Cakes of Interest: Neon Sea Shell Cupcakes

Long time no see, everyone! I apologize for the sporadic posts. It has been an extremely busy two years at my bakery, so my posts have been skimpy! The good news is that I still have a lot to share! As I explore baking, cooking, and gardening, I thought I would also share some of my commissioned cakes: the wonderful, the crazy, and the “WTF!?”

I can hardly believe that Spring is almost over. This week, I want to share these gorgeous Neon Sea Shell Cupcakes. Everything “mermaid” and “unicorn” is all the rage right now. Seriously, my apron can’t escape the colors of unicorn poop! These cupcakes feature colors using DecoPac Premium Gel Colors as well as Sea Shell Cupcake Rings. The colors are variegated and each cupcake is finished with a dusting of Bakery Crafts Star White Edible Glitter. At first, I thought the beige and coral cupcake rings would look strange against the mermaid colors, but they really help the cupcakes pop! It can be tempting to use cupcake toppers that match the cupcake icing, but bold neutrals and complementary colors can harmonize the overall look of the cupcake.

Making these cupcakes made me realize that I should ditch supermarket and craft store food colorings. In my experience, the colors come out too dull, and if you have to use a lot of color, you’ll taste it in the cake. DecoPac colors are more expensive, but the colors are concentrated and the taste isn’t affected. My other favorite food color company is Amerotti; they sell a lot of natural colors using plant based ingredients if you want to avoid artificial colors.

If you’re new to baking and have ever wondered what tip to use to get the perfect “cupcake swirl”, grab yourself an Ateco 852 tip or a Wilton 2D tip. These tips create perfect cupcake swirls and rosettes. These are the same tips that also make beautiful rosette cakes, stars, and drop flowers.

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