How To Frost Cupcakes

Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by Elaine

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So you made a delicious batch of cupcakes, and you can’t wait to sink your teeth in them. Before you do this, stop: wouldn’t it be better if you frost the cupcakes first? It will give your yummy treats a sweeter and more delightful taste. Here are some tips on frosting cupcakes.

What You’ll Need:

Frosting
Cupcakes
Spatula
Pastry bag
Hot water

Choosing The Frosting

Before you start spreading the sweet and gooey stuff over your cupcakes, you need to familiarize yourself on the different kinds of toppings you want to use. There are three different kinds used:

Glaze - Made with powdered sugar and milk or water. It’s very thin and usually drizzled on.
Icing - It’s thicker than glaze but thinner than frosting. Several types include ganache, buttercream royal and fondant.
Frosting - This is the thickest kind, made with sugar, butter and water or milk.

The type of topping you use will determine how you’re going to put the icing on. If you opt for traditional frosting, here are a couple of ways to do it.

Using A Spatula

You can use a frosting or icing spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the surface. Its crooked handle gives you extra leverage as you put on the frosting. The only disadvantage is, you don’t get to put on swirls and decorative shapes over the cupcakes. A spatula only gives your pastry a flat coating.

Cool the cupcakes first. Never frost cupcakes that came straight out of the oven. Warm cupcakes soften or melt the frosting, ruining your work.
If you want several different colors, divide the frosting in several bowls, then add a few drops of food coloring for each one. Mix thoroughly.
Remove the crumbs from the cupcakes by brushing it lightly with your fingers.
Put a dollop of frosting in the middle of the cupcake. For regular-sized cupcakes, use two to three tablespoons.
Hold the cupcake in one hand. With the other, hold the spatula, and make short strokes to spread the icing outwards. Work in a circular motion, moving more outwards with each turn.
As much as possible, don’t let the spatula touch the cupcake itself, so the frosting won’t get crumbs.
After you’re done, dip the spatula in hot water and smooth it over the surface to get a smooth look.
Practice different frosting effects on the cupcakes. A bunch of little wavy swirls, a big swirl pattern or spikes will do.

If there’s no spatula around, you can use a plain kitchen knife. Just be careful not to cut your cupcakes accidentally.

Using A Pastry Bag

A pastry bag lets you create swirls and curly patterns on the cupcake surface. You can easily purchase one of this, but if you can’t find any, then improvise by using a plastic bag and cutting off a small corner.

You need more frosting for this method compared to the spatula technique. Allot four to six tablespoons of frosting for every cupcake. Make sure the cupcakes cool first, too.
Insert the pastry bag’s tip before you put in the frosting. Afterwards, fill the bag halfway with the frosting of your choice. Screw the coupler ring securely and straight, then make sure the bag is airtight at its end.
Twist the bag above the tip and use a clip to secure, so no frosting will come out of the bag’s end.
Put the cupcake on an even surface.
Pipe the frosting. Hold the pastry bag’s main body in your dominant hand, while keeping the twisted end folded under your hand. Put the piping end on your opposite index finger; this gives you better control. Use your dominant hand to squeeze out the frosting as your left hand guides the bag.
Pipe a circle around the outer edge of the cupcake, then continue coiling until you get to the center of the cupcake.
When the surface is aptly covered, stop squeezing the bag, then pull up the tip. Twist your wrist to get a nice and finished swirl.

Cupcakes look yummy and taste better when they’re covered with frosting. Just try these two techniques and your pastry will be a sure hit!