This was my first time out of the gate trying one of the creations from What's New, Cupcake by Tack & Richardson. Remember how that book psyched me out? Anyhow, I went for it. Thankfully, I found some great tips by researching a few (very few) blurbs from others who'd tried this particular creation. My result? Not quite ready for Cupcake Wars, but quite a hit with the elementary crowd!
Sweet Talk Cupcakes
Inspired by What's New, Cupcake
18 vanilla cupcakes baked in white liners (I used different colors)
3 frozen pound cakes (10.75 oz), thawed (fyi....try to use a coupon!)
3 cans vanilla frosting (store bought is best for this!)
Red, pink, purple, green, yellow food coloring (I used gel coloring...a little goes a long way!)
3" heart shaped cookie cutter
Freezer weight Ziploc bag, quart size (for piping later)
1. Cut the pound cakes in half horizontally and lay the halves flat. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 3 hearts from each half.
2. Spread the top of the cupcakes with some vanilla frosting. Place a pound cake heart on top of each cupcake, pressing down to secure. Place the cupcakes in the freezer for 15 minutes or until slightly frozen.
3. Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting red with food coloring. Spoon the red frosting into a ziploc bag or piping bag. Divide the remaining frosting among five small microwaveable bowls. Tint each bowl a different pastel color of pink, green, yellow, orange, and purple. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
4. Working with one color of frosting at a time, microwave the frosting, stopping to stir frequently, until it has the texture of lightly whipped cream (about 20 seconds for my microwave). Remove 1 cupcake at a time from the freezer. Holding the cupcake by its paper bottom, dip it into the frosting just to cover the pound cake heart. Allow the excess frosting to drip off back into the bowl. Turn right side up and let stand. Repeat with each color and the remaining cupcakes. If the frosting becomes too thick, reheat for several seconds, stirring well.
5. Snip a very small (1/16-inch) corner from the bag with the red frosting. Pipe sayings on the top of the hearts.
2. Spread the top of the cupcakes with some vanilla frosting. Place a pound cake heart on top of each cupcake, pressing down to secure. Place the cupcakes in the freezer for 15 minutes or until slightly frozen.
3. Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting red with food coloring. Spoon the red frosting into a ziploc bag or piping bag. Divide the remaining frosting among five small microwaveable bowls. Tint each bowl a different pastel color of pink, green, yellow, orange, and purple. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
4. Working with one color of frosting at a time, microwave the frosting, stopping to stir frequently, until it has the texture of lightly whipped cream (about 20 seconds for my microwave). Remove 1 cupcake at a time from the freezer. Holding the cupcake by its paper bottom, dip it into the frosting just to cover the pound cake heart. Allow the excess frosting to drip off back into the bowl. Turn right side up and let stand. Repeat with each color and the remaining cupcakes. If the frosting becomes too thick, reheat for several seconds, stirring well.
5. Snip a very small (1/16-inch) corner from the bag with the red frosting. Pipe sayings on the top of the hearts.
Alyssa's Notes:
- Some folks had warned that the hearts would fall off following ONLY the above method, so I used a generous amount of frosting to anchor the heart onto the cupcake (I mean generous). Make the dipping frosting as thin as possible in the microwave (I found 18 seconds a good length, but it will depend on your microwave).
- I also didn't try to coat the entire heart with frosting. It's about the overall effect. It's ok if it drips a bit down the side....adds to that homemade, yummy effect I think instead of the factory conformity. But maybe that's just me. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment