Cupcakes

Not to long ago, cupcakes were treats just for kids. Cupcakes with colorful frostings and sprinkles were meant to enchant the kids eyes and the frosting was made to please the kids sweet tooth.  But…. Adults have begun to realize what they’ve been missing and cupcakes’ popularity has grown.

 

There are several theories about how cupcakes came to be called “cupcakes”.

1)      They got their name because they were baked in small cups or tea cups to create individually sized cakes.

2)      Cupcakes like pound cakes were named after the recipe that was used to make them: one cupa of each; butter,sugar,flour and eggs

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INGRIDIENTS IN A CUPCAKE

BUTTER-:Always use unsalted butter; it allows you to have full control over the amount of salt in your recipe. Unsalted butter is also known as sweet butter. Don’t use butter substitutes , it can affect the taste and texture of your cupcake


 

                     



                   VEGETABLE OIL  SPREAD                                        REAL BUTTER

 

 

 

 

·         FLOUR-: There are 2 types: All purpose flour and cake flour. All purpose flour has a higher protein content than cake flour and yields a firmer cake texture. When your recipe calls for cake flour and you don’t have any available,for every cup of cake flour needed, use 7/8 or ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

 

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

 CAKE FLOUR

 

·         SUGAR-:Gives the sweetness to cupcakes, it tenderizes, adds moisture and promotes browning during baking. Granulated sugar is the most commonly used in baking because of it has neutral flavor.  Brown Sugar contains molasses, which makes it moist and gives it a caramel like flavor. Confectioners’ sugar is often used in glazes, frostings, and for dusting sweets just before serving.

 

                       

 

                                            

 

·         EGGS-: Mostly all the recipes were developed with large eggs. If the eggs need to be separated, it’s easier to do so when they’re cold and the yolks are firm. If you’ll be whipping the egg whites, they must be free of any yolk, so be careful when separating the eggs, and be sure that the bowl and beaters that  you use to whip the whites are clean.

                                

 

·         BAKING SODA  and BAKING POWDER -: both are leveling agents that help cupcakes rise during baking.  Baking soda is used when the batter contains an acidic ingredient like buttermilk or sour cream.  Baking powder  can be used in the presence or absence of an acidic ingredient. Old baking powder often does not provide proper lift so check the expiration date before using.

 

                                

 

 

 

 



 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baking Products for the Artist in YOU! | Baking Supplies Houston

You don't have to own a bakery to be a baker. Come in to Fiesta Baking Supplies Serving Houston and let us help you get started making the most amazing baked goods. You'll soon be inspired by our large selection of supplies. Have fun browsing our isles to see the tools, fondant, colors, molds, pans, paper goods, cutters and so much more! We're excited to help you find the things you need to prepare for your next celebration.

 

If you want a little extra help, be sure to sign up for one of our fun and educational Baking Classes. At Fiesta Baking Supplies Serving Houston, our professionals offer decorating classes in English and in Spanish. We promise that you'll learn a lot and have a blast at the same time!

 

Take the short drive to see us at Fiesta Baking Supplies Serving Houston. We have an amazing selection of supplies and want to quickly change your title of customer to friend as we bake along side of you! See you soon!

Mothers' Day in United States

Mother's Day in the United States is annually held on the second Sunday of May. It celebrates motherhood and it is a time to appreciate mothers and mother figures. Many people give gifts, cards, flowers, candy, a meal in a restaurant or other treats to their mother and mother figures.

The origins of Mother's Day are attributed to different people. Many believe that two women, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis were important in establishing the tradition of Mother's Day in the United States. Other sources say that Juliet Calhoun Blakely initiated Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the late 1800s. Her sons paid tribute to her each year and urged others to honor their mothers.

Around 1870, Julia Ward Howe called for Mother's Day to be celebrated each year to encourage pacifism and disarmament amongst women. It continued to be held in Boston for about ten years under her sponsorship, but died out after that.

A cupcake bouquet is very popular for this day.  Here are some pictures that I found on the internet and thought they were really cute.

