Two-Tone Icing Tutorial

This 'Two-Tone Icing Tutorial' has been requested by a few people I know, so I thought it was about time I did it. 
     So, tonight I got on my old 'Bath Rugby' shirt (standard cooking attire, showing both dedication to cooking and my favourite team. Talk about killing two birds with one stone...) and started baking my 'Halloween Cupcakes' (see previous blog post). 
     For these particular cupcakes, given the slightly morbid theme, I chose to use black and white, two-tone icing because I wanted to each little cake to give the impression of being a spooky shadow. 
     So here is how I did it, in step-by-step pictures and annotations. 
     Obviously you can achieve this two-tonal effect using whatever alternative food colouring you choose. I simply used black because it was Halloween cupcakes that I was creating!

I hope at least some of you find this helpful :)







First of all, roll your piping bag down. This enables you to get closer to your piping nozzle (thus being more accurate) and it also helps to avoid getting icing all over both you and your bag.


















Then spoon the half of your frosting mix you have NOT yet added food colouring to over to one side of the bag.
I tend to find that the easiest way of doing this is to lie the bag on one side in your hand, then spoon the mixture in. Gravity is your friend!
You should see a clear division down the middle of your bag as shown in my picture.
If you don't, simply use your spoon to manipulate the icing back over to only one side!

After this, add whatever food colouring you wish to use, to the remaining frosting mix and whisk together. 
Then spoon this mixture into the other, free half of your piping bag. 
Once again, you should see a clear division between the two colours in your bag, as shown in my picture.

Once this is done, roll the sides of your bag back up and pipe some of your mixture out, into your mixing bowl, until you see the two colours coming out simultaneously. 

















Once you see both colours coming out, you can begin to pipe your frosting onto your cakes or cupcakes (as shown.) Simply continue to do this until all your cakes are frosted, then decorate as you wish!




















Enjoy, K x

Halloween Cupcakes

Despite myself, tonight I jumped on the Halloween bandwagon as it's the one night of the year I can't help but enjoy. 
     To all you supposed cynics, who think it's simply an American gimmick, I find it impossible to believe that you don't have a secret soft spot for: the garish costumes, the carefully carved pumpkins, the valid excuse to watch scary films, the adorable, tiny trick or treaters and, it's latest new addition: cupcakes?

     For this batch of cakes, I decided to stay away from predictable stereotypes and instead just used: skull and crossbone cupcake cases, red velvet sponge, black/white two tone icing and black cat/orange pumpkin sprinkles. 

     Ok...so they're more than slightly stereotypical, but every single predictable aspect satisfies the undeniably massive child deep within the depths of my soul, so they're staying. 

     As per usual, the sprinkles I used were from "The Happy Cupcake Company" (http://www.thehappycupcakecompany.co.uk) - cue the 'Hallelujah Chorus'. 

     They're Halloweeny, glittery and just wonderful - everyone should have some in their baking cupboard, as a basic rule of thumb.

So, here's my recipe...

(For the Sponge) 

60g butter

150g caster sugar

1 egg

20g cocoa powder

40ml red food colouring (or more for a super spooky red...)

1 tsp vanilla extract

120ml semi skimmed milk

150g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

(For the Frosting)

600g icing sugar

100g butter

250g cream cheese (such as Philadelphia) 

(40ml black food colouring - if you choose to do two tone icing, if not leave this out.)

• Otherwise, mix all your sponge ingredients together and cook at 170ºC (Gas Mark 3) for 20-25 minutes depending on how large your cupcake cases are!
• Once cooked, remove and leave to cool, then frost!
• You can glitz up or spook down these little cakes as much as you like - whatever you do, they will look really colourful and fun! 

I wish you all happy baking and, of course, a very happy Halloween.

Enjoy, K x