I practiced using canned frosting in these photos. I decided to do the cloud sign out of card stock and premade glitter letters. The giraffe is thin cardboard from a gift bag. Might not use it. I wish I could incorporate yellow onto this somewhere. 

Oh and the cloud will lay on the board, not the cake so I won't have to worry about it touching the cake.

I have lost several long posts too so I think it may be a site problem.

Not sure if you saw my post but when they say you can replace the amount of regular sugar called for in a recipe with the same amount of superfine sugar - they should add that they mean if you measure by weight. You cannot if you measure by cups - otherwise known as measuring by displacement. Because superfine has smaller particles and results in less airspace around each particle, you are actually using more sugar when you measure by cups. Quite a bit more actually. That would explain the results you obtained from both recipes - results you were not happy with.

1. To answer your first question, you can beat the cold Whimsical Bakehouse Buttercream on about 2 until it softens a bit and then on about 6-8 until light and fluffy again. But if you are using Indydebi's recipe you will have to ask her because I don't know what she recommends.

2.  Once your cupcakes are cooled, you can either put them side by side in large sealable plastic bags or sealed plastic containers and tubs or box them and place the boxed cupcakes in large bags - I use unscented garbage bags. I store them on the counter as long as the room temperature isn't super hot.

3. Hard to say how much icing you would need but I can guesstimate. I don't remember how much icing the Whimsical Bakehouse Buttercream recipe makes but judging from the ingredients I think around 8-9 cups?  I get 24 cupcakes out of about 4 -5 cups of icing but I don't put huge amounts of icing on them so it is approximate to what you will use. Based on that, you might need about twice the Whimsical recipe to also accommodate the other decorations. I don't know how much you would need with Indydebi's recipe though.

4. Just want to say that your practice work looks fantastic. Great piping. Ruffles are terrific and so is the swirl on the cupcakes. If you are not having luck with the zigzag, you could instead just continue doing the ruffle in its place. Or you could use the tip you are using for the spokes on the wheels but just pipe straight lines on the hood.

I also want to say that it is really nice to see someone really work hard experimenting and perfecting things before the cake is due. Practice makes perfect and you sure are getting there. You have worked really hard and should be proud of yourself. Oh and I almost forgot, the sign is adorable!

Thank you so very much Squirrelly for all your advice, encouragement and support! It's made all the difference in me wanting to continue or throwing my hands up and turning it over to a bakery to make! :)

i feel like I've had a crash course in baking, making icings, decorating, making fillings and testing/tasting and experimenting with different products.  LOL 

Last  month I decided to learn to sew. Made a dozen contoured burp cloths from the most adorable flannel patterns, then made another 8 from flannel and terry cloth. That went well so I made a rag blanket - receiving size and it's adorable. Wonder what I'm going to do when the shower is over on Saturday. BREATHE probably and relax!!! Lost 5 lbs sewing - gained 5 learning to make the baby buggy! 😉

Haha, well sometimes one has to sacrifice one's waistline in the interest of baking science.

Funny but you remind me of me when you try something new. You go into it all the way, not tentatively. Sewing is a lot of fun too. There are a few of us on sites that like to do both.

Oh and when the baby shower is over you are going to plan the first birthday cake and smash cake - of course, haha!

Can't wait to see photos of the actual finished cake. Best of luck to you!

I tried the Buttercream Dream yesterday but used the mixing method I saw on Global Sugar Art. What a delicious, fluffy icing. I swirled some on top of a few cupcakes, then piped a ruffle on to test how well it would hold up while I was out for the afternoon. The frosting shrunk! What happened? Could that be what happens when its too hot or humid?

Where I live its normally in the 70's and pretty dry here, but yesterday was such an unusual day. First of all we had badly needed rain which was great, but it was also hot and humid like I've never seen humidity here before! The recipe was half butter half hi ratio shortening. Is the shrinking what people are talking about when they say the icing may "melt" using butter? My ruffle held up shape wise, but everything just looked smaller when I got home. 

Squirrelly, do you use the WASC recipe as so many do? If so, which boxed cake mix is your favorite to use? 

The Buttercream Dream recipe has a very high fat to sugar ratio as does the Whimsical Bakehouse Buttercream. The difference being that there is more butter in the Buttercream Dream icing which makes it a bit more susceptible to heat and humidity.

