Ingrid Hancock Bjerknes - Cupcakes: The Complete Guide to Making Beautiful and Delicious Cupcakes

THANKS I have always been fascinated by the process of making small pieces of art with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, and butter. During an exchange program at the University of California Berkeley a couple of years back, I first fell in love with the fantastic cupcakes that had become a phenomenon in the United States. Cupcakes are mini-cakes in a nice wrapping. I immediately decided to be a part of the establishment of cupcakes in Norway and started Hancock Cupcakes, which custom makes and delivers these delicacies to a growing number of cupcake lovers. I am no pastry chef, but I grew up in a family that loves to bake and where baking is tied to enjoyment, happiness, and creativity. And when it come to cupcakes, the decorationsas much as the flavorare the main attraction, and there is no limitation to what you can create.

Here you may tap into your personal creativity and add your own twists, and you have every opportunity to experiment with colors, patterns, and tastes. The recipes and the dcor you will find in this book are both delicious and beautifulmake them like you see them on the pictures or use the pictures as inspiration for your own unique cupcake creations with your personal touch. Soon friends and family will ask for your signature cupcakes for the next party! In addition to all the recipes with step-by-step descriptions of how to decorate, I also present an array of helpful supplies and techniques that are practical to have a handle on, including preferred distributors and their contact information. Good tools are important to obtain successful results and pretty cupcakes. Its all about good decoration equipment, like decorating bags and tips, cookie cutters, spatulas, fondant shapes, colors, muffin cups, and much more. I have included a variety of decorations that may be bought in grocery stores as well as dcor that may be bough in specialty storescupcakes should be for everyone.

Look forward to these cupcakes. Here you will get everything you need for the results to be perfect. Binge on flavors like vanilla, passion fruit, caramel, chocolate, and mint. Cupcakes provide a positive energy and bring people together. Cupcakes spread joy and warmth. Surprise the hostess of a party with cupcakes as a gift the next time you are invited somewhere; make the coolest cookie monster cupcakes for the school picnic; or use cupcakes as place cards at your next dinner party.
Have fun! A little cupcake history Cupcakes first saw light of day during the 1800s.

In the United States they were called cupcakes, while in England, Australia, and New Zealand they were called patty cakes. During the 1800s, it became popular to measure baking ingredients into cups instead of weighing them, and many suggest that this is how cupcakes received their name.

Carefully read the recipe from beginning to end. Have the tools and ingredients ready. Make sure that ingredients, like margarine, are at room temperature. Take everything out of the fridge about 1 hour before baking.

If the margarine is not at room temperature you risk ending up with lumps of butter in both the batter and frosting. Use margarine or butter (Hancock Cupcakes uses margarine in their delicious cupcakes). Whisk with an electric beater. This is to make air bubbles in the batter, which allows it to rise better once it is in the oven. Always sift the dry ingredients to avoid lumps. Make sure that you use the correct measurements in the recipes. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.

If you exceed this amount the cupcakes will spill over the edge. Use a decorating bag or pour the batter in the cups with a measuring cup. The cupcakes are baked in paper muffin cups in a muffin pan. A standard muffin pan has room for 12 cupcakes. If you bake the cakes in paper cups without the muffin pan, make sure that they do not touch; they should be at least inch (1 cm) apart. Bake the cupcakes in the middle of the oven.

Follow the instructed temperature given in the recipe. Remember that all ovens are different and the temperature can vary from one oven to another. Check the cupcakes after about 10 minutes the first time you bake them. Pay attention to the time. If the cupcakes bake for too long, they will not taste good. Make sure that they are done by sticking a toothpick in one of the cupcakes.