Mom Seeking Cupcake Recipes and Decorating Tips

Pipe the icing on using an icing decorator by starting in the middle and spiraling outward. It looks pretty and professional and you can get them done very quickly that way. Then just plop some colored sprinkles on them and voila.

I have the BEST buttercream recipe that's been passed down since my maternal grandmother... my memere.

Buttercream Icing
2 sticks unsalted butter (soft)
2-to-5 TB milk (or lactose free milk)
1 TB vanilla extract
2 lb bag of confectioners/icing sugar

1. Put the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer it until it's creamy.
2. Add the sugar bit by bit until you've added half.
3. Add the vanilla and 2 TB of the milk.
4. Blend with the electric mixer.
5. Continue adding the sugar bit by bit, and if it becomes too stiff then add some more milk to soften it just so that it's pliable AND so that it doesn't burn out your mixer.
6. Keep adding until all of the sugar is in the bowl; you might not need all of the milk.
7. There should be enough icing for slathering onto the cake AND decorating it. Be sure to separate icing into different bowls in order to add food coloring.

By using this recipe, you'll have an icing that dries nicely and has a crisp on the outside but is creamy and delicious and far better than any canned or bought icing.

If you want an icing that won't dry, you can use half Crisco and half butter but the icing will stick to any wax paper or plastic wrap you use. I wouldn't use all Crisco and I would NOT use margarine at all.

I got great responses for a buttercream frosting that I posted a few weeks ago. This is what I used:

http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/

Also, I use Duncan Hines cake mix and add instant pudding to the mix. Last time I used Yellow cake and Vanilla pudding. I made my boys like this cake last week and everyone raved about it.

As for decorating, I would just get those toothpick toppers to decorate my cupcakes.

Can you tell us more about what you are trying to do? My recipe is simple - a boxed cake mix, and a tub of frosting. If my child wants a color, I go with white and color it. I use a knife or spoon to put the frosting on and if I'm getting creative, I might use one of those fancy tips that comes in a 5 pack and goes on the end of the spray can frosting. I keep her cupcakes pretty simple. One year I put pretzels on them to be butterfly wings.

I have to agree with Sherri G. Taste rules over appearance (good thing because I am not good at decorating).

I use Duncan Hines Classic Yellow, German Chocolate, or Orange Supreme. I either use DH icing too (Butter Cream or sometime Chocolate for the yellow cake) or make my own Buttercream.

For decorations, I may put something on top...a heart for Valentines, a jellybean for Easter, candy pumpin for Halloween.

I like things simple. I use a cake mix from a box and make my own buttercream frosting. I colour the frosting, pipe it on in a big swirl, and add some sprinkles. If I put two different colour frosting in the same bag I get a tie die effect. I see so many really neat looking cakes and cupcakes with fondant, but I hate the way fondant tastes. I would rather they taste good than look amazing.

I like vanilla pound cake so when I make my cakes and cupcakes, I use 1 box each Duncan Hines Pound Cake and one box (any brand) of a white cake mix. Mix them up separately and then fold them in together. The taste is amazing, like a light pound cake. My icing, I use the Wilton buttercream recipe but I have made it for so many years now that have been able to alter it to what I like. It calls for almond extract and I HATE that stuff so I use extra vanilla extract. If you go to Wilton.com you can get alot of helpful tips, ideas and recipes.