Usually when we say it will get soft or melt that is exactly what we mean. It gets difficult to work with and the appearance may mean that the decorations lose their definition. But the icing may have melted into the cupcakes which is why it seems smaller. Around here if it appeared smaller I might accuse hubby of removing some with a spoon.

That being said - remember the discussion about heat and butter and how butter is only stable up to about 82 -85 F ? You also need to take the humidex into consideration. And if an oven is on or there are a lot of people in the room making it hot. The Buttercream Dream is going to be harder to work with if it is hot and the butter isn't the only issue. The fat ratio being so high - it will tend to be more susceptible to the heat of your hands.

In extreme heat it is better to use an all high ratio shortening recipe like Indydebi's.

Not sure if I have used the White Almond Sour Cream recipe you are talking about but I have used the one from Rebecca Sutterby.

It uses: 

2 boxes white cake mix

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2  2/3 cups water

1/4 cup of oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pure almond extract

2 cups sour cream

8 large egg whites

There were variations for chocolate, berry or liquor flavours.

When I made it I used Duncan Hines more often than I used Betty Crocker.  I haven't made it since cake mixes reduced the contents of packages.

I am not a big cake mix fan - doctored, extended or as per the box. I made it for customers that like cake mix cakes. I prefer to bake from scratch because I prefer those kinds of cakes. I guess I never understood why everyone raves about these doctored or extended cake mix recipes because to me - I can still tell they came from a mix. But there are a lot of fans of them on this site and elsewhere.

Is the WASC recioe you used similar? Do you prefer one mix over another brand?

Yes, that's the same recipe I tried and it was nice and fluffy, but it did taste like a box cake mix and a bit too sweet. I prefer from scratch recipes too. It does seem really popular. I found that the Williams Sonoma seemed to be a perfect balance between the vanilla ones I tried and the box with its fluffiness. Perhaps because it has one whole egg and one egg white.

Do you have a preference for clear vanilla flavorings? I like pure vanilla and made the Buttercream Dream with it and wow it looked "antique" white or even darker, which normally I wouldn't care about but the pure white definitely looks best with this buggy cake. I bought Watkins double strength clear vanilla and Wilton clear vanilla but not sure which one would taste less "artificial." Haven't tried them yet.

The icing doesn't have to taste like vanilla, just as long as it has a really nice flavor I don't care what it is. I've read about some blends that sound good but I haven't time to order any online.  I'm going to try Indydeb's recipe with all shortening today. Don't want to do it! LOL But it might be whats best if my others are going to melt!!!

I think the WASC recipe actually doesn't taste quite as sweet as the box mix when you go exactly by box instructions. When I make a cakemix, I usually add whole milk instead of water and it seems to cut the sweet a bit.

I have used a number if the Williams Sonoma bundt pan recipes but never tried the cupcake recipe.  I usually like their recipes a lot.

I refuse to use clear vanilla normally but I broke down and bought two kinds today. One is Wilton and the other is Loretta. I haven't tasted them yet. Only reason I bought them is I have to make a Baymax cake and I am not sure if I am doing buttercream or fondant.

People have brought me clear vanilla from all over the world over the years and it all tasted awful. Hope this stuff tastes better. I don't like those other flavourings. They taste artificial and chemical to me, some worse than the clear vanilla.

Honestly, as far as the buggy goes, the white you get when you use real vanilla will still look white next to the blue. Normally I use butter and pure vanilla in my icing and nobody ever complains about the white. The only time it might be an issue is for a wedding where the bride's dress is white. But so far every wedding cake I have made, the bride went for taste and didn't care if the cake was as white as the dress.

Did you mean butter or butter flavoring and vanilla in the frosting or both flavorings? 

I was showing my friend tonight the cupcakes you posted and I enlarged the photo on my phone and could see the detail on the glasses. How did you get the notches on them? So cute!

I meant normally I real brown pure vanilla extract and real butter in my buttercream. It is a bit harder to work with but my room is always 70 F and I would only use it for occasions when the temperature is below about 75F and the cake won't be exposed to the sun. I use half shortening and half butter in my icing for up to about 82F. I also like Italian Meringue Buttercream in cool temperatures. I don't like the artificial butter flavouring or actually any of the artificial flavourings but that is my personal taste. I don't use them. On the cupcakes' goggles - do you mean the little studs around the sides? Those are also made of little balls of fondant pressed down and attached with edible glue. I made some single goggle ones too. They all took forever to do.

