Hand me those cupcakes, I need my sugar fix! Well, it certainly feels like that there are a whole load of cupcake junkies out there at the moment. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that everybody in Paris is cupcake crazy. Well the proof has definetly been in eating the pudding! So much so that I’m doing another “Pimp my cupcake” session. It’s already booked up with a waiting list. Wahey!

So next week my kitchen will become a cupcake factory with prepping to do for my class and an order of 500 cupcakes. I’ll probably be suffering from a repetitive cupcake making injury by the end of the week.

My “500 cupcakes” client is after a super fluffy icing (kind of cloud like). The classic buttercream icing just wasn’t fluffy enough for me. So off I went on the quest to find the fluffiest icing possible. I didn’t want to use cream as it has the risk of melting if the it gets too warm. I stumbled across the idea of doing a meringue based icing (sometimes called a 7 minute icing). What I didn’t understand though is that every recipe I came across seemed to contain enormous amount of sugar. Do you really need all that sugar (175g sugar to 1 eggwhite)? I tried mine with a little less and it worked perfectly fine. What’s nice about this icing is that after a couple of hours, it sets and becomes marshmallow-like. Miam miam! If you’re worried about the egg whites (which will be partially cooked) then use powdered egg whites instead.

You can flavour/colour your icing with anything you fancy. I used a rose syrup in this picture but will be using vanilla and pink colouring for the event. Yes, the cupcakes will be super girly with little pink and white heart decorations.

If you don’t hear from me next week it’s probably because I’m suffering from an overdose of cupcakes. I know I’ll end up having to make 520 cupcakes because at least 20 of those will end in my tummy. I mean how can you resist to a cupcake like that?

Fluffy cloud icing

1 egg white
50g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence (if you’re using other flavouring start off with a tsp, taste and then add more if necessary)

Combine the egg white with the sugar in a heat proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan with simmering water (=bain-marie) and whisk for 5 minutes. The icing should become thick and glossy. Take off the heat, add the flavouring and coloring (if you’re using any) and whisk for another 2 minutes (5 + 2 minutes = 7 that’s where 7 minute icing name comes from). Ice cupcakes, sprinkle with decorations and leave icing to set. Icing enough for 12 cupcakes.

For a plain vanilla cupcake recipe, click here.

Here’s my pick of cupcake books:

Cupcake pimping sessions at La Cocotte. First one started on the 15th May 2008. So popular that there were not 1, not 2 but 3 sessions!

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