Easy Cupcakes

The famous “1M swirl” combined with virtually any red, white, and/or blue sprinkles, sugars, or other decorations are sure to be a big hit on Fourth or July or at any patriotic events. This cupcake features both red and blue sugar and is topped with a large Wilton sprinkle star.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white or off-white frosting; red sugar; blue sugar; large red Wilton star sprinkle; 1M metal tip; pastry bag.

How to Make It: Place 1M metal tip inside pastry bag (if you’re using a disposable plastic bag, just cut to fit). Fill bag halfway full with icing. Squeeze steadily, from the outside of the cupcake inward, to cover the top of the cupcake with a swirl of icing. Then, either continue the motion while moving slightly inward or start a new swirl on top of the first one. Finish with a peak by stopping the squeeze. Sprinkle with colored sugars and top with star.

Fit 1M metal tip to disposable pastry bag (the 1M tip is larger than standard size; a disposable bag means you won’t have to cut so far into a cloth bag). Fill pastry bag halfway with white icing (we used canned icing, but homemade may make for more appealing, stiffer swirls). While squeezing out icing, move arm in a circular motion and cover the top of the cupcake with a swirl of icing. Then, starting a little bit in from the edge this time, make a second swirl on top of the first one. Immediately add candy stars (we used Wilton brand).

Blue sugar and a Star of David made of sugar top off this Hanukkah cupcake. Or, serve them at bar and bat mitzvahs, or religious school parties.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white or vanilla frosting; blue sugar sprinkles; Star of David edible topper (I got mine from Kake Kreations); 1M metal tip; pasty bag.

How to Make It: Fit pastry bag with 1M swirl tip, and make a 1M swirl. Immediately sprinkle with blue sugar and top with Star of David.

These simple stars make the swirls on this cupcake stand out. Serve these at birthday party or any celebration.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; metal 1M swirl tip and pastry bag; large “confetti” star sprinkles (These are by Wilton).

How to Make It: Use pastry bag and 1M tip to make swirl. Sprinkle, or strategically place, stars on the cupcake. That’s it!

When you want the look of an ice cream sundae but the taste of a cupcake, try these! Put a real cherry on top, or a candy one.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; chocolate sprinkles; cherry; 1M swirl metal tip and pastry bag (no coupler needed).

How to Make It: Use 1M swirl tip to cover cupcake, making one continuous circle shape that gets progressively smaller (moving inward on the cupcake) and ends in a point at the top. Add chocolate sprinkles and cherry.

Don’t take this cupcake design literally; it’s just one example of how you can use the 1M swirl technique and plastic picks to create cute cupcake figures. You can buy plastic picks for all occasions!

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; pastry bag and IM metal tip; snowman pick; 3 red mini M&Ms.

How to Make It: Follow technique linked above to make IM swirl in white. Stick pick in top. Add M&M buttons. That’s it!