the ones that I find myself using most often.) The round tip is the most commonly used tip. It is about as simple as it gets. The round tip delivers a round dot, pretty much as large or small as you’d like, depending on the size of the decorating tip. It can make dots or if you steadily move it, it can make lines or letters. If you’d like to write anything on your cakes or cupcakes, I’d definitely suggest this tip. Some choose the basket weave tip with two flat sides but usually that tip is too wide to get a clean finished product. Remember… you are working in a very small area.

So that’s some simple cupcake decorating tips. Are you still looking for something more? If so, it’s possible you were looking for decorating tips; those little hints people give you to help improve your baking and to create the best decorated cake or cupcake you can.

Of course, I want to make sure that I give you what you are looking for so if you are looking for cupcake decorating tips, I have written a second article based on the helpful hints for cupcake decorating in: A Cupcake Decorating Tip On Tips (Part 2) and you’ll surely find what you’re looking for!

Frog Design Cupcake Recipe

Time spent with your kids is very important, its fun, its worthwhile and now with this cupcake decorating idea its easy!

These cupcakes, made to look like little frogs are so adorable you could just eat them right up (if they don’t hop away first!)

Follow these easy directions and you and your child will have one unforgettable afternoon creating these cute frog cupcakes oh, and I bet it will be an afternoon in the kitchen that you and your child will not soon forget. [singlepic=47,320,240,,right]

Ingredients:

• Cupcakes (check out my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe )
• Green Frosting (homemade vanilla with just a touch of green food coloring will do)
• Green Gum Drop (one per cupcake)
• White chocolate chips (2 per cupcake)
• Black Icing (a small tube will be more than enough)
• Red Icing (a small tube will be more than enough)
• Red Licorice (I use Twizzlers)

Directions:

1) To get started, take your pre-made cupcakes and frost them with the green frosting. After thats done, take some gumdrops and slice them in half (long ways). Just as a safety precaution, you might want to slice the gumdrops for your kids. Family time is fun, but it should always stay safe.

2) After you have sliced enough gumdrops for two halves per each cupcake, set them aside. Next, count out the white chocolate chips so that there are 2 for each cupcake. This step is extremely popular with the younger kids who are learning to count in school. Use this as a time to have fun in the kitchen and to reinforce newly learned math skills.

3) When I made these cupcakes for a birthday party, I had one of my 5 year old neighbors help me count out the ingredients (gumdrops and white chocolate chips). She really enjoyed showing me how high she could count and it was a fun time for the both of us!

4) After you have counted out the chocolate chips place them tip down into the center of the sticky side of the gumdrop. Press the gumdrop lightly into the frosting on the cupcakes to resemble eyes with the white chocolate chips facing outwards. Once all of the eyes are in place, take the black frosting and put little dots on the white chocolate chip for the little frogs pupils. If you want to get really creative use the red icing and draw in tiny frogs tongue off center of the mouth line. Kids in the kitchen really love this touch and it brings out the laughs!

5) Now, take some of your candy licorice and pull them apart until its just one strand. Take that strand and cut (or tear) off a piece about 2-3 inches long to use for the frogs mouth. Continue this step for all of your cupcakes and soon you too will see a cute little frog smiling back at you!

This easy cupcake decorating idea is great for family time, perfect time of combining learning and fun for the younger kids, and a huge hit at the parties! If you wanted to alter the design a little bit, you could take away the mouth and use light blue frosting instead of green. Take a small knife and pull it across the blue icing in little squiggles to create the look of waves. By doing these subtle changes, your frog is now partly submerged underwater looking out at you! What a hoot! Who wouldn’t crack up with this suggestion for a cupcake decorating idea. In fact, I bet your cupcakes will be the talk of the party.

I would recommend this design for kids of all ages! Its easy, fun, and after you make the frogs you can enjoy baking and eating them with your kids.

Who knows, now you might want to go to the library and check out that frog and amphibian book to read with your children! No matter how you slice it, you’re bound to have fun in the kitchen decorating cupcakes and your kids will too. This cupcake decorating idea gets two thumbs up from me… and a ‘RIBBET’ from the frogs!