Wednesday

Vanilla and Cream Cupcakes with Fresh Fruit Toppings


Since July 26th, smoke from the nearby forest fires 
 continues to move in and out of the area, and those in
the know tell us that it will likely be like this
way until the rainy season arrives.

As you might guess, conditions have put a
damper on many summer outdoor activities . . .

On days when the air is in the unhealthy, very unhealthy,
or hazardous range it's just best to remain indoors 
as much as possible.



If we must be out in the smoke on bad air days ~ use of one these are strongly recommended. We've got our supply.
Yes, a pain in the bee-hind to wear, but breathing is difficult without one ~ 
even for people with excellent respiratory health.


Thankfully, recently we've had more good air days
than bad, but it has been so sad to see the destruction
the wildfires have done to the wild and scenic areas.


Soo . . .
to help cheer spirits up a little bit I made these
easy cupcakes.  I used the recipe for Nigella Lawson's
Fairy Cakes. I have posted about them before and 
you can find the printable recipe here or here.

But your favorite recipe or even
a boxed cake mix will produce similar results.
Because when it comes down to it ~ it's really all about 
the whipped cream and fruit toppings.  :o)



This is one of the last ones I piped. I should have whipped the cream a little stiffer
(or added a bit of gelatin) so the cream would retain form.


I just slightly sweetened the whipping cream
and added a little vanilla for flavor, then topped
with some fruits of the season.

Spoon the whipped cream on the cupcakes
or pipe it on. I used the Wilton M1 tip.



You know those talented people who are masterful
with piping tips and decorating?

Well, I'm not one of those... 
I'm still in the 'practicing' stage after all of these years.





But Wilton has good tutorials on line, and here
is the one for this particular tip ~ and if you use a stiffer
frosting, (rather than the whipped cream I used)
the detail will be much sharper:

step 1

Hold tip 1M approximately ½ in. above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface. Squeeze out icing to form a star.

step 2

Without releasing pressure, raise tip slightly as you drop a line of icing around the star in a tight, complete rotation.

step 3

After completing the first rotation, move tip toward center and up and around to make a second spiral around the inside edge of the first spiral.

step 4

Release pressure to end spiral at center of cupcake.




Tutorial from Wilton.com


I found the tutorial very helpful ~
(though it's apparent I need a lot more practice.)


Thanks for stopping by for a visit today~
Cheers!

~mari xo



7 comments:

  1. They are delightful..I remember them:)
    Grateful for my memory ..your past posts..I have pics from Yrs ago..
    I am Terrible at piping..
    We have a Michaels now and they give cake decorating classes..
    Who would I bake big cakes for?

    Fairy things work well for us~

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  2. I like the whipped cream topping and fresh fruit in these tasty morsels.

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  3. Cupcakes are a delivery system for frosting or whipped topping! So awful about the fires... :( I can't imagine having to wear a respirator outdoors. Best to stay indoors and eat cupcakes!

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  4. your pics are surreal to me, the gray world i wallow in is so attune to color, and yours my dear pops right out of the screen with such clarity its like a bell ringing in my head!

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  5. These are lovely and I think your decorating talents are wonderful. I fail presentation most days. I am challenged when it comes to decorating, but dream of the day. I work at it all the time. Love the whipped cream.

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  6. When does your rainy season start?

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  7. Thank you for your comments everyone !

    Monique ~ you are so full of talent, you cannot fool me --I have seen your works of magic! :)

    Val, me too ~ sometimes frosting just seems to sweet for me (especially with fresh fruit.)

    Mary, I SO agree, the point of cupcakes is the topping!

    Jain, you are clever with words. Tapping my foot, still waiting for you to publish your book.

    Madonna, welcome to my world ~ I think I don't have the patience it takes to be a piping queen!

    Pam, it all depends, we usually get a very modest amount in Sept., it becomes more abundant in Oct. (I hope it's a very wet rainy season, most everywhere in the West needs it desperately.)

    Have a wonderful week, friends!

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Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

A Sampling of my food . . .

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