Page 33 - FourWaysGardens Issue 10 2021

Lifestyle

succulent summer cupcakes

Tips for piping
scrumptious

confectionary
succulents

very summer, all the succulents in our gardens, on our windowsills and in our
planter boxes explode into life. Summer and all the life it brings should be
celebrated and what better way than with a scrumptious cupcake adorned
Ewith captivating cacti that look ready to soak up the summertime sunshine?
While the intricate-looking cupcakes may look prickly to pipe, prodigy piper, Grace
Stevens is here to share her top tips on how to get pinpoint perfect succulents to
adorn your summer table spreads.
PERFECT ICING CONSISTENCY
The consistency of your buttercream is super important to get right or your culinary
garden can quickly become a delicious but disappointing mess. If you have followed
the instructions of your icing recipe but something still isn’t quite right – there are
a few steps you can take.

If your buttercream is too stiff, and you are struggling to extrude it from your nozzle,
mix a little milk or water into the buttercream until it is spreadable like peanut
butter.

If the buttercream is too soft, and you find you have very little control over the
extrusion speed – try giving it a rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. Sometimes, the
heat of your hands can cause the butter in the icing to liquefy. Cooling it in the
fridge helps the butter to re-solidify so you have better control over your form. If I’m
piping lots of succulents on a short timeline, I’ll always use more than one piping
bag with the same nozzle and buttercream and alternate using each piping bag to
prevent my buttercream from getting too warm.

It is also important to make sure your icing sugar does not contain an anti-caking
agent or cornflour. This is because the viscosity and expansion properties of
the cornflour – the way it reacts to pressure under your hand – make it almost
impossible to get a proper stiff buttercream. It is far better to use pure icing sugar
for better control.

Fourways Gardens • 31 • November 2021