I am super excited about this post because I finally got around to making a video for you and because I love this ‘no piping’ frosting technique! Cupcakes have always been my favourite kind of cake, so cute and portable! But icing them without using a piping bag is such pain. It seems to take ages to spread out icing neatly with a butter knife or spatula. I tend to kind of give up and just end up eating most of the icing! Plus the end result never ends up looking as good as I hoped for and with less icing than I wanted. I find piping pretty quick and easy these days but I know that not everyone does. So I came up with this easy solution that looks pretty pro and involves no piping at all! Find out how in this video I made just for you!

The video is pretty straightforward but I knew that there would be questions about the scoops I used and their size, exactly which sprinkles I had and where I got my boxes. So I thought I’d write a companion blog post with all the nitty gritty and some more creative ways you can play with this technique.

As you see in this nifty video, the key to this technique is clicky scoops in various sizes. You might know them as ice cream or cookie scoops, dishers or just plain scoops. For the sprinkle covered cupcakes, I use a large ice cream scoop (6cm) and for the ones decorated with freckles, a smaller medium scoop (5cm). I have an even smaller one (4cm) that I use for cookies and things that need to rolled into balls. Kitchenware shops tend to have the big and the small but not the medium scoop. If you check out eBay or Amazon you can find all sizes and even sets very inexpensively.

A range of sprinkles makes for a pretty array of cupcakes. I adore the specialty sprinkles from places like Sweetapolita but they are a little pricey and shipping was killer. I used 100’s and 1000’s from Coles and for the others a mix of sprinkles from Foodland and sugar pearls from Coles but you could make any combination you fancy! Baking and kitchenware stores and even craft stores like Spotlight have so many sprinkle options, so you can match any theme or occasion. And it doesn’t have to be just sprinkle, coloured sanding sugars, coconut, mini M&M’s or anything small enough to stick – get creative! I keep my sprinkles in the takeaway containers you see in the video because they are a great size for dipping cupcakes and when I am done, I put the lid on and they stay fresh and ready for next time.

Freckles (those little chocolate buttons covered in sprinkles) are very common in Australia and can be bought in any supermarket. If you don’t have access you could make your own (I would suggest laying chocolate buttons on a lined baking sheet, putting them in a warm oven just enough to melt the surface and topping with sprinkles and allowing to cool). Or add any candy melt, lollies, half cookies or chocolate drizzle designs. Again, get creative and do what suits!

I think cupcake boxes are fantastic! They are a great way to carry cupcakes around and you don’t have to worry about the frosting getting smushed or leaving a cupcake carrier somewhere. Plus it makes such a pretty presentation for taking dessert to someone’s home, to give as a gift or for bake sales and fundraising. Cupcake boxes moat often come in a one dozen or half dozen format, some with clear windows and some without. I have also seen single and 4 hole options. Specialist bake or kitchenware shops sell them for only a few dollars each but there are lots of bulk options on eBay or Amazon. I tend to buy what I need and couple extra so I have them on hand. We all know presentation is everything and a box ups the ante. I gave my mum, my mum in law and my sister a half dozen box for Mother’s Day and it was so much nicer than a paper plate with plastic wrap ripping off the frosting. My mum gets tonnes of cupcakes from me but she said the box was more special.

This video shows me hacking an inexpensive $0.70 cake mix that is popular in Australia. I wrote a blog post on why I made the substitutions I did and the science behind it, so you might want to check that out too. I mostly make cake from scratch and I have loads of recipes for all sorts of flavours. Again, this video shows my standard buttercream but loads of buttercream icing flavours too. I will list some of my favourites below for you and you can mix and match to your hearts content!

• Recipe: Gingerbread Cupcakes Made With Fresh Ginger {No Beaters Required & Perfect For Fall or Christmas!}
• Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting {Naturally Pretty & Joy Inducing} 
• Recipe: Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Edible Sewing Button Decorations
• I Heart Chocolate Cupcakes w Easy Two Tone Buttercream {Happy Valentines!!!}
• Recipe: Lamington Cupcakes with Jam & Cream {Happy Australia Day to my fellow Aussies!}
• Recipe: Easter Nest Cupcakes
• Recipe: Caramel Apple Cupcakes
• Recipe: Caramel Buttercream Icing
• Recipe: Chocolate Fluff Cupcakes
• Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Mousse Icing
• Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Recipe: Butter Roux Icing/Frosting
• Recipe: Cream Cheese Icing
• Recipe: Double Chocolate Cupcakes
• Recipe: Maple (Bacon) Cupcakes
• Recipe: Snickers Cupcakes
• Recipe: Blackforest Cupcakes
• Recipe: Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
• Recipe: Chocolate Toffee Cupcakes

Well, I hope you enjoyed the video and are ready to give this simple technique a go! I love that a quick and easy sprinkle dunk can look so pretty and nicely finished. I must say, I was a little surprised at how nicely this idea came together. If you’d like to see more videos, please comment and let me know!