Baking Tips for Cupcakes by Vernell

Hello, blog readers! Today is a special day because I am welcoming my very first guest blogger. Her name is Vernell and she is not only a talented blogger, but a lover of delicious cupcakes that she makes from scratch.

Through all of her baking experience, she has acquired some great tips along the way she is generously sharing with us today:

 

I was delighted when Margie asked me to be a guest blogger on her blog.  As you can see we both share a love for cupcakes and really do complement each other as she loves to spend time decorating her cupcakes while I tend to focus more on trying new recipes and sticking with the basic piped frosting as decoration.

When Margie first asked me to do this post I was not sure what angle to approach it from.  The ideas I had were sharing some tips or blogging my process from recipe to completed cupcake.  I was leaning more towards the latter as I did not think that I had that many tips to share…but boy was I wrong.  As I made my last batch of cupcakes I realized just how many things I have picked up in the couple of years since the cupcake bug bit me.  So today I will share with you tips that I have learnt from my adventures in cupcake land.  Some of these may seem pretty obvious but chances are that if they are on this list that I learnt them the hard way.

**If the recipe calls for two or more sticks of unsalted butter, assuming you are using sticks that is, I use a mix of unsalted butter and margarine and then I just reduce the amount of salt I add by a bit.  This is more of a cost saving tip as unsalted butter costs way more than the margarine.

**If using a mixture and it has different attachments use the flat attachment to mix the cupcakes and the whisk like attachment for the frosting.  The whisk attachment makes the frosting that much more fluffy and light.

**Always crack eggs into a bowl individually before adding them to cupcake mixture.  Trust me on that one!

**Most recipes say that you should turn the oven on to heat and then combine the dry ingredients and then cream your butter and sugar.  I always put my butter and sugar to cream first and while I am waiting for it to get nice and light and fluffy I combine my dry ingredients.  I don’t turn the oven on until I am scooping the mixture into the cupcake liners.  Trust me the oven does not take that long to heat up.

**Always make sure your mixer, if you are using one, is at the lowest setting before adding the dry ingredients unless you want to be cleaning flour from places you did not know that flour could settle.  Same thing goes for adding icing sugar.

**Double up on cupcake liners if you want the pretty patterns of the liner to really show up after the cupcakes are baked.

**I always used to wonder how people got their frosting to look so full and fluffy on the cupcakes and not just flat until I learnt that I was using the wrong type of frosting for my cupcakes.  I am also an avid cookie baker at Christmas time and I was using the same royal type icing for my cupcakes when I first started making them until I realized that I should be using butter cream frosting to get those beautifully frosted cupcakes.

**If frosting is too stiff add some milk a little at a time until you achieve the right consistency.

**Double up on your icing bags as this makes it easier if you have to change colors or flavors if you want to use the same tip.  It also makes it less messy for clean up.  Also don’t fill them to the top unless you want icing coming out the top while you frost your cupcakes.

**Use a coupler if possible –makes it easier to change icing tips.

**Don’t go buying those fancy icing bag ties I just use a bag clip and it works like a charm.  I got mine at Ikea.

**When frosting, set cupcakes on a surface that is lower than counter top high – like a dining room table – makes it a lot easier to swirl that frosting on.

Well I hope that these tips have been useful and if you have any questions just leave a comment, as I will be checking back throughout the day.

Now go bake some cupcakes!

 

EDITED: Vernell's frosting recipe is now posted here.

 

Thanks, Vernell. Those were some very helpful tips. Now for some more cupcake goodness (and other crafty things), check out Vernell's blog.  (Rumor has it, she has a special announcement on her blog today! Go check it out.)

 

To see everything CUPCAKE related on this blog, click here.

Comments

[VernellC]

Thanks again Margie for this awesome opportunity to share my tips on your blog. I'll be checking in throughout the day if anyone has any questions.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you, Vernell! I'm so glad to have you share your tips. When you double your liners (which is a fantastic idea - whenever I use light colored liners, especially, they look colorless and it ruins the fun), do you double them up before baking or after they come out of the oven?

[VernellC]

I usually double mine before baking but I guess you can do it after as well.

[CarolineD]

Hmmm, both "doubling" tips make a ton of sense, and yet I never would have come up with either! Very cool post.

[VernellC]

Thank you Caroline. When I first got into cupcake making the thought did not cross my mind either but now it makes thing so much better :)

[Jimjams]

Brilliant and informative post - it's precisely these sort of tips that the recipe books don't give! Thanks :D

[VernellC]

You are welcome. Thanks for stopping by!

[Joanne]

They are excellent tips - I especially like the doubling up. TFS. Mind you I think I need your frosting recipe now as I never seem to get this right. I see a series starting :0)

[Melissa]

Great tips - I like the idea of doubling up on the liners so the pretty one shows up better.

[VernellC]

Thanks Joanne! I think I can be persuaded to share my frosting recipe :)!

[VernellC]

Thanks Melissa! :)

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Great! I was going to ask for it too.

[crafty p]

the doubling the baking liners tip is hands down the best tip! thank you so much for that one! I will also have to try the doubling the icing bags tip!

[VernellC]

Thanks! Happy that my tips are helpful!

[Rachel B]

Fantastic post, I have learnt so much! I will definitely be referring back to this one - thank you for sharing :)

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Hi Joanne, As requested, Vernell has revealed her frosting recipe. It is up on my blog today.
Vernells Frosting Recipe

[Rebekah]

I love the double liner tip! Thanks Vernell...now I'm hungry for cuppies!! :)