Any cake decorators in the group? Need help with cupcake idea

[CornField]

I'm a Daisy Girl Scout Troop leader and am planning a party for our girls on the 28th. I'd like to take a big piece of cardboard, cover it with wrapping paper (or some sort of paper) and then put cupcakes on top of it in the shape of a daisy. I want to frost the middle yellow and the petals the different colors (the GS petal colors).

I've seen cupcakes done like this at the bakery -- frosting all over the top to form a solid-looking top -- but I have absolutely no clue how to reproduce that effect at home. Since we don't have enough money in our budget for store-bought cupcakes, I'm in search of ideas. Anyone?

[Tab]

1. One idea

For my son's birthday party my mother once brought over some cupcakes - she baked them, then placed them in ice-cream cake cones, and frosted them, and maybe had sprinkles. They looked like ice cream cones, but were really cupcakes (in cones)...

Just a thought if you want something fun and easy and different.

[CornField]

4. That's a really cute idea!

I'm pretty sold on using the daisy thing for this party, but those cones would be wonderful for a teddy bear tea party I'm planning. Thanks!

[politicat]

2. Two thoughts: dip them into a soft frosting or pipe it with a

pastry nozzle. The dip might be faster - use something like a petit four icing.

How sugar-wired do you want them?

[CornField]

3. They head home after the cupcakes

I don't think the sugar-factor will be a problem... at least for their troop leaders. ;)

I was thinking of the pastry nozzle. It's a been a long time since I've used one, but my family would probably enjoy the practice runs.

[eyesroll]

5. That sounds like fondant.

I don't have a recipe handy but it's basically an icing that's stiff enough to be rolled out and cut into shapes.

[supernova]

9. You can buy colored fondant

if you don't want to make it yourself. I was watching Sugar Rush on Food Network the other night, and the host said virtually all cake bakers buy their fondant rather than try to make it themselves. I've seen it in with other cake making supplies at the craft store.

[Dora]

6. I saw pictures of this

I wish I could remember what magazine I saw these pictures in, but oh well.

I think you could probably do it with a good icing spatula and a heavy hand on the icing. As long as your icing is stiff enough to not dribble at room temp, you should be good to go. And then keep it/them refrigerated so you don't get any post-dec droop happening.

I'm not a decorator, by any means. But I think it would probably be easiest if you used a base color to frost and connect all the cupcakes, and then put on a second layer of icing on your petals and flower center in the colors that you need.

This way you may be able to avoid juggling with different colors at the same time that you're trying to essentially glue the cupcakes together.

Post a pic when you're done!

[jeanarrett]

7. I saw this in Women's World magazine a couple of years

ago and it was a really cute "Daisy" cake. You just use a round cake in the middle frosted yellow and the petals were Twinkies that had been frosted white. It was adorable.

[DawgHouse]

8. This is another cute idea

You may not want coconut, but it is a neat way to make a daisy. http://www.kraftfoods.com/recipes/CakesPiesCheesecakes/CakesOther/DaisyCake.html

[SoCalDem]

10. Sharp scissors and multi colored marshmallows

cut the "petals" from the marshmallows..dab a bit of icing on them to hold in place and then the frosting in the middle

[grasswire]

11. I'm not sure exactly what you mean...

...but you can get a real smooth fondant-looking finish on frosting by dipping the knife in a glass of hot water as you work. Try it. I'm assuming you are using homemade frosting, not the stuff in the tubs -- I don't know how that would work 'cause it's kind of goopy. With homemade butter/powdered sugar icing, the hot water will work.