Made that cake from a box one too many times? Need some new tricks to discreetly fold up your sleeve? Meet Lyndsay of COCO CAKE, a Vancouver-based baker sharing a buffet of tips on how to fancify your favorite cake, cookie, and ice cream recipes.
Every Valentine's Day we're forced to feel the love, but what if you haven't found that special someone just yet? What if you would rather spend the evening curled up on the couch with a certain furry friend? My first baking blog is a shout out to man's best friends, those little guys that pick us up when we're feeling down.
For these shaggy dog frosted cupcakes you will need:
- Cupcakes made from your favorite recipe. I love Martha Stewart's recipe for yellow butter cake—they're tried and true! Her recipe yields around 24 cakes.
- Vanilla buttercream frosting. See my super easy go-to recipe, below.
- Piping bag for frosting (available at most cake supply stores)
- Special multi-opening frosting tip (I used the Wilton #233—again, try your local cake supply store)
- Red cupcake liners
- Heart candies for the tongue
- Chocolate pieces or black fondant (sugar paste) for the eyes and nose
Vanilla buttercream frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups of icing or confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
A drop of milk or cream (if so desired)
Method: Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat the living daylights out of the butter, then slowly stir in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla and a teensy bit of milk and beat on high until pliable and frosting-like!
In the mood for love? Check out our his and hers Valentine's Day gift guides!
All photographs © Coco Cake, 2012 .
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1. Bake a batch of cupcakes from your favorite recipe. A box recipe is fine—casual times over at Coco Cakes HQ! Once out of the oven, let your cupcakes cool. 2. Now make some frosting, again, from whichever recipe your prefer.![]()
3. Cut off the end of your piping bag, and fit your multi-opening frosting tip inside. Using a spatula or spoon, transfer your frosting into the bag.
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4. Squeeze the piping bag so frosting starts to flow. With short squeezes create the shaggy fur effect.
![]()
5. Add more frosting to make the ears: pipe upward on an angle and then downward on an angle, like you're making a triangle.
![]()
6. Use red heart candies to make a jaunty dog tongue. For the eyes and nose, use black fondant (sugar paste), chocolate, or dark candies. Nestle the candies and fondant into the frosting to secure.
![]()
Every Valentine's Day we're forced to feel the love, but what if you haven't found that special someone just yet? What if you would rather spend the evening curled up on the couch with a certain furry friend? My first baking blog is a shout out to man's best friends, those little guys that pick us up when we're feeling down.
For these shaggy dog frosted cupcakes you will need:
- Cupcakes made from your favorite recipe. I love Martha Stewart's recipe for yellow butter cake—they're tried and true! Her recipe yields around 24 cakes.
- Vanilla buttercream frosting. See my super easy go-to recipe, below.
- Piping bag for frosting (available at most cake supply stores)
- Special multi-opening frosting tip (I used the Wilton #233—again, try your local cake supply store)
- Red cupcake liners
- Heart candies for the tongue
- Chocolate pieces or black fondant (sugar paste) for the eyes and nose
Vanilla buttercream frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups of icing or confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
A drop of milk or cream (if so desired)
Method: Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat the living daylights out of the butter, then slowly stir in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla and a teensy bit of milk and beat on high until pliable and frosting-like!
In the mood for love? Check out our his and hers Valentine's Day gift guides!
All photographs © Coco Cake, 2012 .
1. Bake a batch of cupcakes from your favorite recipe. A box recipe is fine—casual times over at Coco Cakes HQ! Once out of the oven, let your cupcakes cool. 2. Now make some frosting, again, from whichever recipe your prefer.
3. Cut off the end of your piping bag, and fit your multi-opening frosting tip inside. Using a spatula or spoon, transfer your frosting into the bag.
4. Squeeze the piping bag so frosting starts to flow. With short squeezes create the shaggy fur effect.
5. Add more frosting to make the ears: pipe upward on an angle and then downward on an angle, like you're making a triangle.
6. Use red heart candies to make a jaunty dog tongue. For the eyes and nose, use black fondant (sugar paste), chocolate, or dark candies. Nestle the candies and fondant into the frosting to secure.
