Summer is officially here everyone! Obviously whipping up a flurry of fun and fancy treats for weekend BBQs is a must for most of us so we thought we’d compile a list of some insanely cool things we’ve spotted that’s bound to make your cakes and cupcakes stand out from the crowd this season! From baking bubblegum flavoured cupcakes (OMG yes) to adding rainbow sprinkles onto everything… we’ve got it covered!
10 Seriously Fun Baking Ideas and Tools for Summer Sweets!
01: Anything ice cream inspired!
Who could refuse a cupcake nestled into an adorable striped cup just like a frosty/creamy treat? No-one that’s who. They’re bound to get the party in full swing. The added bonus is that they’re perfect for grown ups as well as kids. You can even use these cute cups for servings of candy, mini chocolate chip cookies or even sweet macarons!
Rainbow stripe ice cream style cupcake cups by Talking Tables
02: Ice cream maker!
Imagine making your own homemade ice cream to fill cakes with, scoop into ice cream parlour cups or sandwich macarons with too! We love the thought of creating fruity sorbets or super creamy gelato for BBQ party guests. Get creative with flavours and textures by using caramels, fruits and delicious cookie crumbles! Whip up ice box cakes filled with luxurious gelato or accompany tropical decorated sugar cookies with daiquiri inspired sorbet ices.
Plum pink ice cream maker by Andrew James
03: Sprinkles!
If you’re a novice when it comes to decorating cakes, cookies or cupcakes then sprinkles are the easiest a least time consuming option. Wow guests instantly with something bright or fun shaped. Something like oversized rainbow nonpareil sprinkles are perfect for adding dots of colour to vanilla cupcakes or add a little extra playfulness to a freshly baked rainbow layer cake.
Giant rainbow nonpareil sprinkles by Wilton
04: Rainbow cupcake cases!
Planning a cool party this summer complete with a tempting dessert table? Bake your cupcakes in an array of rainbow coloured cases, swirl with coloured buttercream to match each case and arrange in waves of colour on white cake stands for a gorgeously sweet spread. Again, if you’re a beginner at cake decorating keep it simple and easy and opt for fun sprinkles or cool cases to dress up your treats.
Rainbow cupcake cases by Wilton
05: Cocktail-inspired for the grown-ups!
If you’re throwing a cool shindig for a grown-up crowd then baking up boozy flavour treats is still a pretty popular option. Up the fun kitsch factor with wedges of fruit, cut down swizzle sticks (aka cocktail stirrers) and these insanely cute rainbow cocktail umbrellas! They’re also different enough to stand out more than usual on a bright dessert table too which we love.
Rainbow stripe cocktail umbrellas
06: Bright colours!
Good food colouring can make all the difference in baking and decorating gorgeous sweets. Avoid supermarket liquid food colours as not only can they take A LOT just to get a hint of colour, but they also tend to make batter runnier which leads to some odd and flat bakes! Concentrated gel or paste colours are the way to go.
Our favourite colours to use by Rainbow Dust include… Strawberry (which creates a more subtle and natural yellow toned pink), Grey (amazing… no odd green tinge, purple or blue tinted grey at all), Black (again… no blue, green or purple tints), Purple, Claret (a beautiful red/pink shade), Eucalyptus, Cream, Olive Green, Mint Green, Peach and a dramatic Navy Blue.
Rainbow Dust ProGel Professional Food Colouring Set – Summer Colours
07: Flamingo anything!
In case you’ve not noticed flamingos are doing the rounds in the fashion and design world right now along with palm leaf prints and pineapples! Why not dress your cupcakes or a small buttercream cake with bright meringue kisses, berries and adorable flamingo picks.
08: KitchenAid Mixer!
If you’re going to get serious about creating delicious cakes, cupcakes and cookies you’re going to need to invest in one of these beauties. We’ve gone through countless branded stand-up mixers and the KitchenAid (either Classic, Artisan or Heavy Duty) is the only one that has stood the test of time and usage. There’s also so many incredible attachments that you can get creative with! Why not press your own pasta/lasagna with the pasta roller, churn your own ice cream with the ice cream maker attachment or use the spiraliser to make ‘courgetti’!
Bright pink stand-up mixer by KitchenAid
09: Novelty flavours!
Novelty candy-inspired flavourings are a sure fire hit. We love chocolate bar-inspired treats like our Snickers cupcake or gorgeous frappé finished with toasted marshmallow whipped cream. Summer is obviously THE perfect time to serve up anything fun in terms of flavour (think bubblegum, s’mores or cotton candy) from chic macarons to homemade marshmallows.
Bubblegum flavouring by Foodie Flavours
10: Amusing spatulas and bakeware!
Having good basic staple bakeware and utensils is great, but one or two fabulously fun and novelty items are going to brighten up your day right? Well, what about this amazing cupcake shaped spatula? We love it. It’s the perfect gift for the baker in your life and it’s also cool enough to keep any kids amused too.
Pink cupcake shaped spatula by FoxRun
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