http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/2087268/cupcake-baby-buggy

I am making this cake for my DIL's baby shower on July 25, 2015. I bake great cupcakes and make my own fillings, but am not a decorator!  Can anyone help me figure out what type of icing was used on these and which tips to use. I had signed up for a Wilton Course 1 class, but my mom passed away and I had to go back east for a month and missed the classes.

The cake will sit out for 3 hours. My DIL loves cream cheese frosting, but I think that would be a disaster. I am very concerned as how to make the cupcake buggy hood look curved and not like a rectangle. Any help or suggestions would be great! 

This cake on the board measures approx. 28" long by 23" wide! Any suggestions for decorating a board. I will have to buy foam board or cut a huge piece of cardboard out and somehow wrap it and make it look nice. I'm desperate for suggestions on the whole thing. It came off of this site (DIL found it and loved it) but I can't find any instructions anywhere.

I'm new here. Signed up yesterday. Sorry for the lengthy post! 

I have typed out a detailed response four times and for some reason it was not posting. Last time...

By doing a google search I was able to pull up "Covering cupcakes with a round tip swirl" that is under techniques on the Wilton site. That is how the cupcakes were iced.

Www.wilton.com

Under Learn", you can access a variety of decorating techniques and even icing recipes. The "how to" for all the techniques you need to do this cake, are under decorating techniques on the Wilton site.

The cupcakes are likely decorated with a "2a" or other large round tip.

The spokes of the wheel can be done using a "21" and pulling out straight with tip on its side. See zigzag or rope technique but pull straight.

The hubcaps can be made using the swirl drop flower technique and a "2d" and a "3" or an open star that is smaller than a "2d" like a "21". You can use the same tips on the other cupcakes as in the photo.

The ruffle can be done using a "104". The ruffle technique is on the Wilton site.

I use a large roll of wrapping paper to cover my boards. I would use a baby theme in this case. I then cover it with food safe cellophane basket wrap which comes in large rolls. You can use a food safe fancy foil or regular food safe foil or freezer paper.

Not sure why you are worried about the hood shape looking rectangular. Just follow the shape and count of the design of the photo you posted.

There are many icing recipes on this site also. Indydeb's buttercream is popular. I would not use creamcheese frosting because of how long it will sit out and also because it is difficult to decorate with. 

Indydeb's recipe is posted under a recent thread entitled, "Making Crisco Icing Taste Better" in case you have trouble finding it on the site.

Oh gosh, forgot to add - you need to adhere the cupcakes to the board using icing. Some people use double cupcake wrappers so that you can remove the one that has a dab of icing on the bottom.  So basically you are going to line them up like the photo and then adhere them individually to the board with dabs of icing.

Oh and on the hood, a  #"16" up to a "21" open star tip using the zigzag technique. 

Oh my gosh! Thank you for your time in answering my questions so thoroughly! The reason I was concerned about the shape of the hood is because I saw the same one done but it looked rectangular. Here is the link to view it: http://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/823387/help-with-decorating-baby-buggy#post_7628935 Its third one. Looks different than the shape in the first that I'm trying to make.

Do you have any recommendations for Wilton colors to make the baby blue frosting as in the first photo? That's the one I'm trying to make. Love that baby blue color! Thanks again for all your help.

I don't think I put the right link in. Here it is.

 http://dreamycreamycakes.com/?page_id=48

I tend to use a bit of Wilton's Royal Blue. If there is butter or margarine in your icing, it might get a bit greenish with some blues though. But it might be worth it to pick up "Sky Blue"  too but I use Royal mainly. They used to sell a 4 pack of pastel colours that included a nice baby type blue but I haven't seen it lately. I am sure Americolor also makes some blues that would work but it is easier for me to access Wilton.

Oh? I see what you mean about the hood. Just try to follow the angle of the hood that you like and you should be fine. It is how they are lined up. The "good one", she put on more of a rounded angle and her icing trim made it appear more rounded too. Just line them up on your board and play until you like the angle and then "icing glue them together". I think if I were doing it I would make three extra cupcakes to play with the placement of the hood.

I know this is new to you and may seem daunting but once you get going at it you will be surprised how well it will work out. Try practising some of the piping on the back of a cookie sheet.

Some bakeries and stores sell icing in buckets, already coloured or in white so you can colour it. It might save you a bit of work. You will need about 8 -10 cups of icing - rough estimate because everyone pipes out a bit different amounts. Typically recipes give you about 4-5 cups.

I know you are going to do great if you practice a bit. 

Oh and colour about 2 1/2 to 3 cups out of that, blue.

Just noted you have two threads going on this and on the other thread you mention filling with lemon curd and chocolate cream. If these fillings require refrigeration, some frosting recipes will get a bit crunchy afterwards. Also, be sure to box the finished cake. I also bag the box normally in an unscented garbage bag but you don't have to.

You may need to create a box using two boxes taped together.

I left a question on the other thread to see if Indydeb's recipe gets crunchy from refrigeration. It seems to have a higher fat ratio which would make it less to do so but it is best to ask to be sure.

I have been having a lot of fun with practicing all of this! I may have to rethink my fillings because once it's put together I won't be able to refrigerate it ( except leftovers) doe to the size of it. I lined the empty liners up on my table and from top to bottom in the buggy shape and it measured 30" L x 21" wide. That's without additional room on the board! Won't fit in anyone's fridge I know of. We won't actually need 48 cupcakes so I was thinking of removing a row from the body and possibly replacing the wheels with 2 six inch cakes. Might be more manageable for me for the first time. I'm doing the center flower on rack cupcake out of a mimi plunger/cutter using a 3/4" flower or heart plunger. Then putting a candy pearl in the middle. Much easier for me and I can do it in advance. Made a marshmallow fondant from a recipe I found on another site. First time ever makin, using, and tasting the stuff and it came out beautifully.

Im assuming I have to ice the cupcakes AFTER I get the buggy shape set up on the board and in place.

Sorry for all the typos. Computers down and I'm not use to typing on my iPhone. LOL

Ha, so much fun typing on a phone - my computer is down too.

You can ice the cupcakes  and decorate with the flowers and then line them up. Then put a dab of icing underneath each. Then do the decorating with the spokes and ruffles while they are in place. Personally, I would make the spokes on the wheels straight instead of how they are in the picture. But either way is fine.

If you have to transport the cake, make sure you put non-skid shelf  liner or a mat underneath.