If there is one thing one thing I have learned from my kids is that they are very picky about their food. My kids, nieces and nephews, in fact all toddlers now, do not settle for just about anything I set in front of them. This rule also applies to cupcakes.

I find it curious how they pass over the plain, unfrosted ones I have stocked in my refrigerator. They always go for the ones I spent the most time designing. My Sister shared a ‘mommy secret’ with me: make the food look attractive and the kids will eat it, no questions asked. After all, that was how they introduced them to vegetables. Read More

Adults aren’t as picky about their foods as kids are, but they do appreciate good aesthetics. How else would some of those fancy restaurants flourish when the food itself occupies a mere ¼ of the plate and the rest is compensated by the exquisite arrangement? The same applies to foods cooked in households, be it pasta, main courses, or desserts. Cupcakes are not above the rule as well.

Sure, adults can and will eat those plain, unfrosted cupcakes you didn’t have time to design. But for them to truly appreciate your creation, you need to ice them according to the occasion or the preferences of your family. There are already a lot of unique frosting recipes that utilize a wide variety of ingredients. Experiment with your family’s tastes and stick with what they prefer the most. Read More

The wedding I went to the past week had something unique in their menu. Instead of serving the guests cake from a three-tiered, white fondant-covered cake, the bride and groom (and their planner) opted for cakes that are easier to serve and easier to stow away for later: they have decided to introduce cupcakes for dessert. Though I have heard of cupcakes being served in formal events nowadays, that wedding was the first time when I saw an elegant cupcake in action (that is, ready to be consumed).

I spent some time scrutinizing the cupcake. It was the blackest, most moist, most luscious chocolate cupcake I have ever tasted. But the taste pales compared with its design. The baker used fondant to decorate the cupcake. It was topped with a flat circle of pale blue fondant (the wedding’s theme was blue) with white fondant flowers placed delicately on top of each one. The light colors contrasted sharply with the color of the cupcake itself, giving it an elegant look that no full-fledged cake could ever hope to achieve. Read More

All-Star Cupcake Frosting Recipes

All cupcake frostings were not created equal. Some are sweet, some with a tang; some have fruits, others are garnished with nuts. Making cupcake frostings in itself is an art – you have to take into consideration how it looks, its consistency, and most especially how it tastes. No wonder a lot of people have experimented on cupcake frostings over the years. The tastes that you can incorporate in frostings are as diverse as the combination of different ingredients to suit your preferences.

Cupcake frostings range from the most basic – such as the basic vanilla or chocolate frosting – to the exotic. Each has its own group of loyal supporters, and each can be delicious in their own right. The main criteria for choosing the three cupcake recipes featured below are its taste and how easy it is to prepare. It was not easy to play favorites among cupcake frostings, but for us, these three emerged as clear winners: Read More