Vanilla and Cream Cupcakes with Fresh Fruit Toppings

Since July 26th, smoke from the nearby forest fires  continues to move in and out of the area, and those inthe know tell us that it will likely be like thisway until the rainy season arrives.
As you might guess, conditions have put adamper on many summer outdoor activities . . .
On days when the air is in the unhealthy, very unhealthy,or hazardous range it's just best to remain indoors as much as possible.


If we must be out in the smoke on bad air days ~ use of one these are strongly recommended. We've got our supply.Yes, a pain in the bee-hind to wear, but breathing is difficult without one ~ even for people with excellent respiratory health.

Thankfully, recently we've had more good air daysthan bad, but it has been so sad to see the destructionthe wildfires have done to the wild and scenic areas.

Soo . . .to help cheer spirits up a little bit I made theseeasy cupcakes.  I used the recipe for Nigella Lawson'sFairy Cakes. I have posted about them before and you can find the printable recipe here or here.
But your favorite recipe or evena boxed cake mix will produce similar results.Because when it comes down to it ~ it's really all about the whipped cream and fruit toppings.  :o)


This is one of the last ones I piped. I should have whipped the cream a little stiffer(or added a bit of gelatin) so the cream would retain form.

I just slightly sweetened the whipping creamand added a little vanilla for flavor, then toppedwith some fruits of the season.
Spoon the whipped cream on the cupcakesor pipe it on. I used the Wilton M1 tip.


You know those talented people who are masterfulwith piping tips and decorating?
Well, I'm not one of those... I'm still in the 'practicing' stage after all of these years.




But Wilton has good tutorials on line, and hereis the one for this particular tip ~ and if you use a stifferfrosting, (rather than the whipped cream I used)the detail will be much sharper:

step 1

Hold tip 1M approximately ½ in. above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface. Squeeze out icing to form a star.

step 2

Without releasing pressure, raise tip slightly as you drop a line of icing around the star in a tight, complete rotation.

step 3

After completing the first rotation, move tip toward center and up and around to make a second spiral around the inside edge of the first spiral.

step 4

Release pressure to end spiral at center of cupcake.

Tutorial from Wilton.com

I found the tutorial very helpful ~

(though it's apparent I need a lot more practice.)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today~

Cheers!

~mari xo

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