Decorating your lonely cake stand

I made some fake cupcakes a year ago and I have shared my "secret recipe" of these non baked goodies with everyone last year.  If you missed it, click here to see our "recipe".

I mentioned that I have registered to enter a fondant decorative cupcakes contest at the OC Fair this year last week.  One of the requirements for submitting my creation is to make "fake cupcakes".  So now I am going to share with you how I twisked my "old recipe", which I shared with everyone last year and make the fake cupcakes ever more realistic.

What you need:

Tooth picks
Styroform balls
Brushes
Acrylic paints
Plaster of Paris
Vinyl Spackling
Cupcake Liners
Cupcake pan

1)  For the base of the cupcake, please refer to here.  I still suggest to use Plaster of Paris for the base becuase the weight could secure your top portion better.  Line the cupcake liners in a cupcake pan and pour your "batter" (Plaster of Paris) inside the liner.  After pouring the Plaster of Paris in the cupcake liners, make sure to put couple tooth pick in the middle of the "batter" because they will help to "connect" the top cake portion to the base (see Step 3).

2)  Get some styrofoam balls, cut them in half (I used my bread knife to cute them, and it worked perfect.)  Brush some acrylic paints (I used brown here for my "chocolate cupcakes") to make cover the white color of the styrofoam balls. (

3)  After the "batter" and the cake portion are totally dry out (the "batter" take longer time to dry, probably half of the day, the cake portion should be dry out in 3-4 hours max). Now we could put the base and the cake portion together.  The tooth picks we inserted to the "batter" on Step 1, will hold these two portions perfectly together. 

4)  Get a small jar of Vinyl Spackling from your local home improvement stores (such as ACE, Home Depot, or Lowe's).  If you don't want to add any color inside, you could use it alone as a basic white "butter cream" frosting.  If you want color for your frosting, add few drops of acrylic paint of your choice and mix well.

5)  To avoid messiness, I highly recommended people to use disposable cups and spoons to mix the color in the "frosting".

6) Put your "butter cream frosting" in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cupcake, let's dry for few hours. 

French + Chocolate + Fashion = Salon Du Chocolat 2011

French + Chocolate + Fashion = Salon Du Chocolat 2011 in Paris.  You don't know how much chocolates could do until you see these amazing dresses.  All the fashion pieces look amazing and yummy, check out these pictures.  There is a little embrassing moment on the stage during the fashion show - French TV presenter, Karine Ferri presented her chocolat dress on stage, and all of a sudden, her dress was falling apart on the stage (probably due to the heat from the lights).  Good that she remained clam, professional and belle. 

O No!

"Que devrais-je faire? (What should I do?)"

Stayed clam and belle

A Choclate Bat-woman

I love this painting!

You look so yummy=)

OMG!  Is this chocolate?!

A little Flamingo fashion infulence?!

What a big piece of chocolate on her head!

So sexy!

This is one not-so-conformtable outfit.

Forever Fresh *Fake* Cupcake "Recipe"

I remember when I first saw fake food was at a Japanese restaurant when I was a little kid.  Most Japanese restaurants like to use plastic made food for showing their customers the menu.  I always want to own those fake food at home, just by looking at them made me hungry and happy.

Few years ago, I stopped by an antique store on a random weekend.  And I saw a realistic looking fake cupcake there, I was thinking how they made it.  Making a realistic fake cupcake popped up in my mind again recently.  I went online and see what I need to buy to make my very own first fake cupcake.  There are couple methods to make this sweet fake treat - 1) using expansion foam to make them (I will probably try this method later.) 2)  using plaster of Paris to make it (I found this "recipe" from the Cakespy website.

I chose the second method because it requires less materials, less time consuming and it's cheaper than the first method.  Also, the second method made a heavier "cupcake", so I could use it as a paper weight at work or in future, I could make some for holding my business cards.  You could also make them in a mini size (just use a mini size cupcake cups and a mini cupcake pan).  They will be a great party favors for your guests.

You will need:

• 1 can of plaster of Paris (you could find it from any hardware store or craft store).  I got a small can from Michael's.  The original price was $5.99, but since I have a 40% coupon, I paid less than the price on the tag.
• Cupcake cups (silicone or paper work just fine), I used paper ones.
• Tap water 
• Acrylic paint - be sure they are the water based one (from craft store) - you might need two different colors, one is for the "cake" (bottom) and one is for the "frosting" (top)
• Beads/cupcake toppers (optional)
• Ziploc bag (optional)
• Disposable spoons and bowls (optional) - you don't NEED them if you don't have them at home!  But they definitely make your life easier and less messy for cleaning up afterwards.

A small can of plaster of Paris and acrylic paints from Micahel's

Paper/silicone cupcake cup and a cupcake tin

Mix one cup of plaster of Paris with one cup of tap water and tint them with the paint.

I use cream color for my "cake" because I wanted to make a white cake with strawberry frosting cupcake.  You could choose whatever color you like.  But keep in mind that, choosing a darker color for both frosting and cake would be better.  After mixing together, the color are less noticeable.

You mix them and mix them well...then pour the "batter" into the cupcake cup

all the way to the top.  

I kind of smoothed the top a little bits.  

But you don't have to since the "frosting" will cover the top.

Let the "cake" air-dry for about 30 mins

Take them out from the pan and they are ready to be frosted.  

You don't need to wait for them dry out totally.  

As long as the top part is dry, you could frost them.

Mix the plaster of Paris with water, but this time you want to make the "frosting" 

a little thicker by using a little more plaster of Paris 

because you don't want the "frosting" dripping down from the top.

Also, I used a small Ziploc bag to frost my cupcakes (optional).  You could also use a spoon to put the frosting on top.

Dry for another hour.  If you want to put the "toppings" or "the "toppers", 

you should do it before they start hardening.  

These cupcakes will stay fresh forever!

I am sure I will make more when I got time in future.  That will be a great way to spread the cupcake love to strangers, who love cupcakes like us.  If you happened to see one at a gas station or at McDonald's in future, that's the love from us, C for Cupcake Cupcakery!