Easy Personalized Cupcakes

Cupcakes.

They're all the rage right now, and everywhere I look, I am seeing the most elaborate looking (and tasting) cupcakes.

I love baking cupcakes. They're perfect for little hands, great for parties, and they bake in 15-20 minutes - SO much faster than a traditional cake - and are cool and ready to ice in 5 minutes.

But, easy. That's what I really want. Elaborate? Give me a few years and a few more hours a day.

In about 30 minutes, I baked and decorated cupcakes for a little girl's birthday this week. (full directions below)

All I knew was that this little girl loved umbrellas and her stuffed giraffe.

And, to make these cupcakes, that was all I needed to know!

I used a boxed cake mix to bake the cupcakes. Then I used a 2D piping tip and pastry bag to pipe swirls of store-bought orange and pink icing on top of the cupcakes. Then decorated them with sprinkles.

*Note: This is a 2D piping tip. I had no idea on earth what that was a few years ago, until I took a cake decorating class.

If you've never used piping tips before, I suggest buying a small kit that has some basics to get you started - a few tips, pastry bags, and instructions on how to make different flowers, swirls, etc. I purchased this Brownie Decorating Set and I love it.

I purchased a pack of cocktail umbrellas, and found little giraffes in the bulk bins at Party City. The giraffes were $.25 each. What a deal, huh? And, they make great party favors for kiddos to take home! The bulk bins at party stores are fantastic for cupcake decorations. You can find just about anything in them to personalize a cupcake!

I used the umbrellas to decorate half of them.

And, the giraffes to decorate the other half.

I love the way they turned out. Adorable and sweet and perfect for this little girl who loves umbrellas and her stuffed giraffe.

And, so, SO easy! Have fun experimenting with colors and toppers. You'll be amazed at what fun cupcakes you can create!

Happy Wednesday, friends.

Easy Personalized Cupcakes

Directions:

1. Prepare boxed cake mix according to package directions and bake in cupcake pans.
2. Remove cupcakes from pans and allow to cool. (They should be cool in about 5 minutes)
3. Fill a pastry bag with store-bought icing and pipe swirls onto tops of cupcakes using a 2D tip.
4. Decorate with sprinkles.
5. Press desired topper into icing on cupcakes.

*For transporting cupcakes, decorate as directed with icing and sprinkles. Place characters/toppers into sandwich bags and place them on the cupcakes once you've arrived at your destination.

*For more WFMW tips, visit We Are THAT Family.