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How To: DIY Custom Cupcake Wrappers (plus a wordy introduction)

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Erica OBrien in custom cupcake wrappers, DIY | 8 Comments

When I moved to California from New York in 2005, cupcakes had already exploded all over the New York confectionery scene. The Cupcake Cafe had become a New York icon, with Magnolia Bakery, not to mention countless others, not far behind. On the west coast, the cupcake was just entering its renaissance.

“How passé,” I remember thinking. “Cupcakes are, like, so NYC 2004.”

And then, “this too shall pass.”

Boy, was I wrong.

If cake was a blank canvas waiting for me to bring it to life, cupcakes had a life of their own. They didn’t need me as much. Slap a little icing on top, maybe throw some sprinkles at it, and your done. I’m an artist more than a baker, and the idea of churning out 150 identically iced cupcakes just didn’t spell creative to me.

For a while, I refused to make cupcakes. But the requests kept coming, and my resistance eventually wore down. I sold my first batch of cupcakes. And so I learned to appreciate the cupcake, albeit several years too late. Indeed, designing cupcakes can be just as artistically challenging as designing a cake. Now, I just think of them as smaller canvases.

I admit that I’m still not a huge fan. I have no problem with the way they taste, per se, although I do find that they dry out in the baking process more easily than cake. I have a problem with the esthetics of the cupcake. Sorry, but in their natural state, they’re just not fancy enough for me. And they’re not uniform enough. So, I put my own spin on cupcakes: I make my own cupcake wrappers. I’m not talking about the paper baking cups. I’m talking about a custom wrapper that goes around the cups. Here’s how I did it.

First, I designed a template. Once I had the shape right, it was easy. I went to Michael’s and bought some 12×12 scrapbook paper I liked. This is where the DIY wrapper is superior to the store bought wrapper: The possibilities are endless. (Well, almost endless. It depends on the available paper.)

Then, I traced the template onto the back of the paper.

Cut the paper. It now resembles a rainbow shape.




Used my daughter’s fancy scissors. (Note: It’s helpful to have a seven-year old who has all sorts of fancy scissors so you don’t have to buy any, but if you don’t have one, you can just go to your local crafts store.) Be sure to cut the outer edge of the paper (i.e., the top part of the rainbow

Wrapped the cupcake wrappers around the paper baking cups and taped the back. You are now read to use your custom cupcake wrappers. Just drop in your already baked (and still wrapped in their paper baking liner) cupcake.

Here, several of my cupcakes designed to match the custom wrappers.


For the baker: I don’t allow the paper to touch my cupcakes. The paper isn’t greaseproof, so any grease or fat will stain the paper, and not all paper is foodsafe. If you’d like a copy of the template, shoot me an email with “cupcake template” in the subject line at: erica@ericaobrien.com

For the bride: If you’ll be serving cupcakes at your wedding, you can ask your stationary designer or graphic artist to print sheets of paper that will match your invitations. Give the paper to your baker and instruct him or her to follow the directions in this post.

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A Jessica Claire Workshop Produced by Duet Weddings

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Erica OBrien in cake design, for the baker, for the bride, photography | 1 Comment

I recently created a cake for a wedding photography workshop hosted by Jessica Claire. Rebecca Stone of Duet Weddings styled the shoot. Below are the images she used for inspiration.

When Jessica mentioned that for her “more is more”, I took that as my cue to go crazy. Thanks to Lissette Q, one of the workshop attendees, for these photos of the cake.



It’s always interesting to see how different photographers interpret images. To view Jessica Claire’s photos of the cake and setup, visit her recent feature on Style Me Pretty.

Tip for the baker: Vertical stripes can be difficult. I like to let them dry slightly before applying to the cake so they don’t lose their shape.
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The Buttercream Debate

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Erica OBrien in buttercream, cake design, Cricut cutter, for the baker, wedding cake | 7 Comments

I recently read this quote by Kerry Vincent, director and co-founder of the annual Oklahoma Sugar Art Show (also known for her role as the super uptight judge of the Food Network Cake Challenge): “We MUST preserve the art of buttercream. There are too many people who push some material in a mold, slap it on a cake and think that makes them a cake decorator.”

