Yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing: This is the ultimate birthday cupcake combination. Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing: The sweet icing balances the deep chocolate taste. Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing is another party favorite. Carrot cake or spice cake are also usually paired with cream cheese icing.
If you want to serve your cupcakes in their wrappers, leave them on. You can also opt to remove the wrappers at this stage and serve the cupcakes without them. If you decide to remove the wrappers, be careful not to tear off chunks of the cupcakes.
Different icing textures will have different end results. Store-bought icing is usually slightly gooey and easy to spread. Homemade icing can be stiffer. When you’re spreading it around, be careful not to pull up crumbs from the cake. Test to see if your icing is the right consistency by scooping it up with a spoon. If the frosting holds together on the spoon and doesn’t slide off, it’s good to go. You can purchase different icing colors from the grocery store if you’d like to write on the cupcakes or make colorful designs. This may include your initials, age, favorite color, or favorite team.
Check out the selection of piping bags and icing tips at your local grocery store or specialty baking store. Larger icing tips result in a better final look for icing swirls. Smaller tips are used for writing or making small decorations. Make your own piping bag by cutting a small hole at the bottom of a plastic sandwich bag. You’ll be able to attach an icing tip to your homemade bag.
Use the following basic recipe to make classic buttercream icing, which is perfect for icing swirls. Simply beat the following ingredients together, adding a little more milk if the end result seems too stiff. You can swap out the vanilla for another flavoring and add a few drops of food coloring if you want: 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened 4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 Tablespoons milk
If the icing doesn’t seem to be flowing smoothly, check to make sure the tip is screwed on correctly. If the icing seems too runny, don’t panic! Simply toss the piping bag in the fridge for a few minutes so it stiffens up. Make practice swirls until you’ve got the hang of how to pipe icing.
If you don’t like the result the first time, just scrape off the icing, put it back in the bag and try again. Make sure not to scrape off any cupcake crumbs.
