How to Decorate Mini Cupcakes

Creamy frosting and sprinkles are a classic cupcake topping.

Cupcake aficionados say the sweet treats are more than a trend; they're a passion. Cupcake shops have sprung up throughout the country and baking authors have published several books about cupcakes. Challenge your creativity -- and your willpower. Bake a batch of mini-sized cupcakes and decorate them.

Things You'll Need

• Assorted cereals
• Assorted candy, such as red hots, candy corn, candy-coated chocolate pieces
• Salty snacks such as pretzels, nuts and potato chips
• Frosting

Instructions

1. Allow freshly baked cupcakes to cool before decorating. The frosting will melt and run if you apply it to cupcakes that are still warm.

2. Get the frosting ready. Apply frosting with a spreader or butter knife, or pipe it on. To pipe it on, scoop frosting into a plastic bag. Using scissors, snip off a tiny piece of one corner. Gently squeeze the bag to apply frosting in a circular motion to the top of the mini-cupcake.

3. Pour toppings in bowls; doing so will make it easier to pick up the toppings. Use tweezers to make this easier.

4. Experiment and try unusual flavor and texture combinations. A salty-and-sweet mixture is a popular combination, so top a chocolate frosted mini-cupcake with a potato chip or pretzel. Crunchy and creamy textures complement each other, so top a creamy vanilla frosted mini-cupcake with crispy, crunchy cereal or peanuts. And for holidays, use color combinations that celebrate the seasons: orange-frosted cupcakes topped with candy corn, green-frosted minis topped with red hots, and white-chocolate chips are colorful options.

5. Decorate in themes; use sprinkles of various colors to represent your team at a Superbowl party; red, white, and blue for a Fourth of July party; or dress them up with metallic, edible glitter for a wedding or New Year's Eve event.

Tips & Warnings

• Store mini-cupcakes in an airtight plastic container for up to three days.

References

• CNN: Cupcake Passion More Than A Trend
• Martha Stewart: Carrot Cake Mini-Cupcakes