Ouch.

I shudder to think what Ms. Vincent would have to say about the recently released Cricut Cutter for cakes (pictured at left). According to their website, “[t]he Cricut Cake™ Personal Electronic Cutter is specifically designed for decorating cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and confections in no time at all. Just choose a shape, a size, and press ‘cut’. Decorating like a professional has never been faster or easier. Bon Appetit!”

There is an ongoing discussion on the Cake Central forum about whether the Cricut Cutter will render professional cake designers obsolete. Leah S. posted the following: “I think [the Cricut Cake™] is the worst thing that has happened to caking ever. It is destroying the creativity and artistry of what we do.”
Another perturbed cake designer wrote “If everything is made by machine or mold, where does the talent come in?”

Me? I’m not worried. Lot’s of people think cake design is easy. Indeed, a well-designed, well-executed cake can look deceptively simple. But think back to the first cake you made. I bet it didn’t look at all like the cakes you see on TV. I like what costumeczar posted on the Cake Central forum: “Just because you cut the shape out with a machine doesn’t mean the cake will look good. There will be plenty of cakes that look like a monkey iced them with cricut shapes slapped on…Cakewrecks, watch out!”

Pablo Picasso, perhaps the best known artist of our time, was actually a classically trained artist. His earlier work bore little if any resemblance to his later work. Although plenty of people look at Picasso’s later work and think they could easily replicate it, his early works show his technical capabilities.

And a more recognized Picasso, Self-portrait (1907):
For me, fondant is to buttercream what is digital is to film. They say that to truly understand digital photography, you have to first understand the nuances and technical aspects of film. Same is true for cake. Fondant won’t correct a flawed cake. The cake designer must first ice the cake perfectly smooth with buttercream.

When I started cake decorating 15 years ago, I worked exclusively with buttercream, and I was damn good at it. Today, I work almost exclusively with fondant. And you know what? I love it. I don’t care what Kerry Vincent says.

I’ve seen plenty of fondant cakes that lack artistry, but I’ve seen a lot of buttercream cakes that lack artistry too. I don’t think the medium determines the inherent artistic value. Working with buttercream is certainly a skill, but so is design. Skill with a piping bag does not necessarily translate into a well-designed cake. A beautiful cake employs both the mechanics and the design.

I’m excited about the new Cricut Cutter. I love the idea of adding new techniques to my repertoire and the endless design possibilites. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see a buttercream backlash in which buttercream becomes trendy all over again. That’s fine. I’ve got my piping bags all ready.
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Zoo Animal Cupcakes

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Erica OBrien in Celebration Cakes, fondant, for the baker | 2 Comments

This is a lengthy introduction to the zoo animal cupcakes I recently made, but here goes. My daughter Mia was born with hip dysplasia. For the first several months of her life, she had to wear a brace that kept her legs splayed out like a frog. So, we called her The Frog. The name took on a life of its own: She became Froggie, then Frogalina, and even had her own Froggie theme song. The nickname sounds callous, I know, but the best nicknames usually are. (Take for instance, my 6’8″ brother-in-law, “Stubby”, who earned his nickname as a teenager after blowing off three fingers with a homemade bomb.)

Cute frogs are hard to come by, but when Mia was about six months, I found this card at the Papyrus store on 2nd Street in Long Beach and bought it thinking I might use the design for Mia’s first birthday. We ended up going with a very different theme, but I kept the card in my inspiration file. So, when a client called and asked for zoo-themed cupcakes for her son Dante’s 2nd birthday, I knew exactly what design I would use. Here’s the card:

And here are the cupcakes:

PS: Mia no longer wears the brace, and has earned a new nickname: The Maniac.

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The Wedding Cake: Big Dreams on a Small Budget

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Erica OBrien in cake plate, cake plateau, cake topper, DIY, faux tiers, for the baker, for the bride, wedding cake size | 2 Comments

Size does matter, especially when it comes to your wedding cake. For many brides, the bigger the better. Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of a five-tier cake, but the reality of your budget won’t allow it. Not surprising. In today’s tough economy, many brides are forced to find creative ways to stretch their budget, and get more for less. Below are five practical and relatively inexpensive ways to make your wedding cake appear bigger.

