Browsing Tag

Christmas cookies

23rd December 2017 // 0 Comments

Benefit Cosmetics x Juniper Cakery: Mrs Claus Cupcake Tutorial!

Mrs Claus cupcake for Benefit Cosmetics by Juniper Cakery

When it comes to companies that we LOVE Benefit Cosmetics are definitely way up on the list. They’re fun, quirky and we love the amount of pink they use! When they contacted us about collaborating together to create some fun (and chic) festive content we were thrilled! Plus we got to create a super exclusive collection of Benefit cookies for one lucky winner (giveaway now ended)! Head on over to Benefit’s Instagram to find our Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial via their story highlights.

Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial for Benefit Cosmetics!

Cute Mrs Claus cupcake for Benefit Cosmetics by Juniper Cakery

Materials and tools needed…

Christmas cupcake tutorial

Christmas cupcake tutorial with Benefit Cosmetics

Step 01:

Core and fill your cupcake(s) with frosting. We used a classic Madagascan vanilla buttercream for our cupcake! It’s absolutely fine to fill your cupcakes with other fillings such as salted caramel, cookie butter or fruity jams.

Tip! You don’t need to core your cupcake all the way to the bottom. Halfway down is a great amount of space for enough buttercream. Also, you’ll risk piercing the cupcake case so take it easy.

Step 02:

Use a palette knife ot spatula to spread any excess buttercream around the top of your cupcake which will help your sugar paste / fondant to stick to the cupcake’s surface.

Christmas cupcake tutorial with Benefit Cosmetics UK

Step 03:

You don’t need to do this step BUT it is our top tip for making smooth and flawless iced cupcakes! Roll out some white sugar paste / fondant and cut out a circle just a little smaller than your the top of your cupcake. Lay this central on top of your cupcake and smooth down.

As we said you don’t need to double ice your cupcakes and a lot of people aren’t too keen on sugar paste / fondant. However, for a super smooth look this part is pretty important. Cupcakes can bake uneven or bumpy too so this really helps!

 

Christmas cupcake tutorial with Benefit Cosmetics UK and Juniper Cakery

Step 04:

Repeat step 03 but with whatever skin tone coloured fondant you like. Also, make sure to use a circle cutter a little larger than your cupcake this time so that it can accommodate for the curve of your cupcake! Apply and smooth over the top of your cupcake to the edges of the case.

Christmas cupcake tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Step 05:

With your circle cutters cut two smaller circles of white sugar paste / fondant. Then cut away a portion from one circle so that the other can fit inside. These sections are going to be Mrs Claus’ hair which is going to be so cute and on-trend too!

Christmas cupcake tutorial with Juniper Cakery

Step 06:

Attach on top of your cupcake with a little amount of edible glue to create Mrs Claus’ hair! Once this is in place dust with some white lustre dust to add a little glitz for the party season.

You can also use edible white lustre paint if that’s what you have to hand. There’s lots on the market like sparkling dusts, shimmer sprays and glittery paint too so you’re spoiled for choice!

Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial

Step 07:

Now to add a chic top knot! Roll a ball of white fondant and attach on top of your cupcake with some edible glue. Hold in place lightly until stable. Then add a little texture to Mrs Claus’ hair using a thin veining tool. Also, remember to dust her top knot with lustre dust.

Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial for Christmas with Benefit Cosmetics

Step 08:

Using a small ball tool indent where you’d like Mrs Claus’ eyes to be which you can nestle black sugar pearls into later.

Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial for Christmas

Step 09:

With a thin veining tool indent eyelashes to the sides of her eyes. Three is always a good amount composition-wise, but it’s a lot for a small eye so stick to two ‘lashes’.

Festive Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial

Step 10:

Now add black sugar pearls for the eyes with a tiny amount of edible glue. Try not to add too much glue as it can look messy if it seeps out or ends up making your pieces slide around! Edible glue is pretty slippy so just remember that a little goes a l-o-n-g way!

Step 11:

For her cute button nose roll a tiny amount of fondant in the same colour skin tone you iced your cupcake with. Attach with a small amount of edible glue.

Tip! Working this small can be a little tricky as your hands will warm up the fondant making it squishy. Once you create her nose just set it aside for a few minutes to firm up or cool down. It should be much easier to work with and attach.

Festive Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial for Christmas

Step 12:

Let’s finish Mrs Claus’ stylish hair! Use edible glue to attach pretty snowflake sprinkles in place. Then with a small amount of melted white chocolate (don’t use milk or dark… it’ll get messy and it’s so much more noticeable) attach a real bow in place!

Tip! White chocolate makes for a pretty sturdy edible glue for harder to attach elements… which is so handy for stubborn pieces. The reason we advise not using milk or dark is that if that drips all over your work it will stain. Not a good look right?

Festive Christmas cupcake tutorial

Step 13:

Add a smile with the bottom of a piping tip. We used the end of a 2.5 by PME Supatube then pressed it into the cupcake at an angle to indent a curve. You can also use the scallop tool in any icing modeling tool kit… which basically looks like a curved line.

Festive Christmas cupcake tutorial with Benefit Cosmetics

Step 14:

Mrs Claus still isn’t ready as, just like anyone would need a touch of Benetint (or Posietint… our fave), she still needs her blush! Use a small fluffy brush to apply a little pink edible dust to her cheeks. Just like Benetint build your colour up so add a little at a time! It’s oh so much easier to just a little more colour each time instead of going overboard and having to start all over again from step 03!

