Your Favorite Cake Recipes.

One of the fun things about cupcakes is that they can be varied endlessly buy using different fillings, frostings and decorations. One of my personal favourites for special occasions is to use tropical flowers on my cupcakes to give them that extra pizzazz. Using tropical flowers on your cupcakes always brightens up any day and is ideal for birthday celebrations and other special events.

Using fresh flowers on cupcakes

This step by step instruction makes it easy and safe to use tropical flowers on cupcakes. If you are serving the cupcakes to children under the age of 3, you may wish to remove the vase once the child has started eating to avoid the risk of choking.

1.) Make sure the tropical flowers you intend to use aren’t poisonous.

2.) If you aren’t growing your own tropical flowers, purchase them from a provider that can guarantee that they haven’t been treated with pesticides. Ask specifically for non-treated flowers and explain that you will be using them in food.

3.) Remove the stem from the flowers leaving only about 1 inch of stem (2.5 cm).

4.) Clean the flowers using cold water. Be careful not to damage them.

5.) Allow the water to evaporate from the flowers.

6.) When the flowers are completely dry, gently move them to plastic bags and put them in the freezer.

7.) When its time for you to serve your cupcakes, cut a drinking straw into 3 in or 7.5 cm pieces.

8.) Close the bottom of the straws by bending them and using tape to fixate them in that position.

9.) Insert the “vases” you just made into the cupcake after having filled them with waters.

10.) Take the flowers out of the freezer and place them in their vases.

11.) Serve your cakes to your amazed guests!

Making candied tropical flowers at home

Candied tropical flowers are surprisingly easy to make at home, but you may need to practise once or twice in advance to get a hang of it. Candied flowers are always appriciated due to their beauty and can be a stunning decoration on a cup cake, especially if you match the color of the frosting and the flower. You must of course use non-toxic tropical flowers only and make sure they haven’t been treated with any pesticides.

1.) Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. It is important that the papper is dry!

2.) Whisk or beat one egg white untill you have a light foam.

3.) carefully cover the flower with a thin layer of egg white. Using a small, clean paintbrush is usually the easiest way.

4.) Sprinkle the flower with suger.

5.) Wait for the suger to be absorbed by the egg white and then sprinkle it again.

6.) Place the flower on the parchment paper.

7.) Repeat step 3 to 6 until all the flowers are ready and lined up on the baking sheet.

Leave the flower to dry at room temperature for at least 24 hours.