1/Increase the Number of Tiers. In a traditional wedding cake, each tier increases in diameter by 4″, so a cake for 100 guests typically has three tiers: 6″, 10″, 14″. Let’s say you have your heart set on a four-tier cake, but you only have 100 guests. Adding an 18″ tier would be cost prohibitive, not to mention extremely wasteful. By decreasing the difference in size of each tier, you could have a four- or even five-tier wedding cake to serve 100 guests. For a five-tier cake, the diameter of the tiers would be 5″, 6″, 7″, 8″, and 9″. The less space between the tiers, the taller and leaner your cake appears.

Keep in mind that this also gives your cake a more streamlined, modern look. Notice the difference in the two cakes below. Both serve 100 guests. The one on the left is a traditional, three-tier cake with three inches between each tier. The one on the right has only a one-inch difference.

2/Elevate your Cake. Another way to increase the grandiosity of your cake is to lift it.

Cake plateaus are more traditional looking, have wider bases, and usually come in gold or silver. (They tend to be pricey, but you can recover almost all of your money by reselling on ebay.)

The term cake plate and cake stand are used interchangeably to mean a plate on a pedestal. Cake stands range from antique to vintage to brand new, with looks ranging from traditional to modern. One caveat of a cake stand: A standard cake stand will accommodate a cake up to 10″ in diameter, while the largest tier of a typical wedding cake is anywhere from 12″ to 18″. Be sure to confirm with your baker the size of your largest tier before you purchase a cake plate so you know it will fit.

A traditional cake plateau (left) and a reproduction milk glass cake plate (right):

Make your own. There are many creative ways to create your own cake stand, but there are some challenges. First, wedding cakes can be extremely heavy–hundreds of pounds–and you have to make sure that your structure can support the weight. Also, your stand should be proportionate to your cake in both height and diameter, so check the dimensions with your baker. Lastly, some designs look better in theory than in practice. Although a glass vase filled with lemons and used as a cake stand might sound like a great idea, it doesn’t mean that it will have the visual appeal that it does in your head. Purchase some dummy cakes in the sizes of your tiers and play around with different ideas before you invest a lot of time and money (not to mention emotion) into your DIY cake stand.

3/Add a Faux Tier. Many cake designers are happy to add a faux (or fake) tier to your wedding cake. Since faux tiers are non-perishable, the designer can work on it weeks in advance (at his or her leisure), so they are generally less expensive than a real tier.

4/Add a Cake Topper. Vintage wedding cake toppers can be found at flea markets, garage sales, or your grandma’s attic. Ebay always has interesting finds as well (just search “wedding cake topper”). Adding a topper will give your cake more height, creating the illusion of a bigger cake. We found the custom toppers below on etsy.com:

5/Use a Smaller Table. The larger your table, the smaller your cake will appear. A cake with a 12″ bottom tier would be dwarfed by a 60″ round table. Using a smaller table will make your cake seem bigger in proportion.

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Cake How To: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Erica OBrien in cake design, for the baker, for the bride, old new borrowed blue | 1 Comment

Years ago, I made this cake with purple hearts strung on ribbon. It was on my website for a while until I finally got sick of it or was embarrassed by it, I can’t remember which, and took it down.

(“Oh, but Erica,” you say. “How could you be embarrassed by such perfection? Such genius?” Look closely. See how the edges are rounded? How light in color the top two tiers are? How the sides of each tier bulge out? That’s how.)

I did the purple heart cake many years ago, and I totally forgot about it until recently when I saw a similar cake on Eat Cake Be Merry. I’ve wanted to do an Old, New, Borrowed, Blue cake for a while, so I thought I’d revisit my original design.

A few simple steps include:

1. Color fondant and cut out small discs. (I used the second smallest cutter in the Ateco round set.)

2. Trace cutter onto paper to create template.

3. Determine where holes should be.

4. Mark holes on fondant discs with pointy object. (I used floral wire.)

5. Make holes using tip # 4 (or larger) while fending off baby Mia.

6. Allow discs to dry overnight or longer. Then string onto ribbon.

7. Use FMM Tappits to cut out letters. (Tappits can be very hard to work with. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the post for some tips and tricks.)

