Icing 150 soap cupcakes

Ive been moaning a bit today on twitter about how I have had to ice 150 cupcakes today for a really nice order - a shop in London.  Well I really should not be whingeing at all, I love my job and this is a nice opportunity to show you some before and after photos.

Firstly, 150 soap cupcakes is a lot and cannot be iced in one go, it takes a lot of preparation and organisation.  I think its the organisation side I always find a bit daunting to start with, once I get my head around exactly what is needed in advance its not so bad. 

Anyway, this order was split into 3 separate batches of different styles which means different soap flowers and bits to put on the top.  My new Lavender Summertime cupcakes have a mauve base scented with lavender essential oils, then the top is piped through a flower nozzle and decorated with one large, double flower made of white and darker mauve soap and either two smaller flowers or ivy leaves - these have to be made and hardened off first.

Then the order needed 50 of my normal Rose garden cupcakes.  These are slightly more complicated as they require 4 different sized and different coloured rose for each one as well as a heart and rose leaf, again, all needing to be made in advance.  I use old, CP soap for making my flowers, grating them to re-batch and re-colour, nothing ever goes to waste.
The last of the 50 cupcakes is my new Rose Garden Red and White range which need 3 larger roses and the usual heart and leaf.  So as you can see, just getting ready and preparing for an icing pour takes ages in itself.

The first job after making all the topping bits is to pour the cupcake bases, they are then left overnight to harden enough to take them out of the silicone base molds.  Sorry these pictures are a little dark.

 

Then they are all iced, I can usually ice about 30 cupcakes each time so I have to make quite a few batches of icing.  The icing has a really annoying habit of setting in the piping bag, which is pretty difficult to handle.  I have learned not to mess about when this happens, just go with it, take out the nozzle, clean it out and start a new batch!

Then, once the icing is done and the flowers and other bits have been added the whole lot is dusted with a very fine layer of cosmetic glitter, this really gives them a lift and sparkle that is difficult to beat!

One finished tray of Lavender Summertime Cupcakes ready for curing

 

 

I really do enjoy making these little soaps, so next time you hear me moaning, take no notice OK?  The best thing of all is thinking about new ones and coming up with new ideas.  I'm working on a new cupcake for a wedding later on this year, its going to match the brides theme of ivory Avalanche roses and diamonds - Ive got lots and lots of ideas I can tell you!   To see the whole range of cupcakes available just go and visit the website, I would really love to know what you think of the new ones.