Cupcake making course

26 April 2010 2,009 views No Comment

As a self confessed cupcake maniac, I had no choice but to give in to my addiction and I signed up for a cupcake making course at Cakes4fun in Putney, London. I’ve been to the course before and enjoyed the experience. This year, on the flower cupcake course, I felt I gained more from the knowledge of the teacher and the techniques taught. Last year, the fondant icing technique was not very useful and practical to replicate at home whereas this weekend’s course in flower cupcakes are so much more feasible.

I took the opportunity to bombard my teacher with queries about how to cupcake techniques. My husband does this with any consultants he hires for work. One of my biggest mistake I’ve discovered I’ve been making is melting the butter in the microwave first and then mixing it with the icing sugar. I thought that I was being very clever to avoid all the icing sugar dusting out of my cake bowl. The instructor explained that melting the butter is changing the form of butter and affects the icing tremendously. Instead, she said I should keep the butter at room temperature and then put it in one of those food processor/mixers with a wet towel to cover the bowl. This way, the wet towel prevents all the icing sugars fluffing about. I also learnt that the golden ratio between icing sugar and butter is 2:1 (wow check out that cholesterol levels!)

So when I got home, I went on the internet to find one of those food processors to buy. I have a hand held one that I got for christmas last year (yes I am easily pleased!). But if you have to mix the cake batter or the icing for more than 10 minutes, the hand held option looks painful. The cheapest one I found was the Cookworks Hand Mixer with bowl for £12…. the price gives me no confidence about its durability to be honest….

The Breville Twin Motor Hand and Stand Motor gives me a little more confidence but I remember the instructor had one of those heavy duty stainless steel ones and it was durable enough for her to bang on them to get the icing out. Currently at a reasonable £49.

Though my heart really belongs to the Kenwood Titanium Fixed Stand and Motor, a snip at £399 (sarcasm intended) Now if only I could have turned back the hands of time and put this on my wedding registry – well atleast the more informed brides can!

and yes back to the cupcake course, here are the cupcakes I made:

From these shiny black cupcake cases which make the colourful icing stand out more (yet another handy tip by instructor)

to these model cupcakes I intend to replicate:

Step 1: Practicing the icing squiggles on the cake board

Step 2: On the cupcake practice swirl:

Step 3: and then on the cupcakes: Tah Dah! Chrysanthamums:

What they were really supposed to look like:

Fantasy flowers which do not have a real life equivalent:

My masterpiece roses:

My lovely friend Naomi who enjoyed them for tea (clearly proof that I did not make non-edible cupcakes)

and finally, altogether now, arent these just delish?

I’ve already told Linda that I’ll be making those rose cupcakes for her wedding. Does she have a choice with an annoying bridemaidzilla like me?

Oh, apologies for the line on the cupcake photos. The air conditioning in the room was making all the cameras go funny. Im pleased to report it did not affect the taste of the cupcakes and the icing!