bakery cook and tips: How to Make Brain Cupcakes (or Brainiac Cupcakes)

It's October.

So it's just about right that I do a tutorial on a Halloween inspired cupcakes.

First up - Brain Cupcakes. Hmmmm brain cupcakes sound... well they sound scary, gory, and totally something that you won't probably eat in a million years even if I give you one million dollars. Especially if you have a sensitive stomach like I do.

So I thought of putting some "handmade" googly eyes and viola! They don't look scary anymore right? Good enough to eat?

What we need:

Cupcakes (Of course!)
White folder plus red and black marker if you want to make the googly eyes
Ice Cream scoop
Medium sized round tip
Buttercream (Copper / Flesh tone color)

Here's How:
First I cut circles from the folders and drew the eyes. I used the red marker for the lips. For girl braniacs, make sure to draw eyelashes.

Place a scoop of buttercream on top of the cupcakes. Note that the size of the scoop depends on whether you're making regular sized cupcakes or mini cuppies.

Here's a close-up of a soon to be Braniac

Using a piping bag with a #7 round tip, pipe squiggly lines in one side, then do the other. Make sure that the division in the center is visible. After all, the brain has two spheres.

Sometimes, one layer of squiggly lines in not enough, so you may do another layer to ... you know... make it brain-like.

When I look at these Brainiac Cupcakes, I can picture a story.
Here are Daddy and Mommy Braniac.

One day, their heads just hurt and out came their little brainiacs. Okay, so that's sooo not original. If you are familiar with Greek Mythology, that's how Athena (the Goddess of Wisdom) came to be.