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Whether or not you are pressed for time, cupcakes with plain frosting sometimes aren't enough. When you want to create cupcakes with style, texture, visual interest and memorable flavors, here are a few cupcake decorating ideas that are quick, easy and have great edible appeal.

1. Confetti decorations add a lively look and texture to your cupcakes. You can stick with traditional rainbow or chocolate sprinkles (aka "jimmies") but you'll find a growing variety of tiny, adorable confetti shapes to choose from. While it is sometimes tempting to coat the entire top of the cupcake in confetti, a nice option is to cover only the sides of the frosting, allowing the beautiful frosting color to contrast on top.

2. Edible cupcake toppers - Try candies such as a peanut butter cup or miniature chocolate bar on top of a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting. How about a chocolate-chip cookie garnishing your chocolate-chip cupcake with vanilla frosting? Try a few chocolate-covered coffee beans on your mocha-frosted chocolate cupcake. Branch out! Non-pareils, candied fruits, m&m's or a single maraschino cherry make for perfect edible cupcake decorations. For a more sophisticated look, edible flower blossoms require nothing but placement on top of the cupcake. Nasturtium blossoms, rose petals, thyme flowers, and violet blossoms all blend well with sweet cupcake flavors.

3. Candles - A more unusual option is miniature candles that are expressly designed to sit on top of a frosted cupcake. You'll find traditional birthday theme candles, and others that are just plain festive, with stripes and stars that make each cupcake look incredibly special and unique. These candles are usually no more than 1-inch in diameter and 2 inches high, and far more interesting than traditional birthday candles. They typically do not require a candle holder, but they do provide a more finished look.

4. Cupcake Liners - Available in mini or regular cupcake size, cupcake liners add pizzazz while tying in your party's theme. Cupcake liners come in sets of 50-100 and sometimes include coordinating decorative toothpicks to insert into the frosted cupcake as well. They are available in every theme imaginable including Dora the Explorer, pirates, and solid colors and patterns. Silver or gold foil liners are often used for more formal occasions such as weddings.
For any occasion, try these simple-yet-satisfying ideas for cupcakes that make for both a decadent dessert and tasteful decor.

About the author:
Join chef and baking expert Sarita Haines at http://www.frosting-recipes.com to learn everything you need to know about decorating baked goods, the best tools for frosting cakes and cupcakes, tips, and proven icing recipes.

Watch video on D.I.Y Art Cupcake.

In the Art rubric of HET February 2011 we show our readers how to decorate a cupcake! Here's the video tutorial to help you make the cutest chicken cupcake. Info on the step-by-step and where to find the cupcake materials are in the mag, so grab your copy today!

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