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economical (cheap) way to frost 200 cupcakes

post #1 of 43
6/8/12 at 1:05pm
Thread Starter 
Hi there, just stumbled across this great site. I need help....have somehow found myself saying I would make 200 cupcakes for my sons school pic nic which falls on his 10th birthday. I am not a baker/decorator..have picked up boxed cakemixes, liners and ziplock bags so I can start baking them and freezing.

My concern now is the frosting...seems like every recipe I look at its going to cost a fortune to ice. Not planning on doing anything fancy, just ofcourse want them frosted on top...anybody have any tips for icing recipes that go along way....

thanks icon_smile.gif
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post #2 of 43
6/8/12 at 1:19pm
I would make a glaze and dip each cupcake into it and then put some sprinkles on top. Faster and cheaper than buttercream.

Here is a video of a lady doing it, you can find many different recipes online

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W7--TTyZY4

If you want buttercream you can substitute half of the butter with Crisco to save money and get a piping tip and watch videos online to frost them quickly.
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post #3 of 43
6/8/12 at 1:43pm
Does anyone have recipes or link to great recipes for cupcake glazes? I'm interested in this now. I normally do a flat layer of BC with a spatula on cupcakes when i have hundreds to do but the glaze sounds like it might be faster.
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post #4 of 43
6/8/12 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you!!! I will go for the glaze and looking at that video looks like I can just dip them very quickly and add some sparkles and be good to go!!!
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post #5 of 43
6/8/12 at 4:32pm
Respectfully disagree - I can pipe 6 dozen cupcakes in the time it takes me to evenly glaze one dozen! It's messy. M-E-S-S-Y. And I do this almost every day.

Icing is what it is, you can get inexpensive butter/shortening and larger bags of powdered sugar from a restaurant supply store like Cash & Carry or Smart & Final (where they don't require a license to join) or Costco. I'd be more concerned about how many batches you will have to make at home to make enough icing, since you don't have a nice big Hobart commercial mixer to do it for you! For 200 cupcakes I estimate 9 pounds of butter (or 50/50 shortening/butter) and 18 lbs of powdered sugar. This isn't the style of icing I make regularly at my bakery, I'm guessing. It shouldn't be more then $30 retail, which is not that bad.

BUT If you have a Sams Club or Wal Mart I've read here on CC that they will sell you their icing in a bucket from their bakery department for pretty inexpensive, it's like 10 or 20 pounds or something.

If anything you can ask their bakery department if you can have one of their old empty icing buckets to help storage of yours.

Good luck!
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post #6 of 43
6/8/12 at 4:39pm
I just watched a a little of the video posted - and wow, do I completely disagree - she is staking 20-30 seconds just to dip one cupcake! That'll take for ever to do on the quantity you need.

She is either using a petit four glaze, which is tricky to make (several different recipes, I like Martha Stewart's) or she took cans of store bought vanilla frosting (Pilsburry etc) and melted it down. Neither are an inexpensive solution. And no way is it fast.
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post #7 of 43
6/8/12 at 4:54pm
Hmmm it is true. The time taken in the glaze video to dip and re-dip and re-dip one cupcake seems very long. Best you make a more affordable buttercream recipe.
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post #8 of 43
6/8/12 at 4:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

I just watched a a little of the video posted - and wow, do I completely disagree - she is staking 20-30 seconds just to dip one cupcake! That'll take for ever to do on the quantity you need.

She is either using a petit four glaze, which is tricky to make (several different recipes, I like Martha Stewart's) or she took cans of store bought vanilla frosting (Pilsburry etc) and melted it down. Neither are an inexpensive solution. And no way is it fast.


Oh boy, I cannot agree more. Do not use this method if you are looking for fast and easy.

I love my Wilton tip 1M for frosting cupcakes, takes about 5 seconds or less for a beautifully presented cupcake. Follow FromScratch's very good (albeit ironic icon_cool.gif)advice and buy a tub of frosting from Sam's, and it will probably be cheaper than buying straight ingredients - and the kids will love it. Have you thought about how you're going to transport all those cupcakes? BRP Boxshop is one source many people use for cupcake boxes.

