How to Decorate Birthday Cakes & Cupcakes
Ancient Greeks are believed to be among the earliest people to have marked birthdays with cake, placing candles on top of round cakes to symbolize moonlight as an offering to the goddess of the moon. Germans are thought to have used birthday candles to signify the light of life. The tradition persisted, and today the one distinguishing feature that transforms a cake into a birthday cake is candles, yet there are countless cake- and cupcake-decorating options. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- For cupcakes:
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- 12-inch tube pan
- 12-pack of sugar cones
- Ice cream cone stand
- Box of muffin mix
- Buttercream frosting
- Ice cream scoop
- Whipped cream
- Sprinkles
- Cherry candles
- For cakes:
- Lettered cake stencils
- Confectioner's sugar or cocoa
- Spatula
- Frosting
- Cake comb
- Pastry bags
- Tips
Instructions
-
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes With Maraschino Candles
-
1
Martha Stewart provides a different take on cupcakes with this ice cream-inspired treat. Cover a tube pan with a double layer of foil, and use the tip of a knife to stagger holes about 2½ inches apart.
-
2
Gently push down a sugar cone in each hole until about 1 inch is visible above the top.
-
-
3
Prepare cake batter according to box directions, or make your own from scratch.
-
4
Fill each cone 2/3 full with batter and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
-
5
Once the cupcakes have cooled, add whipped cream to each or use an ice cream scoop to add butter-cream frosting. Decorate with sprinkles or other candies and cherry-shaped birthday candles.
Stencils
-
6
According to a technique from Groovy Kids Parties, stencils can personalize a birthday cake. Arrange letter stencils that spell out "Happy Birthday" on top of your cake until you are satisfied with the spacing.
-
7
For a dark-colored cake, sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top; use colored crystal sprinkles or cocoa for light-colored cakes.
-
8
Gently peel away the stencil to reveal the design. This trick also works well with a paper doily as a stencil to create a lacy effect.
Frosting
-
9
"The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" recommends using a wide spatula to cover the sides of your cake. Then place the remainder of the icing on the center of the top, swirling outward to the sides.
-
10
Leave the cake smooth or use a cake comb to create ridges in the side of the cake.
-
11
Use fork tines to make a cross-hatch design on the top, or fill pastry bags with icing and experiment with different tips to create ribbons, stars, leaves and flowers.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Before frosting a cake, place pieces of parchment or wax paper beneath the outer rim to protect the serving plate from drips.
Let frosting harden slightly before putting a stencil on top, to avoid smudges when lifting the template.
When using pastry bags, squeeze out a little frosting before adding it to the cake to get rid of any air bubbles.
Remove cherry candles from cupcakes before serving them to guests.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit birthday cake image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
