Hey guys! So I’m taking a recipe break this month to bring you my first ever tutorial. Eeeek! So bear with me as I do my best to give you some tips and tricks to making a Frozen Themed Cupcake Cake.
A couple of weeks ago my littlest princess turned 3. Like most girls her age she loves Frozen and asked me to make her a Frozen cake for her birthday. Naturally, I obliged. This was actually the third time I’ve made such a cake. I think cupcake cakes are great for kids parties and wonderful if you’ve got a crowd to feed. No cutting/slicing involved!
The first thing I do anytime I’m asked to make a cupcake cake is hit the Pinterest train for ideas. Once I have some ideas in mind I figure out how many cupcakes the design will need. Generally, I’ve found that most designs need about 24 to 30 cupcakes.
Here are the supplies you’ll need to make a Frozen themed cake:
- A rectangle cake board
- cake box (if the cake will require transportation)
- scraps of tulle (about 24″ long, cut in half)
- beaded trim (about 18″ long)
- sprinkles (I used silver and shimmery sugar sprinkles)
- teal/sky blue food coloring gel (or other color to make a different princess dress)
- Small offset spatula
- piping bag with open star tip
- 27 cupcakes
- buttercream (enough to cover 27 cupcakes)
First, you will need to arrange the unfrosted cupcakes on the board in a “dress” pattern.
Beginning at the top “glue” each cupcake to the board with a little buttercream applied to the bottom using a small offset spatula. I usually work top to bottom and from the center out, placing the cupcakes as close/tightly together as possible without squishing them out of shape.
After you secure the sleeves and top row of cupcakes, add the tulle between the sleeves and bodice of the dress. I just pinch one end of the fabric and put some buttercream on that end and secure it to the side of the cupcake or underneath it.
Our cupcakes had strawberry filling. I cored them before setting them on the board and filled them just before I started decorating with the buttercream.
In a piping bag, fitted with an open star tip, fill it with some white buttercream (enough to cover the six cupcakes that make the sleeves of the dress). Pipe rosettes on the 6 cupcakes that make the sleeves. Then return any unused white buttercream to the bowl and mix in the food coloring until the desired color is reached. Fill the piping bag again with the light blue buttercream and continue piping rosettes over every cupcake as closely together as possible.
Once you’ve piped rosettes over the whole cake, fill in any gaps with a few small rosettes.
Sprinkle a little fairy dust. 😉
Finally, finish the dress off with some beaded trim at the neckline and waist of the dress if you like. (Don’t forget to remove this part before serving as it is not edible.
I have to confess to you guys that THE most important step in this whole process is “gluing” those cupcakes to the board! I learned the hard way that those puppies will slip and slide all over the board when not secured properly. I really don’t know what I was thinking! I can say my husband was out of town and I was stressed and in a hurry, so I had a lapse in judgement. Thank goodness the cake was not completely ruined and my dear, dear friend was very understanding. From that day forward, even if I made a small cake with cupcakes around it, I put buttercream on every single one of those suckers and secured them to the cake board! 😉
YAY! I survived my first tutorial. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Hope everyone has a wonderful start to their summer!
Cheers!
Roxana- The Red Eye Baker
For some delicious cupcake recipes, you might like to try these:
4 Responses
I love this idea! I am so going to do this for my daughter’s first birthday! Shelves Sofia the First, so I’ll do purple buttercream. I’ve been searching for a cute idea. I knew I as going to do cupcakes, just needed a cohesive idea. Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve now settled on a theme with a great centerpiece!
I’m glad I could provide some inspiration Leslie! Definitely check Pintrest for “Sophia the First cupcake cakes”. You may find a slight variation on the dress pattern. Happy first birthday to your little princess! 😉
So pretty! What size cake board did you use?
Hi Alyssa!
Thanks so much! I had to run and check… it is a 13″ x 19″ rectangle cake board. I usually pick them up at my local Walmart. I believe the foiled, scalloped ones come 4 to a pack. They also have plain white ones. Also don’t forget to grab a box if you’ll be taking the cake out somewhere.
Happy baking!
xox Roxana