I Tried Magnolia Bakery's Cupcake Classes And Accidentally Created The Demogorgon.
Magnolia Bakery's signature swirl on its frosting is so iconic to the New York sweets shop that it's trademarked, but that doesn't mean the company keeps its techniques under lock and key. Its pastel-colored shops actually offer private cupcake decorating classes, where you can learn to pipe and frost like a pro - and let me tell you: It's way harder than it looks.
If you've ever stopped by the bakery and watched the decorators churn out dozens as they chatter with guests - you don't get on the floor until you can frost 15 in 3 minutes flat - it looks as simple as a "swish and flick." It's more like learning to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time.
"It really is!" laughs Daniel Garcia, my instructor. He's been decorating cakes at Magnolia for three years, and he's heard it all before. "Typically, the swirl is the hardest. People usually have a much easier time with piping a rose."
BUY IT NOW: The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, $8; Amazon
That is, unless you're me, apparently. My first swirled cupcake was a hot mess - or rather, a sticky, lopsided one. But by cupcake No. 3, I got a knack for it. Roses, on the other hand, were a total disaster. By my third, I was solidly making …
"Cabbages! It looks just like a cabbage," Chelsea Lupkin, our lead video producer, announced as she watched. I'd been going to Demogorgon from Stranger Things, but cabbage worked too.
When you leave the class - after graduating from tracing letters in icing to frosting six cupcakes in Magnolia's swirl and as roses - you're given a piping bag with tips, sprinkles, and sugar daisies, so you can practice at home. I'm going to need it, as I really absorb these tips Garcia gave me:
The Signature Swirl Is All About Holding Your Hand Steady.
The trick is moving the cupcake, not the spatula, Garcia explained. After dabbing about a ?-cup of frosting in the center of the cupcake, smoothing it flat, hold the spatula at a 45-degree aangle on the outer edge of the frosting. Twist the cupcake, while holding the spatula steady, to form the swooping shape.
All Roses Start With A … Rainbow?
Apparently left-handed bakers tend to struggle more with this one - or at least that's the excuse this southpaw's going with. This one requires a piping bag. After forming a circle of frosting in the center of the top of the cupcake, form a rainbow shape that leans on the edge of the circle. Repeat it around the perimeter of the circle, with the frosting arcing outward, until you've covered the cake.
I'm still working on that last part. Until then, I'll let the pros handle the roses.
Follow Delish on Instagram.
Download the Delish app.
You Might Also Like
