Zoo Animal Cupcakes!!!

ZOO. ANIMAL. CUPCAKES.

Are there sweeter words in the English language? Probably, yes. But none the less - zoo animal cupcakes, people!!!

Now, despite my excitement, I'm actually labelling these cutesy cupcakes as a bit of a fail.

Let me explain...

Fondant is expensive. As such, I buy Orchard's White Icing from the shops (super cheap and so easy to use - seriously, check out their website, you can download a free recipe book!) and colour the icing myself by hand.

Usually not too much of a drama - unless you need black fondant. In which case I have to painstakingly paint black food colouring onto the icing, being ever-so-careful not to let it touch anywhere it shouldn't because it will run.

So that's issue 1.

Issue 2 - I don't own a piping bag. As such, instead of piping on eyes and mouth detail, I had to roll teeny tiny little balls and very carefully apply them to the cupcakes for eyes, and use my scalpel to cut into the icing to make mouths.

Yeah.

I felt freaking evil doing that, too. It's like perverted cupcake surgery. 

Issue 3 - I live in what could be called a 'small' student flat. A more accurate description would be 'a hotel room'. It's literally one room with kitchenette and bathroom attached. Now my kitchen could be called 'modest'. A more accurate description would be 'ridiculously tiny'. As such, making detailed cupcake designs can be... frustrating... in such a confined space.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love making and prettying up cupcakes - and anything sweet for that matter. I'm just trying to paint the picture as to why my zoo animal cupcakes did not turn out exactly as I'd hoped...

I also attempted to make a tiger cupcake, but having to paint on individual stripes with a tiny paintbrush and with liquid colouring as opposed to the powdered colouring you're supposed to use gave me an angry tick. As well as a bad back.

Now, if you happen to have different coloured fondants, the right kind of food colouring, a piping bag and space, you could make some truly exceptional zoo animal cupcake creations.

But how many of us actually have those things? 

While I do intend to slowly build up my collection of baking supplies (so I will have all those things), most people will stick to the basics. 

As such, I'm going to try my hand at an animal cake later in the week - something anyone could make with the kind of stuff we all have access to. Wish me luck!

In the meantime, if you have space, time and a piping bag (so you don't have to slice into their cute animal faces), then these little guys might just be for you.

As for me, I'm off to make Doctor Who cupcakes...

As simply as I can :P