See how elegant crushed nuts look on cupcakes? You can do half the batch with nuts and the other half with a candy decoration, for the non-nut-lovers in the group. Photo courtesy GeorgetownCupcake.com.
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June 2010

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Cookies, Cakes & Pastry

Cupcake Topping

Page 3: Fruit & More Cupcake Decorations

 

This is Page 3 of a three-page article, with more than 50 cupcake decorating ideas. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.

FRUIT

Fresh seasonal fruit is an always-luscious way to decorate cupcakes, or cake of any kind. The best choices:

  • Blackberries
  • Cherries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Mixed Berries

Add a fresh mint leaf for a color contrast. Fruit also works with holiday themes: raspberries and strawberries for Valentine’s Day, a red velvet cupcake with white frosting and a blueberry garnish for Independence Day.

 
Flowers and ribbon —alone or in combination—add beauty to cupcakes. Photo courtesy Cupcakes Nouveau in Coral Gables, Florida. See all of their beautiful cupcakes on Flickr.

If fresh fruit is not an option, try:

  • Banana chips
  • Dried fruit (diced and sweetened so it’s not tart)
  • Maraschino cherries (for adults, first marinate them in brandy or other liqueur)

MORE

Make your cupcakes even more glamorous with:

  • Bacon—regular or candied; bacon on chocolate or vanilla cupcakes is a smash hit
  • Edible flowers
  • Fancy cupcake wrappers—options include affordable paper wrappers like the one immediately below, to pricey die-cut beauties which cost more than $1.00 apiece (see photo below right).
  • Ribbon wrapped around the base
    (see photo)
 
Chocolate and bacon are a winning combination. Photo courtesy TeeAndCakes.com.

 


Fancy wrappers equal instant glamour. This
one combines some sanding sugar as well.
Photo courtesy SuttonGourmetPaper.com.
 
Die-cut wrappers are beautiful, but pricey.
Photo courtesy KitchenKrafts.com.

CUPCAKE FLAVORS

Yes, there are chocolate and yellow cupcakes, and you can’t escape the red velvet phenomenon. But if you feel like baking from scratch, think outside the cupcake wrapper

  • Banana cake
  • Caramel cake (think dulce de leche)
  • Carrot cake (with or without pecans)
  • Coconut cake
  • Devil’s food cake
  • Lemon cake
  • Lime cake
  • Peanut butter cake
  • Pumpkin cake
  • Vanilla bean cake
 
Top devil’s food cake with chocolate coins or medallions. Photo courtesy Godiva Chocolate.

Filled Cupcakes

If you feel like baking from scratch, you can remove a cone-shaped plug from the center of the cupcake and fill it with your heart’s desire:

  • Banana creme
  • Chocolate creme or ganache
  • Custard
  • Dulce de leche
  • Coconut creme
  • Fruit creme: banana, lemon, lime, strawberry, raspberry
  • Mascarpone
  • Pastry creme
 
Top devil’s food cake with chocolate coins or medallions. Photo courtesy CraftGossip.com.
  • Peanut butter creme
  • Pie filling: apple, blueberry, cherry, etc. (you can make your own with 2 cups of thawed frozen fruit or fresh fruit, mixed with 1/4 cup of sugar or more [depending on the sweetness of the fruit], 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
  • Peppermint creme
  • Vanilla creme

Stay tuned for more ideas!

 

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