Cupcakes
Make your favorite cupcakes according the recipe. Let cool. You will need a flat surface for most designs. If necessary, use a serrated knife to level the cupcakes. Buttercream will be used to ice the cupcakes. Let dry. You can also top your cupcakes with rolled fondant. To the fondant's underside, apply a thin layer of piping gel. Smoothen the fondant on top of cupcakes using your palm or a fondant smoother. Do not press too hard or the buttercream will be lost. Let fondant set for at least an hour before stenciling. This will make it less likely to rip or smear.Cookies
Because they have a flat surface, cut-out cookies are better for stenciling. Cookies that are intended to be stenciled should first be covered with a hard-drying icing, such as royal icing or poured cookie frosting. You can also cover them with fondant rolled from the same cutter that you used to cut your cookies. Buttercream icing can also be used and allowed to set and smoothen.Brownies
Brownies can be iced with stencils or without frosting.Instructions for Stenciling
There are many options once your cookies or cupcakes are ready for stenciling. Place your stencil on top the frosted brownie, cookie, or cupcake.- Holding the stencil in one hand, use an offset or tapered spatula to spread a thin layer of royal icing or buttercream over it. Be sure to not see through the icing. To avoid causing any damage to your design, lift the stencil up gently.
- Another option is to keep the stencil still and use an aerosol or airbrush color. Make sure the stencil is flush with the cupcake/cookie, and then spray as much as you can. Be careful not to let the spray get under the stencil or blur your design. To remove the stencil, lift it straight up. Use a paper towel to clean the stencil before you move on to the next cookie or cake.
- A stencil can be placed on a cupcake or frosted cookie and sprinkled with edible glitter or finely sanding sugar. Holding the stencil in one hand, press the glitter or sugar gently on the icing to embed it. Be careful to remove the stencil so that it isn't disturbed.
- Brownies and plain chocolate cupcakes with flat tops can be made by placing a stencil on top of the cake. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar over it. This is where a shaker jar comes in handy. To avoid sugar clumps, let the sugar build slowly and don't go overboard. To avoid causing any damage to the stencil, lift it carefully.