Buttercream Icing Cupcake

I've received request on icing post from FS and twitter so I thought I'll start with a basic
and easy-to-make icing.

To bake, you'll obviously need muffin pan, paper muffin case, piping bag and your favorite
icing tips. I bought my baking equipments from Red Man's Simei Specialty Store.
(Only plus point of Simei. Other than their chicken rice.)

I used to go to Bugis to get'em till XX told me they have a shop here too.

 

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe books aren't unnecessary at all. I used to get crappy ones online that
turned all ingredients into trash and my dad will frown at it.

Baking doesn't mean spending lesser if you've seen the bill.
I started baking when I was 14 and got grounded by my folks. The coolest place
they'd bring me to is supermarket so I thought I'll grab something and make a piece heaven.

That's just sugar coating. The 1st time I bake was a failure.
Which is why I love blogging fool proof baking post. So you guys won't waste food/ money.

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl for 2 to 3 minutes
(Recipes at the bottom)

Cupcake is different from muffin.
You don't need it to be tall and fluffy coz you're
piping icing on it. Just make sure ingredients are well mixed.

To be good at baking doesn't mean having expensive mixer or huge oven.
Like they say, "Practise makes perfect"

End result

They should be creamy like this.
Remember to check the side of the bowl and push in the leftover to mix
evenly with the rest.

Make your own paper cases!

Well, you can get'em in stores but I forgot there wasn't any at home

Using cookie/ grease proof/ baking sheets.
Check the amount you need (x2 of the number of cupcakes you're gonna bake)
and fold'em into squares that'll fit your baking pan then cut it with a clean knife.

Evenly, lay 2 squares on top of a hole.

Push it down, checking that they cover the holes coz your cupcake will be raising up.

Spoon in a tablespoon to set the paper

Add more

Recently XX's folks bought a new toy called airfryer,
It gives the same result as frying by heating and circulating air at high speed
which I think is no different from a fan assisted oven.

Fan assisted oven is having a, well, a fan, in the oven to provide even heat distribution in oven
If you're using it to bake, reduce baking time! The last time I use it without
shortening, my egg tart turned out inedible.

Tiny cupcakes to bake.

Crispy outside and soft center after 10 minutes!
Taste almost like kueh bulu.

Here's XX camwhoring after I told him no photos without make-up.
Didn't know he camwhore till months after.

Spoon in 2 tablespoons or half full.

Recipe mentioned it can bake 1 1/2 dozen but I always get lesser than that.

Peak on cupcake is for photography sake.
Please don't do that when you bake, I don't know how will it look like after baking.
Guess it'll melt down but just in case.

Baking cupcakes at 175C for 20 minutes

Pre-heat oven at baking temperature for 15 minutes before baking so it'll be hot enough.

More baby cupcakes while waiting!

Doztuplets

Disfigured

ICING TIME!

Sift your icing sugar so you don't get chunks of them when you mix in butter.

Mix in SOFTEN butter.
Repeat after me. SOFTEN butter.
Melting butter till they are liquid form is easier than waiting for them to soften coz
it takes lesser time but you'll ruin the icing. It'll be watery.

When mixing with a mixer, the whisk will separate the mixture, making them look chunky.
Just mix/ push them together with a spatula or spoon.

  It should look something like this.

Wilton sells quality icing colors and tips that doesn't change the taste of the icing or
rust (tips). I've bought a couple of cheap icing tips which rusted after 1st use but my Wilton ones never!

$3.50 to $3.70 for one color
Wanted to get it's multi-color pack but I didn't had enough money with me.

 

Sticky paste

Dip a toothpick/ chopstick in to get a small amount of paste.

Mix the it in.

Mix

Voila!

Beautiful blue shade.
Start with a bit of paste and mix it in. Change your toothpick/ chopstick to dip in paste
after mixing so you don't drop your icing inside.

Do the same for the red.

Ready to start!

I bought a spatula to spread the icing on it.
If you don't have, just use a butter knife.

Remember to buy deco.
I've got hundreds and thousands, white chocolate chips and mini M&Ms.

XX piping from a small plastic bag which he snipped a small hole.

I'm trying to scale down on the amount I spend on baking like equipments but you really can't
save on the ingredients. Low quality butter doesn't give you what SCS butter provides.

Hope this post is helpful when you bake!

You can send in leave a comment with what you'd like me to bake so I can do a post on it.

Vanilla Cupcake

Ingredients

• 225g butter, softened
  
• 125g sugar
  
• 225g self-raising flour/ plain flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (1 more if you're using plain flour)
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions

• Pre-heat oven at 175C
  
• Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with electric whisk until smooth and pale (creamy), about 2 to 3 minutes
  
• Lay a paper baking case and fill it in. Repeat.
  
• Spoon mixture into the cases
  
• Bake for 20 minutes
  
• Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes
  
• Then remove cupcakes and cool on rack/ anywhere
  
• Wait for cupcakes to cool before piping on them

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 225g icing sugar
• 115g SOFTEN butter (more if mixture is too dry)
  
• Icing color paste
  
• icing tips
  
• piping bag (Preferred. Plastic bag can be use but not with icing tips unless it's meant for icing)

Directions

• Sift icing sugar
• Add in SOFTEN butter
• Mix till they're combined
• Separate them into different bowls based on the amount of colors you want
• Add in color paste using toothpick/ chopsticks. Mix
• At it into piping bag

• PIPE!

P/s: icing will harden at room temperature. you can freeze the left over in an air-tight box for up to 3 months

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