Page 33 - IntraMuros November 2021

LIFESTYLE

very summer, all the succulents in
our gardens, on our windowsills
Eand 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 with 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
SUCCULENT SUMMER
right – there are a few steps you can take.

If your buttercream is too stiff, and you
are struggling to extrude it from your CUPCAKES
nozzle, mix a little milk or water into the
buttercream until it is spreadable like Tips for piping scrumptious confectionary succulents
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.

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