Couldn't attach them to the last post. These take a bit less time.

Oh by notches did you mean the two side pieces attached to the "black straps"? I just used a plastic knife to indent the fondant.

I actually should have called them "little knobs" going around the sunglasses, not notches. Did you make the glasses from a mold? So adorable!

I am all set for the shower except for the main thing! The icing! I'm still stressing over it. Weather will be about 77 - very little humidity. Things are going back to normal here weather wise. I'm in California - Central Coast. Beautiful year round with the exception of a few weeks of hot weather now and then. The humidity was a surprise these past two days! Glad we got some much needed rain though.

What would you use to frost and pipe the ruffle? I've been going back and forth so many times, I've confused myself and starting to panic. I don't want to use all shortening. I have been reading that Swiss and Italian meringue's hold up in the heat and humidity. I don't want my ruffle and icing to "shrink" and lose its shape. I realize that with some icings I won't have as defined ruffle, but I just want it to all hold up and look good.

If I bake and put the cupcakes in cupcake carriers, a friend loaned me her two that hold 36 cupcakes each, is that enough to ensure freshness on Saturday or should I wrap the carriers in plastic garbage bags too? Can they be refrigerated like that? And when should I fill them with the fillings? Ok, I'm feeling a bit panicky today. LOL 

No panicking allowed, haha, I'm  just making supper and will get back and answer your questions in about an hour and a half.

Hope this post attaches. I just spent an hour responding and the post disappeared.

No mold, I used biscuit cutters and decorating tips for the goggles. Fun figuring out what to use.

As long as the temperature with humidex included is under 82.9F , you can use icings containing butter.

Italian and Swiss Meringue hold up in the heat best when they are covered with fondant completely. Of the two, Italian is believed to be the mist stable. If you have never made them, they are trickier to make and if it were me, I would stick with one of the icings you already tried and had success decorating with.

Also, if it were me, I wouldn't bother with filling them because you have enough to do and it would relieve some of the stress.

Thursday, I would bake the cupcakes, let them cool, put them in the carriers and bag the carriers. Make and colour the icings.

Friday, I would fill them if you are going to, ice and decorate the cupcakes and put them back in the carriers and bag the carriers.

Saturday, give yourself at least 3 hours at the venue to stick each cupcake to the board and do your ruffle, zigzags and spokes and attach your sign to the board.

Bring along icing bags, tips, icings, a spatula, a knife, toothpicks to remove any icing mistakes, your cakeboard, some paper towels.

I know you are going to do great because you have worked so hard preparing for this.

That should be "most stable" not mist stable.

Thank you so much Squirrelly! Feeling much more confidant. One LAST question (yea, right!) ;)  Wouldn't it be better to set up the design on the board with the cupcakes once I get there, then ice them? I'm afraid that moving them around to get the shape just right before putting on the ruffle, etc. might mess up the icing if done beforehand.  I would much prefer to ice them ahead of time at home and take my time, but not sure about that. And... if I do ice them ahead of time, put them in the holders and bag them, do I refrigerate them until I leave? I am making the fondant flower to put on top that you can see in one of the photos of the un-iced cupcake. I think I should put them on last when its all finished.

I am making the MM Fondant tomorrow and making the flowers probably Thursday. Do I need to dry them out or keep them pliable for Saturday. I've never eaten fondant other than tasting the one I made for practice. Not sure what the texture suppose to be like. Just know it was my favorite part of all this - like being in kindergarten again with play dough. :)

Well, guess that was more than one more question. LOL   THANKS A BUNCH!!!  

I would ice and decorate the cupcakes as much as you can ahead of time - before you get to the venue. I would even put the flowers on ahead if you can. Honestly, it is going to take a lot of time and energy to do all of that Saturday.

I would even make the fondant flowers tomorrow and put them in a plastic wrap lined box or on a plastic wrap lined cookie sheet and then cover them over with plastic wrap to keep them soft because for this use- you want them soft.

If your room temperature isn't hot and if the icing you end up making (or filling if you use one)  doesn't need to be refrigerated then you can store them at room temperature or refrigerate until you transport them. Sometimes it is better to transport cold cakes especially if there is no a/c in the vehicle. 

