• Using tropical flowers to decorate cupcakes

    Date: 2009.11.23 | Category: Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,,

    Cupcakes can be made to fit all occassions and celebrations due to the wide variety of different frostings, fillings and decorations that you can use. One of my personal favourites for special occasions is to use tropical flowers on my cupcakes to give them that extra pizzazz. Using tropical flowers on your cupcakes always brightens up any day and is ideal for birthday celebrations and other special events.

    Using fresh flowers on cupcakes

    Below you will find and easy to use save step by step guide flowers on cupcakes. If you are serving the cupcakes to children under the age of 3, you may wish to remove the vase once the child has started eating to avoid the risk of choking.

    1.) Make sure your flowers are not poisonous and aren’t sprayed with pesticids.

    2.) Buy the flowers you are going to use in flower shop or pick them in your own garden. Make sure that the flowers are non-treated and tell the vendor that you are going to use them in food.

    3.) Remove the stem from the flowers leaving only about 1 inch of stem (2.5 cm).

    4.) Rinse the flowers in cool water. Make sure that you don’t damage the flowers.

    5.) Allow the water to evaporate from the flowers.

    6.) When the flowers are completely dry, gently move them to plastic bags and put them in the freezer.

    7.) Cut a straw into 3 inch / 7.5 cm pieces which you will then use as vases when you serve the cupcakes.

    8.) Bend the bottom of each straw-piece up and tape it close to form tiny vases.

    9.) Fill each “vase” with water and insert the vases into the cupcakes.

    10.) Take the flowers out of the freezer and place them in their vases.

    11.) Serve your cakes to your amazed guests!

    How to make candied flowers

    Candied tropical flowers are surprisingly easy to make at home, but you may need to practise once or twice in advance to get a hang of it. Candied flowers are destined to bring in the ovations when placed on top of a cupcake especially if you match the flower with the frosting. Always make sure that the flowers you use have not been sprayed with pesticides and that they don’t belong to a toxic species.

    1.) Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. The papper need to be dry!

    2.) Whisk or beat one egg white untill you have a light foam.

    3.) carefully cover the flower with a thin layer of egg white. The easiest way to do this is with a small paintbrush.

    4.) Coat the flower with a sprinkling of sugar.

    5.) Wait for the suger to be absorbed by the egg white and then sprinkle it again.

    6.) Place the flower on the parchment paper.

    7.) do step 3 to 6 as many times as needed until all flowers are done.

    Leave the flower to dry at room temperature for at least 24 hours.