Cupcake Stencil

Cupcakes are amazing, fact. Getting a detailed message or pattern on top though is never easy. For anyone who owns or has access to a laser cutter, this is a really quick and simple project that gives great results.

An acrylic stencil makes it easy to add patterns and shapes in cocoa, icing sugar, fine sprinkles or edible spray paint! You can even use it to decorate five at once! Or even to dust patterns on cappuccinos and lattes.

Step 1: Design

As usual, I started by designing my stencil in Alibre Design.

I chose to make a large stencil with several designs on it over lots of single designs because I wanted to be able to balance it on an upturned bowl rather than holding it. I felt that if I held the stencil and dusted with cocoa powder or icing sugar at the same time, the stencil would move and I'd get a blurry image.

I chose to use shapes/designs that were fairly simple, I was afraid that images with too much detail would get lost/blurred.

Step 2: Laser Cut

The stencil was cut on an Epilog 75W laser cutter. The file is attached should you with to make your own.

I used power 100, speed 10 on 1/8" acrylic. It took no more than 15 minutes to cut.

Step 3: Make Cupcakes! (or Coffee)

Next, bake some cupcakes! Ice with your choice of frosting.

Scoochmaroo was making delicious Malibu dream cupcakes and I can't bake. She kindly let me steal a trio of hers on which to experiment!

Step 4: Dust!

This step needs to be done while the icing is still fresh. If you let it set at all then the cocoa won't stick to it.

Find a bowl, jar or other kitchen object slightly taller than your cupcakes and position it next to a cupcake. Place the stencil on top and then dust a light layer of cocoa on top. You could also use icing sugar, edible paint spray or fine sprinkles. I dusted mine by placing a teaspoon of cocoa in a seive then tapping the seive while hovered over the stencil to get a light dusting.

After dusting, lift the stencil off then tip the cupcake upside down to dislodge any loose cocoa. This will stop it smudging if it gets knocked before being eaten.