Pin Fail: Rose Swirl Cupcakes

Pin Fail: Rose Swirl Cupcakes

Inspiration: Images like this on Pinterest. And a love for sweets.

Cost/Materials: Buttercream frosting is pretty simple, so we had the ingredients around the house to try it. Wilton sells little jars of frosting dye in a gel form for about $2-3 a piece which will color plenty of frosting. A "rose tip" (metal tip used at the opening of the bag for frosting purposes) runs anywhere from about $2-5.

How I My Mom Did It: My mom was the one to give this a shot. She made a batch of buttercream, then put two bags (one of each color) into a third bag that she would pipe it out of. You can buy frosting piping bags online or in store, or if you're a real MacGyver you can just cut a small opening in the corner of a ziplog bag and affix your frosting tip to that.

The Outcome: So... it didn't go all that well. It seemed nearly impossible to get the two colors to not just mush into one. And it seems like the frosting wasn't quite thick enough. This is after chilling it in the refrigerator for a while hoping it would harden up. 

Lessons Learned/Tips: This project is probably for very skilled frosters. My mom actually decorates cakes like a boss, but these cupcakes weren't just happening. If you give it a shot, I'd say to make sure you're making pretty thick frosting. And you don't have to do through making a batch of cupcakes to try doing the frosting - we did it on the backside of tiny custard cups - although you may want to eat any disappointments after, so that's up do you. Also be sure if you make them that they aren't going to melt on your wedding day - heat apparently turns buttercream to mush pretty quickly, which is why most summertime wedding cakes have fondant.

Would I Do It Again: My mom loves to figure things out, so maybe she'll try it again, but I won't. Regardless, we won't be able to use them for the wedding because the desserts need to be from a Safe-Serve certified food vendor. But maybe for a bridal shower!