*FromScratch, I'm just having fun, I was laughing at myself while I was typing "take FromScratch's advice to buy a tub of icing!" It's good advice in this situation. icon_smile.gif
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post #9 of 43
6/8/12 at 4:59pm
Thread Starter 
hi

ok., so now im sooo confused what to do LOL I am assuming that I cant ice the cupcakes and freeze them?? I wish that I could go to walmart and just buy a huge bucket of icing but Im in canada and while the walmart close to me does have food/grocerys there is no bakery so that option is out..... darn... I am going to put my thinking cap on to see if I can find a grocery store that will sell me a big bucket. I only have a small mix master and just dont think that would do to make the quanity that I need and have it ready on the day I need it before noon. IF i can buy the icing then I would just get an icing bag with a big tip and then try and do my best with that......if I cant find a place to sell me the icing then... i just dont know.....kinda sorry I said I would do this....glutton for punishment I think...

thanks for your input, really appreciate it!!!
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post #10 of 43
6/8/12 at 5:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valeriaa

hi

I only have a small mix master and just dont think that would do to make the quanity that I need and have it ready on the day I need it before noon.



You can make you icing days in advance. Just keep it sealed in the refrigerator until you use it. Just let it come to room temperature and decorate.
Linda
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Linda
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post #11 of 43
6/8/12 at 5:28pm
You can also freeze it weeks or months in advance, as long as it's stored properly.

Not sure what shipping would be like to Canada, but frosting can also be ordered online. I've tried Dixie's and it's fine. http://www.dixiesicing.com/
(aw, just saw that Dixie's doesn't ship to Canada, sorry!!! icon_redface.gif )

Throwing yourself on the mercy of the manager of your local grocery store might be your best bet, ask to purchase a bucket or for them to order you an extra one if there's time.
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post #12 of 43
6/8/12 at 5:34pm
[quote="kelleym"]
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

*FromScratch, I'm just having fun, I was laughing at myself while I was typing "take FromScratch's advice to buy a tub of icing!" It's good advice in this situation. icon_smile.gif



For realz, I know right??? Glad the irony did not get lost and someone was paying attention icon_biggrin.gif
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post #13 of 43
6/8/12 at 5:48pm
Or if you are worried about storage, ask them for one of their empty buckets from their icing that they normally throw away - at least you'll have something food safe to add your several batches of icing to. OR get one of those Home Depot $2 orange buckets and use that. Wash it really well first, of course.

As for icing, for a large event like this I get under the bed storage boxes. Take all my unfrosted cupcakes out of the freezer and pack them all in (single layer), fill 4 or 5 piping bags and ice away. I think I can fit about 120 -130 cupcakes in one of those, they even come with a lid. It takes less then 10 minutes to pipe simple swirls for the whole box. I got the boxes at Target for $12 or so bucks I think? Your cupcakes won't fall over and you can literally roll the box to the car if it's too heavy or awkward to carry. 2 boxes stack on one another and they should fit in the trunk of your car.
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post #14 of 43
6/8/12 at 6:38pm
In Canada, McCall's has icing:
http://www.mccalls.ca/items.asp?Cc=ICING&iTpStatus=0&Tp=&Bc=
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post #15 of 43
6/8/12 at 6:56pm
[quote="kelleym"]
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

I just watched a a little of the video posted - and wow, do I completely disagree - she is staking 20-30 seconds just to dip one cupcake! That'll take for ever to do on the quantity you need.

I love my Wilton tip 1M for frosting cupcakes, takes about 5 seconds or less for a beautifully presented cupcake.



It takes you 5 seconds because you have been doing it for a long time, have a lot of practice and know how to do it. For a novice, chances are it's going to take you a long time for each cupcake if they even turn out half way decent. Not only does a novice not know how to hold the bag and how much pressure to use, you don't know how or if to hold the cupcake or how to frost it in an even swirl. For a novice their first one will take 5 minutes and the 200th one will take 4:59 icon_lol.gif

The first time I tried to frost a cupcake with the 1M tip I gave up and just spread the frosting with a butter knife. I also think that transporting and handling/setting up a cupcake with a glazed top is easier and less messy than a buttercream one. By all means she should try the buttercream one, for taste you can't beat it, even if it's spread with a knife it tastes great. icon_biggrin.gif cover up any frosting mistakes with sprinkles too.
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