milk&honey cafe

Thursday, September 10, 2009

"You are one brave girl, Sarah"

a wedding

That's what my boss at work said when I showed her the pictures of last week's wedding order. And I really like that compliment. It ain't just about baking talent or piping skill, but it's about courage and the audacity to take on a huge project by little ol' me. And baking, decorating, delivering and setting up 200 cupcakes is a pretty huge project.

a wedding

Of course as usual I had the help of the world's best helper (move over elves), aka world's best boyfriend (move over anyone!), aka my Andrew. I can't say thank you enough to him since he toiled over these cupcakes just as much as I did --rushing to the grocery store 3 separate times; transporting 20 boxes of cupcakes up and down stairs; washing endless dishes and mixing bowls; taking in my seriousness and moodiness time to time -- and all with a smile. What a keeper, huh? His mom was super duper generous enough to me let me use her kitchen too! Not only do they have a GORGEOUS kitchen with large counter tops and tons of space, they have two magical ovens that cut my baking time in two. Otherwise, I woulda been doing this for 16 hours. Am I the luckiest gal or what?

a wedding

But don't be mistaken. This ain't all fun and games. It's tough work and by the 8th hour of standing, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an inkling of regret. The pressure of trying not to ruin someone's beautiful wedding by having sub-par cupcakes is a killer that causes many panic attacks along the way. Timing and measurement is key, and with a bit of miscalculation or mistake, you're easily in big trouble. Ah, but there's always room for creativity and problem-solving that can prove that any predicament can become a piece of cake! You just gotta believe in yourself and keep going at it! It all takes a bit of courage, I guess. :)

a wedding

Anyways, I just thought that I'd include a little visual guide on how I frost my cupcakes, since a lot of you had some questions. It's quite simple, really, but I suppose a few photos might help you! I'll also tell you a few tips for easier operation.

how to fill a pastry bag

TIP #1: When placing your piping tip into your piping bag, there's an easy way to make sure you're not spilling frosting all over yourself when you're filling it up. You twist the bag and then stuff it into the tip. When you're done filling, you can shake or push the bag down and the buttercream will fill it out.

how precious

TIP #2: Another super easy way to fill up your bag is by placing the pastry bag into a tall cup or cylinder and folding half the bag over it. You simply fill it up with buttercream and tap it so that there's not air pockets. You then unroll the pastry bag and then twist the top so that it's ready to go!

how to make a swirly

TIP #3: Obviously, there are many ways you can do the swirl. This is my basic swirl that I love because it looks luxurious and almost soft-serve ice cream like. You apply pressure as you circle inwards, overlapping the previous layer. This way you make it nice and high. You can also do an easy rose-shaped swirl by circling inside out. Try using different tips shapes and sizes. My favorite ones are the Wilton 1M Star Tip and Ateco #855 Close Star Tip.

how to fill a pastry bag

TIP #4: The real key to a nice frosted top is the frosting itself. The consistency is crucial when piping-- it can't be too stiff or too runny. Runny frosting is the bane of my baking existence as it really is SO hard to deal with. While I got my Basic Buttercream down, cream cheese frosting is always a problem for me (I'm still so amateur, I can't even get my cream cheese right yet...) But if you can get a viscosity that is hard enough to hold itself yet soft enough to be pushed and moulded through a pastry bag, you've got it!

a wedding

I guess that's it for today! If I come up with any better tips (I'm still learning as I'm going) I'll be sure to post them up too. As for the recipes, the red velvet cupcakes can be found here, and the vanilla cupcakes is here!

27 comments:

  1. That cup tip is genius. Thanks for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The 1M tip is my favorite too! I'm still a newbie baker and i can't get enough of tutorials. Thanks so much for posting this, i love the method of stuffing the piping bag in the tip, I'll definitely use that next time. Oh and I also love your chocolate ganache frosting, its my no-fail frosting now =)

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow do they look beautiful! thanks for the piping instructions! they will be a great help :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sarah, I like your tips especially the No. 1 tip, what a genius idea. Anyway, have you heard about the Piping Bag Holder. I was reading one of the blogs and she had a photo of it. It's good to have one especially if you're working with many piping bags and/or different colors of icing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous! Thanks for the tips! I love me some cupcakes!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I read through your frosting tips and I have no idea what language you're writing in. Baker's language?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sarah...I recently came across your blog and love it!! Beautiful pictures of your wonderful cupcakes! Your boyfriends a keeper...when is the wedding?

    ReplyDelete
  8. They were delish Sarah! EVERYONE was raving about them and had seconds and thirds! I have some awesome pictures for your collection!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks so much for this great post! I was wondering about the tips you use. Your cupcakes are so adorable! I had a couple of other logisitc questions :)Have you frosted the day before the event? Do you refrigerate them after they are assembled? Which frosting holds up best?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've just finished reading your blog from the very beginning and it's been fun to see your transformation! The cupcake catering sounds like a blast, though I'm sure it has its headache-inducing moments. Very pretty cupcakes!

