Twenty to Make: Decorated Cupcakes

Jan 10

Search Press' innovative Twenty To Make series has expanded to include cookery in its repertoire, and here is a book showing how to make and decorate twenty different delightful cup cakes. As the introduction says, these little cakes are a new craze and the perfect way of celebrating just about anything. You won't even have to resort to buying your frosting ready made from the supermarket as there are recipes for several different varieties in here, from buttercream to a basic recipe for coloring. You will need to purchase sugarpaste and fondant icing however, unless you have recipes for these elsewhere but I guess space is at a premium in these small books. Just about every likely occasion is covered in here and there are some wonderful novelties, from a Hallowe'en pumpkin to St Patrick's Day shamrock, a wee Christmas tree to an engagement cake featuring a ring where the cake is the open box - clever! I think my own favorite has to be the family tree set of cakes with names iced on them arranged on the table at a family reunion, each sporting the face of the person surrounded by piped leaves. There are Easter baskets and fluffy ducks, ideas for animal headed cakes, a wonderful entire chess set and wee wedding cake to name a few. You don't need to be an advanced sugarcrafter to produce them either, or possess a kitchenfull of sugarcraft cutters and molds which also counts in its favor. There are not another twenty ideas in this book, as the larger photos are needed to bring the creations to life but there are some other ideas here and there - excellent value for under a fiver (or under ten dollars).

Summer 2010

Sugarcraft expert Frances McNaughton has created 20 colourful cupcake designs using readily available decorations and ingredients. The wedding cupcakes are two-tiered with miniature arum lilies, and there are plenty of other bright designs for different celebrations. Each design is accompanied by a fun alternative, and simple cupcakes recipes are provided at the beginning of the book.