Easter will soon be here and I went to a demo on decorating cupcakes and I thought, “shoot, I can do that, it doesn’t look difficult at all.”
That’s really easy sitting down watching someone who knows what she’s doing and can make it look easy.
The woman giving the instruction, my friend Iris, says it’s all about practice. “If you practice, you’ll get good at it,” she said. That’s probably true and in my mind I’m thinking, “how the hell am I going to eat all those “practice” cupcakes?”
So I went home and decided I’d give it one practice try. As you can see, if you’re not a cake decorator, this is how your cupcakes will look.
These are Easter egg nests. I frosted chocolate cupcakes (chocolate? for Easter? Yes, I like chocolate, thank you very much – and it’s practice, remember?) and then piped a nesty thing around the edge to hold my jelly bean eggs. Iris used foil wrapped chocolate eggs in hers but how do you keep from getting all the icing on your fingers when you unwrap the eggs? So I went with jelly beans.
They look okay but they don’t look “exciting” do they? So I thought, “I’ve got some coconut that I use on my yoghurt topping for breakfast, I’ll make a bunny.” Now the trick to the ears is to use a marshmallow. Cut it in half and dip the cut side in colored sugar. Blam – bunny ears. Just tuck them in the icing so they don’t fall off. Bunnies without ears can’t hear a thing.
Then I had to come up with eyes, nose and a mouth. I was supposed to touch the mouth sides in the middle.. poor bunny. I used black gel food coloring and I have to tell you, a dish of black icing looks nasty. Worse than licorice ice cream, I’m sure. I looked at my cupcakes and thought, “PRACTICE!”
I called Iris and said I was a definite #Fail and how would I ever use up all the cupcakes I needed for the practice. Now wait for it. My pal Iris is a no-nonsense sort of person and she tells it just like she sees it.
“Looney, you scrape it off and start again with the same cupcake til you get it right!”
well, duh…
These are some of the ones done by Iris’ staffer for everyone to eat at the demo. This is Iris.
She makes it look really easy. I go to sites that have the most gorgeous cupcakes and swoon over how beautiful they are. I’m determined to learn how to do it. You’ll have to wait til NEXT Easter though. Not that I’m a slow learner, there are just so many cupcakes I can eat.
I will admit this though, even poorly decorated cupcakes are pretty good with a side of home made chocolate ice cream.
Awww Maureen…I like your cupcakes!! A bonus of jelly beans is awesome
For whiskers you could use the stringy liquorice and cut the end with small scissors for a great affect.
I don’t think yours look bad at all. Actually, I think yours are prettier than Iris’s.
Anyway, I don’t think icing on cakes and cupcakes should be too beautiful. Then I don’t want to eat them. They look too much like a great work of art. I mean you would not eat the Mona Lisa now, would you?
Icing should be pretty enough to look nice. But accesable enough to lick it off and get all over your fingers and mouth.
Maureen, they are very cute! You’re being way too hard on yourself!
As someone who also struggles with decorating cakes and cupcakes, I share your pain. But, yours look great! The nest ones are gorgeous and your bunny is very cute.
Congrats my friend – I have awarded you two very deserved prizes – come check them out here: http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/belated-happy-national-pie-day/
Cheers 😀
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru, thanks so much for what you said — that’s really kind of you. I think you’re pretty special!
That’s waaaay too cute!!!
These are RIDICULOUSLY cute! You most certainly ARE a cupcake decorator, whether you like it or not.
I think your cupcakes look great and would be happy to share some with you over a cup of tea.
I’m not good with making frosting look pretty either. Probably why I have yet to make/post a layer cake on my blog.
I like the larger shavings of coconut you used for the bunny fur!
Dear Maureen, I think your cupcakes are adorable. They look delicious as I am sure they were. Blessings, Catherine xoxo
These look so freaking cute Maureen!! 🙂
I’m with you on the cake decorating stuff. Its not really my thing. However, I thought yours were very cute. Practice makes perfect, but the problem is you have to find a home for all those cupcakes once they are decorated!!
She really does make it look easy….BUT I know better, LOL! I think you did a beautiful job, they are really adorable! Cake decorating is something I want to get better at:-) Heading to pin this, Sending hugs, Terra
I’m so not a cake or cupcake decorator either, but these came out really cute! I like the jelly bean ones, but your bunny is also so cute!! Nice nails on the instructor – they like match the icing!
Cute! I would have done the same thing as you..eat 100 practice cupcakes…uh…okay. Lol. I love bunny ears too! Great job!
I love the crazy rabbit. Well, I’m off to rewatch Donnie Darko.
Actually I think your cupcakes look pretty good. But I’m more interested in eating cupcakes than I am in looking at them, so that’s what I value! And I’m horrible at decorating. Although I know that practice is the key, I’m with you on the “who’s going to eat all the practice cupcakes” question. I’m so bad I figure I’ll need to do hundreds before I become halfway decent. Anyway, really fun post – thanks.
Maureen, you frost a cupcake ten times better than I can! I fill a piping bag and pipe swirls, but they’e always crooked or keel over. I can frost and pipe on a whole cake easily and with great results, but those little suckes hate me! I love the Easter Nests with the candies and jelly beans- so cute!
I am not a decorator either — but that looks delish! I always find it so hard to use piping bags. Ugh!
Hey Maureen! Likewise, I am not a cake or cupcake decorator either. I admire those with the crafty hand. For the record, I love the work you have done on the cupcakes! Looks great!
I feel with you. I stink at decorating cupcakes.
Yours look fine to me.