    ReplyDelete
  11. These look absolutely beautiful. Yes the tall cup trick is an absolute winner that my mum put me onto a little while ago - such smart peeps!

    ReplyDelete
  12. fantastic! Great job, Sarah and Andrew. (:

    ReplyDelete
  13. They are stunning. You've done a fantastic job. You should be proud of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You ARE amazing! How did you do it?!?! They look so beautiful too :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are just the prettiest thing!! wow, 200 cupcakes!! great job!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful! How far in advance do you make them?

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm really impressed! It's nerve-wracking enough for me even to bake for birthdays. Looks like you did fabulously and thanks for the tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  18. After struggling with cream cheese frosting time & time again, I found out I was overbeating the room temp cream cheese which caused it to break down & be too soft. I then found a recipe that uses cold cream cheese & have used it ever since. It's lovely!! Here's the recipe:

    10 tbsp butter (room temp)
    1 lb cream cheese (cold but not frozen)
    pinch salt
    1 tbsp vanilla
    5 c powdered sugar sifted (I usually use about 4 c)

    Beat butter, cream cheese, salt and vanilla until incorporated. Gradually add powdered sugar.

    Love your blog & photos & wedding cupcake adventures!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. You are seriously brave for such a huge order!

    I love baking cupcakes myself and I especially love the decorating part. Your creative decorations have definitely inspired me. I have often thought about if I could ever be up to accepting orders for people.

    How tough is it to plan when to bake the cupcakes so that they're fresh enough for the "due date"? And when to frost them? Also, how do you decide how to charge people for your hard work?

    I emailed you a few days ago asking where you got the boxes for your cupcakes and I actually found the answer in the comments, but thank you anyways. :]

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey everyone! Oh my, thank you for all your encouragements and compliments! This was definitely no small feat, but it's not because I'm talented or anything, haha! It's just putting your mind into it, I guess. Anyways, thanks so much on the support, my blog friends :)

    Dear Nicole, Laurice and Diem,
    How far in advance I bake them and frost them? I always try to do it the day of -- or at minimum the night before. Great cupcakes are fresh cupcakes, and I think stale ones are definitely not wedding-worthy, or any sale-worthy as a matter of fact. But in cases where I need to deliver bright and early in the morning, I usually bake them the day before, freeze the cupcakes, if need be, and frost them at the latest time possible. I find that freezing unfrosted cupcakes work well too. They get soft as soon as they come back to room temperature, so that's an option too.

    As for leaving the frosting on overnight -- I trust many of the recipes that I've seen that it is okay for at least a day or two. Cream cheese frosting is always a tricky one, so I try to plan it so that I can frost it on the day of.

    I've never sold cupcakes that I haven't baked the day of or the night before, but I eat 3 day old ones at home all the time! And they still taste fine! Haha!

    Anyways, I hope that helps you guys out a bit!!! Happy baking!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sarah!! Thank you so so so so (x a million) much for the absolutely gorgeous and delicious cupcakes! :) They were so pretty and just perfect. People (especially the kids) couldn't take their eyes and hands off of them and patiently waited for the dessert announcement. They then bolted out of their seats only to line up for your deliciousness!
    Thank you again for your hard work and sharing your talent with me, my new hubby and our guests. Also please thank Andrew (and his mum!) for us. I truly hope you are proud of yourself. You ARE one brave girl... But one that is equipped with God's gift and faith. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow, beautiful cupcakes for a tall order!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I know this is an old post but I came across this fab blog after searching for piping tips. What tip gives a big defined swirl... S that the ateco 855? Is this a better nozzle than Wilton 1M? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hiya Kim! For the cupcakes you see above, I actually used the Wilton 1M. The beauty with that one is the versatility. The size of the swirl really depends on how hard you press. When you press hard, you get bigger, more luscious swirls. If you press extra hard, it even gets crinkled edges. Also, another important factor is the consistency of the frosting itself. If it's on the stiffer side, it will hold more defined edges. Softer frostings (usually tricky with cream cheese) tend to get more droopy and that's not the tip's fault.

    The Ateco 855 is super great but it's also super big. I have found that it's actually harder to manage as the swirl gets really thick and big and you'll end up getting a ginormous mound of frosting on each cupcake. But if that's what you're going for – go nuts!

    I hope this helped!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for the very quick reply, I have a 1M nozzle but can't seem to create that defined look. When u say squeeze hard u mean from the top of the piping bag?
    I can only hope to make mine as good as yours one day! Great blog.

    ReplyDelete
  26. hmmmm cupcakes, I have to confess dear blogger that one of my dirty pleasures is to eat these kind of cupcakes, well that and order pills on viagra online pharmacy sites, I love to do both

    ReplyDelete