Tap to Read ➤

How to Decorate Cupcakes

Aparna Jadhav
Decorating cupcakes can be a fun group activity at any time of the day. This story helps with some ideas to decorate them in different ways.
Cupcakes are more popular than bigger cakes as they are easy to make, less time-consuming, and can be made for a number of people at once. With the different flavors like chocolate, vanilla, buttercream, blackberry, etc., you can have similar toppings on those yummy cupcakes.
Kids love cupcakes and the best way to make them even more enjoyable is to decorate them with icing and sweets to make different colorful pictures on them. They can even be served as snacks on certain occasions like showers, birthdays, tea parties, or simply as an evening snack.
Baking the cupcakes is the only hard part about preparing them. The actual fun starts when you have to decorate them with different flavored and colored icing to make them look delicious.

Frostings

Here are some simple frosting recipes which you can use to decorate your cupcakes:

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
  • 150 g softened butter
  • 250 g icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
Directions
Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl with an electric beater. After they are smooth and well-mixed, add the vanilla and water and beat once more till the icing is smooth and creamy.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
  • 150 g softened butter
  • 250 g icing sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons hot water
Directions
Beat the butter and icing sugar thoroughly with an electric beater and then combine the cocoa powder and water in it for further mixing. Beat this mixture well till the frosting is soft and smooth.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
  • 30 g softened butter
  • 80 g cream cheese
  • 1½ cup icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Directions
Sift the sugar and beat all the ingredients together with an electric beater till the frosting is smooth and creamy.

Decorations for Cupcakes

Once the frosting is made you can decorate the cupcakes with some more toppings which are given below.

Butterfly Cupcakes

Ingredients:
  • 1 packet candy-coated chocolates
  • 5 cupcakes of your choice flavor
  • Buttercream frosting
  • 1 packet 'freckles'
  • Licorice strips
Directions

Frost each cupcake with the prepared frosting and arrange the candies in the middle of the cupcake in a straight line representing the butterfly's body.
Place the freckles on either side of the candy showing wings. Place the licorice strips as antennae to complete the butterfly cupcakes. Decorate all of them with different colored candies, to make them look colorful.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
  • 1 packet chocolate fries
  • 10 dark chocolate cupcakes
  • Chocolate buttercream frosting
  • 1 packet Chocolate freckles
Directions

After you've baked your cupcakes, let them turn a bit warm and then apply the frosting either with a spatula or in an icing bag. Top all the cupcakes in the same manner and then sprinkle some chocolate freckles on the top. Add three to four chocolate fries on each of the cupcakes and serve.

Lemon Flower Cupcakes

Ingredients:
  • 12 lemon cupcakes
  • Lemon cream cheese frosting
  • Vanilla frosting
Directions

Keep your lemon cupcakes on a plate or hold them gently in your hands. With an icing bag filled with the vanilla frosting, gently make 5 petals on the top. Then with the lemon cream cheese icing bag, draw dots in the center of the flowers to give it a beautiful decoration.
Make the flowers in the vice versa pattern to bring a difference and serve them with some gently sprinkled colored freckles in the center. If you have no ideas on decorating cupcakes for a baby shower, you can use this tip.
You can use your own ideas for decorating cupcakes. You can have designs like bees, smileys, alphabets, and many more. So, make the best out of those cupcakes and receive compliments for your imagination and creativity.