 

Enjoy this tutorial that I found on youtube  by Mad Hatter Cupcakery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haoSabf4JSs

 

Wedding Cake Cookies

In Mexico we have a very popular recipe for wedding cookies. This recipe is a family recipe that I want to share with all of you:

Ingredients:  Makes 3 dz. aprox.

1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon MEXICAN vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Extra powdered sugar for rolling baked cookies in.

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla.
2. Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts.
3. Chill dough if it seems too soft.
4. Roll dough and cut with cookie cutter of your preference  or roll 1.25" balls and place on parchment paper
5. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks.

We usually make cookie balls and bake them like that.  But there are many options when you use your imagination.

 

 

June is the most popular month for weddings so, bridal showers should be taking place right now. I found this picture on the internet and thought that this design will go perfect with a bridal shower or even at the wedding reception.  If you decide to go with this design, it will be better if you don't dip your cookies in powdered sugar.

Use 3 different size of round cutters and decorate with  royal Icing and make some beautiful mini roses  with the silicone molds that we carry at www.fiestabakingsupplies.com. You are going to love this mold and many more that you will find.
Have fun!

 

Disco Dust

People are always debating if Disco Dust is safe or if it's edible. But, What is disco dust?
 Disco Dust is an extra fine glitter with lots of sparkle.  It was developed for the craft industry and often used on display cakes. Disco Dust contains only ingredients that are NON-Toxic.  This dust is not FDA approved, it is not a food product and should not be considered as such but again: It's NON-Toxic.

So, the question is: Should we use it or should we don't?  Many use disco dust to decorate their cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cake balls or cake pops.  I've never heard of anyone getting sick for eating something with Disco Dust on it. So the answer will be: whatever you and/or your customer decide.
Here some examples on how Disco Dust has been used by bakers.

 

 

Disco dust has the largest grains of all the dusts, and can be compared in size to pieces of glitter. Disco dust is not subtle, so it works best on pieces that should "pop" and sparkle with a glittery finish .

You can find disco dust at our online shop. www.fiestabakingsupplies.com



 Many times, I'm sure you like me have wondered on how to work with sugar sheets.  There are so many options and they are so easy to work with.  If they are white, besides of using them to make decorations as cut outs or lace we can also use them to print pictures or images  with edible ink and decorate our cake or simply make some cute cupcake toppers or maybe to cover some delicious cookies.  To print images on sugar sheets you need a printer with edible ink , you can go to my shop or order online at  www.fiestabakingsupplies.com.

cookies with edible print

cake & cupcakes with edible print

There is a lot more to do with sugar sheets:  Since sugar sheets come in many different colors we can make cut outs for cakes, cupcakes, cake balls, cookies.... You can use templates, hole punchers, cricut or silhouette  machines.

Here are some links for videos and tutorials that will explain a lot better all that you can do with sugar sheets.  Have a sweet day full of fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX-akpVPqcE

http://www.cakecentral.com/tutorial/27049/filigree-cake-black-pink-couturecakesbyrose

April 16th. National Stress Awareness Day!

Wow! I'm a very impulsive person so it's very hard not to stress. This is what I found about stress:

 

Does meditation really work when we're anxious? (Yes.)

 Is work burnout normal? (No.)

Is a little stress good for us? (Yes.)

There are so many questions when it comes to experiencing and managing stress, it's hard to keep track of what works and what doesn't.  Here are some ideas besides the ones we already know...

 Happy relaxing!

• Write your worries down in a journal.
• Peel an orange. Studies show the smell of citrus can help reduce stress.
• Read a book for six minutes.
• Eat an avocado. The monounsaturated fats and potassium in the super food can lower blood pressure.
• Bring your dog to work. Research suggests having Fido in the office can lower stress levels throughout the day.  (poor dog!)
• Count to 10, then count backward.          

and many, many, other ways to relax but no one said BAKE!

I relax while baking, then get all stressed up while decorating, my adrenaline goes up and up until customer picks up cake and then ....I relax! (if she looks satisfied with my work) :)