Honestly for your own peace of mind I would go with the easiest cake recipe, easiest icing recipe, easiest decorating technique and space it all out over a few days.

Yes, playing with fondant is like being a kid with a whole bunch of play doh. And if you like fiddley things, making gumpaste flowers and such is addictive. There are so many fun things to do.

Sounds like great advice and I am going with EASY now till I have more time to learn. What would you consider to be an easy icing recipe that I should use?

Sparkledee3, where in the central CA coast are you? I am in the delta area (Far East contra costa county) but I have family in paso robles.   

The humidity has been crazy this week!  I don't even know how people exist in it as their normal climate.   Give me back the dry heat thank you!

Easiest might be the Buttercream Dream or Whimsical Bakehouse Buttercream if you go with butter in the icing or Indydeb's if you go without butter.

Mccantsbakes, it has been awful here in Ottawa, Canada but the mosquitoes like the humidity.

Mccantsbakes! Small world. I'm in SLO - closer to Avila Beach area. The humidity which we RARELY get has put me in a frenzy over which icing to choose. It has let up quite a bit now.  Wondering what icing recipe you normally use as well. Does this humidity scare you with cakes? LOL  Squirrelly has "held my hand" through this whole process - don't know what I'd have done without her and this site!

Squirrelly Cakes - My mom's side of the family is from Newfoundland. Will be heading to a family reunion there next August.  I have decided on not using the WASC recipe. I just can't get over the "funky" flavor like a cherry or almond. I added my vanilla extract and omitted the almond but it still comes through. I'm afraid when I do the second batch with lemon flavoring that the almond or cake mix flavor that's already in there will taste strange with lemon. I see others love it. Maybe I used the wrong brand cake mix and that might make a difference. I used BC and last time DH. I don't recall the DH having as strong a flavor as BC.

I'm doing 2 simple fillings - lemon curd and chocolate ganache. Do you whip the ganache to a fluffy state before using it as a filling or just let it thicken after stirring the chips to melt then fill them?  

I don't really fret over humidity as it is so rare here.   I usually use SMB.  And I have been playing with indydebi's BC, which I happen to really like thus far.   

I am a sometimesy scratch baker and love sweetapolita's recipes.  (Have yet to have a bad outcome with any of her stuff) and I also use the WASC when I am trying to do larger cakes that I need a consistent outcome on.  I only use BC french vanilla cake as my base for the WASC.    I add a lot of vanilla and usually one or two complimenting background flavors (depending on what the overall cake needs to be)  I really like Loranns cream cheese emulsion , Loranns raspberry emulsion, and my new fave is chirimoya extract from global sugar arts....it's a really tropical banana-  peach -papaya-pineapple taste.....so good in icing against carrot cake ;)

i never use WASC for chocolate cakes.....in my very spoiled and somewhat humble opinion, there is little else on earth that is better than a high quality chocolate cake made from scratch....and sadly the box mix chocolare doesn't cut it for me (even if I add cocoa powder in lieu of some of the flour in the WASC recipe)

I love Newfoundlanders - they are so friendly and down to earth.

WASC is not for me either but I had a couple of customers who loved it - especially the berry flavoured which is my least favourite. I am pretty sure there is also a WASC cake from scratch on the site but I haven't tried it. I saw it somewhere though and it was also popular.

You could do the ganache either way but I don't do the whipped ganache only because I haven't done it.

I love Newfoundlanders - they are so friendly and down to earth.

WASC is not for me either but I had a couple of customers who loved it - especially the berry flavoured which is my least favourite. I am pretty sure there is also a WASC cake from scratch on the site but I haven't tried it. I saw it somewhere though and it was also popular.

You could do the ganache either way but I don't do the whipped ganache only because I haven't done it.

I love Newfoundlanders - they are so friendly and down to earth.

WASC is not for me either but I had a couple of customers who loved it - especially the berry flavoured which is my least favourite. I am pretty sure there is also a WASC cake from scratch on the site but I haven't tried it. I saw it somewhere though and it was also popular.

You could do the ganache either way but I don't do the whipped ganache only because I haven't done it.

I didn't post that three times, only once so the site is acting up a bit.