Try this cute Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial Juniper Cakery created for Benefit Cosmetics

Now Mrs Claus is ready to take on the festive season armed with her Benefit-inspired look! She’s the perfect guest at any Christmas dinner party too. A super cute idea would be to create lots of other cupcakes decorated with fondant bows to look like gifts. Arrange these on top of a cupcake tower stand and surround with pretty snowflake confetti for a scene stealing centrepiece!

Planning a fun dinner party with the girls? Why not tweak this Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial and make each match your bestie too! You can change hair colour and style, add edible accessories (try white sugar pearl sprinkles or stars for fabulous earrings), change their skin tone or play with make up styles too (add a little edible glitter eyeshadow or some black eyeliner with a black edible pen)! How much fun does that sound?

Try this cute Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial Juniper Cakery created for Benefit Cosmetics UK

We had SO much fun working alongside Benefit to create this fun and festive Mrs Claus cupcake tutorial. We hope you have an amazing time creating your own at home. Remember… she’s not ready until she’s a #Benebabe!

Mrs Claus Benefit Cosmetics cupcake

11th December 2017 // 0 Comments

Boux Avenue x Juniper Cakery: Pink Christmas Tree Cookies!

Boux Avenue cookies by Juniper Cakery

How cute and festive are these pink Christmas tree corporate cookies? We absolutely LOVE them! We created lots of these beauties for high street lingerie, nightwear and accessories brand Boux Avenue recently. These sweet little gingerbread cookies were an extra treat in their Boux Ambassador boxes for December!

Pink Christmas tree Boux Avenue cookies by Juniper Cakery

Christmas corporate cookies!

Our cookie brief was something pink and something festive. We drafted a few sketches that included trees covered in snowflakes, baubles in blush pink and large gingerbread bows after discussing ideas. Working alongside Boux Avenue we combined two designs to create soft pink Christmas trees featuring hand-piped Boux Avenue branding on each one! Of course, we had to add a few shimmery snowflake sprinkles!

We also added piped pink bows on top of each tree as a nod to the tiny satin bows often found finishing bras and knickers (or panties for our non-UK readers). Plus adding a bow on top of a festive Christmas tree is such a cute alternative right?

Pink Christmas tree cookies for Boux Avenue by Juniper Cakery

Flavour-wise they had to be our popular gingerbread cookie (psst… you can find our recipe here). Loaded with ginger, cinnamon, golden syrup and treacle this fragrant little treat is a must for the colder winter nights. After cutting, chilling and baking trays of gingerbread we then decorated each cookie individually. We added the pink bows first, then piped royal icing branding across each in black and pink. Each cookie featured lustred (for a little added sparkle) snowflakes! We nestled every cookie into clear bags and tagged them ready to find their new homes (tummies)!

Christmas cookies for Boux Avenue by Juniper Cakery

We had so much fun working on these festive Boux Avenue cookies. Boux Avenue is such a fun brand. We’ve already got their fluffy unicorn slippers, pink taffeta room spray (anything with peony in it is a must-have) and pink quilted make-up bag (this is a thing of beauty) on our wish list / letter to Santa!

 

 

 

18th November 2016 // 0 Comments

We’ve teamed up with Bakesbox!

Juniper Cakery's Christmas tree cookies with Bakesbox

We’ve definitely got that festive feeling right now! Working on these super cute Christmas tree cookies for the lovely folks over at Bakesbox really got us excited for December 25th. They’re utterly perfect for those cold nights all snuggled up in front of the TV with a big mug of hot chocolate. They’re also a fabulous way for biscuit decorating newbies to get started. All you need is your Bakesbox subscription (the sign up for this box ends November 20th), a Christmas movie or two and a little spare time. You can even whip up these little cuties with friends and have a cool (and nerdy) cookie decorating party!

With Bakesbox you get sent monthly baking projects to your door. In our holiday inspired box you get all the dry ingredients, recipe and a few little tools to make your own festive Christmas tree cookies at home. Easy! If you love to keep busy with fun projects then you should definitely subscribe to Bakesbox. Of course, a monthly baking project would make a pretty fabulous gift for any sweet tooth or cake fanatic too.

Make cool peppermint cookies with Juniper Cakery and Bakesbox

Also, we didn’t just stop at icing up a little bit of cuteness for everyone to follow. Nope. Inside each baked cookie are surprise pops of peppermint goodness in the form of crushed candy canes! How Christmas-y right? We obviously had to stick to our brand colours and opt for pink candy canes ourselves.

Juniper Cakery's crush candy cane studded cookies with Bakesbox!

Juniper Cakery cookie tutorial with Bakesbox

When you’ve baked and iced them you can gobble them all up yourself (we won’t tell). Of course if you’re in the spirit of giving why not pop each cookie into bags, tie with pretty ribbon and treat everyone with one cute stocking filler? They’d also make cute favours on the dinner table on Christmas day too. We love the idea of adding initials or names across each biscuit to use as fun place settings.

Adorable Christmas tree cookies by Juniper Cakery

Head on over to the Bakesbox website now to sign-up for a little sprinkle of Christmas cheer!