Incredible invertebrates
Part of the Incredible Invertebrates recipe collection, these cupcakes are decorated with finely crafted dragonfly and bee shapes, featuring intricate detailing that makes this a high-difficulty decorating project.
Ingredients
cupcake (lemon or basic vanilla flavor (see p.26 or p.18))
1 portion
fondant icing (see p.68)
1 portion
gel food coloring
to taste
sugar paste (fondant)
golf ball-sized
edible glue
to taste
edible glitter
to taste
royal icing (see p.16)
1 tbsp
sugar pearls (for bee eyes)
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare the cake
Make the cupcakes according to the recipe of your choice. Once cooled, cover with the pre-colored fondant icing. Let dry completely.
2
Make dragonfly wings
Dye a portion of the sugar paste to the desired wing color and knead until evenly colored. Take pea-sized pieces, roll into thin sausage shapes and gently flatten. Each dragonfly requires 2 upper wings and 2 slightly smaller lower wings. Apply edible glue, roll in glitter, and let dry for at least 1 hour.
3
Make the bee
Dye a portion of the sugar paste dark yellow, and a small amount black. Take broad bean-sized pieces of yellow paste, roll into a cylinder with rounded ends. Apply glue and roll in gold glitter (or make a non-glitter yellow bee). Once dry, attach black stripes and a stinger to the rear. Make small white wings and attach to the top. Use a toothpick to indent eye sockets, insert sugar pearls, and draw a smile.
4
Assemble the bee
Use edible glue to attach the bee to the cupcake, and pipe a few flowers with royal icing.
5
Assemble the dragonfly
Attach the wings to the cupcake. Pipe a thick line of contrasting royal icing between the wings to form the body, and a small dot at the top for the head. Attach sugar pearls as eyes. Secure with edible glue, and decorate the surrounding area with piped flowers or dots of royal icing.
