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Cupcak Fu f Everon!
Vanilla, chocolate, filled, or frosted—we love cupcakes! Not only are they exciting to eat, but they are also super fun to bake—and decorate. Invite friends over aer school or on the weekend to have a decorating party. Choose a few of your favorite recipes, bake them together, and then divide and conquer the frostings and decorations. Everyone’s creativity will shine through, and you’ll have plenty of treats to eat at the end of the party.
A moist cake layer and a smooth frosting or glaze are important, so be sure to check out our tips for baking (page 9) and decorating (page 15). The right tools are key—you don’t need many, but it’s important to have a few essentials on hand before you get started. Decorating is the fun stuff! Throughout this book, we give oodles of ideas, but use your imagination. There are endless combos of frosting flavors, sprinkles, and other fun toppings to play with.
From classics, such as Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting (page 27) and Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Rich Chocolate Glaze (page 18), to creamy and crunchy Cookies ’n’ Cream Cupcakes (page 61) and sprinkle-filled Piñata Cupcakes (page 76), we have a recipe for everyone. Whatever your style—whether you’re daring, playful, colorful, or classic—baking is a great way to express your own special flair. And last but not least, don’t forget the sprinkles!
-to bakin tips
Many of the recipes in this book use an electric mixer to mix ingredients together. Hand mixers are convenient and easy to use, but you could use a stand mixer as well. Be sure to turn off the mixer in between adding ingredients, and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally, to keep the mess to a minimum.
Buer should be at room temperature for most of the recipes in this book, since it is easier to work with in its soened state. Eggs will mix into a baer more evenly if they are at room temperature, but it’s not critical for the recipe to work properly.
Some ingredients need to be folded into the baer instead of beaten with a mixer. When combining two mixtures of different consistencies, folding helps blend them without deflating the baer. Use a rubber spatula for this task.
When you think the cupcakes are done, stick a clean toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready. If it comes out with baer on it, they need more baking time.
Be sure to wait for your cupcakes to cool completely before you frost them, or the frosting might melt and drip off of them.
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Bakin wit car
Adults have lots of culinary wisdom, and can help keep you safe in the kitchen. Always have an adult assist you, especially if your recipe involves high heat, hot ovens, sharp objects, and electric appliances.
This symbol appears throughout the book to remind you that you’ll need an adult to help you with all or part of the recipe. Ask for help before continuing.
Measuring cups and spoons help you measure ingredients accurately and easily. Choose graduated sets for dry ingredients and a liquid pitcher for wet ingredients.
Rubber spatulas, whisks, and wooden spoons are helpful for mixing baers and folding ingredients, food coloring, and sprinkles into baers and frostings.
An electric mixer is handy for making baers and frostings and for beating egg whites.
Oven mis or pads protect your hands from hot pans, oven racks, muffin pans, and cookie sheets.
An ice cream scoop is helpful for dividing baer evenly into muffin pans.
A piping bag fied with a pastry tip is a fun and prey way to frost cupcakes.
Pastry tips come in a variety of sizes and shapes, including plain, star, petal, and leaf.
Small metal icing spatulas are good for spreading frosting on cupcakes and transferring hot cupcakes to a wire rack.
Rimmed cookie sheets, especially thick ones, are useful for toasting coconut and transporting cupcakes while they are cooling.
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