8. Fend off Mia again.

9. Apply to cake with royal icing and enjoy.

This cake won’t make it to my website–it was much cuter in my imagination–but it’s nice to see how much my work has improved since the purple heart cake.
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Wedding Cake Trend: His, Hers, Theirs

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Erica OBrien in wedding cake | 5 Comments

When I first met Simone and James, they knew they wanted their wedding cake to represent them both as individuals and as a couple, but they weren’t sure how execute their concept. That’s where I come in: three cakes, one for him, one for her, and one for the two of them. For their individual cake, they each chose a design that complimented their wedding attire. He matched the pinstripes in his white-on-gray suit. She matched the detailing of her dress. For “their” cake, they incorporated elements of their relationship and marriage: platinum wedding bands represented by the ribbon around the base of each tier, roses to symbolize love, and edible pearls to represent her diamond and pearl engagement ring.

The color palette [courtesy of

The inspiration:

His cake:

Her cake:
Their cake:


The team: Event styling: Nozza Studio / Photography: Henry Chen Photography / Florals: Bella Fiore / Venue: Ebell Club Long Beach / Stationary: Paper Cut Industries

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Silver Anniversary Cake

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Erica OBrien in fondant, metallic | Leave a comment

Teresa contacted me about a cake for her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. She wanted to use the invitation below for inspiration. I knew I would have to pipe it to get the fine lines on the invite, and I wanted to use some small 3-D flowers. I learned to pipe way before I learned any techniques with fondant or gumpaste, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t get to do much piping now, but when I do, it’s like visiting an old friend.

Quick Tip for the Baker: Whenever I want to paint using metallic luster dust, I always start by coloring my fondant, gumpaste, or royal icing a similar color. In other words, if I know I want to paint a fondant ribbon silver, I’ll start with gray fondant. That way, I don’t have to worry about white coming through. For gold, I color it a similar golden yellow, and for bronze, I use a matching brown.
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Buttons and Brides

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Erica OBrien in bridal shower, cake design, fondant, for the baker, for the bride, inspiration | 9 Comments

I am very visual. Give me a picture, and I’ll create a cake to capture the feel, flavor (no pun intended), and design of the image. I recently collaborated with Carter and Cook, an event styling company in San Diego, to create a cake for a bridal luncheon photo shoot around this inspiration:

Several artists worked on the shoot: Amy, from the Wedding Chicks, coordinated the project and Jessica Claire took the photographs. Leigh Ann, from The Floral Lab, designed the flowers and Lori, the artist behind Paper and Thread, created the invitations. Ink and Button provided the hair accessories for the shoot.

The team met at Cafe Mimosa in San Clemente, California to scout out the locale and finalize the design concept. We agreed to incorporate some tangerines and buttons into the design.

I love making cakes for photo shoots. I love the freedom to create anything I want within a given design framework and to interpret the concept in whatever way I choose. Here, I created a centerpiece cake and four miniature versions of the centerpiece cake.

I made everything you see on the cake–from the flowers to the buttons to the lemons and kumquats–out of fondant.

And here are some other cute shots.

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Tier I: Introduction to Cake Design Course

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Erica OBrien in cake design, classes, for the baker, tips + tools | Leave a comment

I am pleased to announce my new course, Tier 1: Introduction to Cake Design. The course begins on Sunday, 4/11 and continues for four consecutive Sundays until 5/2. Classes are from 10am to 1pm.

In this introductory course, you will learn the basics of cake baking, icing, and design. Students will bake, fill, frost, cover and decorate cakes using a variety of techniques including fondant, royal icing, and gumpaste. Students learn classic French and Italian buttercream recipes and two cake recipes as well as how to fill, frost, and cover a cake with fondant.

Materials are included. For more information, or to sign up, please visit my website: http://ericaobrien.com/classes. I am limiting the class to four students so I can give each student individualized attention. Please contact me with any questions.

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