Inspired by Slime (Cupcakes)

Yesterday's class was supposed to be "Slime Cupcakes", but there were no signups, and nobody walked in. Part of the issue might have been timing: this was a Hallowe'en craft for which everyone's Hallowe'en parties were already done, on a night where — if our customers' behavior were an indication of the norm — everyone was too frantic making last minute costumes, or trying to find last minute costume details. We did have one woman looking for Hallowe'en cupcake picks, but she (like everyone else) was not interested in spending the time to actually decorate cupcakes.

To be sure, the "slime" was designed to look more like either Ghostbusters ectoplasm or snot — it was hard to say which — but the concept can be "degrossified" and transformed to create other designs and plan for other holidays.

Photo from Michaels Slime Cupcake class sign-up page

The method used for creating this effect is simple: use Wilton Leaf Green and Lemon Yellow icing colors to tint Wilton White Decorator Icing, fill a bag and use a 1A (large base, plain circle opening) tube to create a cupcake swirl, and drizzle light green Wilton Sparkle Gel to create the oozing, dripping, slime. Of course, we were out of the light green Sparkle Gel, but since we were on the green theme I pulled the Leaf Green Sparkle Gel, which looks more like a Christmas green.

Riff 1: Substituting for the Sparkle Gel

First Option: If we had had any Piping Gel in stock, I would have of course mixed some with the same yellow-and-green color mixture that we were to have used in the icing, added some Leaf Green Pearl Dust, and filled a second bag with the #3 tip we were supposed to use to core the cupcake (to fill with more Sparkle Gel), and used that to create the ooze. Second Option: We did have some Wilton Glucose, which is just thickened corn syrup. If you add color and Pearl Dust, you will get something that's a bit thinner and runnier than Sparkle Gel, but which will ooze through a #4 or #5 round tip just fine. (Tip: stir the glucose slowly: the faster and harder you work it, the more resistant it gets — but it will loosen right back up when you leave it alone.) The samples below I made at home with a butter-based American buttercream icing (I don't believe in hydrogenated oils when I can avoid them!).

Sparkle Gel (left) vs. Colored Glucose (right)

Third Option: The snotty-looking mess to the right started out as cornstarch and water, sweetened with glucose. It congealed too rapidly, creating whitish lumps and bumps. These were eventually made less opaque with the addition of water, glucose, and sugar — and then colored with food coloring. Next time, I'd start with simple syrup and add colored cornstarch water in as the syrup reached a boil. Or, I'd start with a colored custard base.

Colored Glucose with Corn Starch Mixture piped on top

Fourth Option: Jelly, preferably brought to room temperature, or possibly a seedless jam. I used a seedless raspberry jelly to simulate blood.

Riff 2: Another Hallowe'en Variant

"Cranial Folds" Last year, our Hallowe'en Baking display included "Vampire Red" Sparkle Gel. Substitute Red Sparkle Gel on a grey-colored cupcake to create a "Zombie"/"Brains" effect, or over a dark purple or black cupcake to indicate "blood" for a vampire. Here, I've created a series of u-turns from one side of the cupcake to the other, and back, to simulate cranial folds. A few drops of jelly to create blood, and we're done.

"Zombie" Cupcake

Riff 3: Christmas Tree With Sparkle Gel

The Christmas green color of the Leaf Green Sparkle Gel reminded me (as if our stock didn't!) that Christmas is less than two months away, and holiday baking often starts as early as Thanksgiving. I could use that dripped Sparkle Gel technique to make Christmas Tree cupcakes!

Base using tip #21	I loaded Christmas green icing into a bag with an open star tip. My first attempt used a #21; the second used stiffer icing with the ubiquitous 1M. Starting from the center of the cupcake, draw a line out to the side of the cupcake. Continue around in a star pattern to create the base of the tree.
	Between the spokes of the star, pipe another, smaller star.
	Continue piping stars to create the body of the tree.
Finally, pipe a pool of green icing at the center of the cupcake and draw straight up on the release to create the tree's top.
	Use white or gold Sparkle Gel to create the tinsel garland. Sprinkle red nonpareils for holly berries, gold stars, or any Christmas sprinkle mix to simulate ornaments.
Tip 21 Tree With White Sparkle Gel and Gold Sanding Sugar	Tip 1M Tree

Now, these Christmas Tree cupcakes do take up mounds of icing (you'll need to double or treble the amount you make) — and they'll need to be made of royal icing rather than buttercream if you're putting them in a Gingerbread House scene — but they'll be a fun addition to your Christmas table.