Bake Me I'm Yours... Cupcake Fun by Carolyn White

Last week I got sent this little beauty in the post. I don't really do a lot of cake decorating as I find sugar paste a little fiddly, but this book shows you really simple ways of making everyone think you're really clever...

Next week is National Cupcake Week, so I though what better way to celebrate than with a cupcake book review! Celebrations start from 17th September through to 23rd. I'm not actually home for the festivities, so I thought it best to do something beforehand. This month's Calendar Cakes Challenge is cupcake related too, so it's a match made in heaven!

I really like the 'Bake Me I'm Yours' range. I recently reviewed Sarah Trivuncic's Sweet Bitesize Bakes version too. They all include great little bakes that look really impressive but don't take an age to make. Cupcake Fun follows a similar style to Bitesize Bakes. You are given an arsenal of simple yet tasty recipes, a series of techniques and then some ideas which you can either follow or use as inspiration.

The book teaches you how to:

• pipe buttercream
• make sugar paste more maleable using CMC
• colour suger paste
• make effects e.g. flames and sky
• create people and animals
• create special finishes e.g. lustres and water ripples
• make crafty display ideas
• transport safely (every cake clubber reading this just straightened up in their chair...)

It also includes really creative decoration ideas which I have never seen on commercial cupcakes. They fall into four categories:

1. Barnyard Fun - animals, including lambs, cows, sheep, dogs and blackbirds.
2. Spaced Out - aliens, astronauts, rockets, planets and stars.
3. Dressing Up - ambulances, fire, police, doctors and nurses, the army and pop stars.
4. Fairytales and Adventure - pirates, mermaids, fairies and knights.

Of course you could just use these as inspiration for your own ideas, as the techniques section will teach you all you need to know about creating the bits and bobs which combine to make a masterpiece. It even tells you how much sugar paste you will need. This is something I always massively underestimate when covering something and overestimate when making little things. 

If you fancy having a bash at a bit of decorating over National Cupcake Week, pick up this fab little book. Don't forget to enter your creations into the Calendar Cakes Challenge too!

Publisher: David and Charles, 2012

Hardback, £9.99 
Purchase at rucraft.co.uk

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because it's perfect for National Cupcake Week.

Reader Offer Alert!

Readers can order Bake Me I’m Yours… Cupcake Fun for the special price of £7.49 (rrp￡9.99 with free p&p (UK only). 

To order please visit cupcake fun and quote code R11675 upon checkout or call RUCraft on 0844 8805851